During her recent vacation in St. Martin, TPG reader Emily Monarch’s rental car heavily damaged by vandals. It was an unpleasant experience in what is considered a Relaxing getaway in the Caribbean with her husband.
However, Monarch feels comfortable knowing that she won’t have to pay for the repairs. Paid the rent with her Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, she was covered by an excellent primary car rental insurance policy (as opposed to the secondary insurance that most credit cards offer).
Or so she thought.
Only after the car was vandalized did Monarch scrutinize her rental agreement with Sixt. That’s when she noticed a fatal error on the legally binding document: Monarch was not listed as a primary tenant.
Because Chase required the Sapphire Reserve cardholder to be the primary tenant for the insurance to kick in, that little mistake meant the couple drove the rental car without the card’s vital protection. As expected, this created a significant barrier to successful filing of claims through Chase’s Insurance organization eClaimsline.
When Chase didn’t approve her insurance claim for damage to a vandalized rental car, Monarch turned to TPG for help. She hopes we can convince eClaimsline that the clerk at the car rental counter was not her fault and that she is not responsible for the $5,542 repair bill.
But ultimately whose responsibility is it to review all the details of the rental agreement before driving away? Monarch’s case may hinge on that detail.
Car rental in St. Martin with Sixt
In January 2023, the Monarchs flew to St. Martin to start the new year with a tropical vacation from Kentucky’s winter weather. Landed late afternoon at Princess Juliana International Airport (SXM) on the Dutch side of the island, they made their way to the car rental counter at Sixt.
“We gave the dealer both of our driver’s licenses along with Chase Sapphire Reserve cards,” Monarch recalls.
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Sixt employees print out the lease and place it on the counter in front of the couple. Monarch knows that to be covered by insurance provided by her credit cardshe is required denied insurance provided by Sixt.
Confirming that the contract showed the couple had denied both Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft Protection (TP), Monarch signed a rental agreement.
The agent then led them outside to check out the rental car, a used Hyundai i10. The couple looked over the car and note all pre-existing damage.
Satisfied that they had recorded all the cracks, bumps and scratches on the vehicle, Monarch’s husband signed the inspection form. He handed the paper to her, and she signed it. Finally, the agent stamped his signature on the available damage report and gave the key to Monarchs.
The couple then hopped into the small car and drove off, eager to get on with their lives. romantic vacation.
What happened to this rental car?
For the next week, the kings enjoyed all that the island had to offer, sunbathing and eating great food. It turned out to be exactly what they needed for a winter break.
However, things turned nasty the morning they were about to fly home. Monarch stepped out of the parked rental car and found it in worse condition than ever. The rear window was broken, and apparently someone tried car theft.
“The rental car was parked behind security and we didn’t leave any valuables inside. But someone broke the window and then disassembled the igniter. We couldn’t drive the car, so Sixt sent a trailer and took it away.”
first belong to 3
EMILY MONARCH FOR CODE POINTS
Monarch called the police and called Chase eClaimsline (888-675-1461) and received a file number. Confident they had done everything they could at the time to ensure that eClaimsline would pay for the damages, the couple flew home. It was an unfortunate end to what was already a great trip.
But Monarch was relieved that she used Chase Sapphire Reserve for the CDW protection it provides.
When the couple returned home, Monarch logged in eClaimsline online portal using the claim number she received when she first reported the damage to the rental car. She reviewed the additional documentation she needed to provide to process the claim including:
- The rental car contract states that she has refused CDW from Sixt.
- Proof that Monarch paid the rent with her Chase Sapphire Reserve.
- A copy of the police report.
- Estimates for rental car repairs.
- Damage pictures.
After providing all the requested items, Monarch figured that in about 30 days, eClaimsline would pay the repair bill, and that would be the last she heard about the damaged rental car.
However, more than a month later, the repair bill is still unpaid. Monarch gets nervous and has good reason. Due to the way agent Sixt prepared the rental agreement, she could have suffered more than $5,000 in damages.
We need additional documentation to process your complaint
Monarch received the following email from Chase eClaimsline explaining why it has not approved the payment and asking for additional documentation.
“Dear Emily Monarch,
Thank you for submitting your request for a rental car collision waiver. We have carefully reviewed the information provided so far and have noted that additional documents are required to expedite your complaint. Please support us by providing the following:
Document confirming the tenant listed on the rental agreement is an authorized user of the covered card. (Card Benefit Service, eClaimsline)”
The message seemed strange to Monarch because she was the main driver of the rental car and paid her Chase Sapphire Reserve. However, when she looked closely at the contract, she was stunned. In the field on the document listing the primary driver, her husband’s name is written and he is not an authorized user of her Chase Sapphire Reserve.
