Frequently Asked Questions

Covid 19 Information

We have been following information regarding C19 VERY closely. At this time we are planning on suplying awesome boat rentals and amazing customer service in the Northern Idaho and Eastern Washington regions just like we have for the past 12 years. But even stating that, there will always be a number of questions, and it’s our hope you can find most of your answers below. Please don’t hesitate to contact us directly if you have any other questions or concerns.

Q. I heard that Washington is doing this thing and Idaho is doing that thing??? What's up??

A. There is a lot of misinformation being spread around regarding restrictions on travel, use of lakes, etc. We strongly urge you to go straight to the source for your information. Washington and Idaho have different approaches to what will be phased in and when. You can’t draw conclusions off of how one state will behave, based on what the other is doing.

Here are a couple direct links if you’d like to view their respective plans. Again, at the time of this writing, we will be operating AS NORMAL this season, but we are also happy to answer any questions you have.

Idaho’s C19 Phase in Plan

Washington’s C19 Phase In Plan

Q. What safe guards are you putting into place to limit potential C19 spread between boat rentals?

A. In preparation for our 2020 season all of our boats and vehicles have undergone a deep detail with specialized “high heat” steam and pressure washers that reach over 240 degrees. We also already have had a process in place for years to throughly detail between every use with the same equipment, and will continue to do so with even more focus on heavily used areas. (Steerng wheels, stereo controls, cupholders, etc.)

We also will not be doing “same day” boat turn arounds. If a boat is out for even a couple hours on a rental it will get pulled out of the water for deep overnight cleaning. There will be no “quick dockside” turn around between parties. This will limit some boat avaialbility, but we feel that health and safety needs to be our upmost priority and this will allow for more thourough cleaning to occur.

Q. How does your C19 Refund policy work?

A. Normally our policy states that you need to give us 45 days notice prior to your booking date to receive a full refund for your reservation unless we can rebook with another party. However, we know that with all the uncertaintly surrounding C19, it can be difficult to make that call so far in advance and we’d hate for you to prematurely cancel your vacation over fear of losing a deposit.

This means we will be offering a full refund (minus a $50 processing fee to cover credit card fees) if you need to cancel up to 10 days prior to your booking date. Our goal is to be extremely fair and understanding in these unprecedented times. If other unexpected C19 realted factors cause a limitation of the ability to travel under that 10 day window, we will review the situtation on a case by case basis.

General FAQ

Q. How does the Booking Process work?

A. Take a look at our boat selection to see which boat works best for you, then pick a lake from our Delivery Area and give us a call or email us through the Contact page. Once we settle on price and dates we send you a contract to sign. We will charge 50% of the total for a reservation deposit to hold the dates for you. The remaining 50% will be due at time of boat delivery.

Q. What can I expect at the launch when I pick up the boat?

A. Plan on about 15 – 30 minutes to launch the boat and do an orientation on its operation. (This could go longer if it’s a busy boat launch)

Q. How does the damage deposit work?

A. At the time of delivery we will authorize your credit card for a $1,500 damage deposit. If you return the boat in good order with all the equipment still intact then the authorization is cancelled. There are no hidden fees. (This is assuming normal wear and tear. Sand on the carpet is different than smashed Dorito’s and
spilled Coke.)

Q. Can’t I skip the delivery fee and just tow the boat with my own vehicle?

A. Unfortunately, our current insurance policy requires us to do the physical delivery of the boat. (We know, we REALLY wish we could offer pickup service.)

Q. Speaking of insurance… Are you insured?

A. YES! (Though this is a confusing area that we get a lot of questions on, so we recommend you consulting your attorney and / or insurance broker to fully understand your risks.) We do carry a policy that specifically protects Lake Escapes LLC’s liability in the event of a major incident in a rental environment. However, be aware that this isn’t like the infamous rental car insurance that covers all damage and abuse inflicted by a renter. The renter will be responsible for ALL cosmetic and mechanical damages caused by negligence. In the event that the $750 damage deposit is exceeded by repair costs, the renter agrees to pay the overage as laid out in our Rental Agreement. (This has yet to be an issue in 8 years of operation.) This policy offers a great safety net for worst case scenarios, but you still have to take proper care of the boat. (If you rent from a private party you will have NO protection.)

Q. What if the boat breaks down or has a warning alarm going off?

A. In the unlikely event that you do have mechanical issues, just give us a call immediately. Alarms on a boat usually mean something major is going on so don’t attempt to limp it back to shore as you could cause additional damage to the motor and will be responsible for the repair. Find another boater to tow you to a safe location or to cell service. We will get someone out to you as soon as we can.

Q. Do you offer tubes, skis, and wakeboards with your rental?

A. Yes! Free of charge. Tubes, skis, surf boards, wake boards, all included FREE! Check out the ‘Boats and Toys’ section for more details.

NOTE – We do not include tubes or skis with our jet ski / speedster rentals due to issues with ropes getting sucked up and damaging the impeller.

Q. How does Gas usage work?

A. We deliver the boat to you with a full tank and you return it full or we charge the cost of the top off plus $50. For lakes without gas docks we can provide fuel cans for you at no extra charge.

Q. Why can’t I sometimes reserve a 1 day rental more than 14 days in advance for some boats?

A. In the past we’ve found that allowing too many single day reservations too far in advance during our peak weeks broke up the schedule too much, making it difficult for families who really want a boat for a solid 4-7 day block. So we will occasionally limit single day rentals during weeks like July 4th until two weeks prior. This is a general rule, we have started making exceptions to this policy, especially in Couer D’Alene, so please don’t hesitate to contact us to see what’s open.

Q. Why does the delivery fee seem so high?

A. Please keep in mind that if you are using the boat 2 hours away from Coeur d’Alene, that equals almost 200 miles round trip and we have to do that twice. Once for delivery, and again for pickup. Delivery fees cover fuel cost, employee time, and wear and tear on our vehicles. Instead of raising our rates across the board we’ve decided it’s more fair to charge based on distance. If you want to use it on Couer D’Alene delivery is free at the Resort launch since we store the boats near there all summer. Likewise, the closer you are to Couer D’Alene, the cheaper delivery will be. (IE – Hayden Lake will be cheaper delivery then Sandpoint or Spirit Lake.)

Q. Why do you have Minimum Rental Lengths on some lakes?

A. Similar to our delivery cost, it has to do with the logistics of of delivery and pickup. When there is a 3 hour round trip to drop a boat off it’s not cost or time effective to have our employees wait 8 hours at the boat launch, or drive back home just to turn around head back out in most instances. We have a very fluid schedule so they need to be free to address other boats. There will be exceptions to this though, so it never hurts to ask!