National optional insurance???

[riu girl]

We have a great rate for a 15 day EA rental (229 inclusive).
BUT this price is without optional insurance (then it goes to over $400).

Between using our platnium cc for the rental and our own vehicle insurance we have the equivalent to the LDW, PAI and PEC insurance.

But we have been told my cc company and our own insurance company that we can only get SLI (supplemental liability insurance ) through National ($12/day), since liability insurance is only available through the owner (National).

My question:
1. Can I purchase SLI through national without purchasing their LDW? Their fine print is vague and I don't understand it. If I get in an accident in FL I don't want to be told that the SLI I purchased is no good, since I didn't purchase Nationals LDW.

fine print I don't understand:
"SLI is an optional insurance protection. If SLI is selected and paid for, National provides you (renter) with 3rd party liability protection in an amount equal to the minimum financial responsibility limites applicable to the vehicle(the primary protection).
SLI also provides third party liability protection, through an excess liability policy, with limits of the difference between the primary protection and a combined single limit of $1 million per accident etc etc.

Primary protection is mentioned in the SLI fine print and that is what I'm confused about. I won't have primary protection (is this LDW) through National so will the SLI be any good if I need it??????????

Any info. would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Suzy V

 

[tkldisney]

I would ask your insurance agent if you are covered for rental car.
We rent cars all the time and have never added on any additional insurance. For the most part, this is just a way for rental car company's to make money.
Save yourselves the extra $$ if your agent says you are covered.

 

[riu girl]

Through our platnium cc (memeber benefits) and our personal auto insurance we are covered if something happens to the rental car, but it sounds like NO personal auto insurance broker(according to our broker) or platnium benefits will cover SLI (third party liability).
please correct me if I'm wrong on this but this is what I was told from our broker as well as Masterassist (platnium card benfits). That insurance must be purchased from who ever owns the car (Naitonal in this case). I do not want to risk getting in an accident (my fault) in a rental in Florida and have injured another vehicle or person. This is where you MUST have 3rd party liability insurance (SLI).

My question: Can I purchase Nationals SLI only (not their other 3 insurances) and still be covered for SLI (liability) or do I also have to purchase their LDW in order for their purchased SLI to be of any use??????

I have read nothing on DIS about people purchasing SLI in Florida? So does that mean that the majority of auto rentals in FL have no SLI (3rd party liability). I can't even imagine not having 3rd party liability coverage.

Thank you

Suzy V

 

[tmt martins]

My INS. covers me in anything I drive up to and including my policy #'s

 

[Canadamom]

Here in Canada (don't know if this is the same for the USA) we can add "Legal Liability for Non-Owned Vehicles" onto an existing policy through our insurance company. It's referred to as SEF 27. I don't know if this info helps, but that is what we're planning on doing. It costs approx. $30 total and applies to car rentals in both Canada and the US.

 

[riu girl]

Thank you so muc for this info. I just checked out our policy and we do have this type of insurance. (OPCF 27) Liability for damage to non-owned automobiles(s) and providing other coverages when insured persons drive other automobiles. We also have OPCF 20 (Coverage for transportation replacement)

BUT: does this coverage include not just the rental car we will be driving but also give us THIRD PARTY LIABILITY in case we were to get in an accident in Florida and damage another vehicle/passengers in that vehicle?????

DH called our broker for farmers mutual today and was told we do have third party liability. Yesterday he called the office and were told we do not have third party liability.

Any info. at this point would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you
Suzy

 

[Canadamom]

Since you were told two different things by the same company regarding the third party liability issue, I would ask for confirmation in writing...fax, email, stop by and pick up a copy from the ins. office. This might cause them to really take a good look at it and figure out what coverage you really have and whether it will extend to that rental vehicle through OPCF27 or not. Check about coverage through your credit card as well. This is the part I'm now working on for our upcoming trip so I, too, am learning as I go

 

[riu girl]

Thanks for the info.
On our platnium card we have member benefits that cover Nationals LDW, PEC, and PAI. That info. was easy to get.

The only issues I keep running into is the SLI (supplemental liability insurance). There is no way I am renting a car without thrid party liability.

The SLI offers up to $1Million.

DH just called the insurance agent AGAIN and was told that YES we do have the equivalent to SLI.
In writing we were mailed last year copies of FM 207 (Combined OPCF 20 and OPCF 27). But I tell you, reading it is like reading some sort of legal document, I cannot make heads of tails of it.

Are you (or anyone else) familiar with what FM 207 (combined OPCF 20 and OPCF 27) actually cover in the ways of thrid party liability??????

Suzy V

 

[Canadamom]

I don't know if this helps or not, but this is what I found under the FAQ sections of a Canadian car insurance website:

Am I covered while driving a rented car
There is an endorsement called "Liability for damage to Non-Owned Automobiles and Drive Other Automobiles Coverage for Specified Persons Endorsement" or simply OPCF 27. When added to your policy it provides coverage for physical damage as follows:

to a car you have rented for a short time (NOT leased long term), or other non-owned car, provided there is a written agreement in which you assume responsibility for damage to the car.
the deductible you have for your own car applies if you or your driver are at fault in a collision or if there are certain Comprehensive type claims.
coverage limit is usually restricted to $25,000 (Canadian dollars!).
all coverage applies only to incidents occurring in Canada or the United States.
This coverage is valued by people who rent cars while travelling because they want to avoid having to pay the daily insurance premium charged by the car rental.

Another way to avoid paying for the car rental company insurance is by using the protection offered by many credit card companies. Some of these companies advertise that if you use their card to rent a car, then they will automatically provide the same coverage as the rental company offers. This benefit ought to be confirmed with the credit card company before you rent a car.

The endorsement provides another advantage with respect to Third Party Liablity coverages. The standard auto policy automatically provides Third Party Liability coverage for the named insured and the insured's spouse while driving a car owned by someone else. However, other listed drivers such as children do not have this automatic coverage unless you have this endorsement. Purchasing this endorsement ensures peace of mind if they drive someone else's car because you will know they have the protection that is provided by your policy if needed and it is very cheap coverage (usually about $10).

 

[riu girl]

Thanks for the info.
it looks like we are good to go since we have this extra coverage with our exisiting policy as well as additional coverage with our platnium card.
Suzy

 

[NHmouse]

I am an insurance agent and if you carry auto insurance your liability follows you anywhere in the United states. ( not mexico). You insurance however will not cover the loss of use charge from the rental company if the vehicle is taken out of service. It also will not cover the storage fees if the vehicle is put into storage by the rental car company while it is being repaired. If what you posted is true, the SLI (third party liability) only covers you to that perticular stae's minimum limits of liability( in NH this is only 25,000/50,000) Always remember to bring documentation of your insurance with you when you rent a car.

 

[Canadamom]

Riu girl, I talked to my insurance company and the information I got was that the third party liability coverage that transfers over under the SEF27 applies only to physical vehicle damage and not to personal damage, and only up to a certain amount. For instance, if you are involved in an accident and are found to be at fault and cause physical injury to the other party in the accident, they could sue you for damages which may not be covered under your SEF27 clause. My insurance agent said that in most states the rental companies are required to provide their own third party liability insurance on their rental cars which should cover the drivers, but I don't know which states that applies to and how much coverage that provides. He also told me that should be covered in the daily rental charge you pay on the car, not supplemental insurance charges, but I notice that most charge you extra for that third party liability coverage. We're now considering having to pay the extra as well for this coverage as the information just doesn't seem very clear.