I am modifying the thread to deal with ALL Avis Questions. Each new section will be a new post.


How Much Insurance Does Avis Provide?
Two Recent Threads have got me thinking that not many people understand or know about car rentals and Insurance. Here is a good primer to begin with.

State Minimums according to law.
The first two numbers refer to the amount of personal injury coverage per accident as 50,000 per person injured and 100,000 maximum per accident (see Alaska). The final figure refers to the total amount paid for property damage which in this example is 25,000. Avis Rent A Car provides this level of liability insurance, called Basic Liability Insurance, on EVERY Rental Car Dependent upon state of Rent. On one way rentals, the State of Origin Represents the Coverage limits on Accidents Occuring Out of State.

NOTE: These Coverages are the basic coverages required by law. Certain States have laws that Dictate exactly how this coverage is used. See the end of the list for further information on Avis Coverages. If anyone here knows who is primary and who is secondary in each state, Ill update this list.

Alaska 50/100/25

Alabama 20/40/10

Arkansas 25/50/15

Arizona 15/30/10

California 15/30/5 (state minimums, but rental cars are exempt, CALIFORNIA: Automobile Liability and Property Damage Protection is not included in the rental rate. The customer may provide automobile liability insurance through their personal insurance policy or may purchase Additional Liability Insurance.

Transalation: California does not require any insurance proof on rental cars, but requires Rental Car companies to show proof as owners, therefore there is no basic insurance at all as far as the customer/renter is concerned. You may purchase additional or use your personal policy in the state if your policy allows for it.)

Colorado 25/50/15

Connecticut 20/40/10

Delaware 15/30/5

Florida 10/20/10

Georgia 15/30/10

Hawaii 20/40/10 (In Hawaii, your personal car insurance is primary, regardless of credit card coverage. LDW and ALI Circumvents that and would be primary. I know this from personal experience, dang nabbin lava rocks!)

Idaho 20/50/15

Illinois 20/40/15

Indiana 25/50/10

Iowa 20/40/15

Kansas 25/50/10

Kentucky 25/50/10

Louisiana 10/20/10

Maine 50/100/25

Maryland 20/40/10

Massachusetts 20/40/5

Michigan 20/40/10

Minnesota 30/60/10

Mississippi 10/20/5

Missouri 25/50/10 (MISSOURI: Avis does not provide Automobile Liability Insurance and Property Damage Protection unless the renter /authorized driver does not carry a personal automobile liability insurance policy. If the renter or authorized driver does not carry a personal automobile liability insurance policy, Avis will provide this coverage up to the financial Responsibility Limits (FRL) at no additional charge.

Transalation: Under Missouri law, avis does not provide any insurance if you have your own insurance policy. If you do not have any insurance, then avis will provide it free of charge to the state minimums. you can purchase additional if you desire. This law basically means that avis will never be primary on insurance if the renter has a policy in their own name. Even if you lie to avis, avis can do an insured search (post accident) and if your name comes up with a policy anywhere, your responsible for all liability. Essentially, Avis is a non entity in this state under any lawsuit for damage you incurr if you have your own personal insurance. so no sense in purchasing any insurance at all here unless you are from out of country)

Montana 25/50/10

Nebraska 25/50/25

New Hampshire 25/50/25

New Jersey 15/30/5

New Mexico 25/50/10

Nevada 15/30/10

New York 25/50/10 (NEW YORK: Avis provides liability coverage for its vehicles as required by applicable law. In most instances, this will include coverage for the renter or authorized driver up to the Financial Responsibility Limits of the applicable jurisdiction at no additional charge.

Transalation: New York used to not allow the sale of insurance to its customers and required LDW and State minimum ALI to be included in price, which is why new york prices tend to be more expensive. The following changes to the law, effective February 24, 2003:
* In accordance with the provisions of the statute, car rental companies may hold authorized car rental drivers liable for actual damage to, or loss of, a rental vehicle, up to the full value of the vehicle. (Previously, authorized drivers were only held liable for damage up to $100, except in certain limited circumstances)
* Car rental companies will be permitted by the NY state law to offer for a daily fee OPTIONAL Collision Damage Waiver (also known as Loss Damage Waiver) vehicle protection. (Previously, car rental companies were not permitted to offer these optional products.)

