Two things come with every rental besides the rental rate and tax: the damage waiver and your card on file. This page explains both in plain language. The Rental Agreement you accept when you order is the binding version.
Damage waiver
The damage waiver is a fee — 13% of the rental charges, shown as one line on your order and taxed with the rental — that limits what you owe if the equipment is accidentally damaged during normal use. It is optional, and it is added to every rental unless you decline it.
With the waiver, you are not charged for:
- Accidental damage to the equipment that happens during proper use — a cracked housing from a drop, a bent trailer fender from a tight turn.
- Normal wear and tear.
The waiver does not cover, and you remain responsible for:
- Theft, loss, or equipment that is not returned.
- Damage from misuse, overloading, operating outside the manufacturer’s instructions, or use by an unauthorized operator.
- Damage from operating without proper fluids or with a known malfunction, or from running equipment that was smoking, leaking or overheating.
- Tires, tubes and tracks damaged by curbing, punctures or running flat; trailer damage from overloading, jackknifing or backing into objects.
- Cutting teeth, blades, bits, hoses, cords and other consumables.
- Damage that occurs while the equipment is in transit on your vehicle or trailer.
- Vandalism or damage from leaving equipment unsecured.
- Damage to your own property, a third party’s property, or injury to any person. The waiver is not liability insurance.
The waiver is not an insurance policy. To decline it, give us a copy of your policy or a certificate of insurance at pickup, or before we deliver. It must cover rented equipment for its full value (an equipment floater or a commercial policy with rented-equipment coverage) and list Crowder Rentals LLC as loss payee. A standard auto or homeowner’s policy usually doesn’t cover rented equipment, and adding a loss payee takes a call to your agent, so arrange it before you come in. If you reserved online, we take the waiver off before we charge your card. Approved business accounts can keep a certificate on file instead. Without the waiver, you are responsible for the full cost of repair or replacement.
Your card on file
Every rental needs a credit or debit card in the renter’s name, unless it is billed to an approved business account or we agree that you pay when it comes back (see Paying at return below). Our payment processor, Stripe, stores the card; we never see or keep your full card number.
- When you reserve online, we save your card and place a temporary authorization for the estimated total — rental, waiver and tax. An authorization is not a charge, though your bank may show it as pending. If you cancel before the rental starts, we release it.
- At the counter, you pay on our card reader before the equipment goes out, and that card becomes your card on file. For a phone or counter reservation on a later date, we save the card without an authorization, when you book or before the rental goes out.
- When the rental goes out — at pickup or when we deliver — we charge what is actually due and release any unused part of the authorization. Banks usually keep an authorization for about 7 days; if one lapses before a rental further out, your reservation still stands and we charge the card when the rental goes out.
- There is no separate deposit hold. We don’t tie up extra funds on your card for the length of the rental.
- Paying at return. For any rental, we may agree that you pay when it comes back. Then we do not charge, authorize or save a card when it goes out. You pay everything owed in one payment at return, including the later charges below. If you cannot pay then, we still check the equipment in, and the balance stays due on your order. Please pay it within 7 days.
Later charges
Under the Rental Agreement, these go to your card on file after the rental goes out, each with an itemized receipt emailed to you:
- Extra time — extensions and late returns at the applicable rate, with no separate late penalty.
- Diesel fuel to refill diesel equipment that comes back low. Gasoline equipment carries no fuel charge.
- Cleaning, up to $200, when equipment comes back needing real work. We discuss it with you at return, or tell you before we charge if our driver collected it.
- Loss or damage the waiver doesn’t cover.
- Delivery and pickup trips, including a failed delivery.
- Items you add at pickup or during the rental, such as propane or parts.
Before we charge for damage or cleaning, we tell you what we found and how much it is, with photos when we have them, and give you 2 business days to respond. If a charge is declined, we will contact you, and we ask that you pay what is due within 7 days.
Business accounts
Approved business accounts are billed on a monthly statement instead of a card. If you have a card on file with us, we charge it only if you ask us to, or if a statement is more than 30 days past due.
Questions about a charge
Every charge is itemized. If something looks wrong, call (303) 423-7448 or email [email protected] and we will walk through it with you. This does not limit any rights you have with your card issuer.