If your car is in a collision repair shop for a covered claim, and you have a rental car reimbursement endorsement, you will be compensated up to your policy’s limit for a rental car while yours is being repaired.
Know What Your Policy Allows
Rental car reimbursement works similarly to all other claims on your insurance policy. Depending upon the actual verbiage of your endorsement, you may have coverage for a total amount, or a per diem up to a certain amount.
Also important to note is that some insurers require you to have comprehensive and collision coverage, while others only require comprehensive. You may wish to contact your insurance agent and ask what your specific policy requires.
Knowing the limits of your rental car reimbursement will allow you to make a more informed decision about which car you choose to rent. It’s an all-too-common mistake to get into a rental contract that exceeds the amount of coverage allowed by your policy – which will leave you with an out of pocket expense in the end.
When Does Rental Car Reimbursement Not Apply?
There are three main exclusions to rental car reimbursement that you should be aware of.
Routine Maintenance: If your vehicle is in the shop for routine maintenance such as oil changes, belt changes, etc. your rental car reimbursement will not be used.
Mechanical Breakdown: This is not a covered claim.
Vacation or Business Rental: The rental fees for this type of travel are not covered by rental car reimbursement.
Our Recommendation
Here at Ground Zero Collision, we strongly encourage you to get the highest amount of rental car reimbursement coverage that’s available with your insurer. The endorsement doesn’t add much to your monthly premium, but goes a long way toward making sure you have enough coverage to allow for the time to repair your vehicle.
If you have any questions, please contact us directly.
