Originally Posted by
guv1976
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I think you are confusing two different kinds of liability here. If one's personal auto insurance does not cover third-party liability while driving a rented auto, it hardly matters whether one rents directly from Hertz, Avis, etc., or goes through Priceline. No credit card provides third-party liability coverage, so if your personal insurance doesn't either, your potential exposure is enormous, unless you purchase SLI from the rental company, or rent with a corporate or association ID number that provides enhanced liability coverage at no extra charge. (At participating Avis locations, Avis provides complimentary 100/300/25 liability coverage to renters who use the AARP discount ID.)
You are correct in that I was lumping the two together when I should not have done so.
However, that illustrates the fact that if one paid for the Priceline rental with an AMEX card and they did not have coverage from their own auto policy -- mine is a case in point, in that I am not covered on car rentals -- and they decline the supplemental liability coverage, then they are naked for any liability/3rd party claim for personal injuries, and then they may wish to consult a bankruptcy attorney.
That is in addition to any LDW coverage they may have thought they had from the AMEX card. That card, and most other credit cards, offer only secondary coverage -- it becomes primary if your auto policy does not cover car renatls and/or your auto policies limits are exhausted.
However, if you are not covered by your auto policy for the LDW damage (to the car) claims and you are not covered by the AMEX (or any other card) on your PLN rental since you never really used the card to "rent" the car from the supplier, then you are SOL.
Sure, you can argue with the credit card company and perhaps even threaten to sue them, but you are unlikely to get them to cover the loss -- and if you do, well then, I count you very, very lucky.
Originally Posted by
guv1976
[SIZE=1]On the other hand, most premium credit cards provide complimentary LDW for car rentals charged to the card. Coverage is usually primary outside of one's country of residence, or secondary in one's home country. But even secondary insurance will cover you if the amount of damage to the rented vehicle is less than the deductible on your personal policy.....
And if you rent cars frequently and want primary LDW from a credit card, get a Diner's Club card for, I think, $95/year.
The DC club card is the only card that really covers most people in most situations. There are some premium business cards, but they only cover you on business not personal rentals. There is an AMEX product that you pre-sign up for, but you get charged with a flat fee, I belive, regardless if the rental is one day or many days -- and that fee is in addition to the annual card fee you pay each year, so in a sense, it is really no different than the extra insurance that the car rental company is peddling, albeit it may be somewhat more reasonable over the course of a multi-day rental.
I agree with your advice that if you plan to rent via an opaque or special price supplied by a 3rd party, you had better clarify what is covered by your credit card and to get that in writing.