Should i get ldw

Note this is a flat charge per rental, regardless if you rent for one day or thirty days. If you want the peace of mind of having primary coverage and tend to rent cars for longer periods of time, this might be an excellent option for you. Several insurance companies will sell you separate Loss Damage Waiver coverage. Some of the websites in this group I found that were backed by major insurance companies are:. The first two companies listed will also sell policies to those who reside outside the United States.

If you are from outside the U. They may receive a commission on the policies they sell or might have a quota they need to meet. An alternative and much easier way to avoid this uncomfortable conversation is to sign up for the Frequent Renter programs offered by the rental car companies.

These programs are free to apply for and you can put in your rental preferences like if you want to accept the insurance coverage, pick your preferred car size and say if you want to pre-pay for the gasoline. Like this post? Please share it! We have plenty more just like it and would love it if you decided to hang around and get emailed notifications of when we post.

This post first appeared on Your Mileage May Vary. These claims can be quite costly so it pays to be covered and, although some credit cards will pay for CDW, none will provide coverage for […]. In normal terms, if you get into an accident in your rental car, you can use the coverage from […]. Great post. Maybe doing a followup about liability insurance might be a good addition on the rental car insurance front. Liability and the other coverages that car insurance companies offer are to be covered in another post.

I believe chase requires you to decline the rental car company cover in order for them to assume or provide coverage. Most rental car companies actually sell policies not self insure.

Zurich is one of the bigger players in this market. However, we know that some things are not always preventable. Things like theft, vandalism, collision, fire, and acts of nature that directly impact your rental vehicle are all examples of what is covered under LDW.

Your Loss Damage Waiver will relieve you of financial responsibility for the rental vehicle. Loss or damage to the rental car where the Terms and Conditions of the Rental Agreement are violated will forfeit any coverage that the Loss Damage Waiver provides. Third-party damages or injury are also not covered under Loss Damage Waiver. Pricing of LDW varies depending on the type of vehicle you choose to rent.

Upon your reservation request, an LDW fee will populate as a daily fee charged in addition to your rental charges. LDW covers you for the entirety of your rental period. Are you planning on renting a car for your next trip? Excluded vehicles may include pick-up trucks, full- sized vans and certain luxury cars.

And these are only part of the full list of limitations often found in these programs. Another common limitation is that loss of use is only paid to the extent that the assessment is based on fleet utilization logs.

One major credit card only covers collision and theft even though the rental agreement typically makes the user almost absolutely liable for all damage, including fire, flood and vandalism. Another issue with reliance on credit cards is that the rental company may charge uncovered fees that max out the credit limit on the card.

I rarely rent cars on business trips or vacation, but I experienced a major claim with a hit-and-run in a restaurant parking lot the night before a 6 a. Thompson, who rents cars fairly often, says he has walked away from damaged cars three times.

Returning a rental at the Ft. Lauderdale airport, Thompson asked the attendant how many cars a month are returned with damage. She responded that, in her typical hour shift, 15 cars are returned with damage and, in most cases, the damage was allegedly caused by someone else, not the renter. The cost of the LDW admittedly can be significant, especially if you extrapolate what the effective physical damage insurance cost would be at that daily rate.

On an eight-day vacation last year, the LDW cost me more than the actual rental and, in fact, more than my airline ticket. But I considered the LDW part of the cost of the vacation. Is the LDW all you need?

Is it foolproof? Well, kind of, as long as you follow the rental agreement. If you violate the rental agreement, you are likely to void the LDW. Many rental agreements consider the following to be violations:. The ISO PAP does not exclude the first three rental agreement violations, and the territorial limit is usually broader than any restrictive rental agreement territory outside of Mexico.

As for unauthorized drivers, some rental companies may automatically include a spouse or fellow employee or authorize them to drive for a fee. More often, the renter never reads the rental agreement and presumes anyone on the trip can drive. In one claim, a father and son were on vacation, and the father rented a car.