I learned this the hard way too. Couple years back, I rented a truck to help my brother move. Thought my regular insurance would cover it, but trucks apparently fall into some special category or whatever. Didn't even cross my mind until the rental guy casually mentioned it at pickup—talk about a mini heart attack moment. Ended up scrambling to buy their overpriced coverage on the spot just to be safe.
Nothing happened, thankfully, but I was annoyed at myself for not checking beforehand. Felt like throwing money away at the time, but honestly, knowing I wouldn't be on the hook for thousands if something did happen made it worth it. Guess it's one of those things you hate paying for until you actually need it...
"Felt like throwing money away at the time, but honestly, knowing I wouldn't be on the hook for thousands if something did happen made it worth it."
I get your point about peace of mind, but honestly, rental company coverage is usually overpriced. Last time I rented a moving van, I called my insurance beforehand and found out they offered a temporary rider for way less. Took maybe 10 minutes on the phone and saved me a decent chunk of change. Worth checking into next time...
I learned this the hard way a couple years back when renting an SUV for a family road trip. The rental guy pushed their coverage pretty hard, and I caved because, well... kids, long drive, unfamiliar roads—seemed smart at the time. Later, chatting with my neighbor (who works in insurance), he told me most standard auto policies already cover rentals or can add temporary coverage super cheap. Sure enough, next trip I called my insurer ahead of time. Took maybe 5 minutes tops, and it cost a fraction of what the rental place wanted.
Lesson learned: always check your own policy first. Rental company insurance feels convenient in the moment, but it's usually marked up big-time. A quick call to your agent beforehand can save you from throwing away extra cash on something you might already have covered.
Totally agree, rental coverage is usually overpriced. But double-check your credit card perks too—mine actually includes rental car insurance as long as I book with it. Saved me a few bucks last summer...worth looking into.
"But double-check your credit card perks too—mine actually includes rental car insurance as long as I book with it."
That's a great tip, actually. I stumbled onto that by accident when my regular car was in the shop and I had to rent for a few days. Almost paid extra for the rental company's coverage until I remembered something vague about my credit card perks...turns out it was already covered. Felt like finding a $20 bill in an old jacket pocket, lol. Definitely worth a quick look before shelling out extra cash.
