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Advice on US car rental without US car insurance


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I'm going to have to spend a couple of weeks N.O.B. soon to deal with family matters and it'll require renting a car since they're in an isolated area. Sold our car before moving down here so no longer have U.S. car insurance and while my Visa card will cover collision and comprehensive it looks like I'll have to accept the rental agency's liability insurance. It seems nearly impossible to get a quote on this before making a reservation but my recollection is that the costs are usually shockingly high - $25-40 a day? 

Anyone have experience with this and any recommended rental car firms to use or avoid?

Thanks!

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I'm facing the same thing in two weeks.  Last year I rented a car in NY for 5 weeks and was charged $14 a day for liability insurance.  I'm trying not to have to do that again this year, but the only thing I have come up with is that the car rental does include some liability in the price, but I don't know how much.  I am calling them today to find out.  If I think it is enough to cover my assets then I will not get additional insurance.  Last year I called every car insurance company and none would insure a rental car for a short period of time.

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You say you are going to a remote area however if it's near a population center look at Zipcar.com.  They have hourly, daily and multi-day rates from a lot of locations and now even have one-way availability which is mostly on the east coast.  Check your entering airport for availability and nearby universities and medical centers.

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I've tried to find a solution to this problem a number of times with no success. If anyone does find a reasonable way to get liability it would be great to hear. $25 - $ 40 per day is very hight though, should be closer to the $14 that KLM mentions. That can still add 75% or more to the total.

Also, has anyone had experience actually collecting insurance coverage on your credit card when you don't have a primary insurance? Most credit cards are "secondary insurance" and defer first to your primary and then cover the rest. So what happens if you don't have primary in the US? Will they cover or will there be a huge hassle or no coverage? American Express has a "Premium" rental insurance that you can enroll in that gives you primary collision coverage for a $19 charge per rental up to 30 days. But again, it does not cover liability. I have used it to hopefully cover the "secondary" part. Thankfully I've never had to try and collect, but the "need" can always happen at any time.

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8 minutes ago, canmex87 said:

We have used Rental Cars.com several times and have been completely satisfied.


You can purchase complete coverage (collision, theft & T.P. liability) at reasonable rates.


Below is their web site address.

I don't see anywhere on their site that says Liability coverage.  Did I miss it?

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10 hours ago, canmex87 said:

They confirmed when I picked the car up at the airport.

Here is another I've used which confirms T.P. liability on their web site:

 

KevinK please let us know if you find something with liability at a good rate

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USAA offers a tourist policy that will provide coverage in the states. It is designed for short visits. Cost is minimal and provides liability coverage up to that required by our umbrella policy.

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22 hours ago, Kevin K said:

I'm going to have to spend a couple of weeks N.O.B. soon to deal with family matters and it'll require renting a car since they're in an isolated area. Sold our car before moving down here so no longer have U.S. car insurance and while my Visa card will cover collision and comprehensive it looks like I'll have to accept the rental agency's liability insurance. It seems nearly impossible to get a quote on this before making a reservation but my recollection is that the costs are usually shockingly high - $25-40 a day? 

Anyone have experience with this and any recommended rental car firms to use or avoid?

Thanks!

US rental companies will require proof of US insurance card or you have to buy their full coverage. I know as we had to have our agent fax our US Auto insurance policy to Hertz in Maine

We found the last two rentals best price at Sixt Rental both US and Europe

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Thanks everyone! 

The Economy Car Rentals (.com) site is indeed pretty cool because you get a price that includes full insurance. It was $478 for two weeks, economy car, out of Denver, for example. 

As soon as I have exact dates I'll compare their prices with the best that Costco Travel offers IF I can get an exact quote on what full coverage will cost me from their vendors. 

USAA is only for military or ex-military so won't do me any good but I have no doubt that buying short term U.S. car insurance could save $ for a longer rental. Zipcar and the like are great ideas when you need a car for a few hours to a day in a city they serve, but not for my purposes here where I'm driving from a bit city to a small town with no public transport or taxis for two weeks. 

 

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12 minutes ago, Kevin K said:

Thanks everyone! 

The Economy Car Rentals (.com) site is indeed pretty cool because you get a price that includes full insurance. It was $478 for two weeks, economy car, out of Denver, for example. 

As soon as I have exact dates I'll compare their prices with the best that Costco Travel offers IF I can get an exact quote on what full coverage will cost me from their vendors. 

USAA is only for military or ex-military so won't do me any good but I have no doubt that buying short term U.S. car insurance could save $ for a longer rental. Zipcar and the like are great ideas when you need a car for a few hours to a day in a city they serve, but not for my purposes here where I'm driving from a bit city to a small town with no public transport or taxis for two weeks. 

 

Thanks for the info. kevinK

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