Originally Posted by
AutoSlash
The short version is that you will almost certainly have to take the liability insurance offered by the rental company. There will be people who will tell you that it's possible to avoid that fate, but IME of renting in Mexico a bunch of times, I've never been successful at getting it waived. The problem seems most prevalent at Cancun airport. My parents did once avoid it in Playa del Carmen, but YMMV. If your rate is too low to be believed, then assume you will be forced into paying for liability...
Yes, that's understood. I
want the liability insurance - in fact, I want a LOT of it (US$300,000 liability coverage as a minimum) - that's apparently how you stay out of jail if there's an accident. One would be taking a huge, nasty risk to drive in Mexico without it. So I'm actually more than willing to pay for it. Trouble is, there doesn't seem to be any way of predicting what the actual cost will be - because they intentionally hide/obfuscate that.
Originally Posted by
AutoSlash
As far as CDW goes, don't bother with what Priceline offers. Either take it from the rental company or much better, use a credit card that offers CDW protection in Mexico and bring a leftter of proof of coverage with you so they don't force it on you at the counter in addition to liability.
Yeah, that's the conclusion I'm coming to. I have multiple high-end credit cards that offer CDW, including one that specifies theirs is primary coverage (so less hassles if needed). Their website does not list Mexico on their list of excluded countries. I just need to cal them today to confirm 1) coverage is primary; 2) Mexico is covered; 3) it has a high limit and zero deductible; and 4) get a note from them clearly stating all of the above. I've done that before (same deal for a rental in Italy last fall, they were great).
Originally Posted by
AutoSlash
Yep, already did as part of my research before posting here.
Originally Posted by
AutoSlash
With regard to pricing of CDW/LIS, you can either try pricing it out using the rental company websites directtly or call or email them. Renting in Mexico is often a bit of a scam in this regard. We wish it were not the case and companies there would operate above board, but it is what it is, and there's zero we can do about it.
Understood. Sheesh, what an industry! The car rental business makes the current US presidential administration look like a paragon of virtue, integrity and honesty by comparison. It's certainly a business that's very, very ripe for disruption, so your efforts are appreciated (and your personal presence and quick responses here are both welcome and a refreshing departure from the norm).
So, for me (and perhaps for others struggling with a Mexican rental who may read this days/weeks/months later), I'm concluding: renting in Mexico is wacky and fraught with opportunities to be scammed, but if you do your homework (read all the posts on FT about it, google "Mexico Mike", use common sense, and above all be careful) you can do it successfully. Here's my plan...
- I'll accept some uncertainty around the exact cost of the Liability insurance.
- For CDW, I'll use my credit card - after confirming the critical details - and will bring a letter from the card issuer clearly stating those details. I'll get it translated into Spanish, too.
- I'll feel OK about paying more than the offer says (because I'll be paying for the liability insurance they conveniently neglect to mention) because I'll be saving on the CDW (and because I have to).
- I'll use the Autoslash (Priceline/Hertz) offer.
- I'll drive v-e-r-y carefully (I've driven quite a bit in Mexico before, and I'm armed with all manner of data - GPS with Mexico coverage, good paper maps, etc.).
- I'll come back and report my experience so others can reference this in the future (unless I end up spending the rest of my life in some Mexican jail...if I don't post back here in a month or so, call my Congressman...).
Thanks for the help.