What this means is avis, in new york, provides liability coverage up to the state minimums, where before it used to include everything.)

North Carolina 25/50/10

North Dakota 25/50/25

Ohio 12.5/25/7.5

Oklahoma 10/20/10

Oregon 25/50/10

Pennsylvania 15/30/5

Rhode Island 25/50/25

South Carolina 15/30/10

South Dakota 25/50/25

Tennessee 25/50/10

Texas 20/40/15 (TEXAS: Automobile Liability and Property Damage Protection is not included in the rental rate. The customer may provide automobile liability insurance through their personal insurance policy or may purchase Texas Automobile Rental Liability Insurance.

Transalation: The state of texas regulates the insurance of car rentals in the state. they fix the price and coverages for liability and from what I see may even administer it. It does say that avis cannot force you to buy liability insurance and it warns you that avis does not provide any coverage whatsoever unless you purchase it directly from them. Liability is through your own insurnace if allowed by your company, and through their TARLI program. Vehicle damage is still your responsibility and LDW can be purchased. In state residents are required to show proof of insurance at the time of rental (I have been told, and many texas renters tend to bring their proof of insurance with them when they travel). )

Utah 25/50/15 (UTAH: Avis does not provide Automobile Liability Insurance and Property Damage Protection unless the renter or authorized driver does not carry a personal automobile liability insurance policy. If the renter or authorized driver does not carry a personal automobile liability insurance policy, Avis will provide this coverage up to the Financial Responsibility Limits (FRL) at no additional charge.

Transalation: Under Utah law, avis does not provide any insurance if you have your own insurance policy. If you do not have any insurance, then avis will provide it free of charge to the state minimums. you can purchase additional if you desire. This law basically means that avis will never be primary on insurance if the renter has a policy in their own name. Even if you lie to avis, avis can do an insured search (post accident) and if your name comes up with a policy anywhere, your responsible for all liability. Essentially, Avis is a non entity in this state under any lawsuit for damage you incurr if you have your own personal insurance. so no sense in purchasing any insurance at all here unless you are from out of country)

Virginia 25/50/20

Vermont 25/50/10

Washington 25/50/10

Wisconsin 25/50/10

West Virginia 20/40/10

Wyoming 25/50/20


In some states the liability coverage that is provided is excess to any other applicable coverage. This means the renters personal automobile liability insurance is used first and the Avis protection will not apply until the renters/authorized drivers insurance, if any, has been exhausted. Please check with the rental agent or nearest Avis reservation center regarding the applicability of automobile liability coverage to specific locations.

transalation: Your personal insurance may be primary depending upon the state in liability issues. HOWEVER, LDW is "loss damage waiver", not "loss damage insurance" which means that the wavier is not an insurance, therefore there is no damages that should be reported to your insurance company, rendering the damage to rented vehicle question moot. But damage to other person and property would go according to state law. In some states, your personal insurance is ALWAYS primary. In others, credit card and purchased additional insurance is primary. ask each state you visit for the difference.

moved

Avis Rent A Car's official stance on when a Car is Due back and additional charges.
Car rentals are 24 hour period dependent. For example. If you rent a car today, at noon, the car is due back at noon tomorrow. If you rent a car today at noon, and SCHEDULE to bring it back at 8am, you still have until noon before additional charges are applied. This principle works no matter what the length of rental is. Rent A car for 5 days on the weekly rate, you have until the 7th day, to the exact mintue, to return the car.

Examples, using Avis type dating and numerology.

