Automotive Guruz

Most car rental companies demand a safety deposit the first time you rent a vehicle. This portion of the rental fee is fully refundable and may come to a couple of hundred dollars depending upon the size of the car. The car rental fee is next; this is the actual charge for renting the car. Most car rental companies also charge a ‘contract fee’ to cover the administrative costs of renting the car to the customer. If the customer requests for a delivery of the car and a place for collection of the returned car, the company may charge two separate fees, once for delivery and the other being the collection fee. Beware though! A collection point designated in a different state by the customer may attract anything up to a couple of thousand dollars as collection fees depending upon the distance of the collection point from the car company’s home office. If the delivery is requested at the airport, a separate ‘airport surcharge’ will also be applicable. In addition, if the delivery or the collection is requested after normal working hours, an ‘after hours fee’ may also be charged. Traditionally, car companies charge a state taxes fee should the client need to drive across states. Driving across international borders may even attract a cross border fee - this is a mandatory fee that may be substantial and not easily waived. Also if you have an additional driver, an additional driver fee can also be charged.

Some countries also charge a tourism fee for tourists who wish to rent a car. Most US cities charge a flat rate as toll tax, and this can range from $2 to $5 per day. Some car companies also charge fuel charge fee or extra mileage fee. This may depend on what scheme of car rental the customer has opted for. Some companies go by a set number of kilometers driven per day or set number of hours per day. Any excess kilometers or time is then charged as extra fee. In case the customer requires a baby seat or a ski rack then additional fees are required to be paid. In some countries being young, usually under the age of 25, attracts extra fees in the form of younger driver fees. Again look out for the hidden fees. With fancy names such as collision damage waiver (CDW) fees, you may pay hefty sums as much as $15 a day. This fee is not actually collision insurance but more as a guarantee that the rental company will pay for any damage to the rental car, along with a caveat of some ‘deductibles’.

Finally if you intend to return the car earlier than planned, don’t hope for a sizeable refund. Many companies actually penalize you for cutting the rental duration; an early return fee becomes admissible! It is therefore extremely important that you - a prospective customer - are attentive to the ads and the terms and conditions of hire before signing up for a car rental. If you take renting seriously, consulting your car insurance company or your credit card company before hiring a car would be a great idea. In the end, don’t fall for tall claims and false promises; choose your rental company prudently and have a worry-free vacation!

Well, if you are in the second group, there are many different ways that you can find cheap auto insurance. However, you really do need to commit yourself to the search because it is a search that could take you awhile. Having multiple accidents or tickets and trying to get auto insurance is a lot like trying to get a loan with bad credit. Because your past has not been good, the present is not a place in which your word carries a lot of weight. There are steps that you can take to secure cheap auto insurance, some of them being covered below.

Check the Major Companies

The first thing that you want to do is check the major auto insurance companies that operate in your area. For the most part, these will be national or even in some cases multi-national corporations. While it is true that these companies will often have the cheapest insurance deals, at the same time it is also important that you do not purchase a plan from an auto insurance representative right away, no matter how sweet that plan might feel. If your driving record is marred, there are always going to be companies that try to take advantage of you and the only way that you can possibly find the cheapest auto insurance is to make sure that you shop around.

The reason that checking the major companies first is important is because those prices will give you an idea of what the market is offering for your specific situation. Those prices will allow you to make comparisons later on when you find other deals and therefore gauge all of the offers you find against those that are being offered by companies that are supposed to be the top in their field. Checking the major companies is an important first step towards finding cheap auto insurance with a less than stellar record, but it is not the only step and if you give in before trying everything else out, you might be spending more money than you actually have to.

Check the Internet

The internet has spawned booms in many of the different insurance company industries. The internet has allowed for niche marketing, so instead of very generalized multi-national insurance companies, you can instead choose to deal with a very small insurance company that is focused on covering the specific condition or case that you fit into. While you might not find any good deals from these companies, the chance of you finding an excellent deal from one is a very real chance and one that you need to follow through on rigorously.

If you do find a good deal, you need to make sure that you thoroughly research the company to make sure that it is reputable and reliable. If a deal sounds too good to be true, make sure you are extra suspicious of the source. If you combine this type of minute research with the major company quotes that you already have in hand, you should end up with the best package for the lowest price in your particular driving situation.

l car insurance is the same, right? Wrong. Anyone from the United States moving to Canada or moving from Canada to the United States will find that car insurance in both countries is different. It may be hard to fathom how there can be variations in car insurance since there seems to be enough stipulations with car insurance the way it is but, being that the two countries are different, there are differences to be aware of.

Canadian car insurance basics

Let’s say you’re a U.S. Citizen moving to Canada. You know that in the United States you have an insurance card. In Canada, you do receive something similar that goes by a different name. It is called your Canadian Inter-Province Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Card, or your “pink card.” As far as how you use the card and carry it, it works the same in both countries, such as for showing proof of insurance upon request and using it in case of an accident.

However, the way injury claims are handled can vary based on the province. A good example of this is the fact that Quebec car insurance requires that injury claims are taken care of by a government program, rather than a private insurer. If the accident or the injury due to an accident takes place outside of Quebec, then that is when the private insurer takes care of the claim.

The Canadian government requires that private insurers within the territories and provinces have a standard set of terms and conditions available with the policy. This means that all terms and conditions will be consistent between all of the insurance companies. After this point, the provincial and territorial governments then set additional standards and what they decide to be the lowest limits available for liability coverage on the vehicle.

