Rental Car Coverage - Different Cards?
 

Is there any difference between rental car coverage offered by:?

American Express Gold Business Card
Starwood American Express
Visa Signature
World Master Card

good question

I'm sure there are subtle variations, but I'm not sure anybody here can give a comprehensive description of them.

One obscure difference I know: World MCs give your CDW coverage in Israel, while Visa and Amex exclude Israel from coverage altogether.

You might want to browse through their policies online. One major difference I see is that the Mastercard covers you prety much eveywhere.. while

Amex does not cover you in australia, newzealand etc.

I'd be curious to know who actually have had to use the insurance on their card, and how well did the CC actually do with living up to what they offer.

I know my parents were in Reno when someone did a hit and run in a parking lot and damaged their vehicle.

The MBNA card that they paid for the rental at first refused to pay the $250 deductable as my parents first went thru their car insurance company. MBNA said that it wasn't the card that was used to make the initial reservation, which we know is folly because most car rental companies don't require a CC with a reservation...

This was after they had used this card almost exclusively for the past 15 years had a 20K credit line and was a very good customer...

After a couple letters and several phone calls MBNA finally coughed up what was due.... but it so irritated my parents that they put that card away and will never use it again... they don't want to cancel because of the length of the credit history...

IMHO, Amex is likely to provide better service and coverage than either Visa or MC.

Many years ago I was involved in a situation where a rental car was totaled. It had been rented on Amex, but for reasons I will avoid, was arguably not covered by the Amex rental policy.

Nonetheless, Amex paid up without a whimper for well over ten grand.

Amex may not have good customer service, but, it beats the hell out of Visa and MC!

A friend's rental car was damaged while parked in California a couple years ago. He had rented it with his SPG Amex, and had no problem getting them to cover the damage. He said he was actually surprised how easy it was.

If you use AMX look into gettingtheir additional coverage. It automatcally charges you $15 or $25 dollars everytime you rent a car. BUT it means you can waive the rental car coverage and it becomes primary with additional coverage. A very good deal.

Is there a way to buy it on a one-time basis?

For example, I'd never pay $15-25 for a short rental in the United States - I'm already paying for coverage through my regular policy. But my regular policy gets sketchy in a lot of different countries - for example, I know I'm totally covered in Canada and the UK, but not in Belguim. If I need a Belgian rental, I'd either need to buy from the rental agency, buy a supplemental policy from my own insurance company, or maybe buy this Amex deal. The simplicity of the Amex deal might work in its favor - even if my insurance company would probably price it a few bucks lower.

Sure. Sign up for their product just before you need it and cancel it just after the rental you need it for. Otherwise, they charge you for every rental.

I have made two claims in about 15 years with AmEx. Both were "primary" since the rentals were overseas. AmEx is secondary in the US but primary overseas. Both times they were prompt and efficient in settling it.

A third time was harder. I used a "free day" coupon for part of the rental. Since I did not "pay for the entire rental" with the card (i.e. the free day was not charged on the card...of course!), they would not cover it. There was literally a 1/2" bubble/scratch on a front wheelwell when I returned the car (most likely was there when I rented and though I check a car pretty carefully when I pick it up, a 1/2" scratch is hard to notice). Avis wanted to charge me $450 to repair it. AmEx's CDW insurance would not cover it. But I filed a frivolous charge complaint with AmEx regarding the charge and that department reversed it. I think Avis never got paid for it. Fortunately I had a camera with me on that trip and took a picture of the damage they were claiming. You really could hardly see it. I was not impressed with AmEx on this one and have since switched to Diners Club for CDW coverage. I have never had to use them yet though.

I have this on ONE amex card only,
and just use a different card when I dont want this coverage

I've had the experience twice. Both times in Europe (I'm an American) so CC coverage was primary.

The first time, I used a VISA card and rented from Europcar in Austria or Germany. I filed the report and VISA took care of the entire thing. I didn't pay a penny and didn't have to follow anything up.

The second time, I used an Amex card and rented from Avis in Switzerland. On this one, the start of the process was similar, except there were a number of charges that Amex said they didn't cover, such as loss-of-use, and maybe a couple of other things. At Avis' rates, these items came to about $500. Avis sent me a couple of notices saying I owed the money, but I never got around to paying them and I haven't heard from them for some years now.

I don't know if those comparative examples really say whether VISA or Amex is better, though. The difference could be entirely between Europcar and Avis, or simply between the two situations.

I have not tried to rent a car from Avis in Switzerland since the event listed above, but I wonder if I could expect an unpleasant reception if I did. I have been back to Switzerland recently, though, so I assume they at least did not put me on some kind of eternal Interpol list or something.

