A friend of mine is the guy who decides how much insurance will pay for a damaged car. He told me something he says is widely unknown:

If you don't buy their coverage, in the event of an accident, the rental car company can and will charge you rack rate for every single day it takes to repair the car.

Your own insurance, your credit card's "extra" coverage, and your homeowner's almost certainly will NOT cover the cost of daily rental fees during repairs.

With vacation season in full swing, my friend makes two daily trips to the airport to evaluate an average of 12 cars!

He has been told stories of as much as $3-$5,000 in rental fees that stack up during the repair process!

This sent a wild shudder down my spine as I thought of my younger years when 4-5 of my friends and I would rent Fieros for the weekend and chase each other around Detroit like we were in go-karts!

Good reminder! THat is why it is ALWAYS a good idea to check with your private insurance EVERY TIME about what they will cover. Ours recommended we get the Damage Waiver offered by the rental company.

We rented a minivan back in January and the DW cost was $15.99 a day with Enterprise.

Fieros ... hadn't heard that name in a while!

It is a very true fact that they can, also, another fact is that the rental company has to prove they did not have another rental...it does not matter that the customer might want a Buick over a Chevrolet.

If you are ever in the position that are going to charge you 'out of service' fees...question whether they did have another vehicle and make sure you tell your card company NOT to pay the charges.

Most insurance companies will cover a rental the same as your personal vehicle except for the 'out of service' fees.