Car rental fees you really don’t need.
We have all done it. You walk into the unfamiliar airport lobby and see a long corridor full of car rental companies. You have heard about most, some you don’t know from Adam. You need a car and you are running out of time. You stagger to the most inexpensive looking car rental company and ask for the daily price. Not bad at all, unexpectedly the price sounds rather reasonable. It is only when you have spent 10 minutes filling in annoying forms that you realize that the daily fee is only a small part of the big picture of car rental cost. By the time you get to the last paragraph of your encyclopedia of a car rental contract you are hit with an alphabet soup of initials that compose the insurance section, CDW (collision damage waiver), LDW (loss damage waiver), PAI (personal accident insurance), PEC (personal effects coverage) and ALI (additional liability insurance. All these insurance coverages are far from self explanatory and are often followed by a second tier of coverage levels.
Renting a car is in itself stressful in one considers the consequences of totaling a car rental in case of an accident. We are scared of the possibility of losing or damaging the car rental. The car rental company knows this and will sell you every car insurance and his dog in an effort to quench your thirst and hunger for security.
One way to save money on your rental car insurance is to check what coverage you already have thanks to your corporate insurance, credit car insurance and so on. This will help you to not double up with car insurances. Car insurances actually make up nearly as much profit for the rental company, the rates are form 20 to 200 % of the total cost of hiring the car.
It is also a good idea to check the place you rent the rental car. Local governmental authorities often charge taxes on car rentals in an effort to fund local projects. Avoid locations with a new sports or convention arena like the plague your credit card balance will thank you.
Beware of fancy gimmicks thrown your way when renting you rental car. GPS, sun roof, ipod connection are all cool gadgets but will you really use them and justify the extra cost of your rental car.
Careful with gas “fees and extras”. Choosing the cheapest option is often safe in this respect. Plan for enough time to fill up the tank and save on the astronomical prices car rental companies charge for filling up your rental car’s tank.
When travelling aboard make sure your credit card and corporate auto insurance still apply, sometimes they are restricted to your place of residence.
The rule of thumb to follow in these matters is the Goldilocks principle, not too much not too little, but just right. You need insurance and some fees you can’t avoid like airports fees but there are many unnecessary fees you can and should avoid.