rental car insurance now mandatory?

[driftin' by]

Or better yet, why bother with a car in the first place? Our first trip we, we drank the kool-aid and rented one. For the dozen trips since, I don't give it a second thought and I certainly don't miss getting ripped off at Premex. I also appreciate the awkward, unfamiliar feeling of driving when we get back home.

 

[diveborg]

Some insurance companies will not cover you in other countries. I contacted my agent before leaving and learned this.

No US insurance will cover you in Mexico.

You can get "out the door" prices for auto rentals at www.cozumelinsider.com/CarRent

I always get the "additional" insurance.

 

[judydivescoz]

Check out Rentador Isis www.islacozumel.net/services/isis/, She offers nice cars, includes insurance and taxes for $35. per day. Last year she gave us a weekly rate of $210. with insurance and tax in the low season. Most other agencies charge 15-20 more per day for insurance.

 

[stevenq99]

I would second the recommendation for isis. We rented a bug convertible and had a lot of fun driving all over the island. One thing she only has manual shift cars. They even gave us their home number if we had any problems.

 

[Diver Kat]

I see you're from Texas. Traditionally, the Texas Personal Auto policy will cover damage to a rental car (while renting and driving within the US).

Yup ... part of the new twist is the rental agency will continue to charge you the daily rental fee for the days the car is being repaired, and it is unclear as to whether the credit card coverage (or your personal auto policy) will pay for this.

In Coz, the one time we rented a car, we did use Isis, and they were fine.

 

[ScubaTexas]

No US insurance will cover you in Mexico.

QUOTE]


Not necessarily, most standard auto policies do not but in Texas we can purchase a rider or endorsement that does provide coverage for travel into Mexico but, depending on the circumstances and the language of the endorsement, may not provide coverage for a rental car in Mexico. This is very typical for those living in towns along the Texas/Mexico border where people go back and forth across the border each day.

 

[diveborg]

No US insurance will cover you in Mexico.

Not necessarily, most standard auto policies do not but in Texas we can purchase a rider or endorsement that does provide coverage for travel into Mexico but, depending on the circumstances and the language of the endorsement, may not provide coverage for a rental car in Mexico. This is very typical for those living in towns along the Texas/Mexico border where people go back and forth across the border each day.

Thank you for the correction. I can see the necessity for having personal auto insurance cover your own car when traveling in Mexico, especially if you live in a border state and go there frequently.

I should have been more specific in my statement. In general, I don't think anyone's personal auto insurance will cover a rental car in Cozumel. Even if I am wrong, and a person did have coverage, I feel certain that you'd still have to pony up the money to fix any "problems" before you were allowed to leave the island. Going to jail isn't out of the question if there is major damage or injury involved. I view the full coverage insurance as a Keep-out-of-Jail free card.

 

[sharky60]

... I view the full coverage insurance as a Keep-out-of-Jail free card.

It is.

 

[driftin' by]

Again, why chance it? Considering the wide availability of taxis and the low cost of hiring one.

 

[Web Monkey]

It's just as well, since chances are excellent that neither your US car insurance or credit card will cover you in Mexico.

Terry

Hello!

In the past, when renting cars in Mexico we have always been able to turn down the option for additional insurance. However, when we last rented (in Mexico City) none of the companies would rent to us unless we paid that additional coverage, which doubled the price of the rental car.