Damage Collision Fee Waiver for USA - Car rental

[Deactivated] on 04/12/2015 - 12:17
Last edited 04/12/2015 - 13:59

Hi

Im renting a car in USA from 19 Dec - 1 Jan 16

I will be getting from enterprise car rental. I have Westpac Black Altitute. I asked them they cover 5500 Rental vehicle excess.

I do not understand/sure whether I need to take Damage collision fee waiver or not?

Can you someone please assist?

Thank you in advance

From Westpac pds

Rental vehicle excess

We will reimburse you for any insurance excess or deductible which you become legally liable to pay in respect of a claim
under the rental vehicle insurance policy of the rental vehicle during the rental period provided:
• the rental vehicle must be rented from a licensed rental agency; and
• the cardholder was operating the rental vehicle within the local laws of the country/city; and
• the hiring agreement must incorporate the rental vehicle insurance; and
• you must comply with all the requirements of the rental organisation under the hiring agreement and of the rental vehicle insurance.

We will not pay for your costs arising from:
• loss or damage resulting from the operation of the rental vehicle in violation of the terms of the rental agreement; or
• wear and tear, gradual deterioration, damage from insects or vermin, inherent vice or damage; or
• driving the rental vehicle on non-public roads.

Travel

Comments

  • oscargamer on 04/12/2015 - 13:38

    best ask them what it means

    us armchair lawyers might be wrong and you would be the one that suffers

  • spackbace on 04/12/2015 - 13:56

    Get travel insurance (which you should anyway), should cover the hire car excess

    (Please read the terms and conditions of your travel insurance before blindly accepting my advice)

  • hellbound on 04/12/2015 - 14:58
    +3

    By default cars in the USA don't come with insurance.
    You need to purchase insurance to cover the car, for which your CC will cover the excess on if you have an accident.

    Two main types of insurance you need:
    LDW/CDW (Loss Damage Waver/Collision Damage Waver)- If you damage our car you're covered.
    ALI (Additional Liability Insurance) - If you damage someone else's car/property you're covered.

    If you don't get CDW and have an accident, your CC insurance can't/wont pay as there wont be an insurance excess to cover.

    No aussie travel insurance will cover you in an accident, they rely on you having these insurances on the car, and they will pay the excess.

    • SimbaGirl on 04/12/2015 - 17:30

      +1 to this. If hiring a car in the US, these are the two insurances you MUST have, for peace of mind if nothing else. It's not like the situation in Australia, where you're usually only responsible for the excess amount on an insurance claim. In the US, if you don't take out the appropriate insurances when hiring a car, you are liable for the cost of all damage - up to and including the ENTIRE cost of the car (if in a worse case scenario, it's a write-off) plus various other fees and charges such as "loss of use" (as the rental company obviously can't use the vehicle whilst it's being repaired)

      Note, this advice is in relation to visitors to the US hiring a vehicle, for US citizens it's different as many can use their CCs or the insurance on their own vehicle to cover a rental car.

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