What You Should Know About Renting a Car
These tips could help you save money the next time you need temporary wheels.
If you rarely rent a car, the whole experience can be complex and anxiety-provoking. Given the wealth of insurance upsell attempts, gas options and other choices, you need a game plan to prevent yourself from signing away a large chunk of cash before you even get your keys. Try these ways to avoid paying more than you should.
- Inspect the car yourself. You’re responsible for any vehicle damage. So make sure your rental ride is in good shape before you leave the lot. “Always inspect the vehicle with an employee before signing anything,” says automotive industry expert Lauren Fix, a.k.a. “The Car Coach,” who serves as Time Warner’s national automotive correspondent. “Car rental offices should have a vehicle inspection form for you to sign before the car leaves the lot. Unfortunately, many customers are blamed for damage they did not cause.”
- Upgrade for free. Always reserve an economy or compact option, as long as it will fit you and your gear. When you reach the counter, ask whether you can upgrade for free. “In many cases, the car rental agent may upgrade your vehicle to a bigger size at no charge since the lower-priced cars run out quickly,” says Regina Novickis, a consumer-savings expert for PromotionalCodes.com. “I travel on a weekly basis—many times to multiple cities—and there has only been one time where they were unable to upgrade me for free.”
- Ensure you’re insured. Most rental car agents will encourage you to buy additional insurance coverage. But keep in mind these agents are motivated by financial incentives, so they often neglect to tell you that you probably don’t need more insurance if you have full coverage on your own vehicle; your agent can tell you if your policy covers rental vehicles. “In most cases, the coverage is unnecessary and declining it will save you some money,” Fix says. “Also, many credit card companies offer rental car insurance protection as long as the entire rental car transaction is charged to that specific card. So check to see if this is the case with your credit card.”
- Avoid the airport location. Off-airport rental car locations are usually cheaper because they don’t have to pay fees to use airport space, Fix says. If you can book a car with an off-airport site that’s not too far away, and you can get to and from there inexpensively, you should strongly consider this option.
- Pump your own gas. The rental agent will promote a prepay option for fuel. It’s usually cheaper to head to a pump yourself, though. “Opt out and just make sure to return the car with a full tank to avoid additional charges,” Novickis says.
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