So, um, I was thinking about this earlier today—say you're on vacation, you rent a car, and you decline the rental company's insurance because you figure your Farmers policy has you covered. But then, hypothetically, you get into a minor fender bender (nothing serious, just a dent or two). Would Farmers actually step in and cover the damages to the rental? Or would you be stuck paying out of pocket because it's not your own vehicle?
I mean, I've heard mixed things from friends—some say their regular auto insurance totally covered rental cars, others say they got burned and had to pay extra fees. I tried reading through my policy documents, but honestly, it's like trying to decode ancient hieroglyphics, you know? Just curious if anyone's been in this situation or knows how Farmers handles this kind of thing.
Had a similar situation last year when I rented a BMW 5-series on vacation. Declined the rental company's insurance because I assumed my Farmers policy would cover it. Ended up scraping the bumper slightly in a tight parking garage (still annoyed about that...). Anyway, here's what happened:
- Farmers did cover the damage to the rental car itself, minus my deductible of course.
- BUT, they didn't cover the "loss of use" fees the rental company charged me for the days the car was supposedly out of commission for repairs.
- Also had to deal with some paperwork back-and-forth between Farmers and the rental company, which was kind of a hassle.
So yeah, technically Farmers covered most of it, but I still ended up paying more than expected out-of-pocket. I'd say double-check specifically about those extra fees like loss-of-use or administrative charges—those can sneak up on you.
"Also had to deal with some paperwork back-and-forth between Farmers and the rental company, which was kind of a hassle."
Yeah, insurance companies and rental places love their paperwork ping-pong... been there myself. Good call mentioning those loss-of-use fees—I hadn't even thought about that. Insurance always seems straightforward until you actually need it. Anyway, appreciate the heads-up; I'll definitely double-check my policy before my next rental.
Yeah, rental insurance can be sneaky like that. Last summer, I rented a car for a weekend road trip and thought my Farmers policy had me covered. Ended up with a cracked windshield from some gravel kicked up by a semi—figured it'd be straightforward, but nope, paperwork galore and surprise fees.
Exactly this. Curious if anyone's had better luck with other insurers or credit card coverage for rentals? Might be worth shopping around..."Insurance always seems straightforward until you actually need it."
I had a similar concern last year and called Farmers directly to clarify. They confirmed rental cars are generally covered, but warned about potential gaps like loss-of-use fees or administrative charges. Definitely worth double-checking specifics before declining rental coverage.
