Is that extra insurance mandatory for renting a car in the DR?

drgolfer

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Aug 16, 2005
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Last time in the country, February 2016, I rented a car from Alamo and was told I had to get the extra car insurance. I never in the past was made to do so. I have lived there and visited there many times in the past 15 years. My arrival was late at night and I did not want to fight with the attendant. He pretty much said take it or leave it, the extra insurance is mandatory. Can anyone enlighten me on this, the legality? Not whether or not I should take it. I do understand the perils of driving in the DR. I use my AMEX card and this covers me somewhat I understand.
 

RV429

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Apr 3, 2011
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3rd Party Liability insurance is mandatory and has been for a few years. At Alamo it is $9 per day.
 

AlterEgo

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3rd Party Liability insurance is mandatory and has been for a few years. At Alamo it is $9 per day.



Yep, we had to pay it Avis too. *For a two month rental, it added up. *We shipped our car down a few months later. *
 
Sep 4, 2012
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We talking liability or the " extra" full coverage the rental sells?

I have never purchased any extra as the liability is already part of the rental. I have used my CCs as third wheel.
 

drgolfer

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I do not remember what it was called and I did have American Express for coverage for some "party" liability. I could not leave the airport with my Alamo rental car without paying. It was not a miscommunication thing, I speak spanish also.
 

drgolfer

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I am renting for 3 weeks, so its a significant amount, and dont want to pay it if not needed.
 

AlterEgo

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I am renting for 3 weeks, so its a significant amount, and dont want to pay it if not needed.



We did not have a choice, as I remember it. My husband is Dominican, so no misunderstanding possible. As rv429 said, it's 3rd party liability.*
 
Sep 4, 2012
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I have rented many times at SDQ, have been offered the extra stuff, declined it and off I went.

The rental companies must at the very least provide liability with their rental as part of the transaction.

Anything beyond that is extra and not required by law.

Unless things have changed lately, I don't believe it's mandatory and nothing more than a cheap selling technique to hook customers with extra monies.


They do scare you off though, should something happens. Inspect the hell out that vehicle for sure.
 
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irishpaddy

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it is not mandatory ....I had the same problem with avis and I went over to hertz ...they accepted the insurance offered by my credit card
this is a significant saving as the other way it almost doubles the rental fee
one of the reasons I am going to buy a car and keep it here
 

Garyexpat

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Sep 7, 2012
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It is not mandatory. The agents receive commissions for their sales of insurance and up-sells (you have a compact reserved and they get you to pay $10. more per day for a full size).
If you look at the contract from one of the airports they charge you a 10% airport fee. If you rent in the states you would think this is normal because most if not all airport car rental companies have it on their contracts as well. HOWEVER in the states this 10% is paid to the airport (they actually audit the companies to ensure they get every penny). Here in the D.R. back a number of years the franchise owners (almost all the companies are now owned by the same group) decided since most renters came from countries where this took place that they too should add the 10% a/p fee however they pocket this money. They pay a flat rent to the airports.
 

Buffness

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No it's not mandatory . We used to have this issue too. Our AMEX covers auto rental insurance - most rental companies in the US accepts this , *but in DR ( ussually at the airport) they always used to insist on charging "extra" *" mandatory " insurance .

I remember we used to tell them we no longer neded the car and to cancel the contract - *sometimes they would change their mind immediately and "forget" *about the extra insurance. Other times we would take a taxi home - and find a local ( reputable) rental company the next day .*

So basically - Its up to you to accept or reject their efforts . We always chose to take our business elsewhere as soon as they started up selling or charging the $1000 " deposit" + extra insurance + rental amount + any other amount they think they can get away with .*

We also found that you can get better cars and better service from some of the local rental companies .*
 
Jan 9, 2004
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Last time in the country, February 2016, I rented a car from Alamo and was told I had to get the extra car insurance. I never in the past was made to do so. I have lived there and visited there many times in the past 15 years. My arrival was late at night and I did not want to fight with the attendant. He pretty much said take it or leave it, the extra insurance is mandatory. Can anyone enlighten me on this, the legality? Not whether or not I should take it. I do understand the perils of driving in the DR. I use my AMEX card and this covers me somewhat I understand.

It appears a little more clarity is in order on this issue, so if I may......

The extra insurance is NOT mandatory as in "Legally" required, it may however be mandatory depending on each auto rental companies policies......and as someone pointed out above, many of the major car rental companies are owned by a single entity.

Next, and this is US based information, your personal auto policy most likely does not cover you in the DR. Canada yes, Mexico some, but not all......and as to the DR, I am not aware of any................so verify with your carrier before you rely on them to your potential detriment.

As to your credit card coverage, each card is different, but they ALL do not cover ALL losses you may potentially incur, to wit;

You are almost always NOT covered on a credit card for personal injury to others, liability, property damage, taxes, damage to other vehicles, diminished value of the rental (after an accident and after it has been repaired), tire damage, glass damage.

