I should be covered since I get covered through my credit card - either AMEX or Visa. But I have heard bad stories where people who get into wrecks are forced to pay out a lot of money up front until they get get their credit card based coverage to pay - is that true? I realize that the coverage the rental companies charge is very inflated and they make a good amount of money on that charge.
I tend not to take the policy from the car rental but you need to read the terms of your credit card. Some insurance that comes with the cards are secondary. Your personal insurance has to pay first. Some are Primary so you don’t have to claim anything through your insurance.
Also some credit card insurance policies do not pay for the rental company for loss of business while the car it being repaired and the rental company may try to charge you for that.
I had to figure this out for myself last summer and it was a real pain. As MannyL points out, there are a ton of variables, not the least of which are the insurance requirements in the state in which you’re driving. It’s best to call someone at the credit card companies, but even then it is difficult to find someone who knows what they’re talking about.
I am not going to do a lot of driving , this trip will be to Florida. I guess I should start out by calling my regular car insurance people first to see what they cover.
I don’t rent cars more than maybe twice a year, but I always get their insurance even though I have some coverage from my own auto policy. Basically I figure if I do have an accident, I don’t need the additional grief of dealing with a couple of bureaucracies and likely shelling out more money. It is worth the peace of mind.
However, in times past when I had less money, I did forgo the insurance.
I wish the insurance companies would sell a product for rental cars where you could get full coverage through a company other than the rental company (you go online & tell them you are renting such and such a car from this rental company for 5 days & they tell you how much). I suspect that would bring the price down.
I have a really inexpensive rider on my personal car insurance that will cover rentals. I forget what it cost because I got it like 8 years ago, bit it was something like an extra $30 or $40 a year or something. Well worth the peace of mind.
It may vary by insurance company, but even if you are covered under your own policy an accident in a rental car will typically be treated the same as an accident in your own car (i.e. you rates go up!). If you are on vacation, keep in mind that you will be driving an unfamiliar vehicle in an unfamiliar location possibly while trying to gawk at the sights. Some type of insurance other than your main policy is often a good idea.
Unless your policy says different, I believe the coverage on rental cars under your own policy is subject to the same deductibles as your regular coverage. Furthermore, they rarely cover the ‘loss of business’ mentioned above.
Deleted - wrong info