Comments on: Rental Car Insurance Options

By: Philip Litteer

Philip Litteer — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 23:40:39 +0000

Get the extra damage waiver if you are unsure of your coverage! I was recently in Ireland and was involved in an accident that demolished my rented car. The car was virtually new showing just over 2000 kilometers on the odometer at the time. It smelled and drove like a car just out of the showroom. The accident left it totalled.
Thank God there were no injuries in the accident (it was close). I had a replacement car from the rental agency the same afternoon (which I drove with some fear), and there was no hassel whatsoever. No out of pocket money to me, insurance took care of everything. Do not try to save a few hundred dollars if it might cost you several thousands in out of pocket liability. Get all the insurance you can !

By: TFB

TFB — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 06:51:32 +0000

@Warren Vin – Thank you for the note. I corrected it in the article.

By: Warren Vin

Warren Vin — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 04:00:48 +0000

Actually, the article is NOT correct – It states that the PREMIUM AMEX policy does not cover loss of use. Item 2 under “Benefits” clearly lists “Loss of Use”. Loss of Use IS COVERED.

By: Kevin Neal

Kevin Neal — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 05:31:32 +0000

I have a CitiBank World MasterCard. The “Summary of Additional Program Information” from Sep 1, 2010 states the following for the MasterRental Insurance:

Where you are covered:
In general, coverage applies worldwide, but there are exceptions:
-You may be unable to receive benefits in Australia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, and New Zealand. Please contact your vehicle rental agency before you travel.

I called the number for clarification, during which the automated message summarized the same information to me before I could reach a human. That message only included Australia, New Zealand, and (I think) Italy. When I reached the operator, she clarified that the World MasterCard *does* cover damage/theft/etc, but that some car rental companies require purchase of insurance to rent the car.

Hope this helps. Safe travels to all!

By: Kristin Lambert

Kristin Lambert — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:37:33 +0000

I will also be going to Ireland and will rent a car in September. First off, thank you so much for this posting! I had already been told by the issuing bank that my credit card did not include CDW coverage in Ireland, but after reading your forum notes I realized that since it is a World Mastercard, they might have been wrong. Thank heaven I called again to the Master Rentals Insurance Claims Department and got the correct information (1-877-382-3933 – press #3)

I learned that although my World Master Card (Lufthansa Miles & More which also accumulates frequent flyer miles) does cover CDW all over Ireland, the letter of coverage is only good for 60 days, so you must call to ask for it and have it dated within 60 days of your rental of the car.

By: Cam

Cam — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 20:01:02 +0000

I have been going to Ireland nearly yearly (and sometimes twice a year) for over 23 years and have seen so many changes in credit card coverages and even scams by the Irish rental companies. I am going again in 12 days and checked all my World Mastercards again and they all cover the Rep. of Ireland. Some of them will say that they don’t on websites (www.benefitinformationcenter.com) but press to speak to an expert, or call 800-622-7747 and give them all your card numbers to have each one checked out. Learning from my experiences and family and friends, I have not heard of a World card that does not cover you on car rental collision any-where in the world. I saw the post that says Citibank may not- so check that out. Bank of America seems to be the easier and quickest place to get a World card and has several to choose from. Also, ask Mastercard to email you a letter stating that your credit card offers collision protection. They will gladly do it in about a day. They know that it is difficult to rent cars in Ireland without the letter.
Drive safely! We need to get this insurance lowered and more credit cards covering it.

By: TFB

TFB — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:25:09 +0000

ann, lynn – See comment #8. World MasterCard covered me in Republic of Ireland.

By: lynn

lynn — Sat, 01 May 2010 03:09:46 +0000

I thought that World MasterCard covered Republic of Ireland as well as Northern Ireland. Please advise.

By: ann

ann — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:55:17 +0000

World MasterCard rental car insurance is accepted only in Northern Ireland, so if you pick up your card there you are ok. I checked with MasterCard yesterday and got that information. Is it necessary to purchase excess coverage if offered if the rental fee includes CDW?

By: TFB

TFB — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 01:49:38 +0000

Barbara – Call 1-800-MCASSIST to confirm your coverage. If you picked out a rental car company in Ireland, you can call them as well.