Car Rental: Everything you need to know about renting a car during your repair.

Your car was involved in a collision and now you need to have it repaired, but having it repaired means you will be without your car for a period of time while it's in the shop.

Just because your car is unavailable to use does not mean you can stop running errands, or stop going to work or school, and it certainly does not mean you have to cancel that road trip you were looking forward to. You still need the use of a car, so what options do you have while your car is being fixed? The need for a rental car is a common request, so we will discuss what options you have to keep your life moving while your car is being fixed. 

The most common question we are asked regarding rentals is: who will pay for it? The answer varies depending on who will pay for the repair itself, and this can go number of ways:

• If your repairs are being handled by an insurance company, they may (or may not) be the ones paying for the rental. So, how can you tell if they are paying for your rental? Here is how it goes:
  1. If the repair is being handled under your insurance policy, and you do have rental car coverage on your policy, then your insurance company will pay for the rental, meaning you will not have to pay for the rental* (*barring optional added insurance charges and taxes). The rental car company will, in almost all cases, bill the charges to the insurance company directly; occasionally the rental works on a reimbursement basis, where you will pay for the rental yourself, then submit the invoice to your insurance company for reimbursement.
  2. If the repair is being handled under your insurance policy, but you do not have rental car coverage on your policy, then you will need to pay for the rental costs out of your own pocket.
  3. If the repair is being handled under another party's insurance policy, for example, the policy of someone who hit you, and their insurance company has admitted fault and accepted liability for the repair, then that person's insurance company will pay for both your vehicle repair and your rental car costs.
• ​If your repairs are being handled without the involvement of an insurance company, then the rental car costs will be your responsibility, or the responsibility of another party that may have damaged your car.

Another question we receive is, how is the rental set up and coordinated?

• Once you have scheduled a date to drop your vehicle off for repairs, we will contact one of our local rental affiliates (Enterprise, Hertz, etc.) upon your arrival, and their friendly staff will pick you up and take you to their nearby location to choose a vehicle. Please note that if your repair is being handled through an insurance claim, the insurance company may have already set you up with a reservation for a rental from a specific rental car company; if so, please share your reservation information with us and we will correspond with the appropriate rental office. If you need a insurance rental reservation but do not yet have one, please call or email us and we will be happy to set one up for you.

Lastly, if you need a specific type of vehicle, please do not hesitate to ask for one. Another common question we hear is, what type of rental cars are available?

• The short and sweet answer is: any type. Whether you simply need transportation from A to B, or a specific type of car that you need for work, we can arrange it for you. Common requests are: small efficient cars, luxury sedans, large SUV's, and pickup trucks. If you require a specific type of car, please contact us a day or two in advance to guarantee that we will have that vehicle available for you. 

We hope that this guide answers some questions regarding rental cars, however, if you need further clarification on your specific rental needs, please contact us at any time and we will work with you to get you back on the road quickly.

Cheers, and thanks for reading!

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