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Wife not on Car Rental contract but drives car, what can happen?

Discussion in 'Getting There & Getting Around' started by PopsOLA, Sep 17, 2012.

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  1. PopsOLA

    PopsOLA Low-Roller

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    My posts are sorta long, so if you hate reading as much as I do, just skip to the bold questions. :)

    So, long story short I am being a cheapo. We are going to Vegas in October for 4 full days. The party will be myself, my wife, my cousin, and my father. All of us are 25+ except my wife is 24.

    We originally booked through Costco Travel a Charger but then the wife decided she wanted to roll around in a convertible. Fine. Even though the Charger was $112, I decided to fork out $168 for a convertible through Enterprise.

    Enterprise allows my spouse to be listed as an additional driver without additional fees. It also shows she must be at least 21 but does not mention additional fees for under 25 so I am under the assumption $168 out the door is what ill be paying.

    I am the type that checks often to see if prices increase, daily is the norm. I found that Alamo (who we used last time around) had a deal for $138 for same convertible. I booked it just in case. Costco allows 1 additional driver (anyone) with Alamo free of charge, but I remember last time they said if the additional driver was not 25+ they would be charged extra fee daily.

    So I told the wife, and she was kinda bummed, so I decided ehh $30 is not worth bumming her out. Over the last week Alamo has dropped the price 3 times, and most recently it's at $112. Told the wife and she said just to stick with Alamo and she will drive it anyways, LOL.


    Now, with that being said. The wife and I are both under the same insurance and they cover car rentals. If I book with alamo but only my name and my fathers name are on the rental agreement, but the wife drives the car and happens to cause damage, what kinda consequences am I looking at?

    Normally, I would say if I let someone not my spouse drive, chances are my insurance wouldn't cover and nor would theirs (since they are not responsible for it) so I would be stuck. But since my wife is under my same policy, you think my insurance would still cover it?

    I couldn't possibly see any reason why the Rental Company would be upset if the car was covered eitherway but is there anything they can sue me for besides the car damage?



    I know it's only a $56 savings to some people, and any less I probably wouldn't worry about it, but $56 is a nice savings to see. I plan on calling my insurance company about this but I figure before I do like to see if anyone else has been unfortunate enough to lend a rental car out that was involved in an accident and what the result was.
     
  2. hammie

    hammie VIP Whale

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    I would be more concerned about four in a convertible, like a Mitsubishi Eclipse. Will you have bungee cords to strap luggage to the trunk or make it to the hotel in two trips?
     
  3. earth-3

    earth-3 VIP Whale

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    Your insurance company insures the driver and the car. If someone else drives your car and is not covered by insurance you are still protected. If you drive someone elses car and they have no insurance, you are still protected. If you both have insurance and a claim arises, no fault kicks in. The first two senarios could/will affect your premium if a claim is filed.
     
  4. Hogman

    Hogman VIP Whale

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    The only problem that I have with your wife driving is that most insurance companies look for any reason to not cover a claim.
     
  5. shifter

    shifter Degenerate Gambler

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    your insurance might not cover her driving because she wasn't authorized to drive the car. for example, if you steal a car and have an accident, your insurance isn't going to cover it just because you were driving. they only cover it if you're authorized to drive the car in the accident. not worth risking it IMO and i'm a risk taker, so that's saying a lot.
     
  6. pass line man

    pass line man VIP Whale

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    Bad things can happen. Worked in Car Rental for 12 yrs..... don't do this. Insurance companies can and will look for every reason not to pay, and you will be subject to every penalty that is in the rental contract for violation of the agreement. Any credit card coverage you have will also be null and void. Without going into minute detail..... just don't do it.
     
  7. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Your contract with Alamo will indicate there are no drivers under 25. If you do something against that, there COULD be valid reasons for someone to not cover you. After all, your rental contract could be considered invalid.

    And, I would also think twice about a convertible.
     
  8. mrsstats

    mrsstats Tourist

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    I would think you would have no insurance coverage as you did not abide by the contractual agreement.
     
  9. allustoms

    allustoms Tourist

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    We rent from Alamo all the time and your spouse is included in your rental. I know this for a fact because we tried to enter a spouse as an additional driver at the kiosk check in and it would not take it. The aide that helped us out said the spouse is included and not considered an extra driver.

    As for the age part - that I cannot comment on.
     
  10. PopsOLA

    PopsOLA Low-Roller

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    Thanks for the replies. I was just questioning because if I didn't abide by the contract I don't see why my insurance has anything to do with that, although I could assume them not wanting to pay out 20k for a car is probably good enough reason if she totals it LOL.


    I guess also, everyone that said to think twice about convertible, why? The website says chances are it will be a mustang. The luggage is not large, itll really be just 1 per person and I told them if we do convertible they going to have to hold their luggage on trip (or I suppose i COULD make 2 trips). Any other reason besides luggage? We have a backup booked (altimta, or charger, or something like that) just in case, but just wondering why I should stay away from it. Maybe I can talk the wife outta it and save us all headaches.
     
  11. Fligster

    Fligster VIP Whale

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    According to the alamo site, it depends on state law. Info on alamo site, on #5 top FAQ.

    https://alamo.custhelp.com/app/home
     
  12. nostresshere

    nostresshere Mr. Anti Debit Card

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    Re: Age Part - that is the point here. Under 25 years old is the issue. Nothing to do with being a spouse. She is under 25.
     
  13. Someone

    Someone High-Roller

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    1. people keep mentioning a convertible because the top takes up a large amount of the trunk and back seat you will be very cramped in the back as an adult of any stature

    2. 99-1 odds say your insurance will say they will not cover her if she is not legally on the rental contract

    3. if they say they will cover that I would have that call recorded with your insurance agents rep stating they are aware they are being recorded and having their name and ID number or anything else that can be traced back to that individual

    4. take the easy way out......rent a mid size or other decent 4 door car for super cheap so everyone is comfortable then you and your wife go for a single day and rent a convertible on whatever day is the cheapest

    then you and your wife have alone time, she feels like she got something special just from you on the trip, and when the excitement of sitting in hot bumper to bumper traffic in a convertible wears off you can drop that car like a hot potato and ride around in comfort again with everyone else

    I would bet if you worked at it you could find a decent sized 4 door for all the days cheap enough to still have money for a single day rental of the convertible especially if you work several companies including the ones that do not care about her being 24

    work your trip the right way
     
  14. PopsOLA

    PopsOLA Low-Roller

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    I was thinking of doing this. Only downside is the convertible runs about $50 for a single day or $112 for 4 days. We did double book and it gave us a decent sized car for other days but I get what you are saying about trunk space and leg room. I am 5'11 and my cousin is 6'1. Wife and Dad are significantly shorter so I guess they could ride in the back but that would be awkward LOL.

    Thanks for the good advise I will definitely continue to look at this option!
     
  15. merlin

    merlin MIA

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    Keep in mind that people drive kind of crazy in Vegas, dont know what city you're from(high or low traffic), or your wife's level of driving experience, but i would be hesitant to have a young inexperienced driver driving in Vegas. If you take it out of town on the open road, sure let her drive, but in town, I wouldn't.
     
  16. PopsOLA

    PopsOLA Low-Roller

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    Agreed!! I told her this exact thing. We always have a car in Vegas, last 3 trips we rented a car, and the traffic is crazy. I handle it well, but I know she would freak. Im thinking just getting it and taking her outside the strip and cruising around a bit...
     
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