About that Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)

Yes, there are ‘up sells’ even in the rental car industry. On our recent trip to Florida, we rented a car from Advantage and right out the gate, the up sell came out – do you want a convertible or a Jeep?  Wow, what a car company, I thought.  This is great!  My wife chimed in, “Wait, are those the same price as what we signed up for?”  Ummm, no. Those came in at an extra $28/day or an extra $150. So, no on that front.

Next up – the Loss Damage Waiver or LDW – probably one of the more confusing and annoying aspects to the rental car experience.  This was almost presented as non-negotiable – and the sales push was on. We were even warned of ‘dump trucks’ up and down the roads we were going to drive on and even the smallest rock could conceivably hit our windshield which would cause us to be held liable for damage. Out came the question: aren’t we already covered by our current auto insurance?  Most certainly not, we were told – at least, rental cars weren’t covered by the sales agent’s insurance company (of course not!).

We were pressured into securing the LDW resulting in an additional $100 on top of the rental cost, but out of the goodness of her heart the ‘extra driver’ fee was waived b/c we purchased the LDW.  Hmmmm. Spidey senses go off. We drive off headed to our hotel and that nagging feeling sunk in – we’ve been screwed.

On the way to our hotel, we called our insurance company and learned that we did indeed have insurance coverage that extended to car rentals and that we gave in to the sales pitch from the rental car company. So, after hanging up the phone, we turned around at the next exit, drove back, and had the LDW refunded to us. Always push back when confronted with the LDW – if you have full coverage with a reputable company you’re probably okay to forgo the coverage.

Word to the wise: Call your insurance company before your trip to see if your current insurance already extends to car rentals. In some instances, if you book with a Visa or American Express, there are other coverages extended on to rental cars (but not liability insurance).

Ave Maria, Florida

My wife and I traveled to Naples, Florida to see our niece graduate from Ave Maria University.  Founded by Domino’s Pizza founder Tom Monaghan, Ave Maria University just celebrated 10 years in operation and is a Catholic university located about 45 minutes from Naples, Florida. The University is situated in the town of Ave Maria, a planned college community being built around the University and boasts nearly 5,000 residents. The drive in to the University is beautiful – winding roads surrounded by palm trees leading to a family farm, and passing the different developments beginning to spring up as part of the town of Ave Maria (Del Webb, Maple Ridge, etc).  The drive up to the University culminates with the Oratory, a Catholic Church that serves as the de facto center of town. The church is surrounded by town shops which include a Publix grocery store, the Queen Mary pub & grill, and other retail stores. Apartments line the top of these retail stores adding another layer of living in town. What a beautiful, young campus dedicated to the ideals of the Catholic faith! 

Getting here: The closest airport is Fort Myers (RSW).  The University is about an hour from the airport and 45 minutes from Naples, Florida.

What to do: Walk the planned community, shop in the retail stores around the Oratory, or visit the Mother Theresa Museum, the only one of its kind in the United States. Take in a Mass offered daily in the Oratory . The inside of the church is a mix of the old and the modern. Tom Monaghan’s fondness of Frank Lloyd Wright is obvious in the light fixtures throughout the church.