Monarch realized she was unable to provide the documentation eClaimsline requested to process a $5,542 insurance claim.
Recall a recent story about another TPG reader who had a eClaimsline problems related to a rental carMonarch has reached out to us for support.
Ask TPG for help with this damaged car rental eClaimsline
When I received Monarch’s request for assistance, two months had passed since she discovered her rental car had been vandalized by vandals. She hopes to put the experience on hold, but now there’s a real possibility that insurance won’t pay the claim.
“Can you help me with the collision damage waiver claim on my Chase Sapphire Reserve card?” she writes. “I am the only cardholder on the card. As you will see, I signed the lease.”
“However, my husband and I were both on the rental list, but he accidentally listed as the tenant, and I was the driver. Chase is currently trying to deny a claim that says I’m not a renter and, as a result, I have no insurance.”
Monarch’s paperwork includes a contract showing that agent Sixt listed her spouse, Will Monarch, as the principal tenant. The couple paid an extra $5 per day for an additional driver, who turned out to be Emily. Since Will is not an authorized Emily’s card user Chase Sapphire Reserve card, which means the rental will not qualify for car insurance under its terms and conditions.
However, Emily Monarch signed a rental car agreement.
Because of that detail, I think it might be possible to make a case with eClaimsline that this common fault between the Sixt agent (who mis-listed the main driver) and Monarchs (who didn’t scrutinize the contract), ultimately won’t pay the Chase loyalty price of $5,542.
Time to see if eClaimsline agrees with me.
Ask eClaimsline and Allianz for help with this rental car claim
I submitted Monarch’s case to our executive contact at Allianz, the administrator of Chase eClaimsline. This is not a customer contact person but someone I can approach as a consumer advocate and member of the media.
After I explained all the details of the case to him, good news quickly reached Monarchs. eClaimsline agrees with me – this naive mistake shouldn’t cost the couple $5,542.
This is the answer I got:
“Hi Michelle,
Thanks for your email. We’re sorry that Ms. Monarch had an issue with her rental car.
I have asked our Complaints team to look into this matter; as you mentioned, it’s a complicated situation. The fact that the rental car company listed Ms. Monarch as Tenant #2 has created delays in processing this request.
Our Complaints team contacted Ms. Monarch and let her know that her claim for $5,542 has been approved and that she will receive her payment soon. (Allianz spokesman)”
Monarch and her husband are extremely relieved that their supervision did not cost them $5,542. But it’s easily possible. They learned a valuable lesson: Don’t step out of the rental car counter again without checking every detail of that contract.
How to protect your rental car
Tourists often arrive at the car rental counter tired and distracted after a long day of flying. However, to avoid most car rental mistakes, it’s important to be vigilant.
Here’s what you need to do before you drive out of the rental car park.
Make sure your rent is fully insured
One thing you never want to do is drive away without making sure you have insurance. If you’re relying on credit card insurance, review your membership benefits and make sure you understand the requirements, exclusions, and limitations. Remember, Chase requires you to decline the rental car company’s coverage in order for the company’s coverage to kick in.
If you plan to rely on your personal car rental insurance, call your provider to confirm that you are covered for your destination and the type of vehicle you want to rent.
Look closely at the contract
Don’t worry about queuing at the rental counter. This is when you agree to take full responsibility for a vehicle that can cost up to $20,000. Carefully review all parts of that contract and make sure you understand it.
If you want to use the insurance provided by you Chase Sapphire Reserve or another card, then make sure that you (or a authorized user on account) is the main driver. You must also decline the insurance provided by the rental car company.
Always check the rental car thoroughly before driving away
I often receive complaints from consumers who are charged for rental damage after they return the vehicle. Many of these travelers claim that the damage was there when they were in possession of the vehicle – but they have no proof.
The best way to protect yourself against such unexpected charges is to take pictures and video of the entire vehicle before you leave the lot. And when you return your rented car, do so. The more documentation you have of the vehicle’s condition before and after the rental period, the less likely you are to be charged for damage caused by others.
bottom line
Monarch and her husband found themselves in a precarious situation that might not have been resolved in their favor had they not contacted TPG. We’re happy to help fix these types of problems, but even more happy to help you avoid them in the first place. If you follow the instructions above, you will not encounter the same situation.
If you find yourself in a battle with a car rental company, hotel, airline, yacht or vacation rental agency, send your help request to [email protected] and I will also be happy to help you.
