Italy fender bender

They are screwed. Sorry.

Most US Credit Cards clearly state that there is no coverage for rental cars in certain countries and Italy is almost always one. You are technically supposed to be required to take out insurance in Italy as a result because of the high accident/theft rate relative to the rest of Europe.

I'm sorry to hear about your family members close encounter with a wall. It could happen to any of us. A word to those here who have not driven in Italy but are planning to: If you're reading the above post and are thinking to yourself, how could somebody scrape the rear of their rental car on a wall, that's not going to happen to me--if that's what you're thinking, then you probably haven't driven in Italy yet. Scraping the car on walls and on corners of buildings is actually a very common kind of one-car accident for American drivers in Italy. If you don't understand how this could happen, you will--the first time you get off the Italian freeways and drive into an Italian town or village.

I've learned the hard way to get as small and narrow a car as will accommodate your group and their luggage. You don't want to be "upgraded" to a bigger car by the rental company because they're out of the small cars that the experienced drivers demand. And making sure you're covered for collision damage gives you some peace of mind as you're making those tight turns into unbelievably narrow streets and the rear half of your car is getting closer and closer to the corner of that building.

As a fellow wall-scraper (thankfully? in Heidelberg, not in Italy), I empathize. I had a respectful disagreement in another thread with someone who felt that 4 people with luggage should get a Ford Mondeo whereas I said go smaller having just returned from Europe and driving a Ford Mondeo and scraping a wall in a parking garage...on our last day with the dadgum car. Can't help you with the insurance issue, though. Just comiserating. We are still waiting for the final outcome on our little mishap.

Nancy

We rented two cars last year in Italy (8 folks traveling together). One car was dinged in the parking lot (none of us were in it). The other car had a too-close encounter with a rock wall. We had every kind of insurance possible on those vehicles and we did not receive a bill for the repair work. Yes, it's expensive to purchase the CDW but....

I echo the comments above - especially Kent's regarding tight spots - You just cannot believe some of the corners and turns you have to make in small villages...

I rent in Italy often - and even though it is expensive - I always take full coverage. There's just too many "variables" and crazy drivers here! And repair costs are OUT OF SIGHT!

I have a Platinum AMEX, one of the best travel cards you can get with GREAT support, and they DO NOT insure in Italy, one of five countries/locations in the world they will not cover! I do not even use it here, rather my Capital One with no fees. So most credit cards are useless for insurance coverage in Italy! I'm afraid based on my exepriences, like the previous posts says, they are screwed!

OUCH,
Ron

Yes, ALWAYS take the insurance.
A VERY good friend of mine, who worked for years in Europe, always took out the insurance, because in all the times he rented (many), NOT ONCE did he return a car with both mirrors still attached. He 'credited' the narrow streets and close building and being made for carts, and scraping is just part of the driving experience to be accepted if you get off the major roads.

Ray

Sounds like more good reasons to take the trains when possible. Leave the rental cars and associated headaches behind. Yes, my wife put a minor little 1 inch scratch on the bumper of our rental vehicle while removing a piece of luggage from the trunk. Unfortunately the "charge" was huge for the amount of damage but still came in under the deductible. I really hate the stress of dealing with rental vehicles.

No but they should prepare themselves for a hefty fee. Or become best friends with a guy who does body work on cars.
They are looking at minimum 800 to 1000 euros for this kind of damage. They could try and get the car fixed before returning it, but unless they speak fantastic Italian AND a buddy who knows somebody who would do it cheap, they will be paying a lot.

If they have the work done, as Clair suggests, and it's discovered, be prepared for some serious legal issues.
Making an intentional 'modification' to the car is a serious matter.

Drivers who have not driven in Italy but are headed over to do just that, should read this thread. Human nature being what it is, rarely does anyone here write in to admit that they scratched their Italian rental car or knocked off the sideview mirrors. What we get here is the "hey no problem, go for it" kind of reply--when what newbie drivers to Italy really need is a more balanced kind of view that admits that you should be prepared for very different driving conditions, primarily some unbelievably narrow "roads" once you get off the autostradas. Driving rental cars in the US, I've never damaged a car out of 200 rentals; but in Europe I'm 2 out of 10 for damaging rental cars and those 2 times I was really glad I was covered financially.The people in this thread who scraped the car on a wall "went for it" with no insurance, and unfortunately for them they got nailed and now will have to pay--I hope this is not a huge financial burden for them but it could be. It could happen to you, to any of us. Make sure you're covered for damage to the car, to a level you can afford--you're more likely to need it over there than here. This is not intended to scare you away from renting a car in Italy--I've driven part of every Italian trip I've done to get places I couldn't efficiently get to by train--a car for Tuscany is great. You just need to know that driving conditions over there are different than here and it's somewhat more likely you'll ding up the car--so you'll have more peace of mind if you're covered to a financial level you're comfortable with.

