joesorce

Agreed.

And I agree that Enterprise is the worst. They definitely either get a commission or get disciplined if they don't sell the waiver to a set number of renters. Once their agent told me "okay you can rent this time, but I'm putting a note in your file that you can never rent from Enterprise again without your insurance card and a $2000 cash deposit. Now, i'll need to see your Social Security Card and 2 forms of identification and 2 major credit cards in order to complete this rental". Huh?

They advertise special low rates and if you fall for it, they won't let you out the door without purchasing some extras. Especially if they are low on cars. They try to save the car for someone who will pay standard rates.

j_999_9

The rental agent lied. And store managers are appraised on their ability to sell more insurance, so that explains a lot.

A lot of agencies in FL will try to give you the hard sell on insurance, too. They're a little slicker, saying something like, "Oh you don't want to get into an accident in FL if you're not fully insured."

Maybe it was your parents' responsibility to know the laws and rules but, gee, shouldn't we expect something better than an outright lie from the merchant?

BTW, because of previous hassles with rental companies, I always book two cars at 2 different agencies in case I have a problem with one. I used to feel guilty about it, but it's hard to feel guilty when dealing with rental agencies.

Dutchess

I rent at the Phoenix airport at least once a month, and after some of the experiences mentioned above, found Dollar Car Rental. They never push insurance, just ask, and when I say no, they don't mention it again. They are also usually the least expensive.

I printed out my insurance company's coverage and my credit card coverage just in case someone asks, but the only ones who ever questioned coverage was Enterprise.

Judy24

Just as heads up--it seems that Visa will cover you for loss of use, but American Express does not.

jamaltay

Dutchess,

Hertz also doesn't push insurance on you. I am a #1 Club member(they have my preferences on record) so they already know when I rent that I don't want any LDW or other insurance. It's not even mentioned at the time of renting.

8-)

pollyvw

I've rented in Arizona twice and did not have to take it.

triciakaye

We rented a car at the Phoenix airport with Advantage (August 2005) and had no real problem.. They were overbooked and we had to wait about 20 mins to get a car, but they offered us a free upgrade for the wait.. we didn't take it since we wanted better gas mileage, but it was nice of them to offer. The car was nice and new and great and the rate was the cheapest.. they did try to push the insurance a little, which was ok with us since I asked a lot of questions about it since it was my first time renting a car.. after we finally said no, no more was mentioned about it. I have since rented with them a few more times and like their service.

Seamus

Yes, they were bamboozled, misled and lied to outright. It happens all the time, at all different car rental companies. Some counters are corporate-owned, some are franchised and while theoretically they all play by the same rules, the reality is a bit different. Selling the extra coverage is a major revenue source, and they often run contests to reward the agents that sell the most. Bottom line is that the extra insurance is ALWAYS optional, and almost always a bad deal.

kelliebellie

Thank you Seamus. I was still wondering what was in it for the agent. People said they don't work on commission, but a contest would make perfect sense. I knew there had to be some motivation behind being such an a** to people!