Know Your Car Rental Insurance; In and Out

When you rent a car, you will be asked if you want to buy the insurance provided by the rental car company. Do not be sidetracked by low cost car rental or cheap car rentals, because you just cannot forego insurance. They will sell you coverage for collision, personal accident and liability. Most people do not take the extra coverage, but buying it at the time you rent the car may end up saving you time and money if you do have an accident. This could be true even if the coverage you have on your car covers rental car accidents.

First of all know all that your national car rentals insurance will cover and what all will it leave out in the open. When you rent a car, most private auto insurance companies' coverage (the coverage you have on your own personal automobile) transfers over to the rental vehicle during the time the rental is utilized by you. Call your insurance agency to make sure. There are other important gaps in coverage that often occur to the detriment of the insured. For instance, if you drive an older car, you may not be carrying any collision coverage. Therefore when you rent, your coverage could be terribly inadequate. Also, if you have entered into a long-term lease or rental agreement, some states assume (in a legal sense) that you have temporary ownership. In the advent of a car rental accident, you could be left holding the bill.

Next you need to remember that the credit card you use to secure the rental vehicle will often provide accident coverage. They might at times act like car rental coupons, all flashy and tempting on the surface and without an ounce of help at its core. However this is secondary rental car collision coverage and will only reimburse you or the rental agency on an excess basis. The card company pays only after any amount due from any other agency or any other form of reimbursement has been paid. Note that no credit card provides coverage for liability.

Check if you're covered under any of the following specific conditions:

• On a business trip - Some personal auto policies might not cover rentals on business trips.
Most insurance companies do not cover any automobile use that involves delivery for business purposes of food, materials, supplies, papers or people.
• Long-term rentals - Coverage may be limited. Most credit card company plans cover vehicles rented for up to one month.
• In a foreign country - Coverage may not apply.
• Certain rental vehicles - Some rental vehicles aren't covered (exotic cars, camper, pickup trucks, etc.)

Having an accident in a car you have rented can lead to a major financial hit to your bank account. You can purchase additional coverage when you rent a car that adds extra fees, but that relatively small amount will provide extra coverage you will be glad you have if something unexpected happens to the rental car. So next time you plan on taking that Heathrow car rental, make sure you have the car insured with all its extra features.
When you rent a car you might notice that the rental car company will always offer extra insurance. This will usually include accident, incident (like windows), and extra coverage for your person in case of an accident while you are using their car. I would like to suggest that it could be a good idea, even if you already have insurance that covers you, to purchase extra insurance to protect yourself, and your pocketbook.