Comments on: Rental Car Insurance Options

By: Richard

Richard — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:51:19 +0000

I live in the Continental US and have liability only. I rent my car for business which is not covered by my personal insurance. I am looking to buy auto rental insurance separate from the rental cars insurance at the counter and to keep it separate from my personal insurance even if I were able to go that route. If I had a claim it would not count against me if I keep it separate.

Does anyone know where I can buy this kind of insurance that includes collision. My visa card would only cover damage to the rental vehicle.

By: Barry

Barry — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 19:01:48 +0000

We intend to rent a car in Ireland next month. It is hard to get a clear idea exactly what they are going to charge. Taking your advise I called Visa and they said they did not cover Ireland. I called Master Card and Citi and was told that my Citi World Master Card would cover it even in Ireland and they would send me a letter to prove it. Maybe the policy has changed at Citi.

By: TFB

TFB — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:22:52 +0000

@Murphy – I rented from Europcar back in 2009. I don’t remember whether they charged up front or not. If they did, they refunded in full, no fees.

By: Murphy

Murphy — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 22:09:55 +0000

I am going to Ireland in 2 months and have a World Mastercard. Thank you for all the information about coverage and CDW. I will def check my coverage within the 60 days.

My question is what is a decent car rental company to use? I read on some other forums that some companies (when you decline their CDW) will not just put a HOLD on your cc for a certain amount, they will actual charge your cc. And after the car is returned, you will get your refund back (minus fees). Is this true?

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.