Originally Posted by AutoSlash

Thanks for your business! I think the hard sell on insurance is pretty much par for the course at most places. Rental agents often get commission on add-on's (except at Enterprise but their overall rating is based on selling add-on's), so they are incentivized to try to convince you of the need.

For those that want to avoid this sort of situation entirely we recommend renting with Hertz, Avis, National and skipping the counter entirely. Generally if you just give them a polite not intesested they will off, but the exception to the rule is Payless, which egregiously bilks customers left right.