4. To Insure Or Not To Insure
Paying for your rental car with your credit card? Also paying for rental insurance? You generally shouldn’t have to. The majority of credit cards have collision coverage, so buying more insurance when renting a car is often overkill. Another way around holes in the pocket is to ring up your car insurance provider and find out if your policy covers rental car claims. One of the best ways to avoid insurance snafus however is to, wait for it . . . drive safely.
5. The Myth Of Upgrades
This one’s a doozey so hold onto your car seats! Imagine a Morpheus and Neo situation: What if we told you that there is no such thing as an upgrade rate? Well, there isn’t. Though car rental operators must be given props for this “wool over the eyes” technique, as adding this cost is totally up to their discretion depending on what’s in the lot at the time. Knowing their little secret can help you get out of paying this magical rate in the future. So, if you’re looking to upgrade to another vehicle for whatever reason, and a salesperson sidles up to you with an upgrade cost, lean back over and hit them with your new knowledge. Even if you still have to pay a fee, chances are it might be significantly reduced.
6. Watch Where You Gas Up
Pro-tips: Don’t let car rental companies refuel your rental when you return it and, don’t let them fill it up for you when you rent it either. Fill-ups can get expensive and when you leave it to the rental companies to do so, they can charge up to three times the regular price. Yup, you read right. So while you might feel that you’re getting a convenient deal by having the rental companies sort gas out for you, in the end all you’re doing is spending unnecessary money. You may run into the same problem if you fill-up at gas stations on the highway or close to the rental company, so best to avoid those where possible, too.
