Car Rental In Europe

[Mobaan]

If I rent a car in Europe or the USA and use my US issued Visa or AX card ,I do not pay for CDW -its taken care of by the CC company.

Now, if I want to rent car in Europe and use my Thai Visa card issued by Siam Commercial Bank - will that card take care of CDW coverage as well ?

I am not in Thailand right now and as you may know to get an email answered by a Thai business )or bank in this case )is a rather trying issue , since I would like an answer during this lifetime , if possible.

Does anyone have personal experience?

[seekingfriends]

whats cdw ?

[Mobaan]

whats cdw ?

Like in "Collision Damage Waiwer"

[Swiss1960]

When you rent a car in Europe, liability insurance is normally included in the rate. Fire and theft insurance may also be included, but it's always a good idea to ask.

What typically isn't included is insurance against collision damage. To protect yourself against having to pay for car repairs (or even a brand-new car) in the event of an accident, you need a Collision Damage Waiver or "CDW." This is available from three sources:

Rental agencies

The rental agent will offer you a Collision Damage Waiver when you pick up your car. In a few countries, such as Italy, you may be required to take the CDW. The cost isn't cheap--typically 10 to 25 euros or U.S. dollars per day--but buying it from the rental-car firm is simple and offers peace of mind. You may also want to inquire about theft insurance, (LDW), which is usually mandatory with Italian car rentals but is optional in most countries.

Credit-card companies

Some credit-card companies provide free collision insurance for rentals charged on their Gold or Platinum cards. Unfortunately, the coverage isn't always as good as it seems, and many card issuers no longer protect overseas travelers or limit their protection to cheaper cars.

Additionally, some credit-card companies limit their CDW coverage to certain car rental agencies with which they have contracts. So you might or might not be able to pay CDW through your credit card as the rental agency does not need to accept your card for coverage.

To make matters worse, you may be required to authorize a deposit on your credit card up to the replacement cost of the vehicle, which isn't very practical if the car's value is more than your credit-card limit. If you get into an accident, you'll normally have to settle up with the rental firm, then seek reimbursement from the credit-card company after you get home. And to add even more to this, on long-term rentals (i.e. more than 10 days), rental agencies know that the credit-card companies will delete the authorized deposit after that period, just to enable their card customer to continue spending and not block his card by the deposit which might never be used.

Edited October 26, 2011 by Swiss1960

[Mobaan]

WOW-I did not know all this . Its been a long time since I rented a car .

Certainly "Thank you very much " for this info . I will act accordingly.

[beano2274]

I use this to get the best rates, it clearly states what is included and the price you see is the price you pay.

http://www.carrentals.co.uk/