Thanks for your comment. Like Kent and everyone who has commented above, I appreciate you stopping by to read my column, and the time you took to help other travelers here at Tripso with your knowledge. I hope you’ll be coming back to read my future columns, and those of my colleagues here at Tripso. You might be interested in sharing your experience in our forums at Talking Travelers.

You are most definitely correct that most credit card insurers will not cover you in some countries abroad. You mentioned Ireland, Israel, Jamaica and Italy. I would add Australia, and New Zealand to your list of countries which are generally not covered by insurance from credit card programs. The AMEX insurance which I use, and the Diner’s Club insurance Kent, who’s comment is above, uses doesn’t provide coverage in those six countries, for example.

Thanks for the excellent supplemental information to my article.

Regards,

Ned

Thanks for your comment. I appreciate you stopping by to read my column, and the time you took to help other travelers here at Tripso with your experience. I hope you’ll be coming back to read my future columns, and those of my colleagues here at Tripso. You might be interested in sharing your experience in our forums at Talking Travelers.

Kent, the Diner’s Club card certainly does provide “primary” rental car coverage, while many other credit cards provide only secondary coverage, meaning one’s auto policy, or the rental car company’s coverage, for example, kicks in first, to its limits, and then the credit card coverage supplements what they don’t pay, to its own limits.

That being said, the coverage that “Bruce InCharlotte,” who belongs to FFocus, an organization that I have belonged to for years, and I have through the American Express Card’s Premium Car Rental Protection plan (extra fee of $25 per rental on the card), is also “primary” rental car coverage.

Not only that, as Bruce InCharlotte confirmed, the AMEX plan does indeed cover “loss of use.” The Diner’s Club coverage also covers “loss of use.”

For the benefit of my readers, I would add that Diner’s Club insurance coverage is at no extra cost, while the AMEX coverage has a small fee. There are differences in the coverage, plan and card costs, and other variables, so as is always the case, travelers need to check with their and other credit card companies to find out what card and plan is best for them.

Regards,

Ned

For those traveling to Europe, do not assume that your card will cover you. I know that most major cards do not cover auto damage in Ireland or some other European Countries.

Know before you GO!

You are generally right about “loss of use,” however, most states, to the best of my knowledge, only require the rental company to prove no cars were available at that location, in that class of vehicle. They don’t have be totally out of cars. Even so, if you ask for proof, many companies will walk away from the claim. In my friend’s case, they were actually out of cars. Over the years I’ve rented from locations (Maui last year for instance) where people were being turned away who had no reservation for a vehicle, so it can be a problem.

As to the spare tire, jack, etc., it’s your responsibility to make sure it’s in the car. I know of several people who had to pay up in my area. Whether the ruling was right or wrong since the prior renter was not charged for missing equipment it was considered to be there. It’s so simple to pop the trunk to make sure it’s there, I don’t know why anyone wouldn’t check. Actually, I started to check just to make sure I wouldn’t get stranded or seriously delayed if I got a flat. I always make sure the donut or spare is fully inflated too. I’ve only found the spare missing once. It had gone flat and was taken out to be fixed, but never returned, but I’ve had numerous occasions over the years when I found the donut flat.

the tire, jack and equipment charges are more difficult for both sides to prove. . .