The first thing a person should do is review the terms of the policy that covers that person's usual vehicle. What should be looked for is a clause labeled "rental car reimbursement." This comes standard with many policies. Some may have the coverage as optional. Usually, this can be included in a policy for as little as $4 to $6 a month.
However, even if a person does have this kind of coverage, not every policy will pay for the rental. Often, the coverage only comes into effect if a person's car is wrecked or stolen. If that were to happen, the insurance company would pay for the rental until that person's car is fixed or replaced. Certain plans do not cover a rental to substitute a car that needs less severe maintenance or body work.
How the insurance pays for the rental may also differ. Sometimes, the insurance company will not pay for it out right. The driver may have to pay for the rental out of pocket. The insurance company would then reimburse the driver at a later date. However, other insurers may pay for the rental directly. It depends. Insurance will also rarely if ever pay for the cost of gas.
Other things should also be considered. For example, the coverage should be able to pay for the kind of vehicle a person or family needs. If a person has a larger family that will need to travel together, obviously coverage that would only pay for a compact car will not be sufficient. Obtaining the extra coverage may require paying for an upgrade to the policy.
How much certain policies will pay out also depends on the severity of an accident. For example, a certain plan may pay $35 a day for rental fees but only up to a cap of $700 total. In certain cases, the wrecked car may be a total loss. If this were to happen, the insurance company may agree to pay a lump sum settlement as opposed to the daily rental fees.
Another thing a person should know is to contact the insurance company first after a serious wreck or the theft of the car. This is due to the fact that certain insurance companies have contracts with certain rental agencies. If a person rents the car first, the agency chosen may not actually be covered by the policy. The driver may then be forced to pay for it.
Once the insurance company has been contacted, the driver can then call the rental agency covered by the policy. The vehicle the driver needs should be reserved. However, the payment process that will be used to pay for the vehicle through the policy should also be discussed at length. Whatever method is used, it is likely that a deposit made via a credit card will be required. This will allow the rental agency to charge the card if the rental were to be damaged or returned without gas.
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