Rental Cars Here

[Mainn]

I'm in Florida (from Aus) and considering renting a car for a few days. I can't, for the life of me, wrap my head around how the insurance options work. I've been looking at both the traditional rental companies (ie Hertz, Avis etc) as well as Turo? if I decide I want something a little more upmarket - but whatever I do, I need to make sure that I'm fully covered if anything goes wrong; I don't want to pay more than a small excess(deductible?) if anything were to happen. Being from overseas I don't have a credit card or car insurance policy which covers this, so I have to get it in some other way.

Would someone be able to explain the options, in layman's terms, both for your Hertz or for Turo? If you have any other suggestions, that'd be cool too. Thanks, from a confused foreigner

 

[Adower]

I'm in Florida (from Aus) and considering renting a car for a few days. I can't, for the life of me, wrap my head around how the insurance options work. I've been looking at both the traditional rental companies (ie Hertz, Avis etc) as well as Turo? if I decide I want something a little more upmarket - but whatever I do, I need to make sure that I'm fully covered if anything goes wrong; I don't want to pay more than a small excess(deductible?) if anything were to happen. Being from overseas I don't have a credit card or car insurance policy which covers this, so I have to get it in some other way.

Would someone be able to explain the options, in layman's terms, both for your Hertz or for Turo? If you have any other suggestions, that'd be cool too. Thanks, from a confused foreigner

You can purchase insurance through Hertz/Turo. My advise would be to call Hertz/Turo and ask them.

 

[AustinSN]

Typically in the states, your insurance will cover a loss on a rented vehicle, if you have comprehensive/collision.

It's unlikely your Australian insurance will cover it, and I'm sorry their rates at those rental places are so expensive.

 

[AustinSN]

Also, Florida drivers are pretty ****ing crazy. Keep your guard up.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

Usually there is a box you can check off for extra insurance coverage through the company itself. Plenty of foreigners visit and rent vehicles so I can't imagine it is much harder than just checking off that you want the added insurance. I work on Enterprise vehicles and it's pretty well accepted that you want to opt for their insurance because if something happens you don't want to be on the hook for any of it.

 

[ssj4sadie]

Usually there is a box you can check off for extra insurance coverage through the company itself. Plenty of foreigners visit and rent vehicles so I can't imagine it is much harder than just checking off that you want the added insurance. I work on Enterprise vehicles and it's pretty well accepted that you want to opt for their insurance because if something happens you don't want to be on the hook for any of it.

If he doesn't plan on coming back to the states...board a plane and LOL on the way back to the land down under.

 

[CobraBob]

Typically in the states, your insurance will cover a loss on a rented vehicle, if you have comprehensive/collision.

It's unlikely your Australian insurance will cover it, and I'm sorry their rates at those rental places are so expensive.

I DO NOT recommend denying rental car insurance and relying on your own car insurance to cover a rental vehicle loss. I say this from personal experience. I banged up the top of a Hertz box truck badly a few years ago and I had denied the rental car insurance. Going through my own car insurance was a royal pain in the ass. After that experience and talking to other people, I swore that I would NEVER deny the rental car insurance again. Yes, it's an added expense, but if you DO have an accident the process will be fast and easy.

@svtfocus2cobra , I just noticed your post on this. It confirms my own reasoning for always using the rental car insurance option.

 

[ssj4sadie]

I DO NOT recommend denying rental car insurance and relying on your own car insurance to cover a rental vehicle loss. I say this from personal experience. I banged up the top of a Hertz box truck badly a few years ago and I had denied the rental car insurance. Going through my own car insurance was a royal pain in the ass. After that experience and talking to other people, I swore that I would NEVER deny the rental car insurance again. Yes, it's an added expense, but if you DO have an accident the process will be fast and easy.

What was bad about it? My ex-wife backed into a relatives trailer and went as smooth as any other time I've had to use my insurance. Not great, but not more difficult either.

 

[AustinSN]

I DO NOT recommend denying rental car insurance and relying on your own car insurance to cover a rental vehicle loss. I say this from personal experience. I banged up the top of a Hertz box truck badly a few years ago and I had denied the rental car insurance. Going through my own car insurance was a royal pain in the ass. After that experience and talking to other people, I swore that I would NEVER deny the rental car insurance again. Yes, it's an added expense, but if you DO have an accident the process will be fast and easy.

A box truck isn't a private passenger vehicle, that's probably why it was difficult.

I have had a lot of customers destroy rental cars and not have an issue with their own insurance. But I also rely on my credit card as it specifically offers me $75k in damage to a rental car. I've never had to use it, but I have a buddy who had a similar card and he was accused of dinging an M5 wheel when he rented a car in Germany. He said the credit card company picked up the tab without issue.

 

[svtfocus2cobra]

A box truck isn't a private passenger vehicle, that's probably why it was difficult.

I have had a lot of customers destroy rental cars and not have an issue with their own insurance. But I also rely on my credit card as it specifically offers me $75k in damage to a rental car. I've never had to use it, but I have a buddy who had a similar card and he was accused of dinging an M5 wheel when he rented a car in Germany. He said the credit card company picked up the tab without issue.

I think the biggest difference is that when your insurance gets involved they are going to drag it out in subrogation because they don't want to pay if they can place blame on another party while someone like Enterprise will just take the car as is with damage and send it to the shop and you as the renter get to just walk away just so long as it wasn't criminal what you did.