Insurance for a rental car?

Question

Is your own insurance enough to cover a rental car or should you purchase the supplemental insurance offered by car rental companies?

Answer 1

Usually your own car insurance is enough. You should contact your insurance company to be sure, though.

Answer 2

Usually your own insurance is enough to cover it and the supplemental insurance is a scam, but policies differ from company to company so call YOUR insurance company and ask them before you sign on the rental car form for supplemental insurance.

However, your insurance company will probably only cover you to the limits that you have paid for. Which means if you only have basic collision insurance then your insurance company won't pay for damage done to the rental car, or if that car is stolen. So that supplemental insurance might not be a bad idea after all.

You have to check with your own insurance company. Once you ask them though it should apply in all 50 states. They will have to tell you different or notify you in writing if your policy terms change.

Answer 3

The laws may be different in Texas but there is a lot of liability on the owner of the car (Avis). In Georgia if one of my renters (A rental car company that is not Avis) hits another person, even if the contract is voided, we still have to pay out the claim and we have to pursue the charges with the renter. No matter what the driver and/or the renter did wrong the only question is weather or not you can sue the owner for damages. Unfortunately for you the no one else really has any skin in the game so none of the other parties are going to lift a finger unless they have to. You are also bound by TX laws which sound like you will not be able to sue the owner for damages. Your insurance company will to all the necessary heavy lifting because they will have to pay out otherwise. If they cannot get any money from avis (which is likely going to be the case) it will go down under your Uninsured Motorist coverage. Make sure they file under Uninsured Motorist if you have the coverage the deductibles are usually cheaper and it has a less adverse effect on your premium.

Answer 4

You know I was told not to buy the rental insurance, but a friend of mine got in an accident with a rental car, she was not at fault, she did not buy the insurance.

She went to use the credit card she used topay for the car a few weeks earlier knowing she had a 0 balance on it. But the card was declined. The rental car company put the repairs for the car on her credit card. Her insurance company would not pay it because the person who hit the car was responsible for causing the accident. That person was intoxicate, ended up in jail and did not have insurance.

3 years after the accident, she was still fighting it, making payments on the card, and paying interest on the money.

I buy the insurance.

Answer 5

Your car insurance covers damage to the rental car. However the car companies have another trick if you have an accident. They charge you a fee for everyday that the rental car is out of service while it is being repaired. Your car insurance does not cover that. However many Credit Cards will cover that. Check with the credit card company for the card you are planning to use.

Try to avoid the supplemental insurance from the rental company - it is an overpriced gyp.

Answer 6

Compare free quotes from dif companies at INSUREDEALS.INFO-

RE Insurance for a rental car?

Is your own insurance enough to cover a rental car or should you purchase the supplemental insurance offered by car rental companies?

Answer 7

My wife and I drive an old heap, and rent a car when we go out of town.

We walked in to our insurance agent and asked him if there was some kind of insurance we could put on our policy to cover the rental car so we didn't have to buy that real expensive rental car insurance.

THERE IS ! ! !

AND IT'S CHEAP ! ! !

It's like $15 a YEAR ! ! !

Answer 8

I might suggest you to visit this site where you can compare rates from different companies: http://COVERAGE-FINDER.NET/index.html?src=3YAuyu6ac5sL

RE :Insurance for a rental car?
Is your own insurance enough to cover a rental car or should you purchase the supplemental insurance offered by car rental companies?
Follow 25 answers

Answer 9

I didn't used to purchase the supplemental insurance, then once while driving a rental car I backed into a concrete post (that was low enough not to be seen through the rear-view mirror) and crunched up the car. They can legally charge you for the repair and the revenue lost while the car is being repaired. My insurance paid for it, but I still had to pay my $500 deductable, not to mention the damper it put on my vacation.

Some credit cards automatically provide coverage - rent your car with one that does.

Answer 10

Depends on your policy. Some policies require your own car to be out of service. Some would cover all rentals. Call your company and find out before declining the rental coverage from the rental company.

Answer 11

I have contacted my carrier about this and they said that the insurance you have on your car is also what is on the rental. The supplemental only covers your deductible. It would be wise to carry something other than basic on a newer car which most rentals are.