Originally Posted by
Metal_Zen
Thank you guv1976 for your reply.
It is the most sensible information I have obtained so far.
As I posted, I will probably just rent as a California resident. bite the bullet and purchase supplemental liability insurance.
However, I guess what I am really trying to get an answer to is what kind of coverage do foreign credit cards give their residents when they travel abroad.
For example, I can prove that I am a legal permanent resident of Japan and I could rent using my Japanese Gold Visa card.
I have contacted Visa Japan and they have confirmed that I can waive all insurance options on a car rental in the US, but I am still not really clear (as you stated) what would actually happen if I had a major accident.
I understand all insurance is a kind of gamble, but it just makes me wonder why a resident of the UK would be offered full additional insurance at a discounted rate, while a resident of Japan wouldn't?
Does that infer that rental agencies have determined that Japanese drivers pose less risk or that they are usually covered through their credit cards?
I know I will probably never get a satisfactory answer to this, but, man, are those UK rates tempting, lol!
Ask Visa Japan if they provide
third-party liability insurance for rentals in other countries charged to the card. If they say yes, ask how much insurance is included, and who the insurer is. And tell them that you need written proof of insurance because you are planning to rent a car in California, which requires that all renters carry third-party liability insurance.
As to the disparity in rental rates -- and insurance coverage -- for residents of different countries, that is just one of life's curiosities. Rental companies are free to offer different rates and benefits to residents of different countries. Sometimes that benefits you, sometimes it doesn't.
Are you planning a long, meandering trip from Northern California to Southern California? If not, it might be cheaper to break the trip into three rentals: one in Northern California; one in Southern California; and a short (one- or two-day) rental from North to South. And be sure to check prices at off-airport branches of the major companies; they are sometimes -- but not always -- cheaper than on-airport rentals.