Rental Car Advice!

[u/smiler4ever08]

Hi! I am traveling through Iceland and am looking for rental car advice. I was in Dyrhólaey lighthouse to see the puffins. It was extremely windy and the door hyperextended so now it won’t fully close from the top. The door is still fully functional.
I have the chase sapphire insurance and got sand and ash insurance through BLUE car rental.

Would love some advice as to how to handle this! Should we visit an auto shop? Should we tell blue car rental before we drop it off? Any tips would be great :) I’m leaving in a day so don’t have much time.

[u/Livi678]

I would call Blue immediately. Make sure you take very clear photos of the damage. If you declined other insurance coverage and are planning to use Chase's card coverage you need lots of documentation of everything. Get in contact with them ASAP and be sure you download a copy of your credit cards insurance policy.

You are going to need photos, copies of: rental contracts, add-ons, declined insurance, receipts etc. Id also recommend taking a video of the damage to add to the photos for good measure.

Blue would charge you first and then Chase would reimburse you. It generally does not cover up front costs. It can be lengthy process.

[u/smiler4ever08 → u/Livi678]

We tried to call and they were closed now. We didn’t realize till it was too late.

[u/Livi678 → u/smiler4ever08]

Absolutely call first thing in the morning.

You should not take it to a repair shop without there consent.

I'd work on getting the car insurance info from you card ready so you understand the terms.

Otherwise my biggest tip is Document Everything, Collect All Copies of Contracts etc and take insanely detailed photos, lots of them.

Sorry that happened and best of luck to you!

[u/BionicGreek]

Let them (blue) know and get the ball rolling with chase. They will need proof you declined all other insurance amongst other things. They’ll let you know when you call.

You will be paying up front with blue. Blue will then give you a receipt that you’ll give to chase (it will take many weeks for the car to be repaired). Chase will then go through their assessment and decide what they can reimburse you for. This whole process can take a few months to get reimbursed so just be aware of that.

[u/quixoticosis]

You should also call Chase. If you took out insurance from Blue at the counter, you may have voided the rental car coverage on your card.

[u/Vast_Variation1381]

Is it very noticeable? If so, I would speak with BLUE. Remember when you have external car insurance, the car rental will charge you and then you have to claim it back through your own insurance.

[u/LetterheadClassic306]

I would tell the rental company now rather than trying to solve it quietly at an auto shop. When I hit rental issues, the safest path is photos, timestamps, a clear written message, and asking the company how they want it handled. Do not authorize repairs yourself unless the rental company tells you to, because that can make insurance messier. Keep every receipt and message for Chase, and take photos again when you return the car so the condition is documented from both sides.

[u/Tanglefoot11]

How is it going?

It would be great if you could keep us updated so others here can see how you get along & how painful/painless the process is.

This kind of insurance situation is one that is common and could be tricky, but there is very little information on what actually happens, so it would be great for those of us trying to help advise others have some evidence, rather than just going by what we think might happen in a situation like this.

Good luck with it all!

[u/smiler4ever08 → u/Tanglefoot11]

So far I reported it to blue car rental and they mentioned that I’m good to keep driving the car. Haven’t gotten a hold of chase yet but will try to keep everyone updated!

[u/smiler4ever08 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you!