Superorb

They're all primary for IE?

tev9999

Unless you have a very unusual personal auto policy that covers overseas rentals, primary vs. secondary does not matter - if you have no other coverage secondary becomes primary.

CSP and CSR offer primary within the US. Ink Plus has language that business rentals offer primary but if used for a personal rental it is secondary. There are some extra hoops to jump through on this one if you file a claim - like a letter from the business. I just stick with CSP for any rental.

waterandwoods

So it was easy for you to get a letter specifically stating Ireland was covered? I called Card Benefit Services a few days ago, had them confirm that Ireland was covered, since it's not specifically listed in the benefits guide. I requested that they send me a letter stating this that I could provide to the rental car agency if needed. The agent was friendly and stated they would email it to me within 24 hours. By the time I got off the phone I received in my inbox -- the pdf of the benefits guide. I replied to the email stating exactly what I needed (confirmation on Ireland coverage) and that this was not in the benefits guide. I received a standardized message back saying I'd receive a response within 24-48 hours. We've exceeded that timeframe and I've heard nothing.

Thoughts on how to get the letter? Try calling again?

gusg

I had to get the letter a few weeks ago and had no trouble. I called 1-888-320-9656, explained what I needed, answered a few questions, waited on hold while information was sent to the third party which handles it, and the letter arrived in my email before we ended the call.

jimindc

This is an old thread, but I had a relevant (negative) experience and though I would share it as a data point. If anyone is aware of a more recent thread on this topic, let me know.

I travel to Ireland about once a year, and was pleased a few years ago when the exclusion on Ireland was removed from Chase CDW coverage. I always made sure to get a letter from Card Benefit Services stating my coverage, and the form letter included this language: "This includes the previously excluded countries of the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Israel, and Jamaica."

A few weeks ago, I went to Ireland, booked a rental car, and again got a letter from Card Benefit Services, which I didn't bother to read carefully since I had done this a few times before. It turns out they have removed that key sentence from the form letter, even though the coverage itself has not changed. When I got to the rental counter and produced the letter confirming my CDW coverage, the rental agency (Europcar) would not accept it because the word "Ireland" was not specifically mentioned. I called Card Benefit Services several times, but each agent told me they were unable to edit the letter or to confirm in writing that Ireland was included in their "worldwide" coverage. One agent offered to confirm this verbally for the rental agency, but the rental agency wouldn't accept this. I wound up having to pay almost $500 out of pocket for the CDW on a week-long rental.

It was especially frustrating because Europcar and Chase (well, really Card Benefit Services) were both pointing the finger at one another and I couldn't figure out who to blame. Europcar said they'd be happy to accept my CDW coverage if only I could get it in writing that Ireland was included. Card Benefit Services told me that my coverage was valid, and they'd provided a letter saying it was "worldwide" and it wasn't their fault Europcar wouldn't accept it. But in the end I couldn't use the coverage that I had, and that I pay for with my high CSR annual fee.

Maybe other rental agencies in Ireland are more reasonable, but if you're renting a car in Ireland, I wouldn't count on being able to use the CDW coverage provided by your credit card, even if it is theoretically included.

CurbedEnthusiasm

That's frustrating but seems to be an issue with Europcar. I've used my CSR CDW coverage in Ireland with no issue before. I can, however, understand the reluctance of some agents to understand this coverage since most CDW coverage excludes Ireland.

As a side note, what is so unique about Ireland that CDW is so often excluded?

jimindc

I had used mine in Ireland several times too, including with Europcar, but I realized that before this year, the coverage letter had always included that sentence saying that "this includes the previously excluded countries of Ireland, Israel, etc." They've now removed that sentence - possibly because it's been several years since Ireland was excluded and they no longer feel it's necessary to mention it? Anyway, the Europcar agent seemed pretty clear that this was their policy, and even talked to a manager who pointed me to the T&Cs which say that the letter needs to state the coverage is valid in Ireland. Ugh!

I don't really get why Ireland was excluded, either, but assume it has something to do with their insurance laws. I believe Irish law requires CDW coverage for rentals, whereas it's optional in many other places (though there are other countries where it's required that were never on the exclusion list, so IDK).

mia

Apparently Sixt has the same requirement:

https://www.sixt.com/magazine/tips/i...ce-in-ireland/

lwildernorva

Having done about ten trips to Ireland, with all but one renting a car, I can tell you that driving conditions in Ireland, although improving yearly, are still worse than in most developed countries. The improvements take the form of the motorways in and around and radiating out of Dublin that for all intents and purposes are the equivalent of US interstates. I've never had any issues with a rental car on these roads.

Get off the motorways, and it's a different story. Walls sometimes don't just adjoin the road but may actually be on the absolute edge of a travel lane--even on a highway with a 100 kph (62 mph) speed limit. Some "roads" are nothing more than paths, with blind curves, and even in some small towns, there are unexpected "features" on the streets, including in one small town, where I made a left hand turn, well away from the curb, but scraped the underside of the SUV I was driving on a stone outcropping that was apparently a vestige of the more ancient street that preceded the one on which I was driving.

Add in single-lane roads where drivers unfamiliar with local customs may not realize that they need to pull over onto specially created turn out areas when encountering oncoming vehicles as well as Dublin's unfortunate reputation for petty crimes, such as car break-ins, plus a fair number of drivers unfamiliar with driving on the right side of the car, and you've got a perfect situation for damage to a vehicle on almost every rental. I'm sure most CC companies have found Ireland to be a risky proposition for coverage but have added it in reluctantly because it's a very popular tourist destination for Americans.

I decline CDW everywhere I rent a car and rely on my credit card insurance, and I have never damaged a rental car--except in Ireland, where incidental damage seems the norm and I take the CDW and the additional coverage sometimes known as Super Cover every single time. On every one of my rentals where I've bought all the coverage, I generally get nothing more than a "I see you bought Super Cover, have a nice day" from the customer service rep when I drop off the car, even if there is obvious damage. When you're probably pressed for time to catch a flight, it's nice not to worry about needing to complete extensive paperwork and haggling over issues with a rep. Plus and especially if your credit card has a low limit, it's nice not worrying about a hold on your card to cover any damage that might occur.