Car rentals and insurance

For AMEX are you referring to the default coverage provided with the card or the optional program that requires a fee when renting?

The default coverage does not cover liability, just damage to the car, and usually any claim is charged to your card and you hash it out with the Credit companies Insurance carrier. The added coverage for a fee is much better, not sure to the extent of liability coverage. You can call and discuss with the CC company, but usually you get someone that is reading from a script. You might try calling the CC company, ask the who the insurance carrier is, and talk to them.

Thanks, Michael!

Paul - We talked with the insurance specialist at AMEX and she said that we do not have liability coverage through AMEX, just collision and theft. Are you saying that the CDW from the car rental agency DOES include liability? THANKS!

Many times the insurance package you are sold by the rental car company also includes liability, especially if it is a requirement of the country you are renting in (Ireland and Mexico stand out in my experience) but it is hard to say for the specific company you might rent with. Maybe you might ask the CC coverage that if you accept liability, does that nullify any CC coverage (they always say to decline all coverage)

I would think whatever government is involved will require that the car's owner (the rental company) carries liability insurance to protect other drivers/pedestrians. So liability insurance should be included in the basic price of the rental. We have always gotten the Amex extra coverage (at about $18 per rental, much cheaper than the per-day charge from the rental company.)

Your car rental anywhere in the world always includes liability, whether it is broken out as a separate line item or not. [BTW: true in Mexico in response to above.]

Credit card or other third party insurance never includes liability.

So that should be clear now.

What isn't clear to me is whether it is worth buying additional liability over basic, offered in some countries (probably none in Europe) like Mexico, or is this just another car rental scam? [Don't know, so bought it in Mexico.]

What is also not clear to me is why Americans EVER buy CDW from the car rental agency in European countries where is it not required, it just never, never, ever makes any sense financially, or as a way to increase coverage (it never does), or a way to save time or convenience, it won't do that either. Yes, it's really true, free is way better then pricey.

Read page 4 http://www.gemut.com/images/stories/report/carrentalspecialreport.pdf

No you should not be concerned. Liability come with the rental car automatically.

http://www.gemut.com/images/stories/report/carrentalspecialreport.pdf

Paul