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    Protection Plan Terms

    Terms governing optional protection products (damage, tow, liability, and cancellation waivers), these are not insurance

    Protection Plan Terms

    Last Updated: May 21, 2026 | Effective Date: May 21, 2026 | Version: 1.0

    ⚠️ IMPORTANT, THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INSURANCE

    Optional protection products are contractual waivers and liability limitations between you and the rental operator. They are not insurance, are not underwritten by a licensed insurer, and are not regulated as insurance in any jurisdiction. If you need insurance coverage, consult a licensed insurance professional.

    • Protection products are offered by and contracted with the rental operator, not RentalTide.
    • Gross negligence, willful misconduct, and fraud are never covered.
    • Nothing here limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence.
    • Your non-excludable statutory consumer rights always apply (Section 8).

    These Protection Plan Terms are the document referenced in Section 1.4 and Section 3.5 of the Terms of Service. They govern every optional protection product offered through the RentalTide platform and must be read together with the Terms of Service, Customer Terms, Provider Terms, and Refund & Cancellation Policy.

    Table of Contents

    1. Who These Terms Bind
    2. These Products Are Not Insurance
    3. The Protection Products
    4. General Exclusions
    5. Eligibility, Pricing & Currency
    6. Making a Claim
    7. Cancellation & Refund of Protection Fees
    8. Your Statutory Consumer Rights
    9. Operator Obligations
    10. RentalTide's Role & Limitation of Liability
    11. Dispute Resolution
    12. Governing Law
    13. Changes to These Terms
    14. Contact

    1. Who These Terms Bind

    1.1 The Parties

    A protection product is a contract between the renter ("you") and the rental operator ("Operator") who lists the asset. RentalTide Inc. ("RentalTide," "we," "us") provides only the technology platform that displays, prices, and records the product. RentalTide is not a party to the protection product, is not the provider of any waiver, and does not assume any of the Operator's obligations under it.

    1.2 Acceptance

    You accept these terms and the specific product terms shown at checkout when you select a protection product and complete your booking. The product terms displayed at the time of purchase, including coverage limits, deductibles, exclusions, and price, form part of your contract with the Operator and prevail over general descriptions in this document where they conflict in your favor.

    1.3 Operator-Specific Variations

    Coverage amounts, exclusions, claim procedures, and availability vary by Operator and by jurisdiction. An Operator may offer some, all, or none of the products described in Section 3, and may impose stricter terms than the minimums described here. An Operator may never offer terms that reduce your non-excludable statutory rights (Section 8).

    2. These Products Are Not Insurance

    Protection products are contractual limitations of liability. They do not transfer risk to a regulated insurer and do not create an insurance policy. The following jurisdiction-specific statements apply:

    2.1 United States

    These products are not insurance and are not regulated under the insurance laws of any U.S. state. They are not issued by an insurer, are not subject to state insurance guaranty funds, and no part of any fee is an insurance premium. State law governs whether a damage waiver is permissible and how it must be disclosed; where a state regulates rental damage waivers (for example, certain motor-vehicle or watercraft rental statutes), the Operator is responsible for compliance, including any mandated caps, disclosures, and the right to decline.

    2.2 Canada

    These products are not insurance within the meaning of provincial and territorial insurance legislation (including Ontario's Insurance Act, Quebec's Act respecting insurance / Civil Code of Québec, and equivalents). They are contractual waivers. They do not displace the Operator's own obligation to carry any insurance required by law. Quebec consumers retain all rights under the Consumer Protection Act (CQLR c P-40.1).

    2.3 Australia

    These products are not insurance and are not regulated by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) as insurance products. They are contractual waivers between you and the Operator. The consumer guarantees in the Australian Consumer Law (Schedule 2 of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010) apply and cannot be excluded. See moneysmart.gov.au for general guidance.

