Insurance company wants money for Rental car.

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My nephews car was hit while he was at work, the person that hit it left a note, and gave his insurance info later on.

He drops the car off at a BWW dealer, so they can assess the damage- it needed a rear bumper cover, and some work underneath.

He gets a rental car the day he drops the car off, and keeps the car until it's repaired, 9 days later (parts had to be ordered). The other parties insurance (USAA), is telling him that he owes for 6 days for the rental car. They said because he chose to take the car to the place of his choice, he should have waited until the parts were in before getting the rental.

Was he supposed to have the dealer put the old parts back on until the new parts arrived? Maybe drive around with no bumper?

He got his car back, and hasn't paid anything so far. I guess in time they would send a collection notice? He called his insurance (Aetna) to see how to deal with this, they basically told him to get lost, not their issue.......
 
Sounds like he needs to ditch his insurance company. He should have called them when the accident occurred and had THEM contact the other party's insurance company. After all, that's his premiums are for.

Now they're telling him to get lost? I would pay for the rental (take the hit, cut his loss) and drop Aetna like a bad habit.
 
Now that he called them they will likely log it as a claim even thought they did noting for him. My insurance company did that to me when all I did was ask and they said deal direct with their insurance since I didn't have full coverage.
 
They like to do that [censored] to sell more rental car time. If his car was drive-able, they could have buttoned up plastic bumper cover and bent bumper pieces well enough for him to use the car while the ordered pieces came in.

Now if the damage to the bumper was substantial enough that a second rear end could cause a safety hazard (excessive crumple, rear passanger danger) then that would be different. I have been rear ended twice and both times the rear bumper cover was crumpled but the real bumper (ugly massive hunk of steel) was dented but otherwise fine. They wanted to keep my truck for a week while I drive around in a tiny compact, NOPE. Order the parts, one day to replace, I get a truck.

The second time I just got the check and replaced the parts myself and pocketed about $500 for my labor costs. It took about an hour.
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Unless I am missing something, I just don't see it.

When he took it to the dealer, they assessed the damage. How long did that take? I am assuming he couldn't have WAITED like the insurance company is insinuating.

There's at least another day he should have been entitled to the rental, right?
 
Insurance companies suck! He might just be out the money. OTOH if the body shop did not inform him the parts were going to take several days to come in he might be able to take the issue up with them. Good luck.
 
He needs to have the body shop attest that the car was not safe to drive with the bumper in its condition.

Whatever he does, he shouldn't pay for the rental out of his own pocket, with hopes of reimbursement. Let them all sort it out.

USAA shouldn't insure losers who hit things that take 9 days to repair, or, if they do, they should get their pound of flesh back in $$$ with premium hikes.
 
Very few shops will order parts without physically having the vehicle in the shop. In todays society many people do not do what they say they will. Sending parts back because the customer didn't show back up is expensive and time consuming and not very profitable.
Insurance companies realize this, its just their sneaky way of trying to pay less.
I trust insurance people as much as I trust a leisure suit wearing politician.
 
Originally Posted By: rsylvstr
Does he have an agent? Call them.


THIS. He should enlist the help of his own insurance company...it is what he pays them for.
 
He should have had his own insurance cover the repair costs, then they bill the other guys insurance.

That's what I did when I got rear-ended last April. I took my car into the body shop about 2 hours after the accident and Hertz came and picked me up and I got my rental car. I had to pay 20% but was reimbursed. They then billed the other persons insurance, made things so much easier.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
He should have had his own insurance cover the repair costs, then they bill the other guys insurance.

That's what I did when I got rear-ended last April. I took my car into the body shop about 2 hours after the accident and Hertz came and picked me up and I got my rental car. I had to pay 20% but was reimbursed. They then billed the other persons insurance, made things so much easier.


That can work out really well.
 
Originally Posted By: Nick1994
He should have had his own insurance cover the repair costs, then they bill the other guys insurance.

That's what I did when I got rear-ended last April. I took my car into the body shop about 2 hours after the accident and Hertz came and picked me up and I got my rental car. I had to pay 20% but was reimbursed. They then billed the other persons insurance, made things so much easier.


Smart move. I did that once, All State was trying to bully me into being partially at fault for an accident where it was clear I wasn't at fault at all. I told them to shove it and deal with my insurance company. My insurance company paid everything, and then went after All State for the deductible. After it went to binding arbitration I was found to be 0% at fault, and got the deductible back, in full. Remember insurance companies only want to collect premiums, never pay out.
 
What is with people having insurance that does not cover the basics? Anytime I have had to deal with a collision, I drop my car off at the body shop (my preferred one is a AAA approved facility) then I walk the half a block to Enterprise and pick whatever car I want. Now with my car, all the parts that are normally a week out magically show up overnight, but still a rental has never been an issue.

A person should not have to drive around with a car with body damage while waiting for parts. There is more damage that could happen.
 
Tell them to get the extra money from your attorney and give them the phone number. If they do actually call, the attorney will start asking the insurance company some questions. If they're smart they won't call or will hang up when the questions begin.
 
Originally Posted By: SatinSilver
Tell them to get the extra money from your attorney and give them the phone number. If they do actually call, the attorney will start asking the insurance company some questions. If they're smart they won't call or will hang up when the questions begin.


He'll just sound like a fool, no attorney is getting involved in a few days of rental car from a vehicle that got his while parked. It's not like there's a PI claim here.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
He'll just sound like a fool, no attorney is getting involved in a few days of rental car from a vehicle that got his while parked. It's not like there's a PI claim here.


And your solution to the OP's problem would be?
 
Last time I had an accident, I called my insurance company and described the problem and gave my insurance guy the other drivers insurance information. A police report should normaly be filed. . They told me where to take my vehicle and arranged for a rental. Did the person whose car was hit, even call his insurance company to get instructions? If he didn't then he has created a mess for himself. Ed
 
It sounds like he didn't call his insurance company at the time of the accident. If he had done this any confusion in regards to expenses could have been avoided. His insurance company would have contacted the other parties insurance and advised him on a rental car.

I don't really see this as being the fault of HIS INSURANCE company.


I really don't understand how drivers pay thousands in premiums over the course of a lifetime-but will avoid calling them when an accident occurs. That's what insurance is for.
 
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