• Tweet
• Share
• Email
• Print

Las Vegas, NV (KTNV) -- Are you doing some driving for your summer vacation? If you're renting a car, there are a number options you can pay for. The question is -- do you really need them?.

"Thought I was going to be paying a total of $191 and change for the car rental," says Lisa Curran.
 
But when she got a bill for $416, she couldn't believe it. She got it after renting a car during a recent trip to Texas.

"Fees after fees after fees. I was pretty upset about that," says Lisa.

She was slapped with a few added costs she wasn't expecting. Like a $10 charge for an additional driver. Lisa says they also asked her if she wanted insurance.

"He said it was $21.99. I said okay," says Lisa.

She says, no one bothered to tell her it was a daily charge. So after 4 days, that $21.99 fee was nearly $88. All adding up to that higher than expected total.

"I didn't realize I was going to be paying that. An extra $200 and change for a car I thought I was renting for $191," says Lisa.

That's when she decided to email Contact 13. She wants to know, do you really need to buy insurance when renting a car. We spoke with several car insurance carriers as well as the insurance information institute.

They all say the first thing you should do when renting a car is call your insurance agent. Under most policies, a driver is covered no matter what car they're driving. That means, many of you probably don't need to buy the insurance.

But keep in mind, you may want the insurance if you have a high deductible. Because the cost for repairs could be less than the price of your deductible. In Lisa's case, she called her agent and learned she didn't need the added insurance.

"She said oh Lisa, you guys have insurance you should have denied that," says Lisa.

There is an exception. If you're renting a car out of the country, insurance experts say get the insurance. If you're in an accident overseas, you may be required to pay for damages in full before you can leave the country.

And here's one more thing: call your credit card company. Some credit card programs actually offer insurance.

So here's the Contact 13 bottom line. Lisa called the rental car company and they actually agreed to refund part of the charges.

But make sure you learn from Lisa's mistake. Before signing on the dotted line, make sure you get a full explanation of the contract and fees. And if you're having an issue, or maybe have a consumer question, let us know. Email us at 13investigates@ktnv.com.