Tips from a Former Rental Car Agent: Insurance-Related Car Renting for Dummies

Although I am now a stay-at-home Mom, I spent 6 loooong years as a rental car agent. Before you leave in a disgusted haste, take a minute and hear our side. I don't work there anymore, and I still feel for the comrades I left behind. And yes, I still buy the optional protection when I rent a car, but that is an entirely different can of worms. This is what every rental ageny wants to tell you, but can't in the name of Customer Service.

First, know that your rental agent is not out to get you. Most of the people that I helped were in my office because of an accident. To be honest, I hated insurance rentals because no one is in a good mood by the time they get to my counter. Most people are not aware of how a rental works, because they have pesky insurance agents that say "Just go get a car!!" and leave it at that. See, it's your friendly insurance agent's job to keep you happy and to try and avoid a lawsuit, so they say what you want to hear and leave your poor, unsuspecting rental agent to be the bearer of bad news. It's not as simple as just showing up. They neglect to tell you that you need a license (you would be surprised how many people were shocked by this-hello-it's a state law that you drive with a license!!!) They leave out the tiny detail that in most cases you need some sort of credit card because although an insurance company may be paying part of the bill, you are still being given a CAR. You need a credit card to open an account at Blockbuster Video so why do people get outraged at the suggestion that the rental agency would like security on their AUTOMOBILE? The insurance company doesn't pay for gas, they do not pay for damage-even if the accident was not your fault-and they can terminate payment at any time whether you bring the car back or not. That is why the car rental company wants your card, to insure payment. You are driving the vehicle, not the insurance company.

Your friendly rental car agent (at least they were friendly before they got to work that morning) gets to sit there and tell you all the horrible truths that your insurance company glazed over. Yes, you are responsible for damages. Yes, I know that you drive an Explorer, but Insurance X is only paying for that cute little Focus out there. No, I can't just give you the Suburban.

That's another thing. If you are at fault in an accident, known as the Insured, chances are that your policy has either a daily limit or total limit or some combination of the two that they will pay towards a rental. The smaller the car, the cheaper the price and the longer you can keep it without going over that limit. However, if you insist on riding around in the nicest thing on the lot, know that you are going to have an out-of-pocket expense. And body shops do not always have your car ready when they say they will. Keep this in mind as it has a direct link to the amount that you will owe at the end of your rental period!!

For those of you that were hit in the accident, known as the Claimant, we would love to put you right back into the type of vehicle that was damaged by that careless other driver. Really!! Unfortunately the choice is not ours. REALLY!! Think about it. Remember how I said that the smaller the car, the cheaper the price? Well, the insurance company is hip to this also and THEY are the ones that tell the rental agency how much they are going to authorize per day for your rental. Most often, it's only enough for that gorgeous Neon out front. Since I do not work there anymore, I can tell you a secret. The squeaky wheel usually gets the grease. If you had a minivan and you need a minivan, get on the phone to your insurance adjuster and insist that they pay for the minivan. If you don't, they won't. And make sure that you talk to the ADJUSTER, not the AGENT. They are not the same thing. The agent is the person that sells a policy. They have no authority when it comes to paying out on a claim even though they sound like they do. Like I said before, they are there to tell you what you want to hear. The adjuster is the person in charge of paying out for your claim and therefore the only one who can authorize any changes. The rental agent would love to put you in a higher cost vehicle...that means more money for them!! Just be sure to do this before you go to get your rental. Some vehicles are harder to secure than others and if you wait until last minute, that type of vehicle might not be available. Also, insurance adjusters are just about impossible to reach without leaving a message and waiting for a return call as they are out on the road a lot looking at damaged vehicles. The rental agency needs their approval for the upgrade before you drive off the lot, otherwise you will be required to secure the difference...and we're back to why you need a credit card.

Keep in mind that this is just a temporary replacement vehicle. We know it's not as nice as your '89 Cavalier, it may not have a CD player like your car and even I do not know why rental cars never really seem to get as clean after they've been on the road for a month or so. But it's only temporary. This may sound harsh, but you don't have to buy it, you just have to drive it for a while. It will still get you where you need to go, and if nothing else, it will make you love your car all that much more when you get it back from the repair shop.

I know it's a lot to take in. I know that something in this piece probably made you angry. I just would like to you to consider why. If nothing else, I would like you to consider the person behind the rental counter. They did not hit your vehicle. They are not the reason you are renting a car, they are just trying to do their job. They are asking you the questions they are asking for a reason. They need your signature in all those spots for a reason. They did not make the policies, but they could lose their job if they do not enforce those policies. Chances are they spend more time behind that counter than they do with their own families. Chances are they personally cleaned about 20 cars that morning before they even opened for business. Chances are that they are a little stressed because they know you are coming and fear that you aren't aware of anything in this article and they know that they have to be the ones that get unloaded on when they tell you. Well, now you can surprise them. And you know what? I always tried to help everyone, but I tried a little more to get the nice people what they wanted. If the insurance company only wants to give you the Metro, and the only unreserved car is a Malibu, if you are a nice person I might just let you have it for free. If you come in screaming at me about things that are completely out of my hands, you can almost guarantee that I am going to make you get that approval from your adjuster. Petty, yes, but what would you do?

All this said, I know that there are rental stories from Hell. In 6 years in the business I have seen plenty, and I know that some of these experiences could have been the agency's fault. All I am asking you to consider is that most of the problems are not. An insurance rental is a delicate balance between Car Rental, Insurance and Repair shop. At any point something can go wrong and your rental agent can be a strong ally.