hail damage to rental car 31 May -- what are my rights?

Hi All,

I am writing for advice (and possibly help from others who had the same problem). I rented a car which was parked outdoors during the hailstorm on the 31st of May 2008. It suffered minor damage -- two small dents in the roof and a scratch, but of course the company is holding me liable. As most consumers do, I declined insurance coverage when I rented. I don%26#39;t even have an estimate yet from their insurance company, but I%26#39;m expecting to be gouged here. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of problem, and do you have suggestions? I would be inclined to pay in cash to avoid my insurance premiums going up (I%26#39;ve not had any other claims, ever), but I%26#39;d like to know what my options and rights are.

Thank you.

--JE

hail damage to rental car 31 May -- what are my rights?

I would think that if you have car insurance, that would have the same coverage on the rental - that%26#39;s pretty standard. I wonder though, if you do claim in on your insurance, if it would be treated as a ';no-fault act of God';, not your fault, like hitting a deer or cracks in the windshield. Therefore, it wouldn%26#39;t be a demerit against you.

However, if it%26#39;s liability only, it doesn%26#39;t do you much good. Neither does paying cash to not make an insurance claim, because you won%26#39;t save any money.

A last resort may be to check with your credit card company you paid for the car with. They often offer some sort of protection. Good luck

hail damage to rental car 31 May -- what are my rights?

Hail damage is dealt with under ';comprehensive'; coverage, and you are not held liable for it as regards premium increases. Most US-er%26#39;s making car payments have that coverage, as their lender requires it. You first need to determine if you have comprehensive coverage on your home vehicle, and second, if your insurance company covers your rental cars........most American insurance companies do cover rentals, but again, your home policy has to include comp.in order to cover the hail damage to the rental.

I am not familiar with Canadian auto insurance policies, so not sure where you stand.

BTW, we had extensive hail damage to our vehicle that same weekend. I have comprehensive coverage, and the insurance company has covered the loss.

tptr