Honestly, this is exactly why I’ve been dragging my feet on letting my roommate borrow my car. I asked my agent about “permissive use” and she just kind of shrugged and said, “Well, it depends.” Super helpful, right? I’d rather not find out the hard way that “occasional” means something totally different to the insurance company than it does to me. Paying a little extra for peace of mind seems worth it, even if it feels like they’re nickel-and-diming us sometimes.
I’d rather not find out the hard way that “occasional” means something totally different to the insurance company than it does to me.
Totally get where you’re coming from. I just went through my first policy setup and honestly, the “permissive use” thing is way murkier than I expected. My agent said if it’s more than once in a blue moon, just add them. It’s a little extra, but like you said, peace of mind is worth not having a headache if something goes wrong. I’d probably do the same in your shoes.
Yeah, insurance companies love their fine print... I had a buddy borrow my car a few times and my agent flagged it during renewal. Turns out “occasional” is way stricter than I thought. I’d rather pay a bit more than risk a denied claim.
I ran into something similar a couple years back. My cousin was using my car for a few weeks while his was in the shop, and I figured it was no big deal since he’s family. Turns out, “permissive use” didn’t really cover him after the first week or so—my agent said it starts looking like regular use pretty quick. Honestly, the fine print is wild. I’d rather just add someone if they’re gonna be behind the wheel more than once in a blue moon... less stress if something goes sideways.
I’d rather just add someone if they’re gonna be behind the wheel more than once in a blue moon... less stress if something goes sideways.
This is exactly where I get stuck, especially with higher-end cars. I always wonder, is it worth the hassle to add someone for just a handful of drives? Here’s kind of how I break it down:
1. Ask your agent about their definition of “regular use”—some companies are stricter than others.
2. Check if your policy has any weird exclusions for luxury or specialty vehicles—mine actually had a clause that required approval for additional drivers, even family.
3. Think about the risk: would you be okay if something happened and insurance said nope, not covered?
I had a friend borrow my car for a week while he waited on his Tesla delivery... turned into a paperwork headache because my insurer flagged it as “non-permissive” use after day five. Never would’ve guessed.
Curious—has anyone actually had an insurer deny coverage over this? Or is it mostly just agents being overly cautious?
