Totally confused about car rental insurance in the USA!

Craig_A

Hi there
I am TOTALLY confused about insurance relating to renting a car in the USA and would appreciate your help!!

I have pasted the whole of the confirmation email below and highlighted the bit relating to what is included. Can anyone help confirm what insurance I have and what is covered? I booked this a month or so ago and it all made sense to me then but now I'm not certain where I'm at, I can only presume there was more information on the screen when I booked it than has been confirmed in my email

Thanks in advance

Hertz wrote:

Thank you for choosing Hertz. If you wish to modify or cancel this reservation please call the reservation centre.


Reservation Information
==================================
Confirmation Number: ***********
Amount Prepaid: 388.28GBP
Voucher Number: PPV NO *****


Pickup / Return Location: Houston Intercontinental Airport
17300 John F Kennedy Blvd.
Houston, TX 77032-5210
United States
24 Hours, 7 Days


Pickup Date/Time: 20 April, 2007 13:00

Return Date/Time: 02 May, 2007 19:30
Vehicle Type: Ford Mustang Convertible or similar



Rate Quote
=============================================

APPROXIMATE RENTAL CHARGE: 388.28 GBP
388.28 GBP (base amount) is guaranteed and was charged to your credit card when you reserved. Any additional amount is paid at the counter and is calculated based on current daily exchange rates.

RATE (RQ) CODE VX85
RATE IN POUND STERLING - GBP
GUARANTEED

BASE AMOUNT:
WEEKLY: 1 @ 209.07 GBP
UNLIMITED FREE MI (MI=Miles, KM=Kilometers)
EXTRA DAY: 6 @ 29.87 GBP
UNLIMITED FREE MI (MI=Miles, KM=Kilometers)

THE BASE AMOUNT INCLUDES AIRPORT CONCESSION FEE RECOVERY:, LOSS DAMAGE WAIVER, TAX, LIABILITY INSURANCE SUPPLEMENT, BUSING COST RECOVERY:, CUSTOMER FACILITY CHARGE AND VEHICLE LICENSING COST RECOVERY:

Additional Charges (included in the 'Approximate Rental Charge') - PER RENTAL

APPROXIMATE RENTAL CHARGE: 388.28 GBP
The rate quoted is based on available information at time of reservation. Additional fees or surcharges may be applied at the time of rental, for example, if you add an additional driver or purchase any additional products.


Optional Items (Exclusive of Tax)
PER DAY
PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE /PERSONAL EFFECTS COVERAGE: 2.79 GBP

Warnings
MIN AGE 21 - MOST CAR CLASSES. 21-24 RATE DIFFERENTIAL APPLIES
FOR ALL UK DRIVING LICENSES BOTH PARTS REQUIRED AT RENTAL LOC
CANCEL OR NO SHOW FEE MAY APPLY FOR THIS PREPAID RENTAL
MINIMUM AGE 25 OUTSIDE US - EXCEPTIONS MAY APPLY
TVL TO US REQUIRES MACHINE READABLE PASSPORT AFTER JUNE 26 2005

Conditions of Rental
24 HOUR ADVANCE BOOKING REQUIRED
5 DAY MINIMUM RENTAL
13 DAY MAXIMUM RENTAL OR AS OTHERWISE ALLOWED BY LAW
AIRLINE TICKET REQUIRED: NO

richardw

Call them and ask them to e-mail you a list of what isn't included, also ask them how much the excess is on any insurance that is included, and how much any extra insurance would be to reduce the excess to a smaller amount.

steveo3002

if you book from the uk , you have whats thier version of fully comp..i.e its fully covered but if you crash theres a excess to pay

when you get there they will try to persaude you to take all manner of excess waivers and additional cover....i advise a firm no and double check you dont sign to say you have accepted it ....easily done after a long flight....most have a cooling off period , so check the rental papers the next morning after a good sleep

so in short...you've paid for all inc..just a credit card deposit to leave at the rental place

Craig_A

Thanks Steveo, the thing is though, I cannot find mention of the excess anywhere. I'll call the company direct and check if I need to but I don't like to do that until such time that I actually understand what I am asking them!

What I don't understand is that there is no mention of an excess and they aren't trying to flog me 'Super Cover' or anything else like they've done when I've rented from them in the past in the UK.

I've checked out there website again and discovered this:

Hertz wrote:

Hertz Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
When you purchase Hertz' LDW, which is not insurance, you will not be held responsible for damage to the Hertz car in the event that any damage should occur, provided the loss or damage was not the result of any prohibited use of the car.

To me that suggests that there is no excess or equivalent to pay. This belief is supported by:

Hertz wrote:

What protection does Hertz LDW offer?
By accepting LDW you will be relieved of all financial responsibility for loss or damage to the rental car, whether or not you have insurance to cover such damage. In order for LDW to be applied to any damage claims, you must properly report the related incident in accordance with the Rental Agreement.

However, if the vehicle is obtained through fraud or you have an accident resulting from use of the car in a manner prohibited by paragraph 5. of the Rental Agreement, LDW is void and you will be responsible for all loss of or damage to the car.

So, as I understand it, I am covered by Hertz for damage to, or loss of, the car itself with LDW and there is no excess to pay in the event I need to take advantage of this. Further I am covered by Hertz for damage to other people/property with LIS. I just need to check my travel insurance to ensure that I am covered personally should I need medical treatment and that my personal possessions are covered in the event of theft or loss.

Is that correct? Is there any other cover that I should have??

Sorry for all the questions but this is the first time that I have booked a car in the US myself and I'm scared to death I've missed/misunderstood something!

steveo3002

best phone them and ask to be clear

im confident that your fully legal ...they always offer stupid add on insurance thats worded to confuse you , dont take none of it

ive rented lots of times there..prob about 20 cars , from what i recall my excess was around $400 and waived if vandal damage/stolen , i havent used hertz...theyre usualy very expensive, dollar are good

Craig_A

Thanks, will ring them to check. I think I'm slowly getting my head round the different aspects of covering the rentail.

The fact that Hertz were the cheapest amazed me as whenever we've rented in the State before they were the last company we'd use. I asked the person who booked these other rentals but they didn't seem to understand the insurance situation either!! Worrying!!

lucy7509

I have booked many cars from the USA, often you will find the excess listed in the terms and conditions listed on the companys website. I personally booked with https://www.AirlineNetwork.co.uk this time as they were the only one who's price comparision included all insurances, and petrol.

I did find it interesting that most car rental providers put this in the small print that upon arrival you would still have outstanding the cost for a full tank of petrol for the car, or list a flat fee, the average price I saw was $38.

You may also want to look into this and confirm with Hertz that your booking includes a full tank of petrol upon arrival?

I don't disagree with the others, that they (hertz) tend to be a bit pricing, I went with Dollar Rental and I paid 360 pounds all inclusive for 14 days in Los Angeles for the end of March 2007.

Martins sight does give you a few options for comparisons.

Hope you enjoy your trip to the USA!:)

Lucy7509