How unusual! Me, ranting? ha!
Im not sure where to start this rant...
Well, let's just start with Insurance.
Did I tell you that we had purchased Geico Non-Vehicle -Owner Liability Insurance?
Well, we thought we did. Then we got a letter to tell us that our coverage was going to be all over on the minute past midnight on the 22nd March! Lovely!
What got us to this point??
A long time ago (2011) my Hawaii Driver's License expired and because I was no longer in Hawaii, I didn't renew it, though I couldn't do that online, anyway.
I did, however, keep the license 'just in case'. I brought it back to the USA with me, just to prove, should I need to prove, that I have held a USA Driver's license.
When Geico signed us up for this non-vehicle-owners Liability Insurance, they wanted me to FAX (who does that anymore?) a copy of the old license (at $11.30, from Staples, I might add!) to their offices to prove I once held such a thing. They acknowledged it's arrival in one of our phone conversations since!
However....the letter we got from them stating that they can no longer insure us, says...and I quote."Due to our (their) inability to verify a Valid and verifiable US Driver's License for Monica and Warren (Last names included) we regret that we have to terminate the insurance coverage".
HOWEVER....on Tuesday (yesterday) We went into the local county offices to get me a Driver's License, having ascertained on MONDAY afternoon (with a visit to the same place) what I would need in order to get one. The only thing missing at that time was my new US passport (which arrived in the mail while we were out! (hmmm...).
Returning on Tuesday, we showed all the necessary proof of identity, and thus got myself a genuine Florida Driver's License. Yayay!
Waz cannot get his until he sits the written test, then does a driving test with examiner. This is because we drive on the 'wrong' side of the road, in NZ! Never mind that he has been driving for 45 yrs without ONE accident. Ok,,.different country, different rules. We do what we have to to get by.
Armed with my new driver's license, I immediately came back to the boat and called Geico to announce that I now had a verifiable Driver's License and can we please reinstate the insurance.???
Pretty please???
NONONONONO>>>>!!!!
Never mind that I had just filled the one requirement that was requested, they have in the meantime made up a bunch of excuses so that we cannot, in any way, continue to be covered under their insurance.
We spent the rest of the day variously talking to Insurance agents from the Big Ones, friends of friends who should be able to help us, to no avail. Insurance companies do not like to carry this kind of risk!
WHAT RISK?
Ok..here is why we want the insurance in the first place.
You know how, when you rent a vehicle, they ask you if you would like the additional coverage for the car? Well, guess what? WE thought we had that additional coverage through the VISA card we pay with. Check the coverage you THINK you have on your own Credit Cards...it may not be what you thought!!It does not cover personal or third party injury!
It appears, after talking to VISA, that we are not covered for personal Liability, in the event of an accident...just rental car damage , nothing else. Any damage to your person, need for hospitalization etc, etc, is not covered. This is why we wanted liability cover. We do not have the means to dip into a vast storehouse of funds sitting waiting for such an event, so cover makes sense, no?
Yes!
Well, it appears that 99.9% of insurance companies do not provide non-vehicle-owners Liability insurance.
Never mind that Geico have part of their website devoted to just that kind of insurance. Yes, we have argued this one black and blue with them, which is why we got the cover in the first place.
The LATEST argument from them, for not reinstating our cover was this....Because we would be using a rental vehicle 'continuously'. HUH??? The occasional weekend car rental is CONTINUOUS??
I told them to go to the dictionary and look the word up = without a break or constantly...(depends on the source of the definition).
You see...we only want the cover for those weekends, about twice a month, where we get an Enterprise rental car for a three day weekend special, to replenish the larder and take care of business. THAT is NOT CONTINUOUS! rental. No matter. They then went looking for other things to say that really was a load of bullshit, and I told them so. Crikey! how infuriating...no matter that we have on paper, in legally legible language, that they only want a verifiable Drivers license!!!
AND HERE COMES THE OTHER RANT!!
We re-registered the boat at the same time I got my license, yesterday, and it was good to get that out of the way, even though it wasn't due until April. We thought we had paid for the license AND the registration all in one go. It appears that we didn't! NOT OUR FAULT!!!
The young woman who provided all the documentation for both items did not only NOT charge me for the license, but she also didn't record my cell phone number correctly on the computer. This meant that when she wanted to call me and tell me to return to pay, she had to look up the owner of the address on record. She then called that person to tell them to tell us (the squatters on the dock) to return to make payment! Aieee! Most unfortunate, especially for the addressee, who is a very busy person and has better things to do than babysit us!
Thursday:
First thing this morning we went to the Rental Car company and asked to see their liability policy (for purchase), and what it would cost. An extra $14.99 will be charged, PER DAY for personal liability to be added to the rental policy. We figger it is worth it because the money we were being charged for the Geico policy was enough for us to rent AND pay the policy addition at the rental company, for 5 months!!!
We will return tomorrow and put a new rental agreement together for the rest of the rental period...including the Liability Insurance.
Word of caution for the traveler!!!!
If you DO take out the extra Collision coverage, your credit car (VISA) will not cover you for any additional charges. If you WAIVE the charges, you are covered under your VISA card policy. HOWEVER... You are not covered for LIABILITY and PERSONAL INJURY! You will need to purchase that cover from the rental agency. This is especially relevant in these United States with it's litigious society!..ONLY IF you are not a US citizen with retention of the liability portion of cover on your OWN vehicle policy. IF you do not own a car and have no other insurance for a vehicle, you MUST purchase the $14.99 per day insurance for personal liability.
ALSO:
If you do not own a vehicle in the USA or retained the liability portion of your car insurance when you sold your vehicle, you will not find an insurance cover for NON-Vehicle Owner Liability! We know this after two/three/four days of trying to find cover!
The rest of the morning involved making an early call up to Sam's club for fruit and veg, and a trip over the bridge to Fisherman's Village for my haircut. She kind of lowered my ears a bit more than normal, so I now look like a pinhead! bah!
I think I will try a new hairdresser for the last cut before we leave.
OH YES!...LEAVING!!!
There was some discussion today on the Loopers forum about when to leave for northern climes.
It appears that the 'normal' time to be in the NY area is around June! With the record snowfall this year in those parts, (and they have another snow storm coming this weekend!) there will be some flooding from snow melt, along with spring rains/storms, so we are advised to take it easy until May-ish. We still have to get up the east coast, and that will take a month or so. Looks like we may be here for another month!
Itchy feet don't help us right now. We have many small chores (it seems endless at times) to complete before we leave...one of which is waxing the boat! Takes time and patience, but has to be done.
There is always something else to do, and some of the chores we have to admit to putting off for a rainy day...or a dry one, as the need may be.
I'm off to water plants...I can see that they are drooping, and I don't want the new basil plant to die before we get to use more of it. I also have more food to put into cold storage, that was purchased at Sam's club today.
I cant think what we have planned for the weekend, but we need to confer with our hosts on some of the chores they have scheduled to keep us our of trouble:)
Waz and I have waterblasted the concrete around the house, walkway and driveway, and it looks good as new now:) Always satisfying to complete these things, and nice to help out where it is needed.
We are rather hoping Stefie delivers their little girl before we head north, so that we get to say hello to the new addition to the family. The alternative to that is that we will say hello to an 8 month old at Christmas time!!
Ciao for now...time to garden!!
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