'Seems to be no protection for renters': GetGo car user stunned by $5,500 bill after accident

Moral of the story: Do not get into an accident — especially if you are driving a rental car.

A GetGo car user was shocked to get a $5,589.79 bill after an accident with a motorcycle.

Stomp Christopher had rented the car on June 28 last year.

"A motorcycle hit the right rear end of the rented car as I was merging into another lane," he recounted.

"We exchanged contacts and I followed GetGo's procedure to make a police report about the accident.

"Then I received a bill of $5,589.79. I got a shock that the charge for the bumper repair was $1,775.50 and third-party damage was $3,000!"

The Stomp contributor shared a copy of the GetGo invoice, which showed an additional $448.60 charge for "loss of use".

"I immediately checked with the third party if GetGo had contacted her and she said no.

"Weeks later, I asked her for her repair bill, which totalled 440 ringgit (S$130), which doesn't even come close to the $3,000 that GetGo quoted.

"I asked GetGo for proof of repairs to the rental car and claims made by the third party. They stated that it was not in their policy to provide such documentation.

"They then sent me a form to allow for a mutual third-party waiver. I declined to sign it as it would mean I agreed to GetGo's conditions and admitted I am at fault.

"Months later, I checked with the third party and still she had not been contacted by GetGo.

"But for me, I received calls from debt collectors that GetGo had set on me.

"I had approached Case (Consumers Association of Singapore) to no avail, and it would be silly to pay more and make this a court case.

"There seems to be no protection for renters against these rental companies. Renting from them would be akin to signing away all rights."

Stomp has contacted GetGo for more info.

This is the third such case Stomp has reported this year. Last month, Stomp reported that a GetGo user said she was charged an "absurd" $5,400 for an accident with another car.

In February, another GetGo user was shocked to receive an "absurd" $4,636.80 bill after "grazing" a parked Mercedes-Benz while driving out of a parking lot.

In response to a Stomp query about the February incident, GetGo said then: "GetGo ensures that our accident and insurance policies are clear and fair for our users. All charges payable by our users in the event of an accident are outlined in our terms and conditions, and FAQs...

"We adhere to the industry practice of collecting the costs of Third-Party Damage Excess in the event of at fault and shared liability cases.

"However, we do provide the option for Mutual Settlement in minor accidents where both parties explicitly agree that they will not be claiming against each other's insurance.

"In the event that our user is not at fault, as determined by the insurer, we may not open the option for Mutual Settlement. Upon submission of proof of private settlement between both parties, the Third-Party Damage Excess cost will be removed from the bill.

"We highly recommend that our users consider taking the Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), which can reduce Third-Party Damage Excess costs by 50 per cent in the event of an accident."

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This article was first published in Stomp. Permission required for reproduction.