When Sherri Locurto goes on vacation, she pays for the extra insurance on her rental car. She's not sure if she has to but Sherri wants to make sure she is covered if she has an accident.
Jeff Raley doesn't pay because he believes his car insurance will cover it. Who is right? That depends on your auto insurance plan and your credit card.
"You don't have to buy it," said State Farm insurance agent Walt Waggener, who says many plans will cover a rental car on what's called a "temporary substitute basis."
That means your car insurance coverage carries over to other cars you may drive on an occasional trip.
But Waggener says you need to call your car insurance agent to make sure that coverage extends to a rental car before you deny the additional insurance offer at the rental counter.
"Typically we tell people they are not going to need the coverage," said Waggener, however, "They're going to need to be concerned about the deductible on their collision and comprehensive coverage."
The same coverage you pay for your personal car will carry over to your rental car, deductible and all, but you need to call your agent to get the details. You also need to call your credit card company.
Local
Many credit card companies include rental coverage when you use their card to rent a car. But don't assume you are covered until you get it in writing from your credit card.
Other ways to save on rental fees:
Consider renting your car away from the airport. Rental car deals from hotels and downtown locations are often cheaper.
Take pictures with your camera or cell phone of any damage to your rental car. It only takes a few minutes and could save you hundreds of dollars if there is a disagreement over damage.
Bring your own GPS unit, rental car company costs can be excessive.
Shop around. Check prices from rental car company websites, from airline sites and popular travel sites like Hotwire, Travelocity and others.
