Rental car damage coverage through general trip insurance policy

Coverage is provided to the Insured, provided the Insured and Traveling Companions are licensed drivers, and are listed
on the rental agreement.

That's an interesting one - is your non-driving mother on the trip who isn't on the rental agreement their get out of jail card? Or your children who are on the trip? I'm not a lawyer and don't play one on TV but it sounds like it to me. After all your kids or parents are your Traveling Companions aren't they? I'd have a look in their glossary of named terms, it is in caps after all, and see how they define it.

It also sounds to me that if they all have to be on the rental agreement then you will be paying extra driver costs too.

but I don't know

Only my wife and I will be renting a car, and we'll both be listed as drivers (at extra cost, of course), so we'll both be on the agreement.

Insurance is one of those things that you never know the exact way it works and to what amount u til it happens. Your view is one view and the insurance company another, and the car rental company another.
We are three years out from a huge fire in our are that burned 200 bourse to the ground. Only now are a minority of those homes being rebuilt. Due to insurance, foot dragging, assessment of damages. So you think OK my house burned down I have replacement cost covered on my policy. So you think that you will have a home in short order. Welcome to the insurance world.
There is often discussion here about car rental insurance. Though we rarely get any input from people who have had major damage to the car. Probably because RS readers are safer drivers.
I usually go without the car rental insurance and use my CC coverage. I am ready to cover the “excess” on my own. That could be 1500-2000$. Or maybe complete car replacement. I am taking a chance. How lucky do I feel?
You never know the financial consequences of having an accident overseas and dealing with such Hingis all the way from back in the US.
There should be a medjet like policy for car rental.

Among the things that are not in your quote are whether the insurance is "Primary" or "Secondary". That can be important in a state where the insurance market is messed up, like NJ. It's pretty clear that "loss of use", a current scheme to increase rental company income, might not be paid.

You're talking about $25 a day for 6 days. That's quite low for current rental companies. Okay, $7 is less than $25. But how much is peace of mind, and no home insurance policy claims, worth? How much is quickly dropping the car on the way onward worth, without stopping to take photographs and argue with the clerk?

You are not trying to right the wrongs of the world here, you are trying to have a wonderful vacation.

and no home insurance policy claims, worth?

That question is golden. In today’s environment (US anyway) insurance companies are looking for any excuse to raise your rates or drop you. Multiple brands are dropping long time customers in western states due to broad-market loss table calculators weighing construction cost rises, claim rates, etc. I wouldn’t want a “minor” claim potentially causing issues with my “major” home insurance.

I always take the rental company full waiver primary insurance, including windscreen and tires, and never think about it again. Peace of mind is priceless.

Much as it's tempting to save $120 or so, I'll probably go with the rental company insurance as you suggest. You're right -- for that amount, out of a $6,000+ trip, it's worth the peace of mind.

BTW, when I first started traveling in the 1980s the rental company damage insurance cost about $10/day and provided full coverage -- no deductible and no cap. Times have changed.

Thanks for the replies.

A friend of ours has a relative who was in Ireland. Their rental car was damaged. They had coverage through their own credit card or auto insurance. The rental car company charged their credit card $22,000 for damage. They will eventually, hopefully, get their claim honored through their insurance. In the meantime they are carrying $22k on a credit card. Something to consider that I never thought of.

I use American Express premium rental car insurance for a flat fee on every car rental, however we haven’t used it I. Europe yet.

https://www.autoeurope.com/american-express-car-rental-insurance/#:~:text=Renowned%20for%20some%20of%20the,throughout%20most%20countries%20in%20Europe.

Here's how we made our decision when renting a car this past spring in France. Do we want to in any way shape or form want to deal with an car incident while on international travel; do we want to deal with the hassle of any of it; or do we want to hand back the car just back up, and walk or run the other way, never looking back! (: We decided we wanted no part of any administrative hassle; and frankly for $120 I feel like you have a bargain. I won't tell you what we paid, but what we paid for was peace of mind. You are talking 6 days for not much money. Click the buy button!

I recall reading recently about a person who had purchased full coverage through the car rental agency, had damage and was charged anyway, and was still fighting 2 months later trying to get the charges removed from their credit card.

I would like to read this article about this person if you run across it.

We rarely rent cars, but last fall in Norway we did buy insurance at the agency that brought our maximum deductible down to around $150. Thankfully we didn't have to use the insurance, but it did give me peace of mind that I wouldn't end up with a huge charge on my CC if something happened.

We always buy the full insurance when we rent overseas. We have Amex Platinum and have that rental car insurance for in the US, but for overseas I do not want to mess with it. Plus, it does not cover liability. For the extra cost, it is peace of mind for us and just part of the trip cost.

When we were in Ireland, our credit card company said that it was one of two European countries that they would not cover under their car insurance plan....Ireland and Italy. That may explain the problem someone had with Ireland. The credit card company said that there was more risk in Ireland and Italy.

"A friend of ours has a relative who was in Ireland. Their rental car was damaged. They had coverage through their own credit card or auto insurance. The rental car company charged their credit card $22,000 for damage."

Actually, that's exactly how it works if you elect to use a premium credit card for insurance coverage in Ireland - and for any other country come to that.
If there's a mishap the rental car company won't be the one going to your CC company to settle - they'll be settling with you on the spot and it's then your responsibility to petition the CC company for reimbursement after the fact.
Though this is a rather extreme example, it's why I personally elect to book thru AutoEurope (not the rental car company, whose insurance costs are extremely overpriced), when making a booking. I realize I can save money up front by relying on the insurance coverage provided by my premium card(s) but I choose not to do so in order to avoid any potential drama after the fact (As was the case here) should I actually need to file a claim. Being pulled thru the knothole of having to deal with the CC bureaucracy is a potential fun-factor I don't particularly need at my age.
Might add that the rental car company will place a hold on your credit card to cover potential damages if you elect to go with the CC insurance coverage. Last time we did this it was 5,000 Euros - another reason we opt to just do it the easy way thru AutoEurope.

The new way for me to approach rental car insurance has been solved in my mind. Pending any accidents that contradict this I will proceed in my rental car life in this manner.
I have Allianz travel insurance annual. It includes car rental coverage to $45,000. I am renting a car in the notorious no CC coverage in Ireland. I called Allianz and they said I was covered. They volunteered in the conversation that they would deal with the car company in event of damage. There is no requirement to refuse any car rental insurance.
Sounds good, yes. In a past travel medical problem having Allianz was a breeze. The med incident resulted in hospitalization and extended tests overseas. Alliance was in touch with me and the hospital throughout. Showing nothing but concern. And, when we walked out of the hospital, the bill was already taken care of by Allianz.
This is my experience with them and so I trust what they have told me about car rental coverage insurance by them.

Treemoss,

When you say that you have Allianz travel insurance annual, which level do you have -- basic, prime, executive, or premier?
Thanks.

Allianz all trip premier is what I have. $485 annual for both of us.

I don’t think a $22,000 bill is possible in Ireland either. The excess in Europe is usually only around €1000 max with other insurance automatically included by law.