U-Haul Insurance

[Pixie Pie]

Good Morning!

I am renting a U-Haul van this weekend for the day. I plan on picking up/dropping off at the same location, taking pictures of EVERYTHING, and utilizing the check-in desk with a real person instead of the mobile check-in/out.

U-Haul offers their CDW coverage for an additional $11. I checked with my own auto insurance policy , which does NOT have rental coverage. I am going to assume that our Forum Family is going to recommend this purchase as a good idea!

While this is not a complicated move......literally moving 75 seconds from where we are now and will be completed in one trip......I have learned from these forums that ANYTHING can happen at anytime. And for an additional $11, it seems like a no-brainer.

Any feedback, advice, or suggestions is greatly appreciated! I love and appreciate my Forum Family so very much!!!

Thank you in advance!!!
Pixie Pie

 

[Bobthebuilder]

Get the insurance. $11 is a no-brainer. U-Haul's customer service is terrible, and I can't imagine how annoying their damage/collections people would be. I'm not generally a fan of buying extra insurance (I don't buy travel insurance, or extended warranties, because the math doesn't make sense), but this looks like $11 incredibly well-spent.

 

[weihlac]

Good Morning!

I am renting a U-Haul van this weekend for the day. I plan on picking up/dropping off at the same location, taking pictures of EVERYTHING, and utilizing the check-in desk with a real person instead of the mobile check-in/out.

U-Haul offers their CDW coverage for an additional $11. I checked with my own auto insurance policy , which does NOT have rental coverage. I am going to assume that our Forum Family is going to recommend this purchase as a good idea!

While this is not a complicated move......literally moving 75 seconds from where we are now and will be completed in one trip......I have learned from these forums that ANYTHING can happen at anytime. And for an additional $11, it seems like a no-brainer.

Any feedback, advice, or suggestions is greatly appreciated! I love and appreciate my Forum Family so very much!!!

Thank you in advance!!!
Pixie Pie

Take the insurance. One "minor" impact with another car, fixed object, etc while driving a truck will cost $1000s.

One other piece of advice: always have someone behind you when backing up, even 2 feet.

As you found out, your personal auto insurance, even if it covers rental automobiles, will not cover a truck.

We rented a 24 ft RV last summer. The ins was $50/day. We were happy to get it. Fortunately did not need it, but I slept a lot better on our 4600 mi trip knowing I had it. USAA does not cover RV rentals.

 

[calihankl]

I think that the CDW is worth it for the U-Haul. From their FAQ:

Does my credit card cover U-Haul trucks and trailers?
No, credit cards typically do not cover U-Haul trucks and trailers, often because of the weight and size restrictions. However, you should check with your credit card company to be sure.

Will my auto insurance policy cover U-Haul trucks and trailers?
In most cases, it does not. Like credit card companies, many personal auto policies have a weight restriction on rental vehicles. Though you should check with your carrier before picking up the rental.

Please note that even if your policy covers your rental, you must reimburse U-Haul for the full damage amount when you return it and then deal with your insurance company.

On most personal auto policies, they define auto with a gross vehicle weight of over 10k lbs. The 10ft is 8600 gvw, you might be okay there but anything larger would probably fall under a covered auto. Check with your insurance company to see how they define the auto. Checking the Chase credit card benefit, they exclude cargo vans, so it may not cover your rental.

When you are renting a car, your policy would treat the rental as a vehicle under your own policy. It may be considered a substitute vehicle and your Collison/comprehensive coverage would transfer to the rental car. Not having rental coverage means that the policy will not provide you a rental in case your vehicle is not drivable due to a covered loss. On some policies with Comprehensive coverages you are entitled to a rental after the total theft of a covered vehicle and it remains unrecovered after x amount of days. When I did claims for Progressive in CA, it was after 48 hours and you are entitled to a $30 per day rental up to 30 days or when the total loss is settled.

Its up to you to see if you want to save that $11. If it is truly 75 seconds from your current location, you might still hit a fixed object or another person/car. Without any insurance, you are personally responsible for all of the damages. I used a 15 fter on my move and I did not think twice about not getting the insurance. The new place was not 75 seconds but maybe 3 mins away but it gave me peace of mind since I was not used to driving such a big vehicle.

 

[VoR61]

I would like to add two things. First, even with their insurance, be sure to take pictures before and after. Request that they document any damages. And next, when renting the larger trucks, I strongly recommend purchasing the premium coverage. For our last move, the distance was 400 miles and the coverage was $110. Given that most of us are do not frequently drive vehicles of that size, I think it is wise to be covered for any/all damages. Especially when fueling . . .

 

[Comicman]

I would also add that many of these kinds of insurance do not cover overhead damage. I would ask if it does include overhead damage.

 

[Pixie Pie]

MANY thanks to everyone who responded! I agree that $11 is a small price to pay for as much peace of mind that I can get when renting a cargo van (absolutely not renting anything bigger).

I hate to rent at all, but there are a few items that won't fit in my car. It's only a few streets away from where we are now, but as a Forum Super Fan (), I have seen too many times how things can happen. All it takes is a fraction of a second....