X-HK/C 05AUG05/1400 Due back 16AUG05/0800


In this example, your C Class Car is due back August 16th at 8am by your request. However, you have until 1400 that day, or 2pm, plus the 59 minute grace period to avoid additional charges. in this example... the car rental in question

X-HK/C 05AUG05/1400 Due back 17AUG05/1800

In this example, your C Class Car is due back August 17th at 1800. But if the car was rented on the "weekly" rate plan, meaning your car has a weekly rate available on your rental agreement, then the car can be returned on the 19th of august at 1400 plus the 59 minute grace period to avoid additional charges. HOWEVER since you went past your "requested return date" it will be considered overdue and you would need to call Avis Rent A car on the 17th of augst to "extend the car agreement". it wont cost anything to keep the car the extra days, but you should let them know the car isnt coming back that day.


Now, because avis gives you the 59 minute grace period, if you are one minute late, most of the time they have absolutely no remorse for the additional hour charge. If you decide to use the 59 minute grace period for extra time for your use, you run the risk of coming onto the the lot at 58 minutes and waiting 3 minutes for check in. Sorry to say, thats not a good enough excuse. Some managers will go ahead and wave the additional hour, but that is by no means "your right" so you better ask nicely. Managers have been instructed to NOT wave the additional hour on rentals where "the person exeeded their requested return time and the 59 min grace period" but are told "to use their better judgement on rentals where the requested return time and the actual paid time (24 hour period) coincide.

example. you rent the car today at noon. request to return it tomorrow at 1230, the requested return time and the grace period coincide, and the price estimate is given based on you returning it exactly at 1230, thus no additional hour on the estimate. But if you returned it at 1300, managers could, if they dont see anything on the contract giving you the full riot act on when its due back to avoid charges, waive the hour.

Essentially, if your rental agreement shows pen marks by the agent specifically saying EXACTLY whent he car is due back to avoid charges, youll likely get stuck with the addtional hour.

one more scenario.

If you rent a car today at noon and will tell them that you will bring it back at 230 tomorrow, then there is no grace period. Your rental quote used the grace period from noon to 12:59 and then started charging hourly. In that scenario though, if you bring back the car early, it will cost less. If you bring it back late, (15:00) then it will charge you for one more hour, or the daily rate, whichever is cheaper. So in that scenario, there really isnt a grace period because the grace period was used in the quote itself. Once the rental overage ( any amount over the 24 hour day plus 59 minutes grace) exceeds three hours, it is usually (more often than not) cheaper to take the daily rate and the computer automatically chooses that rate.

as of August 3, debit cards are allowed for rentals. however the smallest hold it will conduct is 300 dollars. You can continue to use debit cards when you prepay for your car with hotwire, priceline, or other discounters with the 100 dollar hold. The biggest reason why the cards were not allowed to begin with is the hold method that the debit cards employ. it holds directly on your checking account. There will be some delays in releasing the funds after your rental is complete, (example, the minimum hold is 300. it will hold 300 even if you rent only for one day 50$). When you return the car, the 50$ will be run through, and the remaining 250 will be released. HOWEVER its up to your bank to decide when to release the funds for use again. Avis has no control over that. therefore it could take up to 2 weeks before the other $250 is released for use. Avis cannot speed up that process. Your bank is the only one that can do that.

21-25 year old renters, from the website:


At most Avis locations in the US, the minimum age to rent an Avis vehicle is 25. In certain situations or at certain locations, the minimum age may be 18 or 21. In some instances a surcharge may apply for renters under age 25. Please check with Avis at 1-800-331-1212 for details.

Please Note: At corporate locations in Connecticut, Washington D.C., Iowa and Idaho the renter and any additional drivers must be 25 years of age or older. In New York, if the renter is between the ages of 18-24, a fee of $110.00 per day will apply. A fee of $25 per day will apply in all other states for renters 21-24 years old.

Using Debit Card when you are under 25. Avis Does not allow the use of a Debit Card AND the underage clause unless their AWD code allows for it. Perfect Example. US Military Code A555500 allows for military to rent at 21 and use a debit card at age 21 without additional fees, and if they are on military orders, they can rent and use debit cards at age 18.

Insurance Replacement Car program. since the rental is paid by your insurance company, usually age 18 is allowed for rentals and Debit cards with 100 dollar holds will be honored. Due check with your insurance company to be sure.

[U]Anatomy of how an AWD Effects Price.[U]

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