richardvf

Ok. That makes sense. Thanks for the information.

lixiaojuventus

The primary rental coverage is one of my favorite features of the United Explorer card. However, as I would be using it for the first time tomorrow, I want to know if this primary coverage comes with any catch? Like if it is my own fault, then I'm not protected by this coverage? (I do know it does not cover liability insurance). Thanks in advance!

dayone

Primary rental coverage applies only to the rental car.

If the renter is involved in an accident that damages another vehicle or other property, that would be covered by the renter's personal Property Damage Liability insurance.

lixiaojuventus

Thanks for the clarification!

raehl311

There are a lot of limits on this coverage. If the driver isn't on the rental agreement, no coverage. If you're intoxicated, no coverage. If you're driving on an unpaved road, no coverage. So yes, there are restrictions, refer to your cardholder's agreement for the complete details.

Also note that since it only covers the value of the car, you're not really covered against the big liability risk: Injuring another person.

That said, if you are driving in the US, and you have your own auto insurance, it almost certainly covers you when you are driving a rental car.

iluv2fly

As this is more a credit card-specific question, I am moving this to Credit Card Programs forum.

iluv2fly
Moderator, UA

Syzygies

Recent fine print from Enterprise

Read the fine print on your rental contract, then call the card. The devil is in the details. Two charges to worry about, that can double the repair costs of a crash are "loss of use" and "diminishment of value". For the first, the rental company expects you to keep paying your daily rate while the car is repaired. A car involved in a crash is worth less; the second estimates this loss.

Before taking sides instinctively, knowing that lawyers are out to get you, ask yourself what would be a fair understanding if you lent your car to a friend with substantial means? Both of these charges are entirely reasonable, and you're agreeing to them when you sign the rental contract. If you don't like these terms, walk.

Oh, but that it be so simple to get a credit card company to understand that you've signed such an agreement, and to stop mis-advertising their protection.

The rub comes when credit card companies try to avoid paying these charges. For example, they ask the rental agency to prove actual loss of business because the car was unavailable, even though the fine print explicitly states that the rental agency need not prove this. Aside from the money, the rental agency has legitimate privacy issues concerning disclosing this business data.

I don't have this card, primarily because I prefer the online transaction details available from American Express, together with their greater propensity to side with consumers in disputes. However, it is hard getting a straight answer, in part because some rental agencies have understandings with some credit card companies to not apply these charges, in return for expedited handling of the rest of claims. This could be the case for you, and yet you'll never know for sure, even if you ask a dozen people.

The "primary" coverage is indeed worthwhile; with "secondary" coverage an accident is a three-way cluster fog of ridiculous paperwork involving your personal auto insurance. I find it worth the per-rental fee to make Amex primary, just to avoid this cluster fog ever again. I did save these fees in the end, which will pay a decade of these per-rental fees for my rental frequency. (I hit a deer in upstate New York. Don't.)

If you have personal car insurance, then check with them but you should be fine for liability. If you don't, most liability coverage is inadequate to protect the typical wealth of someone who can afford to rent a car; it merely meets the legal requirement. There are upper middle class people in New York City who don't have personal auto coverage and rely on e.g. Zipcar, not realizing how a single incident could endanger their retirement savings.

guv1976

Wirelessly posted (BlackBerry: BlackBerry8530/5.0.0.1030 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/417)

Use of a free-day or dollars-off coupon might void the free coverage provided by a Visa card. If the OP is planning to use such a coupon, it would be wise to check with the card's insurance administrator first, and get a written response, perhaps by Email.

As to third-party liability coverage, if a renter does not own a car, options include: 1) paying the rental company's daily fee for supplemental liability insurance (SLI); purchasing a non-owned automobile liability policy (mine costs $154/year from The Travelers); or finding an insurer whose home insurance policy covers third-party liability when driving rentals (Chubb offers such coverage, I believe).

Regarding loss of use/diminution of value, individual states might regulate a rental company's right to collect these charges.

SuperKirby

It is still Primary as of today.

SuperKirby

Can I book a car rental with my MP Explorer but at the end of the trip and everything is okay, pay with my sapphire preferred (for the 2x pts)?

SGJazz

Will an authorized user of the Explorer Card listed as the primary on the car rental contract be covered under the T&C?

lKTyS7UPY

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/20308862-post180.html

SGJazz

So the answer is yes, am I understanding those terms correctly?

jason8612

So would this be the go to card for car rentals over the Sapphire?

SuperKirby

I would say yes. The Explorer has primary coverage whereas the CSP has secondary.