Frequently Asked Questions

I've registered, what do I do first?
The first step is to visit the 'Training' tab in your portal and take a look at the PDF documents. There is a document titled "Getting Started' which is a good place to start. You likely will find that reading through the FAQ's are helpful as well.

What is a Damage Protection Program?
The Damage Protection program provides an alternative to a traditional security deposit by charging guests a nominal non-refundable fee that protects them for accidental damage they do to the rental unit or its' contexts during their stay up to the coverage amount purchased. Coverage is subject to program terms and conditions.

Registered partners should purchase damage protection policies directly from the partner portal by selecting PURCHASE from the main menu. In doing so, partners receive preferred pricing. The purchase form is divided into three sections: Coverage Holder information (you, the policy owner), Property Information & guest stay dates and the payment information. You can save the property and credit card information by clicking the box at the bottom of sections 2 & 3 for future purchases. In subsequent visits, you can select the property from the drop down box under 'property profile' to auto-populate property information. Should you choose to save credit card information, that data is stored on the credit card merchant processing servers (encrypted) - not on our servers. You can click "Print a copy for your records" from the confirmation page at the completion of the transaction. You will also receive a confirmation by email.

What are the Damage Protection program coverage limits and cost options?
Retail Pricing:
US $1,500 coverage at $59.00
US $3,000 coverage at $79.00

Partner Pricing available through partner portal:
US $1,500 coverage at $49.00
US $3,000 coverage at $69.00

Additionally, purchases at the partner portal may earn additional discounts reflected as bonuses or commissions which are paid out when a partner meets the minimum payout level.

What does the Damage Protection program cover?
Damage Protection provides reimbursement for out of pocket expenses when accidental damage occurs to the rental unit or its contents during a Covered booking.

Examples include:
Accidental broken glassware or lamp
Accidental broken furniture
Accidental carpet spill
Accidental furniture or carpet tear
Accidental broken or damaged appliances
Accidental floor or wall damage

What does the Damage Protection program not cover?
The Damage Protection Program covers accidental damage, but does not cover other forms of damage including:

Gross negligence or willful destruction of property by renter and members of their party
Damage caused by Pets
Damage to rental unit or contents by someone not part of the reservation
Damage to rental unit or contents by homeowner or housekeeping
Damage to rental unit or contents outside of the booking period
Damage to common areas not part of the rented unit
Stained linens and towels
Normal wear and tear
Damage caused by vehicles
Damage to golf carts

What is the longest stay a policy will cover?
Damage protection is valid for the dates of stay of any single reservation up to a maximum of 30 days.

Is coverage required for every guest stay?
Yes. Participation in the program requires that damage protection is purchased and included as a part of every guest reservation. For the program to be successful for all participants, the program underwriters have determined historic claims ratios of coverage placed to claims paid. Participants with extraordinarily high number of claims will be subject to termination.

Is there a deductible?
No, the full amount of the claim is paid up to coverage limits.

Why should I register as a Damage Protection Partner rather than purchasing at the retail site?
Homeowners and Property Managers who plan to add damage protection as a standard to their reservations should register at www.getdamageprotection.com. Registration will benefit in two ways; faster purchase process as you can save your property information and cost savings as partners have preferred pricing, saving $10 per policy.

How do I implement damage protection with listing sites?
Third party listing sites each have their unique rules and capabilities. VRBO & HomeAway allow you to add fees to your reservation where you would add a fee for a damage waiver. Currently, Airbnb does not provide for additional fees. You do not want to use the Airbnb damage deposit function as any amount collected is returned to the guest at the end of the stay. The best bet is to add to the cleaning fee and update your terms to let the guest know that the cleaning fee includes a $X,XXX damage waiver to protect against accidental damage. VRBO provides the ability to add custom fees by selecting one of their fee titles from the drop down box.

Who is the 'coverholder' during the purchase process; homeowner or guest?
The lodging provider is the purchasing & covered party. Most providers pass along the cost of the policy to the guest either through increased rental rates or a separate fee. This way, the cost is reimbursed by the guest. The lodging provider determines the amount to pass along.

How do I let guests know about the damage waiver?
We recommend updates to your website and reservation agreement. See the 'training' tab when you are logged into your partner portal.

What do I do if I have damage?
The claim site is https://www.damageprotection.insure/claims. The claims process is easy and automated and requires just 3 steps: (1) completion of the online form to describe the damage which provides needed information to the claims administrator, (2) photo(s) of the damage and (3) paid receipt(s) for repair or replacement.

Steps 1 & 2 are required to initiate the claim within 14 days of guest departure. It is important that you or your cleaning staff document the damage immediately using digital pictures as its required for a claim. Claims without damage photos will not be considered. If you have receipts for repairs or replacement items at the time of that the claim is opened, you can upload them during the claims initiation process.

Receipts are required within 45 days of opening a claim. Paid receipts can be emailed to customercare@protectionbrands.com. Once receipts are received, the claim is forwarded to claims administration for review and payment. You will receive updates via email.

How do I file a claim?
To file a claim we need to gather information about the damage, its cost for repair or replacement, along with photos & receipts. Visit https://www.damageprotection.insure/claims to start the claims process. A claim must be filed within 14 days of the guest departure date to be considered. Thereafter, PAID receipts for repairs or replacements are required with 45 days of opening a claim. Accidental guest damage claims are guest-verified.

What is the timeline for claims?
Managers have two weeks from the day of check out to complete the damage submission. The damage adjudicator reviews the information and processes the claim typically within one week. The average turn around for reimbursement from the day of check out is 28 days assuming complete information is provided. Payments are made directly to the coverholder via check.

What if I cancel a reservation after I have purchased damage protection for that stay?
Just send us a note via the 'contact us' tab in the Partner Portal making us aware of the cancellation and we will cancel the policy and refund. You must notify us prior to the coverage start date to be able to cancel or modify coverage.

What is 'Tier Linking' and how does it work? (Earn cash for sharing our platform)
Once you are logged into the partner portal, you may notice 'Tier Statistics' under the 'General Statistics' menu choice. Tiers are our way of saying thank you to partners for sharing our platform with other vacation rental homeowners or managers. Anyone who registers as a partner using the link provided (click 'Grab Tier linking code') will also become a partner and can purchase at partner pricing, but it will also earn you $2.00 for every policy purchased. We have determined this to be an effective way to grow our program and why not spend our marketing dollars with our partners rather than with a company or website that we choose to advertise with. Thank you partners!