AMEX MC have same exclusions in countries not covered
 

MC definitely NOT cover Australia and New Zealand, even in the platinum version. I haven't checked the details of the World version yet.

I know because we are going there in March and I have checked all 3 cards coverages in some details.

Visa - mine are United Signature, and Schwab Visa (not a signature) - covers Australia and New Zealand, as SECONDARY. That is, Visa would cover the "excess" - equivalent to the deductible we are familiar here in U.S. You also need to jump thru some hoops to invoke this coverage.

The rental car insurance in Australia and NZ is an entirely different subj and a very complicated one that I dont feel it is adequate to discuss on this thread.

Otherwise, outside US the coverage is primary. Domestically if you dont have car insurance or your car insurance is liability only (no comprehensive coverage), the coverage also becomes primary.

Visa has a slightly better coverage in terms of what are being covered, and in the procedures required to file claims. For example, Visa covers Admin fee, if approved. MC excludes Admin fee altogether. The Loss of Usage charge while it said is covered on MC, it is near impossible to get it approved, eventhough the rental car is willing to provide the "fleet log" to sustain it.

We used MC coverage in Sept 2005 for a hailstorm damage to our Thrifty rental car at Yellowstone National Park. MC paid the Repair estimates, but shot down the Loss of Usage, claiming the proof provided by Thrifty was not sufficient. The Admin fee was not covered. (The Thrifty location at Jacksonville is a franchisee, and its insurance matters are handled by a 3rd party company located in Las Vegas!) We ended up paying the Loss of Usage and the Admin fee, totalling $320 after bargaining it down from $450. MC paid $2282 for the repair estimate. We chose to pay the insurance agent of Thrifty because they said they can file a claim against us, and potentially turn this to collection. For $320, it is not worth the hassle of fighting this and risk having a blackmark on the credit report. Besides, from what we saw at JAC, the rental car companies enjoyed very brisk business - if you dont have reservation, you basically out of luck trying to rent as a walk-in. Therefore we felt the Loss of Usage was a legit claim.

Here's one for the local papers fer ya! AND I totally love Enterprise Rentals now!! (I used my NWA Visa to pay for the car rental and they swipe it for a $300 deposit. I declined the insurance thinking this Visa will cover anything the $21/day would waive. I sure hope I'm right, but when you read below, I think nothing could be as bad as what I just went thru:


This AM, my brakes TOTALLY DIED on the commute into Boston on Rte 1. (I sometimes drive in and park near work)

We were all only going about 40mph at the time, but as I uncontrolably sped closer toward the rear of the new BMW sedan in front of me, barreling forward in my 210,000+ mile old, waning Subaru outback tank of a wagon, I suddenly downshifted with vigor and thrust, that caused a ruckus and made a god aweful smell of strained clutch lines and the like. Some quick thinking and maybe a wink from on high above is probably what saved us all from a peril sure to totally stink.

BUt as it all unfolded, I had to YANK back on my parking break, whilst pumping the useless brake pedal with both feet, and I sharply pointed the vehicle toward the center median, ready to be the 5 O'clock new's latest Rte 1rush hour statistic and reason #109089078 for yet another Friday night traffic jam. (A holiday weekend, nonetheless!)

Luckily, though, the Bmer moved a bit forward (he must know what my horn was for) and I was able to get the car to stop before even looking like anything out of the ordinary other than the tooting that people could have thought was just me being some rude MASS driver :D. The next 25 mins of driving were probably the most technical and hair raising of my entire life, and I thought of the idea of bringing my car to an Enterprise dealer in Boston--which happens to be kinda on the way. In doing this remaining driving, I gave a TON of room to the car in front of me! I had been already halfway into the city when this took place to my surprise, and I had many important things to make it into the new job for, and also knew there were no real options for the car at this point other than to continue forward on the slow moving crowded road. In a way, I probably ended up being like the most careful driver out there today, but wow, what a cost to nearly pay!

I did luck out though, because ENTERPRISE rocks, and I will now be heading up to go skiing in the 4 feet of fresh, unprecidented POWDER that northern Vermont just got in a "PT Cruiser" (a pretty cool mobster car, btw!) with great snowtires, and it only costs me $25 a nite unlimited miles!!

Now, as I type this, I am still at work in the city, ready to go north, as my car sits in the rental car lot in Chelsey, MA where AAA can come get it from there to my mechanic over the weekend. Enterprise said they have no problem with this at all and hey, the blonde girl who checked me in was kinda cute even! :D:D:D

Feewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

This is all because I REALLY REALLY REALLY NEED ALL THAT FRESH SNOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!

Enterprise saved me.
:)MM