Best Automobile Insurance

Recently a troubleshooter from MSNBC wrote of his quest to get a refund for a traveler in Mexico taken advantage of by one of the top rental car companies.  Christopher Elliott’s article, “I thought car rental insurance was optional,” details the American tourist’s battle when he was charged more than triple his online quote from Hotwire.  Car insurance companies often cover insurance on rental cars, so unless your plan does not it doesn’t seem like you would need additional rental insurance.

After a Hotwire estimate of $113 for a weekly rental car in Mexico, the tourist headed down there only to have the car rental price increased, mandatory insurance tacked on, and a service charge larger than both the other amounts.  He was also given some more miscellaneous fees above the estimate for a total of $397.  While he tried to fight the charges at the rental company in Mexico, it was to no avail.

The author, a travel writer, says that regardless of what happened in Mexico the tourist should have been charged the amount estimated by Hotwire.  Any discrepancy between the cheap car insurance rate and that charged by the rental company should have been cleared up between the two companies.  It’s possible that one of the Mexican workers tried to pull a fast one because a rental car company representative in the United States said that car insurance was not mandatory.

Some tips for avoiding such a situation when you are traveling follow.  Research and get coverage and estimates in writing before leaving for your trip, both from your car insurance company and any quotes you receive online or from the rental company itself.  If you think you are being forced to purchase insurance that is optional, back up from the counter and make a phone call to the company’s customer service number to see if the situation can be rectified.  If that doesn’t work or you’ve already paid for the coverage, send emails detailing your complaints to get a paper trail started.  By the way, the tourist was credited the amount above his estimate after this story.