Daisy

I know all about my credit card covering CDW and the liability - by law - being included in the rental, etc., etc.<BR><BR>But.... I haven't seen any posts with suggestions regarding covering the DAMAGE TO THE RENTAL CAR should we have a problem.<BR><BR>Going through the Alps in the winter (slick roads, etc.) driving the autobauhn, or something as simple as someone hitting the car in a parking lot could damage and therefore create the need for repairs to a rental. I'd like to protect myself financially in that situation. <BR><BR>Does anyone have suggestions or comments?

Ann

If you damage the car, you're responsible for the deductible, which varies in amount by company, and often by the rate you pay. If you did get full insurance, then you shouldn't have to pay anything else.

xxx

CDW = Collision Damage Waiver. This is the part that covers damage to the rental car. That's what it's all about. As the other person says, there's usually a deductible, but you can usually pay extra to cover all damage so that there is no deductible.

Jim

Daisy,<BR><BR>That's what the CDW is for. It protects you against damage to the rental car. You may still have to pay a deductible, but if you took the CDW (or are covered by your credit card) then that covers damage to the rental car.

Tammy

I definitely recommend the CDW. While in Kent we had a minor accident that tore up the tire and the wheel. We ran over something that was in the road. Luckily we were the only car involved and the spare was full size. Since we had the CDW, all we had to pay was the daily deductible, which was a small amount, and we lost our deposit. Small price to pay for peace of mind while on vacation.

Daisy

Thank you all. Usually, I'm not so "dense", but traveling with other people and this is my part of the planning, I want to cover all my bases. I've been in other countries renting and returning cars and they tried to tell me various things that weren't true. I just need to have my facts straight before I go.<BR><BR>So, then, if I have a wreck and it's MY fault, the CDW (covered by my credit card) takes care of the rental car AND the car of the other person?<BR><BR>The liability (which is by law included in rental) covers anyone who may get hurt in either vehicle. <BR><BR>Do I have it straight now?<BR>Thanks again.

Alec

Daisy, yes, almost.<BR>Liability cover (called third-party insurance in Europe) normally included in the basic rental cost is against both person AND property, and in Europe it's usually for unlimited amount.<BR>Deductible for damage or theft of rental car has become very common, but if you book through a wholesaler or consolidator like Auto Europe or Holiday Autos, they usually promise to refund the deductible, provided you send them a copy of the accident report form. This way you don't have to buy from rental agent extra insurance to waive or reduce deductible, sometimes called Super-CDW.

Daisy

Alec, you are a prince of a guy. Thanks

John H

Daisy, I always get the insurance on European rentals. The peace of mind is more than worth it. (Even if you have CDW coverage using your cedit card, without insurance you could be forced to pay up to the damage that the car has incurred. By purchasing the insurance, you are limited to the deductible amount of the insurance coverage. (For AutoEurope this non-waivable deductible is around $700-$900 dollars. So, you still are potentially "at risk" for that amount. But, I'd say being at risk for that amount is better than not having taken the insurance coverage, being charged by an overseas car rental company for the damage to the car, and then having to deal with your credit card company, normal car insurer and a foreign rental company when you return home.<BR><BR>John H

dfc

Please be aware that even if your credit card covers you if you decline CDW, it may do so only as a second payer. Please read the fine print and you may even want to call your credit card company prior to travel to verify the details.<BR><BR>I always assumed that I was covered by my American Express card when I declined CDW until I had an accident in a rental car. I then discovered that it covered as a second payer -- this means that I had to file a claim through my own insurance company first and then AmEx would pay the deductible (if any). The result is that my auto insurance rate was increased for the following three years. Paying the CDW would have been much cheaper in the long run.<BR><BR>I checked other credit cards after that and found that the others I had also were second payers in the case of a claim. Most people (like me) never find this out until after the accident.

Jim

If you are absolutely sure you are covered by your credit card, and understand the terms, and have called and spoken to someone, then you should decline the CDW. Why pay if you're already covered? BUT, if you're unsure about your card coverage in any way, then you should cough up the extra $$ and take the CDW. I declined the CDW on my trip, but only after I spoke with the folks at Mastercard and asked all questions and got a written copy of their coverage policy.

Jason

Daisy<BR>I am hearing from my neighbor that even though you and millions of other travellers are COVERED,you may have to go ahead and pay any damages to a rental vehicle up front "over there" where u rented the car.Then the credita card company that has "covered" you CDW will reimburse you.Personally, I dont drive overseas.But I'm just throwing that out cuz the guy works for MasterCard.<BR>Jason

norm

Daisy,<BR>I do not believe the CC based CDW is not a simple decision as "if CC covers it, I am ok."<BR><BR>The best way to look at this coverage is that CC will "eventually" pay for it.<BR><BR>There is no standard way this is handled. It differs depending on the CC company, the rental company, and the country.<BR><BR>It can be as easy as CC takes care of the damage even before it appears on your statement or as annoying as having to deal with the rental company and the CC company six months after the trip to have it paid. Of course, it is up to you to have all the correct paper works.<BR><BR>More immediate problem is that the rental company is allowed to put a credit block on your card to cover for the damage. This can be a thousand dollars worth for a simple dent up to whatever they feel they need to protect themselves. You have to decide if this is unacceptable for you. If this happens on the day you are returning home, it probably does not matter. If this happens in the middle of the trip and you are counting on the credit to be available for the remainder of the trip, you are in trouble.