Another difference you will find between U.S. car insurance and Canadian car insurance is that Canadians do not receive printed policies when the insured is covered under a government insurer. The vehicle registration is actually proof of that insurance since the registration to the car cannot be drawn up without some kind of insurance being placed upon the vehicle.

U.S. Car Insurance Basics

Where Canada requires drivers to be insured by either a private insurer or a government insurer, the United States is chalk full of private insurers that are regulated by their respective states. It is required in most states than an individual carry at least some degree of liability insurance. Liability covers bodily injury liability. Many individuals who do not have liens on their vehicles will carry liability insurance because it is more cost effective than full coverage. Full coverage is required when there is a lien on the car. This usually means that the car is owned by a bank, such as when a person has acquired the car through financing and has not yet paid the car off.

Something else in the U.S. that is different than in Canada is that the Canadian Provinces of Manitoba, Quebec, and Saskatchewan do not allow an individual to sue for pain and suffering when a motor vehicle accident has occurred. The only way to do this is if any permanent disfigurement has occurred, severe disability, very severe mental or psychological damage, or death.

Similarities

Nevertheless, there are similarities between the insurance of both countries and that is the fact that there are many different deductibles and price ranges available. That means each person has their own policy that they carry that can be different than everyone else?s in terms of the rate, the deductible, and the coverage. Most importantly, both of these car insurance systems work to ensure the insured are taken care of.

Fortunately, lack of knowledge doesn’t have to get in your way. There are some basic things you should know about buying car insurance for the first time. They are not difficult and you’ll find that the difference between knowing these things and not knowing these things means more money you can keep in your pocket or use to put fuel in your car. It doesn’t matter how you choose to use that money. What matters is that you’re not unnecessarily paying it on a car insurance premium.

How much you need

Chances are you have financed this car and the lender requires you to have full coverage insurance. This covers everything from bodily injury to collision in case you are in an auto accident with that car. Although the lender requires full coverage, you can have different degrees of coverage based on what you can afford.

For example:

- You can choose to go with a policy that has a $500 deductible. What this means is that this is the amount you have to pay to repair your car in case you are in a collision with someone or some thing. If the bill to fix the car is $3,000. The insurance will pay the remaining $2,500 after you have paid your $500 deductible.

That seems easy enough, doesn’t it? It is pretty simple. However, it is important for you to determine how much you can afford in regards to your deductible. You can actually save money on your premium each month if you can afford a higher deductible in case of an accident. The higher the deductible, the cheaper the premium, but you don’t want to go beyond what you can afford.

How to save

Once you’ve determined how much you need, this is the point in which you can work on saving money. You need to first comparison shop by checking with the different providers to see what types of premiums they have for the amount of coverage you need. You also need to ask them what is covered under the insurance, what the limitations are, when the coverage begins and ends, how much coverage you get, and how you file a claim.

Once you find good prospects, you can then ask them what types of car insurance discounts they offer. If you are a college student, they may offer a discount. They may even offer an additional discount for good grades. You can also do such things as open a life insurance policy with them to get a multi-line discount.

If you’re ever in doubt, contact your state’s department of insurance and ask them tips regarding how you can save on car insurance. They will gladly give you that information. You may even want to talk with the insurance providers regarding a discount if you allow them to automatically deduct your premium from your bank account each month. You have many different areas to compare and many discounts and policy alterations that can work to your advantage. Use them and see how much money you can save. You may actually be surprised how much money you can have in your pocket versus how much could possibly go into your insurance premium.

premiums, points against their license, and even cancelled insurance. Don’t let this be you. Be aware of what these scammers do and do everything you can to avoid it.

The types of scams

There are several scams that are well known amongst law enforcement and the general public alike. These scams include:

- The Exaggeration Scam: This is the scam in which the individual doing the scamming has inflicted prior damage to their car to make it look like the damage occurred in their accident with you. These individuals stage the accident, although the crash may be legitimate. Because their vehicle was not appraised prior to the accident, the damage they inflicted on it cannot be proven to be or not to be part of the accident. They are given the benefit of the doubt and they receive payment for that damage from your insurance.

- Rear-ender Scam: The scammer will dodge out in front of you and will then slam on their brakes. They make sure that they do this when you don’t have enough time to brake and avoid hitting them. Unfortunately, the police and the insurance companies automatically assume the second car is at fault in a rear-end crash.

Another unfortunate thing about the rear-ender scam is the fact that a false medical claim usually follows. The scammer convinces a doctor that they sustained injuries in the crash. What happens is that your insurance pays for their pain and suffering, as well as their medical bills. Sometimes these scammers may even have a medical accomplice who receives a payoff for their cooperation.

- The Good Samaritan Scam: This is the individual that waves you on when you can’t see if traffic is coming. However, they wave you into the path of their partner and they ram right into you. What happens is that it looks like you drove out into traffic, which makes it look like your fault. When the cops arrive, the waver denies they ever waved you on.

How to avoid these scams

First and foremost, you need to be a defensive driver. You have to always stay alert and not always trust those around you. If someone waves you on, don’t trust them. You still need to creep out into the street until you can see. You can wave at them to thank them, but don’t gun it out into traffic. You also need to do everything you can to make sure there is plenty of space between you and the car in front of you. If someone darts out in front of you, you need to slow down just in case.

Furthermore, you should be sure to document everything in case of car accidents. Keep a disposable camera in your car to take pictures of the accident and make sure you listen to what all of the witnesses say to the police. You also want to acquire a copy of the police report when it is available so that you can tell your insurance company about your suspicions. Insurance companies are experienced in stopping scammers, so provide them with everything you have so that you can turn the tables on the scammers.