Why Has Renting a Car Gotten So Complicated?

 By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy Pxhere

Having traveled extensively, I can remember when renting a car was a breeze.  You arrived at your destination, you walked up to the rental car counter, and they handed you the keys.  What could be easier?  Unfortunately, those days are long gone and renting a car today can be a daunting experience.  That's mainly because COVID set the industry back on its heels when travel more or less stopped for a couple of years.  As a result, many rental agencies reduced their inventory to bare bones.  Now that travel is back in full swing again, many car rental agencies are either short of vehicles or they've realized that because of this shortage they have an opportunity to make up for lost time by charging more than they used to.  If you're thinking about renting a car come the holidays, you need to know what to expect.  You also need to understand in advance the kind of fees, surcharges, and other surprise fees you could encounter when you shop for the best deal on a rental car.

Should You Pay for Extra Rental Car Coverage?

By Catherine Powell

Image courtesy picserver

With summertime comes vacation time, the time of year when many of my customers jump on a jumbo jet to visit far off places.  It’s also the one time of the year that almost guarantees you’ll elect to rent a car, since you can’t fit the family sedan in the overhead compartment.  That being said, many customers ask me whether they should opt for added rental car coverage that’s offered at the counter of every rental car agency on the planet.  My answer is always the same.  That depends.