Car rental in Spain without CDW?

We used our Capital One platinum Mastercard without CDW using Europcar in May of '07. We rented our car at the Malaga airport with no problems. We've never had a problem rejecting the CDW in Europe.

Look carefully at your credit card's policy. Not all credit cards offer this insurance coverage.

Evelyn

If you have an American based VISA, MC or Amex card, you can waive the CDW. You can book your car through Auto Europe, which is based in Portland, Maine and is a broker that deals with AVIS, Hertz and Europcar.

Amex offers a premium insurance coverage for its card holders, but you will have to go on-line and sign up for the program. The least expensive options will cost $19.95 per rental, up to 40 days.

AutoEurope and Kemwel generally offer a non-inclusive policy that allows you to carry the insurance on the credit card. Other brokers do not offer that option. And in some countries (Ireland, Italy, Israel) that option is generally not available.

We were able to use our Capital One mastercard in Ireland. Capital One is generally cheaper to use as a credit card also.

Even in Ireland, a World Mastercard will cover the CDW.

I have never paid for CDW, and I've rented cars many times. I even had an accident once--completely my fault--and my Visa paid up without a whimper.

Travel Insured Intl. will add CDW to your travel insurance plan for only $7 per day. Most U.S. health plans, including Medicare, don't cover you in Europe so the travel insurance policy for emergency health and MedEvac coverage, combined with the $7 per day for CDW, is good value. Make sure you check details if you plan to rely on credit card coverage -- they have a lot of loopholes. Travel Insured is much safer.

I didn't have problem renting without CDW in France and Italy, renting through Kemwel.

But in this case, their prices are double what I'm getting from say spaincarrental.com, which finds prices from goldcar.es and centauro.net which are about half what Kemwel is showing.

But those prices have some basic CDW and when I contacted them, they say it's not possible without CDW.

Having never rented in Spain, I'm wondering if this has become a standard thing.

We did a rental with Avis and used our VISA card in Spain last yr, everything worked fine. Call your VISA card company if you question whether its included when you use it to rent the car.

Hello,

Am I correct in reading that if my VISA card offers coverage, I should by no means select a rental agency that includes CDW in the price?

Some of the cheapest rates I've found inlude CDW, argh.
Including http://www.economycarrentals.com/Default.aspx

Anjali

Make sure you check out the deductable on the CDW and your credit card. It can get quite expensive if anything happens. It you don't waive the CDW, your credit card will not cover the damage, less the deductible. None of the credit card companies cover "road damage", but Amex offers a decent policy for it's card holders covers such items, or you purchase travel insurance to cover any problems with the rental car.

Economy Car Rentals is a broker located in Greece. They do not list their rental partners, so you don't know where the car is coming from before you make your reservation and receive the confirmation. You should also read their disclaimer carefully. Remember, if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is.

JStone is right; adding CDW to trip insurance can be a good option, with much lower or no deductibles. You can compare policies at www.insuremytrip.com and other sites. The medical also makes sense for many travelers but read very carefully for exceptions regarding pre-existing conditions etc. In many cases if you buy the insurance within 15 days that exclusion is waived.

Amex offers a program when using their card called Premium Car Rental Protection. It includes zero deductible.

Yeah but you have to decline the CDW and as I noted above, you can't find a quote for a rental in Spain without CDW.

At least not online.

"you can't find a quote for a rental in Spain without CDW"? Really? We rent through Auto Europe and Kemwel (Basic Rate), using Hertz, Avis and Europcar (depending on the pick-up and drop-off locations) and always waive the CDW, putting the rental on the AMEX card.

If you book direct through Europcar, the CDW is included, by Spanish law.

When I'm renting a car for a client, we usually include the CDW in the rate unless they have the AMEX Premium Car Rental Protection coverage.

The following is included in a typical quote from Kemwel:

YOUR RENTAL INCLUDES:
Unlimited mileage.
Liability Insurance for injuries or damages to persons or things outside the vehicle.

RENTAL DOES NOT INCLUDE:
Rental excludes Collision Damage Waiver.
Rental excludes Theft Protection Kemwel advises you to contact your credit card company for coverage.

Hmm, I know I checked Kemwel.

Might have been that their rates were higher than the Spanish sites, because I've done long rentals with them before.

Hi,

Does someone know how to interpret:

Full risk insurance without excess ?

Thank you. (reposted from the "car rental spain" forum)

"without excess" means no deductible.

