How to decline CDW and LDW when booking a car online?
In a couple of months I will be traveling to Portugal, and I need to rent a car. Since I have a MasterCard Platinum, I can get coverage and save some money by declining CDW and LDW.
From MasterCard's Guide to Benefits:
To Get Coverage:
- Initiate the transaction under your name and pay for the entire Rental Company’s security deposit using your card and sign the Rental Agreement;
- Authorized Drivers whose name(s) appear as a driver on the Rental Agreement will also be covered;
- Pay for the entire rental transaction (tax, gasoline, and airport fees are not considered rental charges) with your card and/or points earned by a Rewards Program associated with your card prior to picking up or immediately upon the return of the Rental Car; and
- You must Decline any/all partial or full collision damage insurance or similar collision damage and loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW) offered by the Rental Company.
So I went to search the companies I could book a car from, and, so far, Europcar is the cheapest one I found. However I couldn't find a way to decline those insurance fees.
For instance, these are the options on Europcar:
As you can see, the first "tier", Basic (that looks pretty much CDW+LDW, although not named that way), is already included and cannot be declined. I would like to know if I there is way I can decline while booking online, or whether it would be better if I rent the car in the airport/company's counter instead of pre-booking it online.
Best Answer
It really depends on the country, in places like Italy CDW is mandatory so there is now way to decline it. You first have to check the legal requirement for the country where you want to rent, then also call your CC or Mastercard and ask for clarification about their policies.
Pictures about "How to decline CDW and LDW when booking a car online?"
Is there a difference between CDW and LDW?
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) provides cover if there is damage to a rental car through an accident. LDW on the other hand, is a combination of CDW and Theft Protection, which means that you will be covered for car replacement if your rental car is stolen during the period of your rental.Is CDW the same as insurance?
A collision damage waiver (CDW) is additional insurance coverage offered to an individual renting an automobile. A collision damage waiver is optional, with the cost of the waiver dependent on a variety of factors, including the type of rental car and where the car is being driven.Is CDW mandatory in Italy?
Everyone knows that, unlike in many other European countries, basic CDW car rental insurance is mandatory in Italy. That is, you are legally required to have this coverage while driving a rental car in Italy, and the rental companies won't let their car off the lot until they are sure you're covered.Do I need CDW when I rent a car in USA?
Automobile Insurance Coverage Some US states, such as Maryland, require automobile insurers to provide this coverage. If your policy covers rental car damage, you do not have to pay your car rental company for CDW coverage when you rent a car.Hertz LDW/CDW Coverage
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Andrea Piacquadio, Andrea Piacquadio, Uriel Mont, Maria Orlova