Renters urged to carefully consider car rental insurance

Renters are again encouraged to carefully consider whether they really need optional car rental insurance, purchased from the vehicle hire firm, in order to avoid accidentally duplicating coverage that they may already enjoy. USA Today, a major American daily newspaper, tackled this issue head on this week, answering one of the questions most often posed by prospective renters: should I buy car rental insurance, when this offered by the car hire company?

In most cases, it is not necessary to purchase additional insurance from the rental firm, which may more than double the daily rate initially charged by the company. Many credit cards, as well as personal automobile insurance packages already offer renters comprehensive protection. The key, however, is to be proactive and to always confirm the specific conditions of a given insurance package, before reserving a rental car. This involves contacting one’s credit card issuer first, in order to determine the level of coverage that is offered by default. In order to receive this protection, however, renters should keep in mind that they will normally have to use this credit card when reserving and paying for the vehicle. Renters should never fall into the trap of simply presuming that their credit card offers them insurance coverage, even if it is a prestigious Gold or Platinum account.

Many optional insurance packages offered by car rental firms cost around $40 per day and this can be as much as double the price of the basic vehicle hire rate. As such, it is well worth it for clients to do a little research prior to arriving at the rental outlet, in order to have the clearest possible idea of all available options and to ensure that he/she does not feel pressured into buying an additional service.