1:51 AM
The time to think about car rental insurance is not after you have had some sort of accident. Too many people make the mistake of waiting until it is too late to find out exactly what their rental insurance encompasses. Generally speaking, insurance rules and laws in Europe follow the same basic guidelines as in the United States, whether you rent or own. There are many different types of insurances available to renters both when setting up the rental and at the time of pick up.
The deductible, or excess amount, is the amount the renter is responsible for in the event of damage to or theft of the rental vehicle. When purchasing the CDW/Theft insurances through rental car agencies, these amounts can sometimes be very high and are usually blocked on the renters credit card to ensure the company can collect in the event of an accident. Most companies offer additional insurnace locally that will lower the amounts.
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) is the amount due to the rental car company in case of damage to the rental vehicle. Many major credit card companies offer this insurance simply by paying for the rental with that particular credit card. This benefit from the credit card company is not offered when renting in certain Western European countries, usually Italy and Ireland. When deciding whether to pay for the collision insurance through the rental car company or use the insurance offered on your credit card it is important to consider the deductibles.
Theft Insurance determines the amount of money due to the rental car agency in case of theft of the rental vehicle. Usually collision and theft coverage go hand in hand. For example, if your credit card company offers collision coverage, then theft is usually included as well.
Fire Insurance doesn't cover any and all vehicle fire, this is important to know. Generally speaking it refers only to fires that are due to mechanical defects.
Simply put, liability covers anyone or anything outside of your rental vehicle. Liability coverage encompasses damage or injury that occurs due to the driver's negligence. Most car rental suppliers include this automatically since it is mandatory everywhere
The insurances listed above are absolutely necessary and cannot be avoided. There are also many different forms of optional protection available that you may be interested in purchasing at the rental counter. The extra types of insurance include Personal Accident Insurance, Personal Effects Coverage and Loss of Use Coverage. They are not in any way necessary, but some renters prefer the feeling of complete protection.
Take the time to research what is required and desired based on where you plan to rent or travel. Learn from the mistakes of others and address the insurance issues before it's too late!
Violet Hume
http://www.autoeurope.com
http://blog.autoeurope.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Violet_Hume
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