Boy I echo Kent's sentiments. My record here - with thousands of kilometers driven - is about the same: 20% of the time I get a ding, a scrape, or lose a hubcab!

Once I came out from dinner and someone had "hooked" my bumper and pulled it off! So even if it's NOT YOUR FAULT, you better have insurance!

I know it may seem like a waste of money, and I always take the credit card insurance option in the States, but here - better safe than sorry!

I sleep (married) with my insurance agent & he says never rent a car without having full coverage. He knows all the legalities & says it's not worth it mentally or financially to go without any & all coverage available. We will be driving for the first time in Italy in 3 weeks so I have read carefully all the posts re: car rental. Having rented cars numerous times in the UK have taught us lessons. He did "crunch" a fender on one of those trips & was so very glad he had accepted all the coverage offered.

Thanks a million to all who have "gone the extra mile" and posted a reply. I kinda figured from the start, once I got the dreaded phone call about the fender bender, (and the associated details) they may be playing catch-up. Lesson learned. I'll still accept comments, ideas, condolences . . . especially condolences, but I really appreciate hearing from so many folks. Safe travel to you. Chris - in Lawrence, Kansas.

We always take the extra insurance from AMEX for about $25. We have never had to make a claim until our last trip--we had a fender bender in Rothenburg, Germany. It was a dent in the front fender about the size of a very small saucer. We returned the car in Freilassing and there was no English spoken at the Hertz Rental. The damage came to around $900 and long story short, Amex paid everything. We received various letters concerning the damage all written in German. DH called Amex while we were still over there and they assured us it would most likely be taken care of. We also took a close up photo of the damage. We have learned from driving in several countries that car rental agencies really differ on how closely they inspect the returned car. Twice we have dropped off car & put key in a return box--we feel better if we are present for the inspection. Twenty five dollars is well spent for insurance!

How do you use Amex to cover the insurance. Is it through your credit card or at the time of picking up the vehicle?

Amex as well as many other cards, offer extra insurance for rental cars. However, in some countries (I know Visa has Italy, the UK and Ireland listed), they won't cover you period because of the risk.

To David's Point, here is the policy statement from AMEX regarding car rental in Italy:

"Car Rental Loss and Damage Insurance provides the Cardmember, if the Cardmember is the primary renter, with insurance coverage for damage to or theft of most Rental Autos when the Cardmember uses the Card to reserve and pay for an auto rental from any Commercial Car Rental Company (“Rental
Company”) ...... other than those located in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand. "

I would suggest as David points out, check with you personal credit card for your coverage. Most will not cover you here in Italy.

Know before you come, otherwise you may be under a false impression and that can get expensive.

In Italy buy the "extra" coverage... and then can DRIVE with MORE "peace of mind." Ciao!

A question I have, if anyone knows: Let's say you rent a car with your Amex card in a country where the Amex insurance IS valid (not Italy or Ireland, among others), the car is stolen or totaled, that's going to be $30,000 (depending on type)--does the rental car company just say: "Oh no problem, we see you rented with your Amex card, we'll get reimbursed by them." Or do they charge you $30,000 and let you collect from Amex? I'm guessing the latter, but don't know and don't plan to find out (I pay for the CDW)--but I would think anyone relying on their Amex coverage would know or want to know the answer to this question.

Remember too that many rental firms in Europe have "super CDW." In other words, the regular CDW may only cover the damage after a particular deductible of, say, $500 or $1000. They will sell you extra insurance to bring that to zero. But before assuming your credit card or other policy will cover that "super CDW," check with the card or insurance company!

If you used American Express you do not have any worries. They cover it. At least that is what they told me when I had a little problem in France two years ago. A rock on Utah beach. Never heard a word. So I assume American Express handled it.

One need only to wander the streets of Rome and observe the condition of parked cars to conclude that insurance is worth the high cost in Italy. I too will still drive when travelling, but only as a last option and for a specific purpose. (say a few days wandering the countryside in Ireland, Cornwall, or Tuscany)