Ireland Rental Car Confusion

The paragraph you quote is for CDW damage to the car you rent and does not cover Property Damage to someone else's car. It's possible that property damage to someone else's car is required by law to be covered in the rental fee--I don't know and don't count on it, ask Alamo about that and personal injuries to others.Also, the "coverage does not apply in...." got my attention: does the policy cover you in Ireland, yes or no, ask them?Here's another question to ask Alamo: Is there a deductible for the CDW, there often is--and if there is, how much is the deductible and how much more does it cost to pay it your financial exposure down to a lower level, or to zero if you prefer? I've seen CDW coverage in the UK and Ireland that comes with the car (through Alamo, Avis, etc) where, when you read the coverage carefully, you find the deductible is (in the UK, for example) £500, which you may be comfortable with but you'd probably want to know ahead of time. Some US drivers have been unpleasantly surprised to discover how easy it is to put a few dings on a car over there, example would be dinging the hubcaps on the left side of the car on those high curbs while making those left turns onto small roads, the one's that seem unbelievably narrow to us. One or two good dings and you're into hundreds of dollars for replacement hub caps, if there's a CDW deductible. You can go with the deductible if you feel comfortable with that level of exposure, or pay extra (called "super CDW" to get your liability down to zero), but super CDW is often expensive.

Thank you for the advice. I'm going to give them a call today.

I'm also going to call my personal auto insurance provider. It's military family insurance, and I read that coverage doesn't extend beyond the US. I'm not sure, though, if that includes members with auto insurance or not. At the very least it may supplement the rental insurance?

Thanks again!

Hi Jennifer: At least USAA (I'm guessing?) will clearly explain things to you on the phone. Let me know what USAA says, I was under the impression their domestic auto insurance policies don't cover car rental in Ireland, but I might be wrong. Make sure they understand it's Ireland you're talking about, because Ireland is a special case and car rental there is specifically excluded by some credit card policies that cover driving in other European countries (I guess because of high accident rates for American drivers in Ireland?).

Make sure you thoroughly inspect the car for scratches, dents etc. Rentals get banged up easily.

Thanks for the replies. I talked to USAA yesterday - they don't cover rentals overseas. Oh well.

I've heard that we should inspect the car thoroughly, and to be present when they inspect it at dropoff. Very good advice ;)

Yes, that's what USAA has told me. If you pay for the Super CDW that reduces the deductible to zero, then the inspection at the time of rental turn-in isn't that important because your copy of the contract will clearly show that you have no liability for any scratches. If you don't pay the deductible down to zero, then the inspection at turn-in is important.

Also check and see what coverage your credit card company provides. Some don't provide any, some give full coverage. Mine covers liability, so if your does, too, then I think you'd be covered with that plus the insurance covered above.

Caution: Ireland is one of the countries that is specifically excluded from the car rental insurance coverage provided through some credit cards. Suggest you be cautious about assuming that insurance through a credit card will cover you in Ireland--you'd want to ask the credit card company and/or read the terms of coverage.

Having just called MasterCard World who manages my USAA credit card, you will have coverage for your car rental in Ireland. You must use that card for the rental and reject the coverage from the rental company. The MasterCard people will email or postal mail you the document that details the coverage. So call 800-622-7747. I have a platinum American Express and they do NOT provide car insurance coverage for Ireland... so it is good you have USAA!

Mike-

Thanks for the reply! I called USAA directly and was told that they won't cover my rental outside the US. Maybe there are different tiers to their Mastercards for active duty and family? My husband is no longer in the military - which might be why your card has better perks than ours. Just a guess :)

It doesn't matter what bank or organization you have your credit card from in order to have CDW covered. The ONLY U.S. credit card that will cover you in Ireland is a World Mastercard (gold or platinum). I believe all the cards start with the numbers 5466. You can call Mastercard assist (1-800-MC-ASSIST) and confirm your coverage. They e-mailed me confirmation of coverage in Ireland.

Dan- thanks for the reply! I called the MC number you'd listed and they were very helpful. Turns out that the "World" MC is the one that carries overseas rental insurance. Mine is just a Platinum, not a "World" Platinum. Haha- so confusing!

I rented a car through Auto Europe with all of the insurance bells and whistles. Online I was able to get the insurance down to a $2000 deductible. I called Avis, where we'll pick up the car, and will be able to add extra coverage down to $0 at the desk. It will still be cheaper than contacting a rental company directly.

Thanks again for all of the advice! 12 days until we leave!