Car Rental

[SKY]

There is "A sucker born every minute", and a lot of them like to get fleeced. The Rental Companies make a large percentage of their profits selling Insurance at a rate of $8,000 or more per year. Do you think they pay anywhere near that price themselves?

Keep paying and I will keep saving. Fifty years renting cars and never paid one dollar for extra's or anything else when I returned the car.

 

[JesucristoEsREY]

I appreciate all the great discussion on this topic. I never pay for any insurance while in the States. My credit card covers collision as long as I deny CDW at the counter with the rental company. They do not, however, cover liability. They did tell me I could purchase liability with rental company as that does not effect the CDW they offer me.

Although here is a whole different story when it comes to liability. Post #15 is correct about footing the costs up front and then getting reimbursed at a later date. This was explained to my by two different credit card companies in the States. Although I would hate to pay for CDW and liability coverage, it would probably allow me to walk away from any potential serious problems and let the rental company deal with it.

Before this thread, I've never heard of "casa de conductor" insurance... is that the dominican term for liability insurance? If not, are you saying I should purchase CDW, SLI (liability), AND casa de conductor? This is bonkers

 

[Bob K]

Casa de conductorre is not liability. Here if in a serious accident all parties go to jail till they can sort it out (meaning figuring out how it was your fault and how much you are going to have to pay). If on the weekend you could spend a day or three in the local Dominican jail (not a great experience) . with this rider you are sent to a hotel in Santiago or Santo Domingo (depending on which is closer). Here at the hotel there are reps from the insurance companies to help you out.

Nothing to do with liability.

Bob K

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

Sometimes we need to be reminded that we are often, on DR1, being asked for advice by someone who doesn't know nearly as much as we do. When one offers anyone advice, there is no guarantee that this advice will be accepted or acted upon. If one offers advice to someone who asks, it is incumbent upon us to offer the best and most complete answers possible.

Just because we don't personally know someone who has died when they jumped off a cliff, doesn't mean we should suggest that someone go ahead and jump off a cliff. Just because you haven't heard of anyone going to jail after a traffic accident doesn't mean it hasn't happened or won't happen to the next person who rents a car on a foreign drivers license. Just because your CC company covers this or that, doesn't necessarily mean mine does as well.

Offering someone help or advice is not a contest to see who among us can offer the simplest, cheapest and shortest answer. It's not about saving face when someone else offers a different picture than you have painted. We don't get points when the OP says, "Hey Gringo, that exactly what I wanted to hear and that's how I am going to proceed."

It is about making sure that the OP has enough information to make the best decision for themselves. The facts are that driving in the DR is an activity fraught with both physical and legal peril. The DR is (depending on your source) somewhere between #2 and #5 on the list of most dangerous places to drive and survive. The fact is that you definitely need insurance. Where you get that insurance, how much you choose to pay and what it covers is entirely up to the person making the decision to rent a car in this country. The fact is, that any foreigner who gets into a legal problem here will have their passport seized and their two week vacation will extend many months beyond their expected return date. Tourists need to know these blunt facts when making their decisions. It does them no good if we gloss over or leave out pertinent information.

Just because you are a great driver and have never had a problem doesn't mean that the OP is a clone of yourself. The advice you offer should be for their benefit and geared towards their perspective, not your own.

 

[Ron Anjero]

If my memory serves me right, this is the second post from OP. Who, apparently, decided to ignore all the advice from the first the first thread. Not surprising, the discussion reads the same with only the posters names changed. The OP isn't looking for advice, just the cheapest place to rent a car and when things go wrong - someone else to blame for 'bad' advice. My dos pesos worth.

 

[fuchs4d]

The thing is where can I get full coverage and a reliable car for $2200 pesos a day?

OK-motors.com
In Sosua

Alexander

 

[JesucristoEsREY]

If my memory serves me right, this is the second post from OP. Who, apparently, decided to ignore all the advice from the first the first thread. Not surprising, the discussion reads the same with only the posters names changed. The OP isn't looking for advice, just the cheapest place to rent a car and when things go wrong - someone else to blame for 'bad' advice. My dos pesos worth.

Sorry, Ron, your memory has not served you right.

 

[JesucristoEsREY]

OK-motors.com
In Sosua

Alexander

Thanks for the link. Their prices are just about the same as what I found in SD. I'll go to SD since it's much closer than the NC. I did notice while looking at the locations of these big players that there is no mention anywhere on casa de conductorre. I suppose it's something mentioned at the counter.

What I will do is ask to get CDW, SLI, and casa de conductorre. If they try to pitch any other "additional insurance" besides what I mentioned I would think it's safe to decline those, correct?

Thanks again everyone for all your input.

