Budget Rent a Car Budget Car Rental Charge my insurance (assuming they cover I will pay the $200 deductible) if they don't cover; I assume they won't I'm expecting a bill for a new windshield. Very minor rock chip that I had repaired not in the drivers view. Prince George British Columbia
Rented a car through ICBC while my car was in for minor repairs for an accident. ICBC had my car insurance ccover the rental car. A rock hit the in the center of the windshield, just below the rear view mirror, not in the drivers view. rented car windshield, in town, and made a minor rock chip. After investigating on the web I found that Budget has a reputation for rip offs on windshield repairs. So I took the car in mself and paid for a rock chip repair. This is a repair that ICBC would have padi for on my own car.
When I returned the car they said there was a rock chip and that they would be having it repaired. I said I already hadd it repaired and they said that rock chip repairs were not acceptable and that company policy was to replace the windshield.
I stated that this was a very minor chip, and that if they charged me that I would never rent from Budget again. They stated that they would be putting a claim in to my car insurance for a new windshiled. I know if this was my personal car ICBC would not approve a new windshield.
Rip off.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
United States
Your definition of minor
#2Consumer Comment
Sat, January 06, 2018
You seem to have a different definition of "minor", or just went to a place that did a bad repair. As if the chip was so mnor and you had it fixed, how did they know? Did you tell them? I have had minor chips repaired and you can't tell the difference unless you REALLY look for it.
But beyond that, the reason they are going after the replacement is future possible liability(thank you lawyers). A company is not going to take the risk, whether you believe it to be real or not, that the repair returned the windshield to it's full "pre-chip" state. As if it was just repaired and there was another incident could there be more damage than their would have been with a replaced windshield? As an individual you may be willing to risk it, as a company they are not.
Remember you rented the car under the promise you would return the car in the same condition. A "repaired" chiped windshield is not the same as an damaged windsheield.
As for the insurance not covering it, don't be so sure. A lot of time the insurance company will just "rubber stamp" such claims because the cost is realtivly minor and they too could see the savings in case of future liability. Also, depending on the regulations in your locality you may not be required to pay a deductible for the windshield replacement.