The last rental I had I ended up taking 40-45 pictures at pick up and drop off and refused to sign for it until I had finished. The agent, while mildly annoyed AND amused, asked why I took so many pictures.

"Because Chris Elliott and his fierce Forum Family taught me everything I know about being a savvy consumer."

Thank you again for your astute feedback and advice. Sending love and good health from CT!!

 

[Neil Maley]

We always video the car at pick up and drop off and if they ask why, we tell them “so I can prove I returned the car in the same condition I picked it up in case of a false damage claim”.

 

[jsn55]

MANY thanks to everyone who responded! I agree that $11 is a small price to pay for as much peace of mind that I can get when renting a cargo van (absolutely not renting anything bigger).

I hate to rent at all, but there are a few items that won't fit in my car. It's only a few streets away from where we are now, but as a Forum Super Fan (), I have seen too many times how things can happen. All it takes is a fraction of a second....

The last rental I had I ended up taking 40-45 pictures at pick up and drop off and refused to sign for it until I had finished. The agent, while mildly annoyed AND amused, asked why I took so many pictures.

"Because Chris Elliott and his fierce Forum Family taught me everything I know about being a savvy consumer."

Thank you again for your astute feedback and advice. Sending love and good health from CT!!

See how clever you are? You ask one question and get all kinds of advice ... love the "overhead damage" idea, I'll bet renters run into stuff way up there all the time.

 

[Sam]

I work for a different truck rental company. We always encourage our customers to take our LDW (limited damage waiver) which covers any damage done to the truck while it is on the customers possession, including overhead damage (overhead damage is not covered on commercial rentals).

At my location I encourage the customer to call their insurance company. I have found that there are a few companies that will cover any vehicle a customer drives, including a 26' truck.

As mentioned above, some companies limit their coverage due to the size and weight of the vehicle.

Other times there will limit their coverage based on the number of tires a vehicle has. Most rental trucks have 6 wheels, and the policy will only cover something with 4 wheels.

 

[Pixie Pie]

Good Morning! Here to give an update:

I ended up getting the CDW for the $11. I wanted to share the check-in process with U-Haul, as it was new for me.

I was adamant about checking in/out with an actual person. The new-to-me twist was this: after you check in, U-Haul sends a link to your phone. Once you click it, you are brought to several photos of the actual vehicle that you're renting, with the option to Agree with the condition of that particular photo or to Dispute it and add a photo of your own. That worked out really well. Some photos were accurate and some I clicked Dispute and added my own photos.

Here's the caveat: When you click Submit, you do not get a copy of what you just sent to them. I'm not saying that they are dishonest or that they don't receive the photos from the customer. I'm saying that the customer does not get their own copy of what was submitted.

Soooooooo......despite it being 22 degrees that morning, I stayed behind before leaving the lot to take my own set of photos (including the roof!). Upon return, I took another set of photos while the attendant patiently waited with me in now 15 degree weather. We did a walk-around together, signed off that there was no damage (which I have in writing both in-hand and via email), and away I went.

Obviously, I will be checking my CC statement for any charges other than the actual rental, but I can say confidently that things went smoothly (knock on wood) due to this Forum. I am an educated consumer 100x more than I used to be simply because of everyone's wisdom, insight, and willingness to help.

Thank you so very much!!! You're all my favorite Family!

 

[JMorgana]

Pixie, that's awesome! Congratulations and good job on documenting the return!

 

[SoCalTraveler]

I have had the electronic check-in procedure with Enterprise (used by my dealer when my car was in for service) and I find it totally unsatisfactory. I do not get a copy of my agreement until after I sign, and I do not get a copy of the inspection report until after I sign. The last time I went through this, and was assigned a car with damage on it, I balked, and Enterprise would not back down. So I called the dealer and reported the problem, and they called Enterprise and got the documents printed out in advance, which contained both errors and omissions. I find the whole process distasteful.

The last time I rented a car on my own, I took the insurance offered when I booked the rental on line. When I got to the desk, I had to endure a lecture about how that insurance (AIG sold by Avis) was unsatisfactory and I should take the “better” insurance, at a higher price, sold by the rental location.

 

[jsn55]

I have had the electronic check-in procedure with Enterprise (used by my dealer when my car was in for service) and I find it totally unsatisfactory. I do not get a copy of my agreement until after I sign, and I do not get a copy of the inspection report until after I sign. The last time I went through this, and was assigned a car with damage on it, I balked, and Enterprise would not back down. So I called the dealer and reported the problem, and they called Enterprise and got the documents printed out in advance, which contained both errors and omissions. I find the whole process distasteful.

The last time I rented a car on my own, I took the insurance offered when I booked the rental on line. When I got to the desk, I had to endure a lecture about how that insurance (AIG sold by Avis) was unsatisfactory and I should take the “better” insurance, at a higher price, sold by the rental location.

They never give up, do they? Can't blame the rental guys, they have little to do and probably receive major noogies for generating a few extra bucks for the agency. People are still buying timeshares, you know!