Rental Car Insurance

[auto-da-fey]

Okay, I've navigated most of adult life with moderate success, but this always confounds me. Do you guys get the insurance when you rent a car? Which level thereof?

For background, I don't drive at home, so I'm not going in with any pre-existing insurance. I'll be in Tennessee, making trips into Arkansas and probably Mississippi, if any of that is relevant.

WWLPTJD???

[YojimboMonkey]

didn't a couple of weeks ago--the insurance was basically going to double the cost of 5 days' rental. Fuck 'em I said.

[YojimboMonkey]

"double" is a bit of an exaggeration but it would have added another 50% or so to what we were paying just for the rental.

of course you trash the car and get fucked in the ass by the rental company and you'll probably wish you'd got the insurance. I'll take the odds though against that kind of assfucking.

[bethany_m]

I never take it.  I do have regular car insurance, though.  BUT! The credit card you use to pay may offer you complimentary rental car insurance.  Call and ask.  A lot of them do.

[auto-da-fey]

hmm, thanks so far--and Bethany, M said the same thing . . . but this might be where not having a real credit card burns me, drat.

[jebreject]

I usually do because I let people talk me into things

[elpollodiablo]

If you don't have car insurance otherwise and you don't buy insurance through the agency, you're effectively driving without insurance, which can obviously fuck you in a major way if something bad happens. Many, if not all, major car rental agencies will not rent to you period if you don't have insurance AND don't have a real credit card. There's a strange grey area here, though--they're not required to make sure that you DO have insurance before they rent you the car. If you don't have a credit card or an auto policy, though, you are taking a major risk by not paying for the CDW coverage. At least that's my understanding.

[dieblucasdie]

I worked at a rental car agency one summer, and, yeah, bethany is correct, between your own car insurance and the credit card you use to secure the rental, you are almost always covered already (though you should call your credit card and check). In rare instances minor cosmetic damage (a dent, a cracked windshield) is not covered though; if multiple insurance options are offered you should really either go all out or nothing, but again, call and check. Also, should you actually need to get your credit card company to shell out, be prepared for a headache. On a short rental, sometimes it's worth it to know that if something happens you can just dust yourself off and walk away.

But yeah, rental car insurance exists mostly for A) international travelers whose credit cards do not insure them, and B) business accounts where they'd rather pay the 40 bucks than have to worry about paperwork.

[elpollodiablo]

Also if you don't have car insurance or a credit card, like adf evidently doesn't.

[dieblucasdie]

Oh, my bad, I missed the part where he doesn't have a credit card (mine was an xpost with yours). Most rental companies will not even rent to you w/o one (The reservation will go through online, but they will not rent to you once you're there). Rent-A-Wreck will do it with a debit card, and some Enterprise and Alamo outfits will do with with a debit card + proof of return travel arrangements. If you're planning on renting on a debit card, DEFINITELY call ahead, and make sure you talk to someone at the office in the actual place you're going to, and not at a call center.

But yeah, absolutely buy the insurance in that case.

a-d-f, if you don't have a credit card due to bad credit and not due to personal choice, get a secured credit card. It will make renting a car much, much easier.

[auto-da-fey]

yeah, I killed my credit cards a few years ago, I can't even remember why. it might even have been to make it more comfortable to sit on my wallet, sans two plastic cards. I generally don't miss them, credit union debit card does the trick. 

Most rental companies will not even rent to you w/o one (The reservation will go through online, but they will not rent to you once you're there). Rent-A-Wreck will do it with a debit card,

this took me aback a bit, since I rented a car last year in Los Angeles and felt, perhaps incorrectly it seems, like I was getting shafted on the insurance (since it was exactly as Jim said)--but dug up the receipt in my email, and you called it.

[YojimboMonkey]

I overheard the conversation with the people in line ahead of us at the rental place in Seattle and they'd rent to you on a debit card but they wanted a $400 deposit instead of $100 and to run a credit check.

[elpollodiablo]

I know that Hertz and Alamo will both take debit cards with deposits (I think a couple-few hundred dollars), but as bluc said, only with proof of return travel.

[dieblucasdie]

Yeah, and since a lot of these places outside of the biggest cities are really bare-bones franchises, debit card policies are going to vary wildly even within various rental car companies. Definitely call ahead to the place you are going to, do not just take what their website says as a given. (Apart from Rent-A-Wreck, whose sole reason for existing at this point is to rent to people who don't have credit cards).

In someplace like Tennessee, they may demand proof of return travel, a credit check, and a deposit, or they might not rent to you at all, or they might just take your debit card happily without a word.

[jebreject]

Enterprise let me rent with a debit card, didn't do a credit check, didn't require proof of return travel, DID need a deposit (I think it was like $300) and did ask for a utility bill--I guess to confirm that I made payments on time? Not sure on that count. But yeah, it varies from place to place. For instance, even though the website said they would rent to me, one of the other Enterprises subjected me to a credit check and then decided not to rent to me.

I got one of those secured credit cards though, and it makes things a whole lot easier--and it helps my credit!

[dieblucasdie]

Oh, yeah, if you're renting a car in the city where you live, sometimes they'll ask for a utility bill in lieu of proof of return travel. It's really just to show them that you're still living at the address that's on your driver's license.