Has anyone had any luck with a rental car company accepting 3rd party insurance such as Travel Guard, CSA etc.? Last year I had coverage for a rental car through CSA but Thrifty at the airport in Glasgow didn't accept it because I didn't make the reservation through Thrifty/UK, I used Thrifty.com. Also at the airport in Amsterdam Europcar didn't accept the insurance because the clerk at the counter said I had to take their insurance or use the coverage furnished by my Visa card.
Not much point in paying for 3rd party car rental insurance if the folks at the counter are just going to give a thumbs down to it.
If you have been able to use it how does it work? If you have to make a claim does the car rental agency take the deductible out of your credit card and then you file a claim with the 3rd party insurance company?
Thanks for any info. Don
Posted by
Rick Steves' Europe
16893 posts
Travel Guard, for instance, only sells the car insurance as part of a larger travel insurance package, but is supposed to refund that add-on if it's not accepted in Europe. See our latest take on that at the bottom of https://ricksteves-cms.herokuapp.com/travel-tips/transportation/car-rental-cdw.
Posted by
US Pacific Northwest
10344 posts
I guess that another way of thinking about this issue is: if there is damage, will a car rental company "accept" your 3rd party coverage by dealing with the 3rd party, instead of taking your deductible out of your credit card, and letting you deal with your 3rd party?
Not sure why they would do that.
I think the guy said: in travel if you're lucky you may get what you pay for, but you never get what you didn't pay for.
Posted by
Tresana, Highlands Ranch, CO, USA
23290 posts
If is matter of contract law. You have a contract with the insurance compact to cover or do certain things. You have a contract with the rental car company for the rental and condition of the car. Two separate, non-related, contracts. Should something happen it is between you and the rental company and then between you and your insurance company. The rental company is not a name insurer in your policy - you are. The rental cannot "accept" your insurance company because they don't know anything about or what they are agreeing to accept. That is not thumbs down. It is being smart. Of course, you last statement is correct. That is exactly how it works.
Also be very careful if using your credit card insurance. You need to understand the fine print very well. Sometimes credit card insurance is secondary to your primary insurance. And if your primary insurance is not valid in Europe (often the case for US companies), then you have no secondary insurance. There have been some horrid stories posted here about three way fights with European car rental, your credit card, and yourself. Some credit card companies like Am Express offer stronger insurance than visa and mastercard. Be well informed.