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AMEX CDW not valid in Italy

Posted by (Honolulu, HI) on

I'm taking a trip to Italy in December and renting a car. Thought I research the CDW on the credit cards. Turns out AMEX excludes Italy (See below). My personal insurance (Allstate) excludes Europe as well. Chase Sapphire Premiere VISA does cover but not as primary as evidently all cars in Italy come with some type of primary insurance. Just an FYI. I'll be using my Chase card.

AMEX RENTAL FAQ
6. Where am I covered?
Coverage is available internationally, except for vehicles rented in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand. Please note that, in the event any coverage provided by this policy would be in violation of US economic or trade sanctions, such coverage shall be null and void.

For OPEN Card Members, coverage is available within the United States, its territories and possessions with the exception of Business Platinum Card® and Business Delta Reserve; for these cards coverage is available internationally, except for vehicles rented in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica and New Zealand. Please note that, in the event any coverage provided by this policy would be in violation of US economic or trade sanctions, such coverage shall be null and void.

For Centurion® Members, please see americanexpress.com/CenturionCRLDITerms. For Business Centurion® Members, please see americanexpress.com/BusinessCenturionCRLDITerms.

Posted by
3603 posts

We have Chase United Mileage Plus cards, which do cover rentals in Italy. We had occasion to use the rental car insurance on our last trip, and it was handled very smoothly. I suggest you call to see if your flavor of Chase card does the same.

Posted by
8162 posts

Optional rental car CDW is required by law in Italy and it includes theft of the car. However the price is quite reasonable which would me think the Italian government has regulations on what prices can be charged.
You just have to be careful in that rental companies will sometimes will add a secondary theft insurance for your personal belongings. Speak up and turn down that coverage, as most renters' homeowners' coverage is in force outside of the U.S.
What most people don't realize is that credit card coverage on rental cars charged in most countries is secondary to their personal collision and comprehensive insurance back home and the coverage offered by credit card companies.

CDW is a big money maker for rental cars. What's strange in the U.S. is that most rental car companies are "self insured" on the comp/collision on CDW. They pocket the money internally and pay for damages out of pocket.

Posted by
7570 posts

A credit card policy not covering Italy and Ireland (and the other countries mentioned) is more common than cards that do.

I typically do not like to rely on standard Credit Card coverage in Europe anyway. I have used AMEX's premium coverage that costs a flat rate for the rental that is much more comprehensive, and I have sprung for full CDW from the rental agency, especially if only renting for a day or two..

Posted by
32219 posts

Joe,

You might find it helpful to download the free car rental guide at www.gemut.com as that has a section that covers the topic of CDW in Italy.

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