If you plan to rent a car on your vacation, avoiding the high charges imposed by
rental car companies if the car is damaged is also crucial — especially since this type of coverage is not typically provided by your own auto insurance coverage or the coverage provided by your credit card.
In the past I wrote about how easy it is to get free status with
rental car companies if you have a MasterCard World Elite, including the popular Arrival + card.
Start by asking
the rental car company if it would be willing to waive the fees.
The key is to know before you even walk into
the rental car company if there is a chance you will need supplementary insurance.
Not exact matches
So
if you need a
car for a week, it makes more sense to go with a traditional
rental company.
If your child is still in a
car seat, you may be best off bringing yours along, although I did come across a
company online called Cancun Valet that offers
rentals along with their transfer services to various parts of the region.
For one it's stupid costly to rent
car seats, in my experience
rental places want upwards of $ 15 / day or more to rent a single
car seat (I have been quoted $ 25 a day) after a few days you can exceed the cost of simply purchasing new... Meaning you could have purchased a brand new in the box
car seat and checked that at the luggage counter complete with all it's factory packing that should allow it to arrive undamaged and you now have a backup or travel
car seat complete with packaging... Second you have no idea about the condition of that rented
car seat, as you imply, unseen damage is well unseen regardless of claims of «inspection» by the
rental company, there is no way they can't tell
if it's damaged if the damage is unseen, they are only doing visual checks nothing more... In the end there is nothing to assure you that your «rented» car seat will be in any better condition then one you brought with you or that it wasn't in an unreported «accident» from the previous renters or mishandled by the previous renters... If safety is you end goal, renting a car seat at your destination is not inline with that goal.
if it's damaged
if the damage is unseen, they are only doing visual checks nothing more... In the end there is nothing to assure you that your «rented» car seat will be in any better condition then one you brought with you or that it wasn't in an unreported «accident» from the previous renters or mishandled by the previous renters... If safety is you end goal, renting a car seat at your destination is not inline with that goal.
if the damage is unseen, they are only doing visual checks nothing more... In the end there is nothing to assure you that your «rented»
car seat will be in any better condition then one you brought with you or that it wasn't in an unreported «accident» from the previous renters or mishandled by the previous renters...
If safety is you end goal, renting a car seat at your destination is not inline with that goal.
If safety is you end goal, renting a
car seat at your destination is not inline with that goal...
Many
rental companies will rent you a
car only
if you will return the
car at the agreed drop - off point.
I don't know
if you knew this, but turning 25 can only mean one thing: look out
rental car companies, this girl is soon - to - be legal!
My truck was towed into the Mercedes - Benz dealership on Monday January 15th I was told that I would be able to get a loaner on the next day which would have been January 16th I understand due to all the bad weather that they may have not been open on the 16th of January so I didn't worry about it on the 17th when I called to see what was going on then turn tell me they were trying to see
if they could get the warranty
company to pay for the part which I was told was $ 1,400 by Frankie at this time I asked him what about a loner
car well he in turn told me that it wouldn't take but a day to put the part on because they already had I was already been inconvenience because my truck is there I have no transportation and I work for the hospital so I have to get back and forth to work so after Saturday morning of my mom's passing I called the dealership and spoke with the young lady and she told me all the time
cars had been taken for people that had appointments for them now at that point I'm thinking to myself while I'm a customer as well why wasn't I call to pick up a
rental car so she in turn told me that she wouldn't have the manager call me back and indeed he did call me back but when he call me back he let me know that they did have a loaner
cars and that they would be closing in 30 minutes well I live in Pearland and they're over by Greenway Plaza so that was no way I would have made it to get a
car and he let me know that they're trying to wait to see what the warranty
company it's going to do don't steal mind you I don't have a loaner
car due to the fact they were closing in 30 minutes and I needed to get a ride back all in the same token my mom has passed so he went on to say that he had spoke with Brian from AutoNation Chrysler Jeep and he had told him that he would give him the family discount which was $ 1,200
if they were going to fix the
car now mind you
if the warranty
company is going to fix the
car they're going to charge them $ 1,200 but I was told by Frankie that I had to pay $ 1,400 to have this
car fixed that I've only had two months that I had a 90 day warranty on but it doesn't cover the port so once he told me he was charging AutoNation Chrysler Jeep the 1200 I told him I didn't think that was fair to me that I would have to pay 1400 at that point when he noticed he had told me the price he would on to say that oh well it may be 1200 or it may be a little lower than 1200 and I informed him once again had to prepare things for my mother's funeral and then have to come up with $ 1,200 on repairs for a
car I've only had two months I really don't think it's fair and
if I have to pay the 1200 I'll have to I'll just have to come out of pocket with it but I will take it as high as I have to because
if you have a 90 day warranty the
car came from Mercedes - Benz Greenway Plaza someone should make it right.
What to look for when buying a used Chevrolet Cruze: The Cruze was popular with
rental car companies, check the history records to see
if the
car was used as a
rental vehicle.
If your Nissan is in our shop to address an issue covered by warranty or your insurance
company, speak to us about covering the cost of your
rental car.
Your credit card
company may offer international
car rental insurance at no additional charge
if you use that card to pay for the
rental.
For example, hotels and
rental car companies often temporarily put a monetary hold on debit cards
if you use them to check in, which reduces how much money you have in your bank account.
