There is nothing worse than expecting your renal vehicle bill to be one amount and then finding out it is more, much much more. Some vehicle rental companies are guilty of doing the old bait and switch routine. They will advertise a really low rate only to jack the price up with unnecessary add-ons. Here are four tricks to watch out for.

1. Refueling the tank with gas

It is expected that you pay for the gas that you use. So most vehicle rental places have the policy to return the vehicle to the level you rented it with. Some greedy rental companies will offer things like buying a full tank of gas at a reduced rate. What ends up happening is they charge you just a few pennies less per gallon to fill the tank, and you have just paid their gas bill which they will turn around and sell to the next customer to make a profit at your expense. Be sure to fill the tank up to the level you got the car with and no more.

2. Unnecessary upgrades

When a vehicle rental company overbooks a vehicle they sometimes don’t have the one you reserved. They will usually upgrade you to the next class of vehicle. However, sometimes they will try to sell you an upgrade before they tell you they don’t have the vehicle you reserved. Just decline the upgrade. They are going to give it to you for free anyway because they have to give you a vehicle to rent.

3. Doubling your insurance

When you’re at the checkout counter ready to pick up your rental they offer you extra insurance. You may not need the extra insurance though. Usually your credit card or insurance will offer some type of renter’s insurance coverage at no to very little extra cost. Selling extra insurance is one of the most common ways vehicle rental companies pad their profits. Be sure of what type of rental insurance you may already have to help determine if you will need extra insurance.

4. The devil is in the fine print

A lot of extra fees are buried in the fine print. Less than honest vehicle companies are counting on you not reading the fine print, and bam the nail you with extra fees you had no idea about. Read the fine print before you sign any rental agreement.

The lesson to be learned here is not to fall for too good to be true deals, because the usually are. Know exactly what all the terms and conditions are before you make any vehicle reservations or sign a rental contract. You will reduce the likely hood of any surprises and unwanted