    2.4 New Zealand

    These products are not insurance and are not regulated under the Insurance (Prudential Supervision) Act 2010 or supervised by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand or the Financial Markets Authority as insurance. They are contractual waivers. The guarantees in the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the prohibitions on misleading conduct in the Fair Trading Act 1986 apply and cannot be contracted out of for consumer transactions.

    2.5 Other Jurisdictions

    Where you rent in any other jurisdiction, the product is offered as a contractual waiver only, subject to local law, and the Operator is responsible for ensuring the product is lawful and properly disclosed in that location.

    3. The Protection Products

    The products below are the standard products that may be offered. The exact scope is set by the Operator at checkout.

    3.1 Damage Waiver

    • What it does: Limits your financial responsibility for accidental physical damage to the rental asset, up to the stated limit and subject to any deductible.
    • Typically excludes: Intentional damage, gross negligence, willful misconduct, damage from prohibited use, damage outside the agreed rental area or period, theft due to your failure to secure the asset, and consequential losses.
    • Note: A damage waiver reduces what the Operator may charge you; it is not a repair guarantee.

    3.2 Tow / Breakdown Waiver

    • What it does: Covers reasonable towing or recovery costs if the asset becomes inoperable due to a qualifying mechanical breakdown.
    • Requires: Prior Operator approval before towing or recovery is arranged.
    • Typically excludes: Routine repositioning, breakdowns caused by operator error or misuse, fuel/charging issues, and damage that caused the breakdown.

    3.3 Liability Waiver

    • What it does: Limits the Operator's right to seek recovery from you for certain third-party property claims arising during the rental, up to the stated limit.
    • Does NOT do: It does not protect you against direct third-party lawsuits, and it does not cover bodily injury or death claims. It is not third-party liability insurance.
    • Typically excludes: Gross negligence, reckless conduct, intoxication, and any legal violation.

    3.4 Cancellation Protection

    • What it does: Allows you to cancel within a specified window with the cancellation fee waived.
    • Fee: The protection fee itself is non-refundable once the cancellation window has begun.
    • Typically excludes: No-shows and late cancellations outside the protected window. See the Refund & Cancellation Policy.

    3.5 Carbon Offset Contribution

    • What it does: A voluntary contribution allocated to verified carbon-offset projects.
    • Fee: Non-refundable once allocated; does not affect any other rental term or protection.

    4. General Exclusions

    No protection product covers any of the following, regardless of what is shown at checkout:

    • Gross negligence, recklessness, or willful misconduct
    • Fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation
    • Use of the asset for an illegal purpose or in violation of the rental agreement
    • Operation under the influence of alcohol or drugs
    • Use by an unauthorized operator
    • Death or personal injury (these products never limit liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence)
    • Loss covered by your own insurance or another party's insurance, to the extent of that coverage
    • Any matter that the law of the rental location does not permit to be waived

    5. Eligibility, Pricing & Currency

    • Protection products are offered at the time of booking and, where the Operator permits, may be added before the rental start.
    • Fees are displayed in the currency of the rental location, USD, CAD, AUD, or NZD, and shown in full before purchase.
    • Protection fees are separate from the rental price, any deposit, and any platform fees.
    • Eligibility, limits, and deductibles are set by the Operator and shown at checkout.

    6. Making a Claim

    1. Report promptly. Notify the Operator as soon as reasonably possible after any incident, and in any event within the time stated in the product terms.
    2. The Operator handles the claim. Because the product is a contract with the Operator, the Operator assesses and resolves claims. RentalTide does not adjudicate, approve, or pay claims.
    3. Provide evidence. You may be asked for photos, a written account, police or incident reports, and proof of the qualifying event.
    4. Cooperate. Failure to follow the claim procedure or provide reasonable evidence may reduce or void the waiver, except where local law provides otherwise.
    5. Disputes. If you and the Operator disagree about a claim, Section 11 applies.

