traveler2005

When we go to Las Vegas, we sometimes get a rental car. We never get the additional insurance because we have insurance through our own car policy. The last time, we rented a car there, the salesperson was so pushy that we felt very nervous driving the car. He kept talking about their charges for "loss of use" which our car insurance would not cover.

We are planning another trip. Does anyone have any memories of about how much the insurance that they push costs? That is never mentioned when you book ahead and can be more than the original charges.

Bill_H

Some higher-end credit cards will cover 'loss of use', maybe check to see if yours does. I was just reading the fine print on a new cc offer and noticed that this card (a merchant card at a clothing store) offered LOS, for example.

A quick search on the net turned up this advice ... personal car insurance policies in eight states provide LOS coverage (Alaska, Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New York, North Dakota, Rhode Island and Texas). If you're not from one of those states and your credit card doesn't offer LOS then maybe get the "collision damage waiver" to cover it?

I would probably just take my chances and drive defensively in most cases. I mean, if the car is knocked out for two weeks what are you paying? $500? $1,000?. But I can see why someone would get this.

doug_stallings

It's expensive (in most cases over $12 per day and often over $15 per day). Unless you really need it, I would not purchase it. Your own car insurance plan may cover loss of use, but you won't know that until you read the fine print. Often credit cards offer car-rental coverage, and this coverage usually includes loss-of-use coverage (again, you have to read the fine print). This combination is sufficient for most people renting in the U.S.

One way to limit your costs is to book your car through Priceline, which not only gives you a discounted rate but includes all fees and surcharges (other than for insurance and the rental of a GPS, toll pass, etc.). You might save enough on a rental to pay for the insurance and then some.

Since I don't own a car and, therefore, don't have any kind of insurance, I always buy something. But I have an add-on primary car insurance plan for my Amex card, so I pay a flat rate of $20 per rental. Unless I'm renting for just a couple of days, this is a good deal for me.

You can also buy insurance separately from a travel insurance company, usually for less than what the car-rental companies charge. Travel Guard, for example, has policies for $7 or $9 per day for varying rates of coverage that include rental costs during the repair period for the company's "loss of use". That's almost always about half the price of the coverage from the car-rental company itself.

traveler2005

Thanks for the tips. I'll check my insurance policy. I do try to take it with us when we rent a car - just in case I need to refer to it.

I'll also check our credit cards to see if one will cover it.

I hadn't thought about checking on travel insurance.

Lots of good tips here - thanks so much.

westie

My guess is you used one of the 2nd tier of rental companies on your last visit. The only time I received a high pressure sales pitch was when I rented from Fox and I just kept responding - no thanks.

divineMissM

Rules change all the time and are different in different states, so I'd say get a copy of your insurance policy after discussing rentals with your agent, and also find the written info from your credit card company. Especially if you rent quite frequently and might statistically at some point have a fender bender.

My brother does not own a car and his credit card company told them that if you DO own a car, the credit card coverage kicks in only after your insurance company pays out. If you DON'T own a car, your credit card becomes primary coverage. What this particular card didn't tell him was at it was primary COLLISION coverage only and he had been driving around without any liability coverage in California. In some states the car rental company must have its own liabilty insurance, in other states it is up to the renter and the car company is off the hook.

If you think it would just be easier to purchase the coverage at the counter....be aware that full coverage at the counter can be over $30 per day or $210 per week. It is only collision coverage that is $9 or $15 per day. The car companies often have a sign up that says NINE DOLLARS PER DAY! This is for collision coverage. Then they ask you if you want "their full coverage" and sign you up for a lot more than just the collision coverage.

I rent a lot so it was well worth it for me to spend a couple of hours on the phone getting a copy of my insurance policy and something in writing from two of my credit cards.

One more thing....I read here on Fodors that most credit card companies only cover you for 15 days of travel...so then I got an Amex blue card (no annual fee) just in case I ever rent for more than two weeks.

doug_stallings

As far as I am aware, California is the only state in the country at present that requires renters to carry their own liability insurance. All other states require car-rental companies to cover minimum liability. That's not to say you might not want more coverage, but in almost all cases credit cards cover only collision. This isn't news.

But most credit cards cover you for rentals of up to 30 days, not simply 15 days. Again, you have to verify this information with your card. In most cases, it doesn't require a couple of hours on the phone. The information is usually present on the company's web site, or you'll have the details if you keep the annual explanations that your credit card sends you.

divineMissM

Things must have changed in the last few years as credit cards compete........however my Visa is still 15 days, same as my Mastercard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/06/tr...-a-802840.html

Bill_H

"however my Visa is still 15 days, same as my Mastercard"

I have three credit cards and each one of them has the 15 day insurance limit as well.

doug_stallings

Again this has nothing per se to do with Visa or Mastercard but with the issuing bank and the insurance company it does business with. There's no real "standard".

divineMissM

As a general rule Visa and Mastercard are 15 days max and Amex is 30 . There may be exceptions.

Correction to the link I posted above from the NY Times. It implies that with a 15 day rental, you are fine if you just rebook 2 weeks at a time. This is not true as "back to back" rentals are in most cases not permitted with the same credit card even if you use a different rental car company.

traveler2005

Thanks again for everyone's tips. I called our insurance company and they do cover loss of use. I wouldn't have thought about calling if it hadn't been for your advice.

I am still debating on the merits of a rental car vs bus or taxis.

traveler2005

The rest of the story....

We rented a car from National through priceline. They now have a shuttle at the airport that takes you to a off-site center for all of the rental car options.

I took along our policy and proof of insurance just in case.

The customer service agent was very nice and there were no problems. They were out of the small car size that we'd reserved, so we got a free upgrade.

The car allowed us to go out to Red Rock National Park and a few other places that we wouldn't have gone to without the car.

divineMissM

I love having a car in Vegas. The city is so much bigger than most tourists imagine, with some great restaurants way off the strip. Saw Red Rock Canyon and Mt. Charleston on one visit, Lake Mead and the amazing Valley of Fire the next. A trip to Zion National Park is doable as well, though an overnighter is in order for that if you really want to experience the park. Also, a car helps us get to our two favorite joints just North of the city, CREATE BURGERS AND FROZEN CUSTARD, and the terrific RETRO BAKERY for cupcakes that rival any I've had anywhere.

Did you know that you can even snow ski in winter just 45 minutes from the strip? Mount Lee I think it's called.

ziggypop

Traveler2005, thanks for 'finishing' your post. I get a rental car as well in vegas. I spend plenty of time gambling but like to go out of town as well, usually one trip a day. Once you learn which roads in vegas to avoid it really is an easy city to drive in. Another plus to a rental car is the off strip casinos have better gambling odds, cheap meals, friendlier workers and are less crowded.