For people who are only renting a car for the first time, there can be several challenges involved. Have you ever caught yourself vacillating between different advertisements, quite unsure whether such an ad is on the level or a bunch of hogwash? Come on now, don’t tell me you cannot even determine whether you have found the best deal or not? That’s okay, actually — even those who have rented many a vehicle in their lives would have to do extensive research before agreeing to a car rental arrangement so that they can be assured of getting the best possible offer.
One of those many things you need to research is insurance. One must be familiar with the four basic types of insurance, and these are collision damage waiver (CDW)/loss damage waiver (LDW), supplemental liability insurance, personal accident insurance, and personal effects coverage, and these types shall quickly be discussed hereafter. Most rental car companies will pitch the CDW really hard, as well as the theft insurance. What you should know is that usually you don’t need either of them. You will want to look into the terms and conditions of your auto insurance to find out whether rentals are covered — this could save you a good fifteen smackeroos a day, or even more. Also ascertain what the policies are on your credit card for rentals. Most, if not all rental companies would require you to have a credit card to make payment. The reason being is that it facilitates the company’s ability to add on “damages” later on if need be. We thought we would like to mention this in passing — you should not use a debit card in any way, shape or form — NEVER!!! If you find yourself suckered into a bad deal, there will be no opportunity for you to contest the spurious charges. Make sure you use a real credit card. Since using a valid credit card is a prerequisite, check whether your credit card offers automatic insurance coverage provided the rental is charged to the card you are planning to use.
Be on the lookout for car rental pitch men offering you the fuel purchase option — it is NOT legitimate! The concept behind this stratagem is you would be paying for a full tank of gasoline ahead of time, then return the vehicle on empty. The catch: it’s virtually impossible for you to use all of the gas in the car, so it’s best to decline the offer and fill up the tank just before returning it. That way, you only pay for what you’ve used. Otherwise, the cost is usually far more than what you actually use.
Apart from the detritus of hidden charges, there are many rental companies that will only allow you to rent a vehicle of you are aged twenty-five or older. There are some firms that allow people aged twenty-one and above to rent a car, but will tack on a surcharge of ten to twenty dollars a day. In addition, the only person covered under these types of insurance would be the person renting the car, so you will still be culpable if a ‘homie’ of yours wrecks the car that you rented.
Remember these fundamentals, and don’t forget that local taxes apply. Thanks to the Internet, you can now make your car rental plans without worrying about overspending just because you had chosen a city too expensive in terms of additional taxes. Use all the tools at your disposal, and your experience is much more likely to run smoothly without any unpleasant surprises.