Do not listen to AVIS!

[kelemvor]

Sounds like one is "damned if they do, damned if they don't" (follow what the rental agency requires). I agree with @wwguy's speculation. Avis contracts all over the world might have that same boilerplate "secured" language in the fine print, and poorly trained but well-meaning employees might open their mouths about it. If this is indeed the case, then if you obey the contract you risk the hassle of a broken window and five bucks for new sunglasses. But if you use your judgment and do what everyone on Bonaire does, then you violate Avis' terms (again, assuming the speculation about the contract fine print is correct), and there might conceivably be some circumstance under which you end up on the defensive. (I can't think of any, since no one in their right mind leaves valuables in a Bonaire rental vehicle, but maybe there is such a circumstance.)

How about theft of the vehicle its-self? Would you be liable if one of the thieves stole an unlocked vehicle?

 

[Lorenzoid]

How about theft of the vehicle its-self? Would you be liable if one of the thieves stole an unlocked vehicle?

That occurred to me. Maybe you'd want to lie and say you locked it.

 

[diver0008]

How about theft of the vehicle its-self? Would you be liable if one of the thieves stole an unlocked vehicle?

Very good question.

 

[kelemvor]

It's too bad Bonaire's authorities don't seem to care about the rampant crime. I would so love to dive Bonaire, but I'm just not willing to take the risk. Other dive destinations like Cozumel don't have this problem and so are more attractive to me.

 

[miketsp]

How about theft of the vehicle its-self? Would you be liable if one of the thieves stole an unlocked vehicle?

When we were there, the rental agent said that the only important thing in the case of a complete vehicle theft was to be able to hand over the key with the claim to prove that we didn't leave the key in the vehicle.

 

[diver0008]

It's too bad Bonaire's authorities don't seem to care about the rampant crime. I would so love to dive Bonaire, but I'm just not willing to take the risk. Other dive destinations like Cozumel don't have this problem and so are more attractive to me.

The authorities do care, but it is a small island with a sparse population and tough to catch.

That said, I have been there multiple times and have never had a problem.

If you leave your truck wide open with nothing of value inside there's nothing for thieves to gain or for you to lose.

Don't deprive yourself of the exellent experience of total diving freedom when all you need is some simple precautionary common sense.

 

[DiveMaven]

Agreed Lorenzoid! We simply are not following the AVIS rules since we aren't leaving anything of value inside the truck that we would want or need to make an insurance claim for. The whole broken window incident took 3 hours to resolve with the police and AVIS and was simple and straightforward, but who wants a souvenier police report to take home? We've yet to see a police cruiser anywhere on the island...perhaps patrolling would help...just saying.

Other than the petty theft, the island feels a whole lot safer than many other places we've been where person crimes are a reality.

 

[uncfnp]

I clarify each agency's "policy" with every rental. Some want windows down. Most have wanted windows up. All want doors unlocked at dive sites. On my first trip to the island the door locks were completely disabled and we couldn't lock the vehicle if we wanted to. On a recent visit the agent stressed for us to have windows up and doors looked everywhere but the dive sites because of insurance coverage requirements.

Made me wonder how they handle it when something does happen at a dive site. I can't imagine that the insurance coverage has different requirements for the location of the crime on island.

With any rental I take video of the car/truck with all bumps and dings. Guess I now need to include the agent explaining their "special rules" for Bonaire.

DiveMaven. You may have said and I missed it. Which site was it?

 

[Lorenzoid]

. . .
With any rental I take video of the car/truck with all bumps and dings. Guess I now need to include the agent explaining their "special rules" for Bonaire. . . .

I wouldn't be surprised if somewhere in the fine print it said "no oral representations from an agent can supersede the terms of this contract."

 

[DiveMaven]

Uncfnp, it was Red Beryl where the window was broken and Vista Blue where the t-shirt and mesh bag were stolen. Both are the far southern sites past White Slave. We won't be going down that far anymore, it's clearly too remote and the thieves are active.