When I rent a car at the airport, I usually get to skip the counter and go straight to my vehicle. If you haven’t signed up for the car rental company’s loyalty program, you should—it’s often free and lets you bypass the counter entirely.
However, there are times when I still need to stop at the counter. In those cases, I brace myself for the slew of options the rental agent is going to throw at me.
I understand it’s part of their job to try and upsell extras, but I like to politely let them know I’m not that guy. I just want to get to my car, so they can move on to the next customer.
While the counter experience is never something I look forward to, I do take the opportunity to see what new and creative methods the rental companies are using to push options that most people don’t really need.
A New Twist on the Insurance Pitch
That was exactly the case during my recent rental with Thrifty Car Rental.
By now, most of us know the usual questions: whether to prepay for gas (almost always “no”), and if you want to add extras like a toll pass (which may come with surprise fees) or satellite radio.
But the big wildcard is always the insurance coverage.
We’ve previously discussed the Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), which covers damage to the rental car, along with other optional coverages they may try to sell you.
What was new this time wasn’t the insurance itself—it was how it was presented to customers.
Bundling the Coverage
As I walked up to the counter, I noticed a laminated binder open to a page listing insurance options. But unlike before, when the coverages were listed individually, Thrifty (and Dollar, which shares the counter) had now bundled them.
The “Basic” bundle only included LDW, while “Upgraded” or “Premium” bundles included additional options like personal effects coverage and roadside assistance. I can’t recall if the exact term was “Upgraded” or “Premium,” but the idea was clear.
While checking in the people next to me, the rep smoothly said, “And did you want to get the premium coverage, or are you OK with the basic coverage?”
The prices were clearly posted, so there could be no claim that customers weren’t informed. Still, when the customers responded with, “Oh, the basic is fine,” I knew they’d just agreed to pay $15 extra per day for LDW coverage—whether they needed it or not.
How I Handled It
When it was my turn, the rep asked if I wanted insurance. I told her that my personal car insurance covered me, and since I had paid with my Bilt Mastercard, I’d be covered for LDW through the card’s benefits. She nodded and typed something into the record—probably my insurance info, although she never asked to see a card.
I’ll admit, I thought it was a clever move to bundle those extras—like roadside assistance—into a “premium” tier. That way, when customers choose “basic,” they think they’re opting out of everything, but they’re actually purchasing LDW. Maybe there was some fine print noting the coverage was optional, and that you might already be covered, but the way it was framed made the “basic” look like the default.
Final Thought
Rental car companies are always inventing new ways to get you to pay for things you didn’t plan to buy. That’s why you need to stay vigilant, especially when signing something as legally binding as a rental car agreement. Just because it’s a “basic” option doesn’t mean it’s free or necessary.
Want to comment on this post? Great! Read this first to help ensure it gets approved.
Want to sponsor a post, write something for Your Mileage May Vary, or put ads on our site? Click here for more info.
Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and sign up to get emailed notifications of when we post.
Whether you’ve read our articles before or this is the first time you’re stopping by, we’re really glad you’re here and hope you come back to visit again!
This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary
