Rental Car Smash & Grab Advice

[acappellasaurus]

I can't sleep because I am up stewing about this thing that happened...anyone want to calm my fears?

I am travelling on business, and this evening my rental car was broken into. Someone smashed out the driver's window while it was parked in a parking lot and took the gps unit I had forgotten to remove off the dash. Of course, I didn't take the insurance sold by the car company.

I rented the car about and hour and a half from where I am now. The only place I can get a new one is at the original rental. It drives fine, nothing else is the matter, just the smashed window and the swiped gps.

I filed a police report, and although I don't have an insurance claim number yet, I think I will when that office opens tomorrow. It's rented on the corporate business credit card, and my company tells me there's insurance to cover something like this through that (self insured company).

Since I'm not driving it much, and I fly out to go back home in about 36 hours, I am not going to worry about it until I have to return it. It would completely derail my business meetings to have to take the time to drive all the way there to see to this, and the car is not a necessity.

So my worry is this, and I hope you will all tell me it's irrational...if I have the police report number, the insurance claim number and claim opened...when I return it to the rental car desk, they're going to let me get on my plane right? I mean, I don't know how this is typically handled, never happened to me before. I'll be free to go with all those ducks in a row, yes?

 

[ares93]

As long as they can get a hold of you, it should be fine. So leave address, phoneand mobile number and such. Its not like you're arrested, mate.

 

[voyagergrl3193]

If you have all the information necessary, then you should be fine I think. Be sure and give them your address/phone/cellphone information though so they can contact you. You always learn from mistakes and I NEVER leave a GPS in my car to begin with. It's well known in my neighborhood for it to get stolen! My former Uncle's truck was robbed not too long back when he was visiting us for a few days. They smashed his window and took his GPS. Anything for a $$ someone will grab onto. So be extremely cautious!

 

[Holdfast]

You should be fine. I had a very mild fender-bender in a hire car many years ago (OK, not the same thing but still). I had a look at the car aftewards and didn't think there was any damage, but mentioned it to the staff on returning the car, and left contact details. No problem. They got in touch a while later with a small repair bill for some cosmetic work. These things happen; it's life. You'll be fine.

 

[Lindley]

Last summer a deer jumped in front of my rental car and left some dings on the hood. I put Enterprise in touch with my insurance and that was that. Should have been, anyway---someone at Enterprise wasn't communicating and I had to make a few phone calls and emails down the line, but it wasn't too big a deal.

 

[Alrik]

Everything should be just fine. I would also contact the rental company to let them know the car is sitting open. They will most likely send a driver out with an exchange. The odds are, they probably don't want their car sitting in a parking lot wide open for 36 hours.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Like the others said, the rental company can't keep you from leaving or anything. Just turn in the car, explain what happened, make sure they have enough info to follow up with you, and get to your plane. I'm sure this sort of thing happens all the time and they have a routine for dealing with it--and that's not going to involve arresting you!

 

[StolenThunder]

Definitely jail time.

 

[Alrik]

^
Nice S.T. Trying to give OP and anxiety attack?

...when I return it to the rental car desk, they're going to let me get on my plane right? I mean, I don't know how this is typically handled, never happened to me before. I'll be free to go with all those ducks in a row, yes?

First off, you're not in Mexico, right? That's one of the few places that gets a little sketchy with rental cars.

Otherwise, the last time I checked, crime victims usually don't get detained for being victims. As I said up-thread, give them a call, tell them what happened, provide them with a copy of the police report, and ask them to bring you an unbroken car. Should be as simple as that.

 

[auntiehill]

^Yes, most definitely. The company credit card provides rental car insurance, as many credit cards do these days. Call the rental company with all the details you have; they will probably want to give you a new car, as they don't want to risk the car getting stolen.

The rental company has a credit card number to charge for damages, as well as your personal information. You'll be fine. At most, you'll have to make a few phone calls.