 

[Marcion]

They didn't hit you for the 'tire disposal fee and balancing' on top of the $100 after you asked for the tire back? Amateurs...

For the OP: Ask around for a guy named 'The Spaniard' near OK Rental in PPl...he has a little patch of vacant lot just off the malecon near there. He hangs around a casita called 'Big Al or Tex' or something along the water. I got a Mitsubishi Montero for $550 per month. And yeah, you want the Conductore or Chauffeur coverage as it's called...a motoconcho can hit your car without you even being IN IT and you could go to jail.

Personally, I recommend a golf cart. Good luck, my Fren.

 

[Ron Anjero]

No worries Jesu... good luck with your car rental.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

If you don't mind paying $20 to 25 per day coming to a yearly fee for these thieves at about $8,000 per year they collect from the suckers that pay, then by all means take it.

All the doom and gloom here is a little over the top. Anyone on this board ever been in jail for a traffic accident? Lets hear from someone that was.

I had a little scrape with a drunk GuaGua driver once - the Police tried to get us into jail - we had to go to the station to be interrogated and would be locked up for the weekend.

While there and before entering the police station we assessed the damage and came to an agreement amongst ourselves, so we were able to shrug off the PN and, while they held on to the car papers, sorted out the finances, then picked up out paperwork, after formally stating we were both satisfied.

So yes, you do get taken to the station and put in jail if you're unable to think on your feet.

 

[RV429]

The major rental companies also sell "Glass and Tire" insurance as one of their add-ons. It runs from $3.95 to $7.95 per day and it covers the tires and windows.
Back in the day when all the roads were pot hole havens I blew many tires and each Gomero put on a used tire for $25-40 USD. On one trip from SDQ to Cotui to Las Terenas we blew 4 tires. These days the roads are much better so less to worry about.

 

[RV429]

Yes, the cop takes you along to pay the clinic bill while the concho driver is getting fixed up.

 

[MerengueDutchie]

Is that what someone earlier on meant by the clinic?

Not in my case a jail is different from a clinic.

There was no physical damage.

 

[rice&beans]

I had a little scrape with a drunk GuaGua driver once - the Police tried to get us into jail - we had to go to the station to be interrogated and would be locked up for the weekend.

While there and before entering the police station we assessed the damage and came to an agreement amongst ourselves, so we were able to shrug off the PN and, while they held on to the car papers, sorted out the finances, then picked up out paperwork, after formally stating we were both satisfied.

So yes, you do get taken to the station and put in jail if you're unable to think on your feet.....

Exception not the norm wonderboy,

Everyone in the world is not as brilliant as you.....

But thanks for sharing.......

Pat on back......

 

[RonS]

I don't know about the OP, but this thread has definitely disabused me of the notion of renting a car in the DR. After visiting for many years I was finally going to take the plunge. My thought was to get some experience of how Dominican drivers drove and the terraine. But now I know you have to worry about insurance and the policia exchorting you to jail following an accident and being ripped off for tires, etc. Damn! There are messes in the DR than ... smdh

 

[Jaime809]

I'm reconsidering the notion of simply hiring a driver. For the same $2000-3000 RD/night, the vehicle and accidents are someone else's problem for the evening. I can get my grocery shopping and such done during the day on my quad when it's less crazy (save for the excursion drivers).

 

[kenthedentman]

I'm reconsidering the notion of simply hiring a driver. For the same $2000-3000 RD/night, the vehicle and accidents are someone else's problem for the evening. I can get my grocery shopping and such done during the day on my quad when it's less crazy (save for the excursion drivers).

Wise decision.

 

[irishpaddy]

I have driven all over the d.r. on my trips there over the last 7/8 years ....I have not had a problem ....I do drive at nighttime in santo domingo ....but not as much when I am out of the cities......I do not drink And do not speed
I just felt as if the car hire companys were trying to rip me off...when you book a car online for $1200 approx for the month and then at the counter the fee is over $3000...it does feel like a rip off
maybe its just another expense to figure into the cost of my vacation...I had never hear of the conducer insurance ...the one for the hotel instead of the cell

 

[Cdn_Gringo]

I can't believe it, the light bulbs are slowly starting to come on...finally.

It's not that you can't drive if you really want to. In fact it's not really about driving at all. The realization that "you are not in Kansas anymore" and that you cannot approach rational decision making from the same perspective as you would at home is the important lesson to be learned.

It is a boneheaded decision for a tourist to get behind the wheel here unless there is an overwhelmingly important reason for doing so. Along the same vein, if you live here and don't have a DR driver's license, insurance and residency, at some point it might be prudent to reassess the level of legal risk you are exposing yourself to and see if any adjustments might be in order.

No doubt most will skate along just fine for a long time. Eventually though, when you play russian roulette long enough, your number will come up.