Renting a car
Jun 12th 2012, 9:40 pm
#16
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: Renting a car
I may be wrong, I've been so before!
From my own personal experience, having booked a rental car three times for YYZ in the last year from the UK, you will see SLI (supplementary Liability Insurance) mentioned at some point along the booking process. It often nearly doubles the hire cost. I've used Hotwire.ca twice to book a hertz rental. This way you can avoid paying the automatic coverage which even hotwire.co.uk add on. Upon arrival at the rental desk, you just need to tell them that you have car hire insurance and want to decline their own products. No problem.
The other time, I used Payless car hire. They insisted on seeing and copying the car hire insurance certificate. Their booking website forewarns you of this procedure. Apparently, lots of septics don't realise this and regularly get stung at the rental desk.
I did read up on all this guff some time ago and I do seem to remember that visitors to Canada should have SLI to protect them from being sued.
The annual Policy I have cost £100 and covers tyres, glass, lock out, towing, theft of possessions within car, collision excess and 1 million liability.
From my own personal experience, having booked a rental car three times for YYZ in the last year from the UK, you will see SLI (supplementary Liability Insurance) mentioned at some point along the booking process. It often nearly doubles the hire cost. I've used Hotwire.ca twice to book a hertz rental. This way you can avoid paying the automatic coverage which even hotwire.co.uk add on. Upon arrival at the rental desk, you just need to tell them that you have car hire insurance and want to decline their own products. No problem.
The other time, I used Payless car hire. They insisted on seeing and copying the car hire insurance certificate. Their booking website forewarns you of this procedure. Apparently, lots of septics don't realise this and regularly get stung at the rental desk.
I did read up on all this guff some time ago and I do seem to remember that visitors to Canada should have SLI to protect them from being sued.
The annual Policy I have cost £100 and covers tyres, glass, lock out, towing, theft of possessions within car, collision excess and 1 million liability.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:09 pm
#17
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: Cumbernauld, near Glasgow
Posts: 220
Re: Renting a car
However, I do appreciate your concern for my financial welfare.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:17 pm
#18
.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Renting a car
As Novo said a gold visa will do it. I got them to send me the policy and it covers full comprehensive insurance on a rental. The only real stipulation is that the car must not exceed $150k in value.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:20 pm
#19
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: Renting a car
If you say so. Here you can have a gold visa from pretty much anywhere for less than $200 with cash back. I use it a lot and the cash back check more than covers the fee. In my case a lot more.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:27 pm
#20
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: Cumbernauld, near Glasgow
Posts: 220
Re: Renting a car
Unless I'm wrong, the key here is the UK. Car hire insurance privileges on a credit card are not so freely available here. I'm with Visa and contacted them about this already only to be told that they didn't do so. This may be the reason that care hire insurance is becoming more popular over here.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:30 pm
#21
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: Cumbernauld, near Glasgow
Posts: 220
Re: Renting a car
It makes a change to hear about product value.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:31 pm
#22
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Re: Renting a car
Unless I'm wrong, the key here is the UK. Car hire insurance privileges on a credit card are not so freely available here. I'm with Visa and contacted them about this already only to be told that they didn't do so. This may be the reason that care hire insurance is becoming more popular over here.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:33 pm
#23
Binned by Muderators
Joined: Jul 2007
Location: White Rock BC
Posts: 11,682
Re: Renting a car
The thing that costs money when you rent a car, typically $25 to $30 a day, is not insurance but collision damage waiver. As I said, it is not insurance. If you pay the CDW fee then the rental company waives the right to go after you for damage to the car whilst you are renting it.
Many premium credit cards offer insurance against rental car collision claims so you can decline the rental company's CDW fee. If you damage the vehicle and the rental company sends you a bill you can forward it to the credit card company's insurers for payment (but get and read the policy before relying on what I say).
The rental company carries third party liability insurance. If you are driving a big truck, and forget that the back wheels don't follow the same trajectory as the back wheels of a car, and you take off the fender of a car parked beside the spot you are aiming for, then the rental company's insurers pay the bill. Not that I know this from ... ahem ... personal experience you realize.
Presumably this third party insurance is not unlimited which is why you can buy addition liability insurance for a fairly modest additional premium.
Many premium credit cards offer insurance against rental car collision claims so you can decline the rental company's CDW fee. If you damage the vehicle and the rental company sends you a bill you can forward it to the credit card company's insurers for payment (but get and read the policy before relying on what I say).
The rental company carries third party liability insurance. If you are driving a big truck, and forget that the back wheels don't follow the same trajectory as the back wheels of a car, and you take off the fender of a car parked beside the spot you are aiming for, then the rental company's insurers pay the bill. Not that I know this from ... ahem ... personal experience you realize.
Presumably this third party insurance is not unlimited which is why you can buy addition liability insurance for a fairly modest additional premium.
Jun 12th 2012, 10:39 pm
#24
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2011
Location: Cumbernauld, near Glasgow
Posts: 220
Jun 12th 2012, 10:47 pm
#25
Born again atheist
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Europe (to be specified).
Posts: 30,259
Jun 15th 2012, 6:15 pm
#26
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Jan 2011
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 281
Re: Renting a car
thanks for the information, will have a look at a few of these options.
Since im living downtown I have no need for a car but at the same time I have never been stuck in a 10mile radius for the last 15 years.
zipcar seems super convenient but will investigate further
cheers
bobby
Since im living downtown I have no need for a car but at the same time I have never been stuck in a 10mile radius for the last 15 years.
zipcar seems super convenient but will investigate further
cheers
bobby
