For you to succeed at getting the charges reduced to ZERO, you must PROVE, not simply ASSERT you were charged things to which you gave no assent/agreement.
That's going to be difficult. You could sue the offending party in small claims court in WASHINGTON STATE. You can't sue them in small claims in Iowa. Think about your travel costs to bring the dispute is WA, plus living expenses while you're there. It might even affect your earning power, assuming your employer permits you to use vacation days while you're pursuing the matter in WA.
Whether you possess insurance through Big Dent Rental, or Flat Tire Rent Fast; has nothing to do with the dispute between you and your current nemesis.
I suggest you take 48 or 72 hours and think about this looming fiasco. The greedy company will likely pursue this madness, until you cough up the dough. It might be wiser to pay them their ransom, than be forced to throw away more good money, chasing bad.
The credit card company intervention was simply a temporary win, that's about to be contested, disputed, and is something you'll probably lose in the end, costing you more if you scream, squirm, or wiggle.
Sometimes the only thing you can do, is take your beating, and crawl away.
Finally, if you maintain automobile insurance, most insurers cover you when you must or desire to rent a Hertz, National, Enterprise, etc... vehicle.
Bottom line, buying the so called rental car company insurance is an unnecessary expense for most people.
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Understand your coverage before buying insurance for rental cars.
It's usually a standard question at a rental car company counter: "Do you need rental car insurance?" Considering the rental car company has insurance on their car, you have insurance on your personal car and you may also have rental coverage available through your credit card, what should you do? This type of "insurance", technically a waiver, may help to cover costs should the car become damaged or incapacitated during your rental time. Here's how to sort out the specifics.
Typically, coverage through a rental car company falls into five categories:
- Collision damage waiver (CDW) or Loss damage waiver (LDW): Releases you from damages that occur to the rental car, including vandalism and theft.
- Liability: Provides coverage for damages or injuries you may cause with the rented vehicle.
- Personal accident insurance (PAI): Protects you and your passengers should injuries occur while driving the rental car.
- Personal effects coverage (PEC): Covers personal items that may be stolen from the rented vehicle.
- Roadside assistance: Covers emergency roadside expenses, lost keys and travel assistance.
Many personal vehicle insurance policies already include some sort of car rental insurance coverage — so if you purchase a rental car policy, you're paying extra when you may not have to. Let your
State Farm® agent know the reason for the rental so they can help assess how coverage from your personal vehicle policy might apply. Then, ask your agent these key questions:
- How much Liability, Comprehensive and Collision coverage do I have on my personal vehicle? The coverage you have on your personal vehicle may also extend to your rental car.
- If my car insurance has high physical damage coverage deductibles, are rental cars adequately covered? Sometimes they're not.
- If I have roadside service, are towing and administrative fees also extended to the rental car?
- If items are stolen from the rental car, does homeowners or renters insurance cover the loss? This is sometimes referred to as off-premises coverage.
- Does my personal auto policy cover loss of income coverage? If the vehicle becomes damaged during your rental time and repairs are needed, the company may charge you for the vehicle's potential earnings while it's being repaired.
If you pay for a rental car with a major credit card, the card issuer may offer secondary car rental insurance at no charge. In general, this coverage will be used after your personal auto insurance policy is used. Keep in mind that credit card coverage varies from card to card and the institutions which issue the cards. This coverage typically only helps with additional expenses such as reimbursing your insurance deductible. Exotic, expensive or larger vehicles may not be covered by credit cards.
Refer to your card's website for information about available rental car coverage or call the number on the back of the card to inquire.
Don't sign anything or agree to coverage without reading the policy thoroughly. Insurance requirements and rules vary from state to state.
- Unless your auto insurance coverage adequately extends to rental cars, you may need to get some kind of insurance coverage from the rental organization. In place of collision or comprehensive car coverages, you may be able to obtain a rental car company loss damage waiver, or LDW, which can help cover damage-repair costs, administrative fees and towing.
- If you don't have health or medical payments coverage on an existing policy, you may be able to purchase personal accident coverage.
- If your personal auto policy doesn't include emergency road service or first party medical coverage such as personal injury protection (PIP) or medical payments coverage (MPC), consider purchasing these.
- According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), coverages can vary greatly. If you're renting from a nontraditional car sharing company, review the agreement carefully. While insurance is sometimes included in the fee, there may be restrictions or extra costs, particularly if the car is stolen.
- Consider discussing coverages with your insurance agent and inquire with the service you're renting from.
Contact your agent and credit card company well in advance of your trip. Paying for international coverage might help if you have an accident or the vehicle is stolen while traveling abroad.
Coverage extensions from your existing policy or your credit card may not apply if you're renting a car for business. In that case, review the coverage options through your employer.
When reserving a car, know how many people will be traveling with you and how much luggage room you will need. You'll want to have enough space to see clearly out of each window and to keep passengers comfortable. Remember, middle seats are often small for adults but typically fine for children, unless
car seats are needed. If you need room for more than four adults, consider choosing a vehicle with a third row.
Give the car a once-over to check the following before driving off:
- Prior body damage
- Tire pressure and condition
- Brakes
- Seat belts
- Lights
- Windshield wiper condition and wiper fluid level
Also double-check that the car is equipped with
important safety features, and verify that the add-ons you agreed to are present and functioning appropriately.
Now that you have read about car rental insurance coverage, you may also be interested to learn about
summer driving tips,
how to be careful in rest areas or
suggestions to prevent falling asleep while driving.
Understand your options before getting rental car insurance through a rental car company. Double check whether you’re already covered or if it’s necessary to purchase more coverage.
www.statefarm.com
We look at whether your personal policy covers a rental car, and why you might want to get add-on insurance either way.
www.ace.aaa.com
Renting a car? Your existing auto insurance could safeguard rental cars. Learn everything to know about rental car insurance coverage with GEICO today.
living.geico.com
Does your auto insurance extend to rental cars? Find out what you need to know about coverage, additional options, and other tips.
www.banks.com
Taking a road trip? Before you add to your bill, learn if car rental insurance on vacation is already covered by your existing policy or if you should buy extra.
www.acuity.com
Your auto insurance policy might apply to rental cars, as well, but you need to read the fine print.
www.cnbc.com
Find out if you need insurance for your rental car or if your car insurance already covers your rental.
www.nationwide.com
