Car Rental Coverage??

We%26#39;re travelling to Kona the first week of May. We are renting a car from budget for the whole week we are there. We live in San Francisco and don%26#39;t drive, so therefore we do not have Auto Insurance. I am wondering what forms of coverage are needed.

There are three different coverages: Supplemental Liability (which we chose), Personal Accident %26amp; Effects (we did not chose, we have medical coverage, seems to be if you dont have medical coverage) and the last which Im undecided on is the Loss Damage Waiver. This supposedly relieves the renter if car is damaged or stolen while under contract. I am a little leary considering it will take our price from $250 to $410, and Im not sure it will actually do what it is supposed to do. I don%26#39;t mind paying if it truly will relieve us, but I dont know about the fine print.

Does anyone have info on this? and also, any other options then going through the rental company for the insurance?

Car Rental Coverage??

I would highly recommend that you also purchase the Loss Damage Waiver as it will cover you if the car sustains any damage while you are renting it. Otherwise, your vacation to Hawaii might get VERY expensive. The only other thing that I might suggest is to see if the credit card that you are using provides you with insurance as an alternate to the insurance that Budget sells. Some do, but this is getting rarer all of the time. Also, don%26#39;t just go by the description of benefits that came with your card. Call the credit card company. Many Visa cards have dropped that feature without notifying the card members.

Car Rental Coverage??

I agree with Okie since you do not have oter coverage. If someone breaks into your car an damages it you will be responsible for any lost time the rental agency incures. If it is in the shop for 3 days you will habe to pay for those lost 3 days.

Seems that is the best idea. Darnit, this trip gets more expensive every day ;)

Hawaii is a '; no fault%26#39; coverage state.

You will be responsible for any and all problems.

Take full coverage. Obey the contract with Budget.... no off paved roads, no saddle road and no south point and you will be fine.

Here, all cars are checked more on return than in the mainland..... any nick or ding.. will be billed if is was from out of contract use......this is a fact here. Doubt it and pay.

HawaiiDan...I guess that%26#39;s what I was worried about. I don%26#39;t want to pay all this money, and then something happens and they say ';oh sorry, the coverage doesn%26#39;t apply if you were parked at the beach'; or something silly like that. And then I pay all the extra, and they charge for damage as well.

I do remember reading that no fault policy thing now, which says you cant leave the state without paying or something right?

Oh one more thing Dan, you said no south point? That means we can%26#39;t take the south road down to VNP? Im not real familiar with the area, it will be my first time there. Can you explain that to me? is south point the entire south route of the island, or is it just one road in the southern area? Sorry for my ignorance.

You say you don%26#39;t drive in San Francisco. DO you have drivers%26#39; licenses? You will need to have one to rent a car. What do you do when you travel to other cities and rent cars? I would pay for the insurance coverage and just consider it part of the price of the vacation. Just think, you aren%26#39;t paying for insurance the rest of the year, so paying for it just for this one week is still a deal. I agree that you should find out if your credit card company might cover you (it would have to be the same credit card you use to rent the car). You might even be able to get a very short-term policy through your home owner insurance. But it just seems easier to do it through the auto rental company even if it is pricey. Peace of mind is plenty valuable!

South Point is an area well south of the Hiway 11 path and is not the entire route. Its Ok. The road is paved now but like saddle road, many , like budget say no drive here.

And yes you have to pay for any damage before you leave the island... thats is the law. Your credit card will cover much of your property damage but dont think medical or liability is covered. Here is another point, they will cover al long as you operate you car legaly. If you enter into a legal contract.. the rental agreement, and violate that agreement willfully, then your own insurance from any source is not bound to cover you.

I can understand not driving in SF at the parking,and traffic are bad... and you got the Muni and Bart.... Totaly understand.

Jpetretti,

I would also suggest contacting your local insurance agent as well as your CC company to see what they can offer you. When one purchases a new car, one is able to purchase a “rider” or a short term insurance policy. This may offer a level of protection you are comfortable with at a slightly lower cost. The LDW coverage is very expensive at most car rental places. If you had auto insurance that covers a rental I would actually advise against it. Since you do not, if you are unable to obtain coverage from another source, bite the bullet and get it. $200 in preventative costs can save thousands later. Also, if you are concerned about the fine print, go to budget.com and download a terms and agreements, or contact Budget directly and if you have time to have a rental contract sent do you, do so. This way you can read it leisurely instead of in line with other impatient customers behind you. Then make an informed decision about the level of coverage you are comfortable with. But as HD says – you MUST obey the contract. Good luck and Happy Travels!

Sunny, yes I do have a license. Here in SF we use a car sharing service, where insurance and gas costs are both included. I love it, its far better then renting cars.

I am definitely getting the added insurance, I guess I was just worried about what they would actually cover. Ive had bad experiences with insurance companies in the past, but it sounds like as long as you stay within the rules of the contract (dont drive certain roads...) it should be fine. I actually went through hawaii discount car rentals and found a great deal on thrify, and the insurance is slightly cheaper through them anyways. Anyhow, thanks for the info guys.