Is there a deductible for basic car rental with Alamo in the USA?

Hello, we rented a car with Alamo that we’ll pick up in Las Vegas. However, for the basic rental, it’s not clear whether there’s a deductible in case of damage... For the included CDW, they just state this, and it doesn’t help much if the basic CDW includes a zero deductible: Thanks if you’ve had any feedback or clarifications that could help me.

The Damage Waiver (DW) is not insurance. Purchasing the DW is optional and not required to rent a vehicle. You may also purchase optional DW for an additional fee. If you purchase DW, we agree, subject to the actions listed in the rental agreement that void the DW, to contractually release you from all or part of the costs resulting from damage, loss, or theft of the vehicle. The Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) is not valid for damages occurring in Mexico. Before deciding whether to purchase LDW, it is recommended that you consult your insurer or a representative of your credit card company to determine if, in the event of damage or theft of the vehicle, you are protected against costs arising from such incidents and if you benefit from a deductible waiver. For rentals in California, the cost of collision damage waiver (CDW) ranges from $16.99 to $500.00 per day depending on the type of vehicle rented."

Hi there. It's getting more and more complicated to know what's what when renting directly from car rental companies. Go through a provider like Sunny Cars.be, and you'll most likely get Alamo as the rental company. Everything is CLEAR and STRAIGHTFORWARD. Sunny Cars.be terms: Have a great day. Jacques.

If you go with Alamo, only the Gold package guarantees the deductible waiver, which is normally included in the CDW, but it's not very clear in the other packages besides Gold.

From experience, I blew a tire in 2023. They replaced it without any fuss even though I didn’t have the Gold package...

Okay, I checked with Alamo, and they confirmed that the deductible reduction applies to all their rentals in the USA:

Deductible reduction for damage in case of an accident (CDW) – (Deductible reduced to zero in the USA) Here’s exactly what they told me:

Yes, that’s correct. Even though it’s not stated, the deductible is reduced to zero in the United States.

Thanks so much! It’s really nice of you to have looked up this info!

In September 2022, my car got dinged twice in parking lots. I returned my Alamo rental at SFO. Never heard back.

Yeah, I blew a tire on a dirt track—it was pretty obvious it wasn’t on the road 😅 They sent me to a garage. They changed the tire for free, and I was able to hit the road again.