Insurance Question
 

So I rented a car during the summer in Switzerland and there was about $600 damage to the car tire. I paid with my Chase reserve and had initially rejected the insurance offered by the rental agency but then the girl said since the car is over 75k, the limit of reserve card insurance, how about we insure you for the remainder just in case the car gets totaled and it was about a 20k difference and the cost was very miniscule so I said sure.

However now the credit card insurance is rejecting my claim saying I didn't reject the insurance but I did and this was to cover the part chase does not cover. I asked Sixt for a letter stating this and they said they could not provide a letter like that. Am I SOL or do you guys know a way I can appeal this decision with the credit card insurance.

Thanks

You'd have to check carefully the terms of the Chase coverage, but I expect that they require you to reject all optional coverage for loss or damage to the rental vehicle in order for the Chase coverage to apply.

If you plan to continue to rent cars costing more than $75K, you might be better off enrolling one of your Amex cards -- even ones with no annual fee -- in Amex's Premium Car Rental Protection program. For $24.95 per rental (less for California and Florida residents), you are covered for up to $100,000.

This is almost certainly the case - the vast majority of credit cards that provide "primary" insurance stipulate that any sort of LDW or optional coverage purchased will replace the coverage from the card, and you wouldn't be able to file a claim with it. I would also explore the possibility of that premium car rental program mentioned, or consider purchasing a complete LDW for vehicles that are still more expensive than those coverage limits if you want to continue renting those without relying on any personal insurance you might have.

You'll find basically all credit cards that I'm aware of that offer rental car protection (Visa Infinite Privlege (Infinite), Amex Reserve/Platinum, CSR, etc) all have roughly the same dollar value limits for coverage and all of them explicitly exclude all coverage when any is purchased from the renting agency.

And one of my cards only covers cars with an MSRP which does not exceed $75,000. So presumably, if I rented a more expensive car and charged the rental to that particular card, I would have no coverage at all! Chase, at least, would provide coverage up to $75,000 on such a rental.

Unfortunately this was on the spot upgrade as our luggage did not fit in the other vehicle I rented so I didn't have the time to research the facts but thanks for the suggestion guys, good to know about the Amex insurance. Can one get that after they rent the car or does it have to be activated beforehand?

chase reserve policy states

During this transaction, review the Rental Car Agreement and
decline the rental company’s collision damage waiver (CDW/LDW)
option or a similar provision. Accepting this coverage will cancel out
Your benefit. If the rental company insists that You purchase their
insurance or collision damage waiver, call the Benefit Administrator
for assistance.

I guess they got me with the similar provision, but i'll have chatgpt whip me up an appeal letter nonetheless and hope for the best and write an angry email to Sixt about their lying front desk agents.

You mean, like, after you've had an accident? :D

No, your Amex card must be enrolled in the Premium Car Rental Protection program before an authorization for the car-rental charge hits your card.

haha i just meant like a 1 hour grace period or something but after accident works too lol