Further, some credit card companies only cover you for a set number of days. Visa is 31 days abroad and Mastercard is 15. Some American Express cards may cover you longer, but limits the distance from the rental company to 75 miles. Rent in Bavaro and have issues in Santo Domingo.....not covered....period. Additionally, AE will NOT cover full size SUV's.

So, there is no standard answer to your question.

First, check with your personal auto carrier.

Second, check with your credit card company as to what they do or do not cover and more specifically your type of card because they are different (Gold, Platinum, Titanium, Sapphire).

Third, know that whatever card you carry and use, they have coverage restrictions.

Fourth, assess your potential risk/loss against the cost of the "mandatory" extra insurance.....and if you accept the mandatory insurance, find out what is covered.......and by all means do not rely on the rental agents spiel.....get a copy of the actual coverages.

If this seems like more trouble than it is worth.....read this recent post and decide;

http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php/159267-MasterCard-not-paying-VAT-on-car-rental-claim


Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 
Last edited:
Sep 4, 2012
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You are almost always NOT covered on a credit card for personal injury to others, liability, property damage, taxes, damage to other vehicles, diminished value of the rental (after an accident and after it has been repaired), tire damage, glass damage.
With the exception of the underlined items, the rest should be covered by the base liability insurance already provided with the rental. Rental companies can not rent a vehicle w/o at the very least the liability insurance to cover the above.

What CCs provides on rentals is called Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), in other words rental companies waive the right to collect on any damages to the vehicle rented once this provision is purchased. This is not insurance by any means.
 
Jan 9, 2004
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With the exception of the underlined items, the rest should be covered by the base liability insurance already provided with the rental. Rental companies can not rent a vehicle w/o at the very least the liability insurance to cover the above.

What CCs provides on rentals is called Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), in other words rental companies waive the right to collect on any damages to the vehicle rented once this provision is purchased. This is not insurance by any means.



Again, rental companies generally do NOT provide anything other than minimum insurance to ONLY cover their loss of the vehicle due to collision/flood/fire, accordingly and in conjunction with a deductible, which your credit card company will likely cover.

They do NOT provide insurance coverage for anything but their own loss. And the policies they have also do
Not cover glass and tires. *Glass/tires and everything else is your responsibility.



Respectfully,
Playacaribe2
 

2020

Active member
Apr 10, 2012
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Las Terrenas
not required - 3rd party liability car insurance

3rd Party Liability insurance is mandatory and has been for a few years. At Alamo it is $9 per day.

We never pay for any supplemental car insurance thru Avis, Budget and Sixt at the Santo Domingo Airport (SDQ). My Chase UNITED Mileage Plus credit card offers free collision insurance in the DR, too

BUT, I will never forget that I took the extra Roadside Safety Net coverage for about $2.00 a day and it came in handy. Driving through a rainstorm in Las Terrenas a coconut fell from a tree and caused a huge crack in the front windshield of our newer Kia Sportage we were renting: COVERED!!
 

Dolores1

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May 3, 2000
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My recommendation to you is to pay the extra US$9 and get the 100% insurance they recommend.

I recommended this to friends who rented from National some years ago and they followed the advice.
They had a minor accident and were able to just drop the car off and be on their way.

The likelihood of some kind of accident is higher here than in the US, for example. So it is an investment well paid. By the way, when traveling abroad I always take this same advice. The extra $ is money well paid. Your American Express card does not give you 100% coverage.
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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If you can get the extra insurance from the rental car company - BUY IT! Unlike in the US, the car companies here will charge you for every single nick, small dent, or scratch.

On returning a rental car to POP the agent did a walk around looking for any damage. The front window was dirty were the wipers couldn't reach. Amazingly, the agent knew exactly where to wipe away the dirt film to "discover" a tiny pin-prick sized chip in the windshield.

For my insurance to cover it, I needed to fill out a police report. No way to do that w/o missing my flight. Ended up costing me $50 - and that was a barely visible, tiny, little chip.

As stated before, if you want to take the chance with your credit card insurnce, call them and make sure you thoroughly understand what is covered and what is required to get it covered. Also, check shortly before you leave. I've had a couple cards where they stopped coverge in the DR.
 

cavok

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Jun 16, 2014
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Cabarete
If you can get the extra insurance from the rental car company - BUY IT! Unlike in the US, the car companies here will charge you for every single nick, small dent, or scratch.

On returning a rental car to POP the agent did a walk around looking for any damage. The front window was dirty were the wipers couldn't reach. Amazingly, the agent knew exactly where to wipe away the dirt film to "discover" a tiny pin-prick sized chip in the windshield.

For my insurance to cover it, I needed to fill out a police report. No way to do that w/o missing my flight. Ended up costing me $50 - and that was a barely visible, tiny, little chip.

As stated before, if you want to take the chance with your credit card insurnce, call them and make sure you thoroughly understand what is covered and what is required to get it covered. Also, check shortly before you leave. I've had a couple cards where they stopped coverge in the DR.

Especially if it's only $9/day. I wouldn't even consider for one second about using my credit card insurance.