Thanks - does the 'full risk insurance' translate roughly to CDW? I'm trying to avoid a rental agency's provision of the CDW.

Basically, I'd like my credit card coverage.

Thanks,

Your credit card will have a deductible unless they are offering you something like the Amex Premium Car Rental Protection program.

The Inclusive rate on Auto Europe, as with other rental agencies, has a deductible based on the value of the rental car, € 920 for a BMW 1 Series, € 890 for a Renault Megane.

Not all credit cards have a deductible. I'll check this week, and thanks for reminding me, but my Visa credit card covered the CDW with no deductible last year.

Sorry to need clarification - but I don't think I yet know what "Full risk insurance" means. Especially in relation to CDW.

full risk "todo riesgo" everything damage - wise to the rental car and any car you should hit is covered.

Here is what VISA has to say regarding coverage. They indicate that you are completely covered if you meet all of the conditions. MasterCard says pretty much the same, again, as long as you meet all of the conditions.

http://usa.visa.com/personal/cards/benefits/bft_dmg_waiver_personal.html

This thread is very helpful, since I've been trying to figure this out for a long time. Still more questions, I'm afraid (sorry). The visa link talks about "collision and theft damage," but what I've always wondered is what happens if you scrape the car going through a narrow old street? If the car rental charges you, will the credit card pay for that, or is it only collision and theft?

Thanks.

When I talked to VISA they said that they cover 'road damage', but it's not noted clearly anywhere in the link. I guess you would have to make sure to have the proper paperwork from the rental agency, as it is not covered by the standard CDW offered by the rental car companies. Also, the coverage is only for those cards issued in the United States.

I have had a side mirror ripped off by another driver in France, have smashed a rear tail-light into a rock outside my house in the Dordogne, and have had a trunk dented by an unknown assailant outside the Intermarche in Le Bugue - all of which were covered and paid for by my AMEX, and in all cases I declined the CDW because AMEX covered me.

I scraped my car in Portugal, paid the estimated cost when I turned in the car and was fully reimbursed by Visa.

Good information!

Hi,

Auto-Europe has offered a UK rate of 118 GBP (about $181) with the CDW ; or $237 w/o CDW. I'll use my VISA and it seems like it covers any personal insurance deductible I might have.

Would I be silly to try to save $60 and risk using the car rental agency's CDW? I think I read the voucher as a max liability of 195 GBP (which seems low ...)

"Rental limits potential vehicle damage or loss liability to an excess of approx.
£195."

If I understand correctly, if you accept the rental rate that includes the CDW, you are no longer covered by your VISA card insurance.

Now I'm really confused again after reading anjgupta's post. What I don't understand is why the rate would be higher without the CDW than it is with it. If you take the company's CDW, doesn't it mean that the company is on the hook for having to pay for some of the damage if you have an accident? If so, why would it be cheaper? I think my mind is never going to get wrapped around this CDW stuff. But I'm going to keep trying to understand, because we rent a car at least twice a year in Europe and it would be a costly bit of ignorance. thanks for your help. Laurie

I do not think that anjgupta is quoting from the same sources. One is British giving prices in pounds, the other assumes an American customer and quotes prices in dollars. The prices may be correct, but it only shows that one must compare shop. There are reports that AutoEurope's European based sites have a different pricing structure than the American one.

"If I understand correctly, if you accept the rental rate that includes the CDW, you are no longer covered by your VISA card insurance."

I have spoken with World MasterCard insurance folks twice (the same ones who insure the VISA cards as well) and they are quite clear about this. If there is any CDW packaged in the rate, including the stuff included in rates by AutoEurope, Nova or Economy, US card coverage is null and void. Call them yourself and make sure you understand it. For that reason, when I rented a car in Italy two weeks ago, I had to pay for CDW since by law in Italy CDW must be included.

Rick

Hi,

Didn't mean to confuse - both the pounds and dollars-based rates came from AutoEurope. It is a different animal to rent from their US based agencies vs. European. Maybe it's an issue of demand, etc. The US agency is Avis; Niza for the EU based company.

It seems most common, for a Spain rental, that CDW is included. The deductible seems too low for the CDW included rental - I don't believe it includes any personal injury, however.

After 1/2 hour with different VISA departments I cannot confirm the VISA deductible. May try again if I lose my frustration.

Still unclear what is the best option.

we rented from National .. no CDW .. used Am Ex .. not problems .. enjoy