Renting a car isn’t always the easiest thing to do if it’s just your first time to do so. When scanning various advertisements, do you ever flip back and forth, completely unsure of whether or not you’re getting the best deal? Not even sure if you can figure out which one is the best deal? 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. The four most common types are: collision damage waiver (CDW)/loss damage waiver (LDW), supplemental liability insurance, personal accident insurance, and personal effects coverage. Most rental car companies will pitch the CDW really hard, as well as the theft insurance. Here’s some neat nice-to-know information — neither option is mandatory, despite the attractive pitches. Before investing a good fifteen dollars a day (at least) for such options, you want to see whether rentals are covered by your standard auto insurance. The other thing to look up is your credit card’s policy on rentals. Payment on credit card is usually a prerequisite for car rental companies. The reason being is that it facilitates the company’s ability to add on “damages” later on if need be. Interesting sidebar — we advise you to NEVER USE A DEBIT CARD FOR SUCH A PURCHASE!!! If you find yourself suckered into a bad deal, there will be no opportunity for you to contest the spurious charges. Of course, you must certainly use a real credit card for the purchase. As long as you are using the credit card to pay for the rental, you would want to check whether automatic insurance coverage is offered by the provider.
Be on the lookout for car rental pitch men offering you the fuel purchase option — it is NOT legitimate! It’s quite simple, actually — you will be asked to pay for a full tank of gas, then return the vehicle on an empty tank. 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. In other words, you are paying for the mileage you’ve driven on that tank of gas. 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. Sometimes, a rental car company would allow a person aged twenty-one and above to rent a vehicle, but with a caveat — they will have to pay an additional ten to twenty dollar for each day. Also, only the driver who is renting the car is covered under the insurance, so don’t let a buddy drive because if he wrecks it, you’re responsible.
As an aside, local taxes might stick a fork in your plans. 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. Just remember that in life, there is one tool more powerful than all the others when it comes to helping you get the most out of the experience, and that is RESEARCH.
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