Mexico liability
 

Has anyone seen in writing where Avis has liability insurance standard on their rental cars in Mexico? I have been told by Avis that they do and have read it on TUG that they do but have not seen the writen proof of this.

Thanks
Bill

Wirelessly posted (FlyerTalk.com/wap is fun : Mozilla/4.0 (compatible; MSIE 6.0; Windows CE; IEMobile 7.11) 320x240; VZW; Motorola-Q9c; Windows Mobile 6.1 Standard)

information on the policy is given when you purchase it. its been a couple years since I did it, but back then it was at san. only certain car classes were eligible for the insurance too.

I just rented from Avis in Cancun, was told that "basic" liability is included.

I am bumping this as I will probably rent from CUN soon. I recall from the past that in Mexico you are assumed at fault in an accident and must provide your insurance or go directly to jail. Is that still the case and regarding Avis, which is the right insurance to have?

It's funny on the Avis website that all optional insurance is grayed out for Mexico. I see
Loss Damage Waiver (LDW)
( 25.00 USD Per Day )
Personal Accident Insurance (PAI)
( 3.99 USD Per Day )
Personal Effects Protection (PEP)
Not Available
Additional Liability Insurance (ALI)
( 11.99 USD Per Day )

But it is grayed out and I cannot select it?

I rented recently (June) in Cabo and the Avis counter was explicit that there was NO liability insurance on the car and that my AMEX did not cover me in Mexico. They wanted $17/day for basic coverage. I declined, drove like hell (as one does on the streets in Mexico), and was fine. Your risk tolerance may vary from mine however.

Avis MAY have changed its policy. The site used to list something like "Avis policies in Mexico" and they clearly stated that basic personal liability insurance (not insurance on the vehicle itself) was included in the rental price quote. We have always let our credit card insurance (which becomes primary in Mexico) cover the vehicle itself and declined anything from the rental company.

As to being assumed guilty in Mexico and taken directly to jail, as a long time property owner and part time resident of Mexico, that's not entirely true. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE PERSONAL liability insurance, that is what will happen to you. If you do have PERSONAL liability insurance, which covers damage you do to other people or their property, Mexican police have no reason to take you to jail. Their concern is totally with your ability to pay for any damage you are determined to have caused. With insurance, they know damages will be covered. Without insurance, they hold you until they know you can pay for any damages the court may later assign (even if the accident was not your fault; it's a precautionary measure, no different for Mexicans than for Americans.) They are totally un-interested in whether you have insurance on your vehicle; that's your problem to solve. Other people are their problem.

All that said, the Avis site no longer has a "policy" section for each country, and I can't find a notation saying that basic personal liability insurance is included in the quote. I would never risk driving in Mexico without it--though I would decline higher levels.

I declined all coverage for my recent CUN rental. I paid about $450 for 10 days of a VW Jetta with unlimited mileage.

The car had a lot of nicks and tiny dents which I noted before I left the lot. But upon return there was no mention made of anything and no extra charges.

I reserved a D and the Jetta upgrade was an F apparently.

Just for the record, if you have an American Express, you can add the "Premium Car Rental Insurance" ($24.95 per rental period) and are covered with primary insurance, even in Mexico.

I would definitely suggest looking over the entire car and insisting that the Avis employee writes down EVERYTHING wrong on the car... they go over it with a fine-tooth comb when you return it -- moreso than in the States!