I recently returned from a nine-day trip to Cancun, Mexico. I booked a car rental through Hotwire.com, with Europcar for $9.80 a day.

Snared by the Mexican insurance scam

Gordon Houston is offered a $9.80-a-day rate for a rental car in Mexico. But an agent refuses to rent the car to him without insurance, which more than doubles the price of the vehicle. Now neither his agent, nor the rental company, will refund the difference. Is he stuck with the bill?