If you find your
car rental company's insurance prices are too high, you may also purchase
rental insurance through a third - party insurer.
If you get into an accident in a rented
car, the
rental company can charge you a lot of fees.
If you have secondary insurance on your credit card, check with your insurance
company to see how you're covered in a
rental car.
So,
if you use a specific
rental car company with your loyalty program card, or
if you eat at a partner restaurant, you might get extra points.
In fact, it's not likely that a
car rental company will pull your credit score
if you are renting with a credit card, rather than a debit.
Be sure to call the credit card
company and verify what coverage is offered,
if any, as it pertains to auto insurance for
rental cars.
When you rent a
car, you will likely be asked
if you want to purchase additional insurance through the
rental company (on top of what your personal
car insurance will cover).
If you rent
cars often, beef up the coverage from your regular
car insurance provider to include non-owned vehicles instead of purchasing the
rental car company's pricier version.
Regarding Roadside Assist,
if that's worth it to you, I guess maybe, but most
car insurers sell far superior roadside assistance and
rental vehicle insurance coverage that applies in both Canada and the U.S. than many credit card
companies.
If you've added the optional
rental reimbursement coverage to your policy, your insurance
company should pay for a
rental car during this time, up to the policy's limits.
Next,
if none of the above options are convenient for you at the time, you can call around to the different
car rental companies and ask them
if they are willing to accept a cash deposit.
Different credit cards may cover different things, so the best thing to do is check with your credit card issuer to see
if they offer any
rental car benefits and what those benefits entail before you decline
rental insurance from the
rental car company.
For example,
if you reserve a
car rental on the website but pay at the
rental company's desk, then that transaction earns one point per dollar.
These partner merchants include
car rental companies and tourist attractions in Hawaii like tour groups, dolphin watches, and restaurants, so
if you're using the card to travel to Hawaii or you live there and like to look around, there's a good chance you'll be able to take advantage of the opportunities to earn bonus miles.
In other words, you can skip the costly insurance fees charged by
rental companies if you use your card to rent an eligible
car.
If you choose to pay with a debit card, however,
car rental companies often reserve the right to pull your credit report.
And
if you put your hotel and
car rental on that card too, you're suddenly paying a serious chunk of change to a credit card
company for no reason.
You also do nt want to have your debit card on file at a
rental car company,
if you total the
car there goes the account,
if its a credit account, they have a much harder time getting the money.
Alternatively,
if you need a vehicle when you're on vacation, Turo is a good and often cheaper alternative to your traditional
car rental company.
This covers eligible
car rentals that are paid entirely with your card
if you decline the collision damage waiver coverage from the
car rental company.
If you have an American Express card, you can get primary coverage by enrolling in the
company's premium
rental car protection program.
Hot Tip: When renting a
car, remember that your credit card may provide damage / loss insurance
if you decline the
rental company's collision or loss damage waiver (CDW / LDW).
If you would prefer to get your
rental from another
company like Hertz or Dollar Rent A
Car, you should book directly or use a more inclusive portal like Amex Travel or Orbitz.
Usually, credit cards only offer secondary coverage, which means you have to turn to your own
car insurance
company first
if you have a loss while driving the
rental car.
If you have a preference for one of the 4 available brands, you can also hover over the
rental car link at the very top of the page and then click that
company.
Honoring a broad range of industry segments including Hotels and Resorts, Travel Destinations, Cruise Lines, Online Travel Services, Airlines and Airports, Travel Agents and Agencies, Tour Operators and
Car Rental Companies, the Magellan is the award to win
if you are in the business of travel.
This card covers eligible
car rentals that are paid entirely your card
if you decline the collision damage waiver coverage from the
car rental company.
If you get into an accident while driving a
rental car, you will have the ability to receive reimbursement for any cost not paid for by your primary insurance
company.
If a traveler has an accident with a
rental car, «the
rental car companies pile on the charges,» Perkins says.
So, for example, you may want to spring for the
rental company's CDW
if you're renting a
car for just two days in a foreign country you've never visited.
These partner merchants include
car rental companies and tourist attractions in Hawaii like tour groups, dolphin watches, and restaurants, so
if you're using the card to travel to Hawaii or you live there and like to look around, there's a good chance you'll be able to take advantage of the opportunities to earn bonus miles.
If you spend $ 1,000 in the first 90 days, you'll earn 40,000 miles on that card, which you can redeem for $ 400 worth of travel expenditures, such as those with airlines, tour operators, hotels, cruise lines — and
rental car companies.
If you've ever wondered if you should buy the car rental company's overpriced CDW (collision damage waiver) or just use your own insurance (or a credit card's), I recommend spending the 10 minutes to read this pos
If you've ever wondered
if you should buy the car rental company's overpriced CDW (collision damage waiver) or just use your own insurance (or a credit card's), I recommend spending the 10 minutes to read this pos
if you should buy the
car rental company's overpriced CDW (collision damage waiver) or just use your own insurance (or a credit card's), I recommend spending the 10 minutes to read this post.
This is valid for any booking made through ChaseUltimateRewards.com in the month of March even
if the travel is for a later date, NOT for bookings made through hotel or
car rental companies websites.
If you have any questions about your reservation, including changes or cancellations, please contact the
car rental company.
However,
if you are non-committal and prefer to have options, a card that allows you to transfer points to a host of partners, including airlines, hotels and
car rental companies, may be a better choice.