Originally Posted by
guv1976
I think that you're missing the point: "Secondary" coverage is secondary only when you have other, collectable insurance. Most personal auto policies issued in the U.S. do not provide any coverage outside the U.S. and Canada. So Amex's free, "secondary" coverage would most likely be primary coverage for you in Ireland.
I understand. But car rental in Ireland can be a dicey business as reflected in this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/u-k-i...ghlight=rental. The chance of damage to a rental car in Ireland is high because of the old streets and roads--much higher than in Northern Ireland and Scotland, for instance, where I've driven extensively without problems. In addition, dealing with rental car agents at the Dublin airport calls to mind Obi-Wan Kenobi's description of Mos Eisley. And I've dealt with some pretty dicey agents in plenty of tourist trap airports.
The chances are decent that a rental car agent at Dublin would not necessarily accept the written representation that the regular AMEX Plat coverage is primary for Ireland. As the cited thread shows, it's imperative to have confirmation in writing of the primary coverage afforded by your CC company. I've had uniformly excellent experiences with the add-on Plat coverage--most recently two years ago when another driver rear-ended my rental vehicle in Napa; once I provided sufficient information over the phone to the AMEX CSR, I never heard from them again other than to receive confirmation that the claim was cleared.
Since I don't have that level of confidence in other CC insurance handling, I've been using an agency that rents Hertz vehicles with complete super cover included at a price lower than Hertz charges. I've returned vehicles with damage with only a few minutes spending completing paperwork regarding the damage but with assurances that since I'd purchased the super cover, "everything will be taken care of." And it was, just like my AMEX experiences. Using another coverage, whether the regular Plat or the add-on, could easily result in a savings of a couple of hundred dollars per rental.
I'm willing to pay $24.95 for the extra piece of mind for the AMEX add-on coverage because I think it's easy to prove the primary coverage. I really don't want to argue with an agent at the beginning of my rental period, fresh off a TATL flight and a bit groggy, that the AMEX Plat included coverage is unquestionably primary now in Ireland.