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Does anyone know the ramifications for letting someone drive my rental car who is not on the contract?
I checked the policies of the company, and the person needs to be present at the time of rental, and sign agreements, pay fees and etc. I'd be fine with all that, but I'm flying in at a different time, and then going to pick him up after the car is rented.
Do I really need to suck it up and do all the driving by myself, or can my friend drive some? He is fully insured, legal, an adult, responsible, etc...
I am talking about over 12 hours of driving, and I can't get him to the counter to sign off...
(If you comment or respond, please let me know if your reply is opinion, or if you know it for fact) Thanks.
When you rent the car you can have his name on the rental then when you pick him up at the airport just go over to the counter and have him do his paperwork. Or stop off at any of their other offices and have him added and him do all of his paperwork. You can always call the car rental company and ask about adding a driver AFTER you have already picked up the car. Some companies do not charge any additional fees for one more additional driver so there should be no other fees.
Sure he can drive it but I don't know if I'd want to go thru the hassle of it if anything DID happen.
A friend of mine picked up a car in Houston airport, to drive 100 miles here to pick me up to go on a weeklong trip to west Texas. I could be added as a driver only if A) I was present at the time of pickup, or B) I could be added as a driver at "any" rental location of that company. However, it turned out that only a few locations (i.e., only at Houston, Dallas or San Antonio airport, but no other Budget location in Texas) were able to perform that service.
There was another oddity, as an aside. She and I both went online, to check rates. She, in South Carolina, was given a rate about $60 higher than what I was given. We got on the phone, and simultaneously tried to book exactly the same car for the same pickup location, same time, same driver, same renter, same identical everything, and they kept giving her a higher rate. So it turned out that I had to book the car for her, with all her driver and billing information, from my computer. But I couldn't drive it without going to Houston myself.
He is fully insured, legal, an adult, responsible, etc...
Keep in mind that this will mean nothing in the event of an accident or being pulled over with him at the wheel. The rental co's insurance (if you get any) will obviously not cover him, and in all likelihood his own insurance will decline any coverage stemming from what it will consider illegal operation of a vehicle. Any damages will have to come out of your and his pockets.
Depending on what state you are in, being cited for driving w/o insurance could lead to a hefty fine or the car being impounded.
Keep in mind that this will mean nothing in the event of an accident or being pulled over with him at the wheel. The rental co's insurance (if you get any) will obviously not cover him, and in all likelihood his own insurance will decline any coverage stemming from what it will consider illegal operation of a vehicle. Any damages will have to come out of your and his pockets.
Depending on what state you are in, being cited for driving w/o insurance could lead to a hefty fine or the car being impounded.
Thanks, this is the info I needed to know...
It may be a hassle, but I will make arrangements to set him up on the contract, or will drive by myself.
Don't tell them anything about the other driver or you may not get the car. Anyone who reads a rental car contract would be nutz to sign it. Just make sure that the other driver is fully insured. His insurance company will not I repeat will not deny coverage. Nice theory above, just wrong. If he wrecks the car, his insurance will pay. And, the rental car company will deny coverage and the additional driver's insurance will become primary.
Don't tell them anything about the other driver or you may not get the car. Anyone who reads a rental car contract would be nutz to sign it. Just make sure that the other driver is fully insured. His insurance company will not I repeat will not deny coverage. Nice theory above, just wrong. If he wrecks the car, his insurance will pay. And, the rental car company will deny coverage and the additional driver's insurance will become primary.
OK, this is very helpful, thanks.
I did some research and could not find anything to support this. Can you help me out? (not trying to offend, but I'd hate to take advice over the web, and find out at the worst time that it was wrong, or that I didn't fully understand what was being said...)
I'll take a shot at it. What state are we talking about?
Edit: I just looked at Ohio where I am from and notonly would the actual drivers coverage apply, but the rental company's carrier would have to pay for a use authorized by the renter but not permiotted under the contract under essentially the no harm no foul rule, because if named, the second driver would have been approved. So where are you renting?
Last edited by Wilson513; 08-27-2010 at 08:31 PM..
I'll take a shot at it. What state are we talking about?
Edit: I just looked at Ohio where I am from and notonly would the actual drivers coverage apply, but the rental company's carrier would have to pay for a use authorized by the renter but not permiotted under the contract under essentially the no harm no foul rule, because if named, the second driver would have been approved. So where are you renting?
I'll be renting at Denver Int'l and driving into Utah.
Everything I read says that my friends insurance company can deny coverage because "he was not an authorized driver". But nothing really substantiates those comments (it's as if it were written by the rental companies, to get you to buy the additional driver....).
I will grant you that everything you post makes PERFECT sense. To point, if he were to drive my car (with my permission) then he would be covered, so why would that be any different in a rental.
The reason I am asking for "proof" is that your comments all seem logical, and to make sense, but that has never been a requirement for insurance, so I want to be sure I understand the letter of the law, not "what should be".
Thanks for your answers and your patience.
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