Car rental

Some credit cards? Yes.
Yours? Beats me. And you shouldn't take legal advice from me, anyway -- I could be a crazed lunatic.

Nobody here can tell you what to do. You need to call the insurance folks for your credit card and give them all your details, and let them tell you what they will and won't do for you. You need to understand what they say, so get it it writing.

FWIW, I just rented a car in Ireland a few days ago for my trip there this summer. I checked with my credit card company and I will have full coverage provided through them.

But I am not you, you have your own credit card and live in a different state. You need to do the homework and understand what they say. Do the work now: when you arrive on the other side of the world, jetlagged and stressed out, feeling pressure to hurry because 10 people in line behind you are giving you the stinkeye...that's no time to try and learn about the limits of coverage. Know before you go. The only way to know is to contact the people you would depend on -- your credit card folks -- and get the lowdown from them (and make sure you understand it all).

There's potentially a lot at stake (money and hassles). It's worth an investment of your time to figure it out so you can make the right choice with confidence.

Yes, it’s confusing. The first thing to understand is that CDW is required in Ireland. And as David notes, whether your credit card company will cover CDW in Ireland depends on your credit card. Super CDW is an add on. I believe, but I could be wrong, that what is included in Super CDW varies at each rental agency. Since David isn’t a lawyer he didn’t tell you to read the fine print. So please do.

Here is what I believe to be true.

All rental cars will come with "Third Party Coverage". This covers injury to others (not you and your passengers, I suspect) This cannot be declined.

You will be offered Collision Damage Waiver and Super CDW. Terms may very but the super covers more items on the vehicle you rent and has lower deductible.

You may decline both of the above but you must provide a letter, dated not more that 21 days before your rental, where your credit card company says it will provide the coverage and it MUST state that Ireland and Northern Ireland are included.

Chase Visa covers this with a letter if you use their Sapphire card.

Hope this helps.....please include all the usual caveats about accepting advice from strangers on the internet that troll around web sites offering candy to strangers......

My normal "premium American Express coverage" doesn't cover Ireland. My regular American Express does cover Ireland. To use it, it's important that the rental is only charged on one card (Amex) and that I decline the agents CDW. It has limits and it's important to understand their coverage before you use it. The premium worked when I dented my car in France last June.

Brad brings up a good point. In addition to finding our the exact coverage your card does or does not provide, and getting it in writing (handy to settle disputes when you get to the rental desk and they say you are not covered when you actually are), find out exactly what you have to do to make the coverage valid.

There was a post here a few years ago: a husband and wife had separate cards tied to the same Amex account. They booked the car rental with one card, but actually paid for the rental with the other. When they had a problem, their claim was then rejected because they had not used the exact same Amex card for booking and paying.

Thanks to those of you offering up good information in helpful and patient ways. It is very much appreciated. First two cc’s I called on did indeed offer the coverage needed( one being the Costco visa) Had them email details - thanks for mentioning I need another verification sent within several weeks of travel. Over the years I have found this forum to most times being a friendly tool in helping many travelers tweak their plans and navigate “ roadblocks”. Jt

I am traveling in Ireland in June and plan on renting a car for 6 days, Dublin airport with return there. I have also done a lot of research and know that my Southwest Airlines credit card comes with rental car coverage that will cover the rental. But in looking at the rental car rates it looks like it is less than $200 to add the CDW coverage for a six day rental. I would be interested in knowing how it worked for someone who had to make use of credit card provided insurance for an accident they had in Ireland. From what I can ascertain it can be pretty messy and take weeks to resolve. We are traveling with another couple and would split the cost and I am thinking simply peace of mind might be worth another $100 each, which in the total cost of the trip is not much. Feedback from others would be appreciated.

Keep in mind there is CDW and super CDW. There is generally a healthy deductible with CDW. Usually around 2,000 euros, but that will depend on the company and the vehicle you're renting. They will generally place a hold on your credit card for about that amount. Without CDW you are liable for all damages and some companies will put considerably higher holds. Sometimes you can find a decently priced deal that includes CDW. Super CDW reduces liability to a small amount, often 0. The company still might place a small hold on your card (like 100 euros). Coverages vary from company to company and there are certain exclusions. I have no experience filing a claim with a credit card company that offers coverage. Likely would depend on the company. As many others have said in various threads, you need to do your homework and read the fine print. And if planning to use a coverage from a credit card company you need to check with them to know what they'll cover and you'll likely need a letter from them to be able to waive CDW.

And for the record, Dooley's rental has a good reputation but was bought out and is now basically a front for Enterprise and Alamo. That doesn't mean they aren't reputable or that they should be avoided. Only that it's no longer the same company that was often recommended.

Yes, I have studied the various options and will be going the Super route to reduce the liability to zero, and they do put a $100 hold on the credit card which is no biggie. Since we are splitting the cost with another couple the peace of mind and being able to just walk away from the car when we turn it in is worth it. I called and my credit card would provide coverage but if needed it seems like it could take far more work than I want to deal with. My time is worth money also.....

Of course, it’s better to have coverage and not have a claim, than the other way ‘round, and in a perfect situation there’ll be no damage to any car or passengers, but if you DO have any claim, you will need thorough documentation and it may take months for your credit card company to process it. We’re still dealing with a pending claim on a wheel/tire blowout from a rental in Sicily from last fall.

We were just discussing this the past weekend....I appreciate some of the tips. I have the car booked through National because of our corporate arrangement but my corp card is on file, this will not be the card that I will use to pay for the rental. I see that could be a potential issue.