Can anyone give a US car rental guide?

[CheshireCat]

I'm in the UK but I visit the USA 2-3 times a year and have done so for the last 20 years. Previously when the agent at the rental desk asks me if I want ABC, XYZ or whatever then I've no idea what I really need and what he/she is just trying to sell to me just to bump up his/her commission. :)

Over time I've come to book my car rental via a UK agent and go for something like the Alamo "Gold" package or the Dollar "Platignum" package which include all relevant taxes and insurance. If I look at the US web sites then I realy cannot make sense of all the various taxes and insurances and usually come away having no idea what a car will cost me.

So I guess I'm paying more for my car hire than others on this board. So it would be really great if anyone in this community could give us a guide.

Hope you all can help.

[thereuare]

I don't think there is any guide per se, but my understanding of it and a simple version is this:

Rate - cost of the rental

Taxes - there are many when renting a car, especially from an airport location, but there is no getting around them

Liability insurance - covers you in case you hurt somebody in an accident (covers medical bills, pain and suffering, etc )

Collision insurance - covers you in case you damage the vehicle

Not sure what other type of charges you're seeing or considering.

[CheshireCat]

Thanks but maybe I can give one example to illustrate a bit more why I can

[thereuare]

You'll need to contact each company to find out what the insurance costs are (these also may vary by location since (i'd think) you're more likely to have an accident if you rent in a major city vs. a rural country road).

They can't list gas because this price fluctuates with the price if gas.

[CheshireCat]

Thanks again. I take your point about gas costs.

It's strange that they can include the full cost in a quote out of the UK but not the US. I don't think I'm goining to start phoning round though - the transtlantic phone bills could easily get bigger than any savings!

[Catman]

Hi,

I'm also in the UK and am checking out car rental for June 13-19 in Maui (OGG) and 19-24 June in LAX.

Have you managed to get any clearer information about the various insurance charges (mainly LDW and SLI) ?

Thanks

Catman

Oxford

[Catman]

Aha!

I've found a company that does annual insurance for car hire:

www.insurance4carhire.com

A policy covering LDW and SLI for a year, with max 31 days continuous hire, costs

[micheles]

this site just gets better and better - there is always someone, somewhere who knows just what you are looking for

we travel to US two to three times a year and find that the car hire is reasonable but the insurances are wickedly high - so thanks so much - i checked my annual insurance on

www.insurance4carhire.com - it'll be 99 pounds a year ($180 - i think) - so cheaper than the usual $22.99 and $11.99 a day - quite a saving @ $35 we'll be quids in with just the fourteen nights in arizona this summer - so can look for cheapo deal (?) on priceline/hotwire :)

[micheles]

thank you - once again - for the brilliant information and advice that is given so freely on this site

i have purchased the annual worldwide insurance through insurance4carhire.com at the cost of around $200 - this i will be able to use for two weeks this summer, for a week in october and for two weeks in the spring - the daily cost for cdw and sli is around $35 so this policy has paid for itself with just one weeks car hire - i would never have known about it if it wasn't for betterbidding - so once again thank you :)

[Duckdude]

If you're trying to save money, never prepay the gas:

1) They charge you over the going rate of local gas stations

2) To take full advantage you'd have to return the car on an empty tank - not easy to do (any gas left in the tank they get to keep for free).

There's usually a gas station within a couple of blocks of car rental companies, you're better off spending 5 minutes and stopping by before you return the car.

[Duckdude]

And on that note. If you don't prepay the gas try and keep the receipt from when you filled the tank. Last time I dropped off my car at Avis, YVR, I was first given a bill for $20 for gas (they didn't even check the tank level to see that I had refilled it) which I then had to dispute at the front desk (it was quickly resolved, but if they kick as fuss a receipt should shut them up).

Basically, expect the rental car agents to try and rip you off every chance they get!

[jedikiah]

It is rare in the UK for people to have insurance for car rental liabilities although can be purchased as given above. It is far more common in the USA for this to be bundled in either with regular car insurance, or a credit card benefit.

These 'package' rates developed I would imagine because the rental companies had to chase individuals to pay bills etc (after trying to charge maxed out credit cards) and this would be difficult with overseas tourists, even if they had the money available. Selling the package is in some ways an advantage and convenience to casual UK renters, but now it is difficult to get from websites unpackaged rates with a UK address.

Platinum and Centurion Amex charge cards issued in the UK incidentally do include car hire insurance.