Rental Car Insurance?...

[patches-4]

O.K. I need some info from those of you who rent cars more than1 time every 2 yrs. Do you or don't you take the extra insurance? I have already checked with me insurance and I know what they cover, but am just curious as to how many of you take out the extra insurance or do you just take your chances of not having an accident?

 

[Dopey & Grumpy]

Our insurance covers any vehicle we drive in the United States, including rentals. So we don't take the insurance offered by the rental companies. If we were driving outside the US, we would take the insurance. No matter how good a driver you are, you always have remember that the "other guy" may not be as good. We always opt on the safe side but that's just my opinion. We've been very fortunate that in all times we've rented, we've never been in an accident (knock on wood!!), but we felt better knowing if it happened, we'd be covered.

 

[Cruise]

I hope no one minds if I throw my question in here since it's on the same subject

Wasn't there, at one time, a credit card that you could rent a car with and it *automatically* gave you the additional insurance? Through the credit card company, I mean. Maybe it was American Express or a Gold Mastercard... something like that.

Does anyone know if any of the credit card companies still offer this perk? And, if so, would it also apply for rentals outside the US?

Thanks!
Julie

 

[DMRick]

All credit cards differ, so check with your company. Both our citibank and att cards are gold and platinum (I believe they have to be one or the other) and they cover what my personal car insurnace won't cover. There is a catch..no matter how much the car rental companies "bug" me (gotta love emerald aisle..they already know I won't get it), I cannot have gotten their expensive insurance, and still be covered by my credit card. I actually had to call my insurance company in front of a rental clerk (cell phone) when they kept telling me I wouldn't be covered. My cc company will NOT give me any coverage if I buy the rental insurance.

 

[DebbieB]

I never buy the insurance. I have my personal policy, plus my credit card has the coverage. National has never hassled me about this. Before I had Emerald Club, they asked at the counter, I said no, and that was it. With Emerald Club, it's on my profile declining insurance, so they don't even ask.

 

[seashoreCM]

If you want to decline insurance, be prepared to quietly repeat that desire. Rental agents have the darndest ways to convince you to buy the rental company insurance and damage coverages. Don't agree or disagree with what they say (example, "Florida law requires that cars go out with collision insurance" which is false), just say again quietly that you are declining the coverage.

By the way, the rental company collision coverage is not insurance, it is just an extra fee for their promise not to charge you for any such damage. So any attempt to convince you to buy that coverage is nothing more than a price increase.

If you do not have a credit card with the rental collision perk and also you do not have collision insurance on a car you own, you should buy the rental company's collision.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm