I will be arriving in Maui on Monday and will be hiring a car while I am there.

I have heard many stories of rental companies in the US ripping people off by giving them insurance that they don't need etc.

Any advice on what insurances the rental company will offer and what we should take out?

Thanks

 

Most credit cards cover your insurance.. I have a rental now while my S2000 is being out back together and my AMEX card covers it.. Call your credit card company..

 

The insurance the rental car offers is *almost* always not needed. In many cases your own car insurnace covers you when you rent a car.

Be sure to check the car throughly for dents and dings and make sure they are noted prior to leaving the lot.

 

I don't live in the US and would assume that my Japanese car insurance will not cover me there.

Do they have things like CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) and the like that they will try to sell me?

Last time I hired a car in the UK the price was like $80 a day, but with all the other crap they suggested I took out it came to about $140 a day!!!

That is what I am trying to avoid this time....

 

My insurance covers me in a rental car. I am still responsible for the deductible.

As others have suggested, many credit cards have insurance coverage for rental cars. Call your card company.

 

The insurance rental car companies will try to sell you can easily double (or even triple) your rental cost and is a scam.

As other have said, check with your home (Japan) auto insurance and your credit card for coverage. I would not assume that your coverage is not extended to the US.

I travelled to Europe last year and used TravelGuard (http://www.travelguard.com/). For the cost and coverage, I could not have been happier. I'm not sure if they underwrite non-US residents but you might want to check out the site. It came highly recommended by Rick Steves, who is a US travel writer (http://www.ricksteves.com/plan/tips/carrental_cdw.htm).

Enjoy your trip....watch out for the SPAM sushi!

 

Pure profit for them. They will first try to collect on any insurance you may have first anyway whether it's your credit card or current insurance company.

 

I'm sure he would have appreciated those well wishes 11 years ago. Unfortunately by now I'm sure his memory of the trip boils down to Island women and 'that one day at the beach'.