Bindery

My wife and I are renting a car from Hertz at Brussels Airport in March. We are going to drive in Brussels, France and Germany for 2 weeks before returning car to Brussels Airport.
I have signed up for the American Express Premium Car Rental Insurance.
It states it is primary coverage for theft and damage with no deductible.
It does not cover liability.
My current car insurance does not cover us in Europe.

Does anyone have any experience with American Express Premium Car Rental Insurance.
Should I still get coverage from Hertz?

travelhorizons

As long as you pay for the rental with your enrolled Amex card, you don’t need to pay Hertz’s exorbitant rates. The Amex plan will cover damage to the rental car.

I don’t know what liability protection you’d need, but your insurance broker should be the one to advise.

kja

I believe that the coverage provided by one's CC depends on the specific card one has -- I would urge you to check with your CC company. And I would do so before purchasing any other coverage, as doing so can invalidate the coverage to which you would otherwise be entitled. If you have already signed up for the American Express Premium Car Rental Insurance, make sure you mention that when you speak with them.

Also -- if there is any chance that you will have jet lag, I would strongly encourage you to take public transportation for your first night or two. Although many people are not aware of it, there is mounting evidence that driving with jet lag is just as dangerous -- to yourself and others -- as driving drunk, and nothing you can do will prevent the microsleeps (which you might not even notice) that are the apparent culprit. Seriously -- NOT a good idea, no matter your other constraints and no matter your prior experience! And please be patient with me if you think I’m being overly adamant, but I know too many people who have died or been seriously injured in accidents to which jet lag was a contributing factor, and I know too many people who will spend the rest of their lives dealing with the knowledge that they were responsible for accidents that resulted in multiple deaths, including those of children, all because they were too confident in their ability to drive safely with jet lag. The issue has become a bit of a cause célèbre for me….

Huggy

I believe that the AMEX plan is void if you accept any other insurance. You can check on the Amex web site or call them. I had an issue with a windshield in France and was handled by Amex very efficiently. If you do have an issue, be sure to get a police report if they are involved, and fill out a report with the rental company, when dropping the car. Be sure to ask for a copy.

ParisAmsterdam

You do not need liability as it is provideal by the rental company. And it's unlikely your insurance agent will know anything about European coverage aside from they can't provide it.

janisj

Of course it doesn't liability (I'm not sure why so many people have questions re liability) Liability is mandatory - and by law is included with the rental car. Do not buy any additional coverage if you get the Amex Premium coverage. (Amex Premium is not the same as the typical cc coverage)

Andrew

Maybe. They didn't for me a few years ago in Croatia. I had some damage to the car, and before turning the car in, I called Amex Assurance (Amex's insurance company) to ask them how to handle it. They told me just to accept responsibility (sign for it) when returning the car, then file a claim, then Amex Assurance would reimburse me.

I did that. I filed a claim as soon as I got home. I provided everything asked for in the claim - but because the car company never responded to Amex Assurance, they never covered my claim. After many phone calls and emails, I finally gave up. Cost me over $600.

The mistake I probably made was accepting responsibility for the damage. Instead, I should have denied responsibility (which seemed dishonest to me, somehow), then let them hold the credit card deposit for the damages. Then I would have disputed the charge. To win the dispute, they'd have needed to provide proof of the damage: receipts, pictures, etc. - all info I would have used for the insurance claim. But because I had already taken responsibility, the car company just got the money from me and had no incentive to cooperate. Amex Assurance seems to have done the absolute minimum to contact them (a Croatian car company) - but given that not paying a claim saves them money, what's their incentive to move aggressively?

Could be if you were dealing with Hertz, Hertz would cooperate with Amex Assurance. I sure won't trust them again, however. I don't use Amex for anything anymore, either, even though I still have a card.

Sarastro

I think that there is a difference between free credit card insurance which is secondary coverage (meaning you pay for all damage and are reimbursed) and Premium coverage which is primary coverage and for which AE charges $20/$25 per rental.

AmEx Premium coverage is not automatic, you must sign up for it in advance, separately from any car rental. It´s probably some of the best insurance you can but for European rentals and is costs very little.

Christina

I don't find is surprising that people have questions about liability insurance, why wouldn't they. It isn't collision/theft so it's good that people want to make sure they are covered. Also, I don't believe it is mandatory anywhere in the US that you buy liability insurance from the car rental company, so Americans at least aren't used to that system.