    7. Cancellation & Refund of Protection Fees

    • Statutory cooling-off / cancellation rights in your jurisdiction always apply where the law grants them (Section 8).
    • Outside any statutory right, Damage, Tow/Breakdown, and Liability waiver fees are generally refundable only if the rental itself is cancelled before it begins and no claim has been made.
    • Cancellation Protection and Carbon Offset fees are non-refundable once their purpose has begun, as described in Section 3.
    • All refunds are processed under the Refund & Cancellation Policy.

    8. Your Statutory Consumer Rights

    Nothing in these terms excludes, restricts, or modifies any consumer right or guarantee that cannot be excluded under applicable law. Where a term in this document or in an Operator's product terms conflicts with such a right, the statutory right prevails and the conflicting term is read down only to the extent necessary.

    Without limiting the above, the following protections always apply:

    • United States: Applicable state consumer-protection statutes and FTC rules, including any state law governing rental damage waivers.
    • Canada: Provincial and territorial consumer-protection legislation, including Ontario's Consumer Protection Act, 2002, Quebec's Consumer Protection Act, and equivalents in other provinces.
    • Australia: The consumer guarantees and unfair-contract-term provisions of the Australian Consumer Law (Competition and Consumer Act 2010, Schedule 2). For a major failure you are entitled to a remedy and to compensation for reasonably foreseeable loss.
    • New Zealand: The guarantees in the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993 and the Fair Trading Act 1986.
    • Everywhere: Liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, and liability for fraud, can never be excluded or limited.

    9. Operator Obligations

    Operators offering protection products must:

    • Accurately describe coverage, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and price before purchase;
    • Ensure the product is lawful and properly disclosed in the rental location, including any state, provincial, or national disclosure or cap requirements;
    • Maintain any insurance and licenses the law requires for their rental business, independently of any waiver offered;
    • Handle claims fairly, promptly, and in good faith; and
    • Honor all non-excludable consumer rights.

    Operators indemnify RentalTide for claims arising from their protection products under the Provider Terms.

    10. RentalTide's Role & Limitation of Liability

    RentalTide provides only the technology to display, price, record, and collect payment for protection products. RentalTide does not provide, underwrite, guarantee, or warrant any protection product or any claim outcome.

    To the maximum extent permitted by law, and subject to Section 8, RentalTide's total aggregate liability arising out of or relating to any protection product shall not exceed the lesser of CAD $100 or the platform fees you paid to RentalTide in respect of the relevant booking. This is consistent with Section 15 of the Terms of Service. This cap does not apply to liability that cannot be limited by law.

    11. Dispute Resolution

    • Renter-Operator disputes about a protection product are between you and the Operator. We encourage you to resolve them directly; you may also use any complaint or mediation process the Operator offers.
    • Disputes involving RentalTide are subject to the dispute-resolution and arbitration provisions in Section 18 of the Terms of Service, to the extent those provisions are enforceable in your jurisdiction and do not override a non-excludable consumer right.

    12. Governing Law

    Consistent with Section 20.4 of the Terms of Service, each protection product is governed by:

    • The law of the jurisdiction where the rental takes place;
    • The applicable consumer-protection law of that jurisdiction;
    • Any local regulation applicable to non-insurance waivers; and
    • The specific terms set by the Operator.

    This ensures you receive the consumer protections of your rental location regardless of where RentalTide or the Operator is headquartered.

    13. Changes to These Terms

    We may update these Protection Plan Terms from time to time. Material changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date and, where required, notified to affected users. The version in effect when you purchase a protection product governs that purchase.

    14. Contact

    RentalTide Inc. 110 Didsbury Road, Ottawa, Ontario K2T 0C2, Canada 1111B S Governors Ave STE 48363, Dover, DE 19904, United States Phone: (888) 709-2650

    For claims and coverage decisions on a specific booking, contact the rental operator named in your booking confirmation.

    These Protection Plan Terms supplement and are incorporated into the Terms of Service. They are not insurance. Read them together with the Customer Terms, Provider Terms, and Refund & Cancellation Policy.