Have any of you claimed from your credit card co. after an incident with rental car?

[U2_rocks!]

I was reading the Visa website, and a bunch of things are required just to file a claim. Meanwhile, the rental car company can charge you for estimated damages, and you can't get them back until the claim with the credit card co is settled! Also, once the rental car co has charged you, they don't care about you any more, they have their money - how hard is it to get copies of everything you need to file your claim? e.g. accident report, rental contract etc.

I have always bought LDW insurance because I do not live in the U.S., and always wanted to avoid the hassle of having a claim pending. I have been recently reconsidering this, since I always use my Visa to pay for it anyway, and primary coverage (including loss of use) is included. But if there's an accident and I have to leave the U.S. before the accident report is ready (say it happens the day before our departure or something), how easy will it be for me to get this documentation? I am just worried that, having left the U.S., I may never be able to get what I need to file a claim with VISA. And if I have to fly back to sort it out, or have to incur long-distance charges (US toll-free numbers usually don't work here), then I might as well have paid for the LDW coverage and saved the hassle!

Any thoughts? Experiences?

 

[seashoreCM]

Write to your credit card company asking this question.

Different banks or credit card companies may have slightly different rules even thogu the cards are all Visa cards.

The merchant (rental company) has to document the charges, sending you that information otherwise the credit card company may remove the charges from your statement and charge them back when you file an ordinary dispute.

You should always report the accident to your own insurance company also. Assuming your policy extends to rental cars and you have collision on your own car back at home, your insurance company will handle it including flying you back to the location of the accident which latter is highly unlikely once they get involved.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[U2_rocks!]

Write to your credit card company asking this question.

Different banks or credit card companies may have slightly different rules even thogu the cards are all Visa cards.

The merchant (rental company) has to document the charges, sending you that information otherwise the credit card company may remove the charges from your statement and charge them back when you file an ordinary dispute.

You should always report the accident to your own insurance company also. Assuming your policy extends to rental cars and you have collision on your own car back at home, your insurance company will handle it including flying you back to the location of the accident which latter is highly unlikely once they get involved.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

My local insurance doesn't cover rental cars, so my VISA insurance would be primary coverage. I'm just worried that the documents I need to give VISA might not be ready for me to take home, and if not, whether I will be able to get them once I leave the U.S. The VISA Latin America/Caribbean website, which is the one that governs my card, sets out the requirements for making a claim clearly. I know what I have to submit - I just don't know if this info will be forthcoming. I'm trying to assess the level of risk I will be taking if I choose not to accept the LDW coverage. For U.S. renters, the risk is probably much lower - I would think that it would be easier to manage the claims process. But for me, I'm trying to get a feel for the level of stress I might end up with if I do have to claim! It might just be worth paying for the darn LDW!

 

[seashoreCM]

It is true that there is peace of mind when buying the rental company's coverage, provided you do not violate any of the rules for using the car, for example no driving on unpaved roads. Some rental agents behind the counter tell you this but they sometimes yell too loudly when doing so.

More things to check:
1. If the credit card covers "loss of use" (daily rental that continues while the car is being fixed),
2. Inquire of your own insurance company whether they have an optional rider you can buy to cover rental cars.
3. Some rental companies require that you buy their coverages if you are not a citizen of the country, for example a Canadian visiting Spain.

 

[bavaria]

OP, I don't know if it makes you feel better, but I rent a car almost weekly in countries where I do not live. Sometimes I use a Visa, sometimes an Amex (and I am sure that SeashoreCM will point out that I use my corporate account therefore I am not personally liable but that is not always the case, for a variety of reasons)

I do know that some companies are a little more strict on foreign renters; I once rented from Alamo years ago at MCO and they wanted to see my German driver's license along with my passport - problem was, I didn't have one anymore at that time.

I have never filed a claim, but I would think that it should be relatively straightforward to contact your local customer service for that agency and obtain documentation. (Which means, don't rent from the local MomandPop agency, deal with a major chain)

I did deal with Hertz in the US for an issue in Germany, and had it resolved easily. My parents dealt with damage that a valet did to their car in Germany by dealing with Alamo in another country.

Hope that helps a little!

 

[Lewisc]

Some of the car rental agencies require citizens of some countries purchase CDW. There are packages available that include CDW and a tank of gas.

 

[punky'smom]

We rented a car from Dollar last year and someone hit it while parked at Walmart. They dented the front hood. Just hit and ran. We have car insurance in our home state & we also used our mastercard. However the damage done to the car was a little over $500. But we have deductibles so we paid for it out of our pockets. The only major problem we had was by the time we filed claims with both our insurance company and Mastercard. Dollar sent it to a collection agency. We paid it as soon as we heard from the collection agency but my DH tried to rent a car from Dollar a few monthes later and they told him he couldn't rent from them. He had reservations and thank God for Budget, they gave us a rental car cheaper than Dollar,too. We thought we were going to be stranded at the airport with no transportation. Believe me when we got home I made a phone call!!

 

[U2_rocks!]

Thanks for the further thoughts from everyone!

We have no U.S. car rental chains here in Barbados - they are all local.

I once rented a car in the U.S. without insurance, figuring I'd take the risk and use the Visa. I was allowed to do that then (i.e. it didn't seem to be against policy), but it seems like a few years ago they were less pushy about rental insurance. I also don't remember who I rented from that time - I've used Avis, Hertz, Alamo, Dollar and National before. The rest of the time I have taken the LDW and SLI only. I've actually never been pressured to take the other insurances, but DH was earlier this month when he rented from National in Miami - they wanted to charge him for ALL the insurances, even though he only wanted two. He had a real fight, and I don't remember if he said it was resolved in the end or if he just gave up.

Just out of interest: are unpaved roads a real problem? I wouldn't have thought there would be any that we'd want to drive on in the Orlando area!

 

[seashoreCM]

>>> out of our own pockets -- collection agency

If you do not have a dispute, you need to let your insurance company know so you can pay the bill when it is due and so your insurance company can reimburse you directly. You would delay payment only if your insurance company specifically advises you to.

>>> a real fight

When there is published literature stating that coverages are optional, the rental agent may not dishonor a reservation due to the customer's declining of coverages unless the agent can come up with literature listing exceptions. In case of difficulty, do not sign the contract and instead call the rental company's headquarters from the pay phone on the back wall (or from your cell phone).

Payless, EZ, and L&M, via their published policies, do reserve the right not to rent to you if you decline their coverages and do not have collision insurance of your own.

A very well known unpaved road not far from Orlando -- the beach at Daytona.

 

[bavaria]

Just out of interest: are unpaved roads a real problem? I wouldn't have thought there would be any that we'd want to drive on in the Orlando area!

I've actually heard of many people having their claim denied and/or being charged by the rental agency in my area, which has many unpaved roads near the ski areas.

Last summer I went back to the village where I used to live in Bavaria, and went for a drive. Suddenly I realized that what used to be a normal drive for me was now a problem - I had been driving for at least 10 minutes on a rutted dirt track up a mountain in my rented Mercedes.... totally innocent mistake, but shows how one does need to be careful when not driving ones own car.