Renting a private car in the DR

First welcome to the forums!   

Renting a personal vehicle is full of potential issues. Even if he has "seguro full"  it may not be valid if he "rents" the vehicle.  That can and will negate the insurance if its used for a business purpose.

I considered renting a car from someone there not an identifiable company.  Had I done so and was involved in am accident, what would happen ?

The insurance policy is for the car, but a full policy should include amounts covering driver and passengers. The cover for the driver is often quite low.

As planner states the issue is validity if he is seen to be acting as a renter. The cover is not for a/his business use unless specified.

It is very common for Dominicans to lend their vehicles to other friends and family members. The insurance is valid provided the person one lends the car has a valid driving license and given the authority of the owner of the car to drive it. It would most probably be invalid if it were proven there was a business arrangement in the event of a claim.

Perhaps a way around this is to go to the insurer and ask that you be a named user and declare the arrangement. I suspect the additional fee would not be so large but that way you are insured.

You always need to check the particular conditions of a vehicle insurance policy including the insured value for the vehicle if fully insured, any deductibles, and the limits on third party cover. Also check the details of the car given on the matricula is exactly as described on the motor insurance policy especially the car identification numbers.

I was just looking at what an insurer in DR states about other persons using a car not in their name:

Best advice is to check with the insurer.

Thanks for the warm welcome to the board, and for the quick replies. For context, I'm planning on flying into SDQ and driving up to Las Terrenas, staying for a few days exploring Samaná peninsula, and then driving back down. I don't know if it matters or not, but he is an Uber driver, so I'm guessing his insurance is pretty good. From what I'm reading in the responses, I think I need to get more details about his particular insurance. That said, is there a third party company that would sell me insurance for the time I'm there (less than a week)? I assume I'd need information about his primary insurance, the VIN/ID number of his car, etc... beginning to wonder if the $500 or so I'd save will be worth the hassle. And just like any insurance, it's also all dependent on whether there are any problems (accidents, etc.). According to what I read above, I could legally drive his car and if there are no accidents then there wouldn't be any problems.

I've looked at some of the other threads on car rentals from companies (Hertz, Sixt, etc.) and it sounds like the casa de conductor insurance that they try to sell you can be as much as the rental itself. Does anyone has a specific number for the cost? Not surprisingly, they don't advertise it on the booking websites. Don't know if it makes a difference, but I speak Spanish (lived in the DR about a decade ago) so I have no problem haggling with the car rental people if they try to take advantage of me. Thanks for the help!

Thanks for the update.  Casa de conductor on the main policy is NOT expensive so sounds like the rental companies do not want you to have it.  No idea about a 3rd party coverage, sorry. Lennox may know.

When we arrived in 2018, I was able to purchase Casa de Conductor separately for a car a friend was lending us to move.  At the time, it was $700RD and I purchased it from a Taxi Stand in Sosua, where we are living.  I have no idea of the current cost, or where you can buy it in other towns, but it was dirt cheap at the time.

I don't know about the insurance issue , but I was talking to this nice couple

From Canada one night in a restaurant by me and they asked if I knew a good car mechanic because they had borrowed (rented ) a car from a very nice women from which they we're staying at her hotel ( Airbnb ) and after about two weeks the car was dripping oil and the starter motor was acting up ( difficult starting) …lol

The women told them no problem as long as they fixed it… the mechanic that they wound up going to  told them the stater was all worn out and probably about 3-4 years old and the car was due for a new one….🙄 but the seals on the engine block were so bad he was surprised the car ever had oil in it 🙄…..we'll you guessed it it cost them close to $800,000 RD  ( $500 USD ) to fix everything….. take what you want from this story

🤔 but the women who lent them the car was very pleased with the work that the mechanic did ……. 🤣😂 be careful .

The woman lent her broken down car to the people renting her airbnb?  I am sure they paid for the car, it was not free.  Seems like another scam as this was not damage the renters caused and clearly was a car in need of repair.  But maybe these nice Canadians just felt obligated or threatened.  Good to know, never do this unless there is a rental contract.

Patsy to fix her car for her all under the guise of being nice enough to helping them get around..

   I find that when ever someone offers to help me , their really not offering for free and there has to be an angle to it $$$ …. It's the same as when you give them directions on how you want something installed , they don't listen or they try to use subpar materials while trying to tell you the materials they choose is better then what you asked for …….. I find I have to keep reminding them not to do me any favors……. And not to take any kindness from anyone except a waitress …most of  these people just try to separate you from your money…… and 70% are con artists …..be careful and ask ….why is this person being extra nice to me  , someone he doesn't know…..🤔

I never lived in a country where 90% of the people are so poor, and the rest are visiting, or government officials or wealthy business people.  There is such an extreme economic difference.   We expats dont really see those people, unless you have been here awhile and have traveled to the countryside and non-tourist cities/towns.   These "con artists" just think we deserve it and we can afford it, so it does not matter what they do to us.

Its good to discuss these specific examples.  If we only talk in generalities, its hard to be "aware" .

Thanks all for your responses, very helpful!