Insurance

[Kassier]

We are shopping around for car insurance and I'm hoping I can get opinions from everybody here about which ones to avoid and which ones you have had a good experience with.

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Kassier

Welcome aboard!

What sort of car insurance are you referring to? Do you me an annual policy for Collision Damage Waiver when renting cars?

[Joanne Green]

If you're referring to Collision Damage Waver, if you use either a VISA or Mastercard, that is covered by the credit card company. Read the little brochure on coverage that you got when you got your card.

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Joanne

Would hate to give the wrong impression to 95% of our readers who are from the wider global community, but not ALL VISA or MasterCards cover CDW. It may be common in the USA or North America. Sadly, I haven't come across this feature over here yet.

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

Hi, even if living in Sweden an Amex platinum card covers ALL additional insurances such as CDW,PAI,PAF and whatnots. Considering the other benefits of the card, such as a free priority pass programme with no admission fees to lounges all over the world, free VERY comprehensive travel insurance and all the other freebies such as upgrades on Hilton, Sheraton, AVIS and Hertz loyalty programmes, and its 2 for 1 business class tickets it is definitely an option worth looking into if one travels regularly, even if it carries a hefty annual fee. However, just travel insurance and car insurance for a family easily equals the yearly charge.

[Gill M]

Hi Steve

Confirming what you said, I phoned around all my UK card companies and CDW was sadly NOT available.

Gill M

[David Watkins]

I have had the same experience as Gill M.British drivers can't be that bad!!!!!!!!!!
David

[Steve Pitts]

Another fine example of 'rip-off' Britain David.

The rest of the developed world wouldn't tolerate it - we just suffer in silence.

[Sioned And Tim Sims]

Hi, We have a UK issued Amex platinum card which has all the benefits Stefan mentioned

Sioned

[Gill M]

Hi Sioned

That's good but we found that Amex wasn't very widely accepted in the Caribbean. Our thoughts were that possibly Amex charges were too expensive for the retailer??? I may be totally wrong - but ......

Gill M

[Bill B]

Steve P,

Perhaps if you didn't drive "bass ackwards" from the rest of the developed world you would be eligible.

Bill

[Sioned And Tim Sims]

Hi Gill
Even if you don't use the card you still get most of the benefits

Sioned

[Patrick Dankou]

Hi Gill,

you are right. Amex fees are way too high for small business in T&T and you have to wait very long to receive your money from them, with the local VISA/MC machines it's in your business account after 2 working days.

[Steve Pitts]

Steve P,

Perhaps if you didn't drive "bass ackwards" from the rest of the developed world you would be eligible.

Bill

I doubt it Bill.

Not even if we surrendered to the global phenomenon of driving on the wrong side of the road.

I think that we have some of the highest credit card charges anywhere - probably as a result of the amount of bad debt being written off by the main players, who encourage over-spending by people who can ill afford it.

The rest of us end up paying over the odds to subsidise the defaulters, whilst also ensuring that the profits of the legalised loan sharks continue to spiral through the roof.

Being British, we just accept it and pay through the nose AND get second-rate services - unlike you Americans, who at least have the conviction and clout to demand good service and value from their suppliers - or go somewheres else.

[Gill M]

Hi Sioned

But would you get those benefits, especially CDW, if you hadn't paid for your car rental by Amex??

As Patrick from Yes Tourism says, Amex charges are very high for the retailers and their card not widely accepted.

Another point that I'd like to bring up, which isn't really related to car insurance, is that some UK card companies offer FREE travel insurance if you pay for your trip on their card. I don't feel he cover is as comprehensive as buying from a broker so please do read the small print.

Gill M

[Gill M]

Hi Sioned

But would you get those benefits, especially CDW, if you hadn't paid for your car rental by Amex??

As Patrick from Yes Tourism says, Amex charges are very high for the retailers and their card not widely accepted.

Another point that I'd like to bring up, which isn't really related to car insurance, is that some UK card companies offer FREE travel insurance if you pay for your trip on their card. I don't feel he cover is as comprehensive as buying from a broker so please do read the small print.

Gill M

[Dr Stefan Rustscheff]

Hi, I have just called AMEX and they confirm that they pay CDW/LDW/TP/SLI/PA via the travel isurance EVEN IF You do not pay either trip or car with the card! That is at least true for Swedish customers. So-call Your local Amex representative and kindly ask for a card. It is not by invitation only anymore from what I believe and , who dares wins!Just calculate what a normal travel insurance AND car insurance costs for a family. And, yes, Your family is included in the insurance, if it is registered in the same domicile as Yourselves! (So it didn´t include my fiancee this year...)

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Stefan

A quick look at the Amex UK site indicates that CDW is also covered on Platinum Cards here in the UK too. However, at £300 a year for a card that is not accepted widely, I will take some convincing.

Amex is very unpopular with merchants, for the reasons Patrick mentioned. An increasing number of merchants refuse Amex cards or will only accept it when the customer pays extra to do so. I must confess that I stopped taking Amex some years ago because of that companies gross arrogance and bad attitude.

[Sioned And Tim Sims]

Hi Gill
The cover you get with Amex is as good if not better than most insurance companies offer and a lot better than the cover you get free with most credit cards. The policy covers both ourselves and our children traveling independently, under 25 on our card, over 25 not living at home with a supplementary card (you don't have to give them the card). So even with the huge card fee I have calculated that we save quite a bit.

Stefan
I don't know if its the same in Sweden but you can get a supplementary card for up to 5 friends or family which then gives them the same benefits, it might be useful for your fiancee.

Amex rewards can be converted into Virgin miles so one day we might have enough to get free flights to Tobago

Regards
Sioned
21 days to go

[Bill B]

Steve P,

The situation with credit cards is pretty much the same in the States. Most cards charge up to 21% interest and huge late and overlimit fees. Even with an unprecedented amount of write-offs due to default and bankruptcy there is still a huge profit to be made by the banks. There is a lot of competition to get one to sign-up and therefore a lot of "benefits" such as CDW and air miles are offered. For those of us who pay in full every month and avoid the usurious charges it is very good, but the poor soul who gets trapped in the "cycle of debt" suffers.

As for demanding and receiving good service it is becoming much more difficult because if you leave provider number one to go to provider number two you quickly find out that they are just as slack and have the same p*** poor attitude.

Oh well, enough moaning and groaning about things we can't change.
Let's all be grateful that we can afford to go to places as wonderful as Tobago and if we have to pay a few dollars or pounds more for CDW it's a small price to pay for our trip to paradise.

Bill