Rental car insurance

[rjfloyd]

If you have full coverage insurance on your personal automobile & have rental car insurance with your credit card should you purchase the rental car insurance?

 

[Dr. Quack]

That's your decision to make. Rental car insurance rates are astronomically high if you factor them out for a 6 or 12-month period. While they do provide protection, it is protection at a very high price.

If you have full coverage on a vehicle at home, check with your insurance agent or company to make sure your coverage follows to your rental (it usually does). Any rental car insurance through your credit card will usually be secondary (meaning your personal insurance will pay first).

I never purchase car rental insurance because I think it's a huge scam to pad the company's profit margin.

 

[Jestocost]

Not IMHO.

 

[PooohBear]

A very informative thread about Insurance from Mousesavers
http://www.mousesavers.com/rentalcar.html#insurance

 

[manning]

NO!!! Maybe.

You are covered by both your personal auto insurance in most cases (check with your insurance company) and the credit card insurance.

However!

How are you covered??


Some credit card companies (like Diners Club) insurance is primary coverage and some are secondary coverage

Primary coverage means the credit card's insurance will pay all damages. Your insurance company will not see or pay any damages.

Secondary coverage means the credit card's insurance will pay damages your insurance company will not pay. This means your insurance company is the primary insurance.

It is important you check with you credit card company.

I only mentioned Diners Club only because that is who I use. Others may have the same coverage.

Edited to add that there are certain class vehicles that Diners and I suppose others will not cover. These are the unusual vehicles. I know I am covered on full size and lower cars.

 

[ckret01]

I'm sorry for being so naive. But I have never heard of a credit card insurance? What exactly is that and how do you go about getting it.
Is having just your own regular insurance card enough to rent a car without having to buy theirs?

 

[manning]

No, you don't buy the credit card insurance. It comes with having the card. Some credit card companies charge a yearly fee for their card some don't, but in general they offer the insurance as a perk.

I have Diners Club and pay a yearly fee. It is higher than MasterCard and Visa, but it has features I use. One of them is their auto rental insurance. It is also a primary insurance, meaning if I get into an accident they take care of the claim settlement. My personal auto insurance doesn't become involved.

Check with your credit card company to see if this is one of their perks.