Originally Posted by
Evan!
I have personal coverage through Lib Mutual as a driver. But LM told me I am covered for other cars in an accident but no the rental car I am driving. The premium protection from Amex gives me a great deal of peace-of-mind. I used it once and both the rental car was covered and the other car (parking lot fender bender.. my fault) was completely covered. I had only one slight hassle. Amex doesn't pay for administrative fees the car rental company imposes. Hertz charged $500 which I had to pay. I did some FT research and found others miffed about their high admin fee. At the time I gathered it was the highest of the major carriers. I stopped renting from Hertz (except for a couple of Priceline bids). Rental companies can also charge you for the lost revenue while the car is being repaired. This was covered by Amex. Lib mutual was never involved.
If your personal auto insurance does not cover damage to rental cars, and assuming that you are not renting some exotic or very expensive (i.e. more than $50,000) car, then you are throwing out money by purchasing the Amex coverage. Just charge the rental to a credit card that offers LDW for free. While such coverage (other than that provided by Diner's Club) is "secondary," that only means that it is secondary to other available insurance. If you have no other available insurance that covers the damage to the rental car, then the credit card's LDW becomes primary.