Should you buy car rental insurance?
My car insurance agent said, just buy the car insurance from the rental car company. The reason? When you travel to a different country, the auto insurance your credit card company offers may not be valid in that particular country. Ireland is one of the toughest — the credit card auto insurance is often denied there. But the credit card company will tell you you are covered. — but ask for the paperwork, and you’ll quickly learn that there really is no coverage. If you do opt not to buy the rental car insurance and you are covered through other insurance, the rental car company will bill you directly for any damage you caused. You’ll be responsible for paying for the claim up front. It’s up to you to get reimbursed from your insurance company. And remember to ask about diminished resale value. Some rental car companies may also charge for the diminished resale value of a wrecked rental car or for lost rental income while a damaged rental car is being repaired.Hertz says, if you buy car insurance through the rental car company, and you cause an accident, all damage to the rental car and the other car will be covered. Except for the minimum non-waivable $1200 excess amount (this varies by car.)
My husband – I cringe when I write this – I do – I can barely type the letters. I can’t. I won’t. Let’s just say, car insurance is not something he needs to worry about. There? Get the picture? OK. Before we left for Ireland, my husband was undaunted when our already-been-to-Ireland-friends warned us about the narrow roads and tights curves there. And, he didn’t even flinch when they told us that everyone in their party of 16 who had been behind the wheel ended up with some sort of ding on their vehicle. After traveling for years around the globe, his company had a policy of always declining the rental car insurance option. This was an extra that the company had other means of covering.
But this was not for the company. But I listened. I heeded their warnings. And, as we stood at the rental car counter in Cork, Ireland, I reminded him, to “please sign up for the insurance.”
The roads in Ireland were narrow and quaint. They were lined with trees and shrubbery, and lots of tight curves. Parking spaces were also small and tight. And that’s where it happened. No, not on the highways and byways. Not on the curvy outback roads when we had to pull over to the birm just to keep from getting swiped by a large truck who barely had enough room on the road by itself. No, it was during a parking maneuver. There, in the parking lot, my husband didn’t have enough clearance, and he gashed the passenger door on a rock. But not to worry, right? I mean, we had been warned, and we had the insurance. Right, honey?
Well, I don’t need to tell you, that he did not, in fact, sign up for the insurance. 
The looming threat of the mystery amount we would have to pay hung through the back of my mind. As the end of the trip came closer, and the day of returning the car and fessing up to the attendants become immense, the monetary threat grew in my mind. By the time our last night in Ireland arrived, I had worked myself up into a frenzy. And this was the night when we were staying in one of Dublin’s finest hotels. I began to worry about international laws, and if we would be detained, and would be able to live on our already-scheduled flight? What would become of the children? So the moment arrived. One attendant walked around the car, saw the dent, and signaled for the other attendant to have a look. These gentlemen walked to the back, opened the trunk, and pulled out a yellow carbon sheet of paper. On it was a diagram of the car, with an X on it. The words said, “This car has been damaged by previous driver, in several places. Location: Undisclosed.” We were free to go.
I walked on the plane and immediately ordered champagne.
Always get the car insurance when you travel abroad. It’s just not worth the worry.
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O-o-o, delightful champagne link! The bubbles are tickling my nose!
The excess on the car rental insurance in Europe can be very high and can vary from location to location and car rental company. We offer an insurance policy for £3.99 = $8 per day that covers the excess on damage to the rented vehicle, excess on the theft and up to $4000 for damage to windows/glass, tyres/wheels and undercarraige. For example Avis charges €20 plus VAT20% = US$32 per day. Take the time to look at the various costs of excess in Europe at http://www.excess4carhire.com