Question about collision insurance in Italy

I am bumping this up in hopes you will get a response. My understanding is you have to have the rental company’s insurance in Italy, but that may not be correct.

It has been several years, but when I rented a car in Italy the daily $0 deductible coverage was 10-15 euro per day.

I did some search and found coverage through Lloyds for the entire week for around $30

I have no knowledge about what your AIG policy covers. You should ask them.

I had rented from Hertz and they asked for no 'proof of insurance' to cover the 3000 euro deductible that applied then. They had my credit card info so, I suspect they did not care if I had some other way to pay for the 'deductible', they knew they were going to get that amount, one way or another.

Unless there has been a change you do not have to buy the $0 deductible coverage from them, but if you have no other coverage you could be on the hook for whatever the deductible is on your contract/rental agreement, in the event there is some damage.

We buy the zero deductible "Super Coverage" form Hertz when we rent in Italy (which is rarely). This means we can walk away from anything that happens to the car, no further charge. My understanding is that if you have less than the "Super Coverage" you could be liable for anything the location you return the car to sees fit to charge you.

This happened to a relative of mine in Croatia. He had 3000 Euro deductible and they tried to charge him for every scratch on the car, things that in the U.S. would never attract attention. He had to argue that the items were there when he rented, even though he had a sheet from the location where the rental started that acknowledged the prior scratches.

The "Super Coverage" is a sanity saver.

celfan, I am by no means an expert on this subject, but I’ll share 2 anecdotes, which might be relevant. A few years ago, I rented a car in Sicily for a short rental. After a lot of research on cars, rates and reviews, I ended up renting from the airport branch of the German company Sixt. I had a fine experience, new car, excellent service, low cost, no problems. I was offered a free upgrade, which I declined because I did not want a larger car, given where I was headed. Just recently I made my first subsequent rental, for a week from Seattle-Tacoma airport. Again, plenty of research on cars, rates and reviews, and I ended up with another rental from Sixt, now expanding in the US. Again a very positive experience in all regards, including a price considerably lower than most firms. I ordered a mid-size car, like a Toyota Corolla, but when I arrived I was told the only available car in that size needed servicing, so I was given a free upgrade to a GMC Arcadia, a much larger vehicle, but certainly a very comfortable ride. So, I am now a believer in Sixt. In Italy, I would certainly encourage the zero-deductible insurance. Not only does that offer you the no-hassle insurance protection, it also removes any incentive rental staff may have for finding some ding or scratch when you turn the car in.

Any required CDW is already included in your Italian rental price quote and probably has a deductible. I don't think Rick's info is necessarily saying that you can't buy separate, additional insurance to cover the deductible, also called Super CDW, but he does say that credit card coverage usually won't kick in for that. You must read the rules of the policy you plan to purchase.

If you book through www.autoeurope.com, they sell insurance from the rental agency, but often at a discount. On my test dates, they did not offer Hertz in Prato, but Avis, Budget, and Europcar, with zero-deductible insurance adding $10-11/day.

Wow

Thanks to everyone for the help!

I found out my Chase Sapphire Preferred Visa will cover me with a zero deductible. Supposedly will cover the trip insurance I usually buy as well. I've been told not to buy any other insurance or that could screw up a claim with Chase. Savings of over $200. Hoping I understand this correctly.

But it's Italy, so you can never really be sure. Part of the charm and adventure. And speaking of adventure, I'm a bit nervous about driving in Italy. My personal profanity record which I set driving in Ireland a few years ago might be in jeopardy.

What steps do I need to take to ensure that Auto
Rental CDW is in effect when I rent a vehicle?
Here’s what you need to do:
1.

Initiate and complete the entire rental transaction using your card
that is eligible for the benefit.
2.

Decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver or similar
provision if it is offered to you. The company may refer to the
collision damage waiver as CDW or LDW in their contract or when
speaking with you.
if you accept the collision damage waiver
offered by the rental company, you will not be eligible for
Auto Rental Cd
W.

This is what I found on the Chase site. You may want to call Chase to get clarification. As I read it Italy would be excluded

The CDW in Italy cannot be declined, and usually has a deductible of 1000-3000 euro.

Chase doesn’t cover Italy. You can’t decline CDW in Italy, therefore you cannot abide by the terms of the chase policy and will not be covered.

very confusing after reading this guy's story

https://milepro.com/chase-sapphire-preferred-rental-car-insurance-coverage/

I’m not sure about that.
I use a consolidator
www.autoeurope.com
www.kemwel.com
The work with the major companies in Italy (Hertz, Europcar, Avis Budget) often at a cheaper price than directly.
Insurance is included and I even select the zero deductible option for $4 a day extra.
If you can do better directly and insuring with Chase, be my guest. Let me know how it works. In a chase customer too.

celfan,

According to the free rental car guide provided by www.gemut.com.....

"In both Italy and Israel, CDW and theft coverage must be purchased from the rental company. Some credit cards offer coverage in Italy, but it means nothing because all major rental companies require the purchase of CDW and theft insurance. The only question left is will your credit card reimburse the deductible in case of damage or theft? Apparently Visa will, but confirm with them. This a murky area."

For driving in Italy, you'll also need the compulsory International Driver's Permit which is used in conjunction with your home D.L. You'll need to be vigilant to avoid the ZTL (limited traffic) areas which exist in most Italian town, as hefty fines will result for each pass through one.

Regarding AMEX auto insurance, the following applies to their normal credit card coverage as well as their premium coverage:

Coverage is worldwide, except for vehicles rented in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand.

Regarding Chase Sapphire you should call the plan administrator for clarification and get a determination in writing.

What if the auto rental company insists that I purchase its car insurance or collision damage waiver?
Call the Benefit Administrator for help.

When and where am I covered?
The benefit is available in the United States and most foreign countries. Coverage is not available where it is prohibited by law or by individual merchants, or is in violation of the territory terms of the rental agreement. Please note: Regulations vary outside the United States , so we recommend that you check with your auto rental company and Benefit Administrator before you travel to make sure your Auto Rental CDW will apply.

Use Auto Europe 'super cover', if possible. Hertz is terribly expensive for a casual renter. I've used Maggiore with full coverage in the past but the price crept up comparatively over the years.

Thanks to everyone, help is much appreciated.

I think I'm just going to go with Auto Europe, there's too much valuable vacation time at risk. Unfortunately, small cars with auto aren't available with auto transmission in Prato so I'll have to rent at airport.

I used a Capital One credit card, which insures a rental car when you use it. Following the card's info, I made a copy of their insurance and took it with me to the rental company in Rome. If you buy insurance through rental company, it negates the Capital One insurance. Three times I was presented with the paperwork from the rental employee, three times I gave it back and refused their insurance. I was very insistent, almost to the point of being rude, the final time and they finally waived the insurance. That was Hertz.

My recollection of renting a car in Italy using credit-card insurance (Chase Reserve) was that Chase said it was OK to not waive the built-in insurance because they knew it was required by law -- so I just waived all the optional insurance.