This is why we need socialism in this country.

…and as for the Gent who went to Mexico…

I studied medicine there for two years and Don’t ASK!! never again would I go back to those corrupt gringo haters. They shaft each other too which is why they are all getting out and coming here. I registered my car legally and they confiscated it and I needed a lawyer to get it back. And they all new G-D well that the majority of students registered their cars ILLEGALLY as tourists but never did anything to them. What a miserable hypocritical society they have.

I was hit with additional expenses two months after the accident, well after I thought the insurance company had it all covered.

VISA has a 45 day period to report claims. After that ………

I’m quoting the most relevant parts of Ed’s article below:

For decades, other travel writers and I have advised not to buy overpriced CDW (collision/loss damage waiver) from the rental company, and to use your credit card’s no-cost coverage instead. Given the high (and unjustified) cost of CDW—up to $25 a day—travelers who have followed it have paid a lot less for their rental cars than those who bought CDW. But the current situation calls that advice into question, at least in some cases.

Many versions of AmEx, MasterCard, and Visa offer no-cost collision coverage when you use one of their cards for the rental. All of the card agreements I’ve seen say that the card includes LOU coverage. But card coverage isn’t as foolproof as it sounds:

* Visa says compensation for each LOU claim is “evaluated on the specific circumstances and merits of the claim. The policy’s underwriter will work hard on behalf of the cardholder to reach a fair and equitable settlement such that the LOU amount is considered reasonable and therefore covered by the policy.”
* AmEx and MasterCard, on the other hand, say they do not pay LOU charges unless the rental company provides a vehicle log. Because some rental companies, including Hertz, say they do not and will not share that information with the card issuers, renting with either of those cards presumably risks not being compensated.
[…]
Should you succumb? Unless you’re sure your rental company will provide fleet logs, you’ll be better off with Visa than either AmEx or MasterCard (including Diners Club). Cautious renters will probably now opt for the CDW, no matter how expensive. Gamblers may prefer to risk the loss-of-use charge as long as the vehicle damage is covered, which it is by many credit cards.

Putting Jon’s question in a slightly different angle:
If there is any car on the lot, and a renter can get another vehicle, how do you justify loss of use? Do you produce fleet logs, or just the log of that vehicle? Or neither?

Further, how is the duration of the loss of use actually calculated? Actual time in the body shop?

I’ve rented cars that had dents and dings. And I would bet good money that the previous renter got hit with a loss-of-use charge. Jon’s comment may have been an oversimplification, but it’s clear where he’s coming from.

This is a person who has worked for Budget rent a car for well over 8 years. I can tell you from experience that 98% of your auto insurances do not cover loss of use. They cannot control how long vehicle sits in shop rental co takes vehicle gets repairs done then bills insurance besides your ded and your primiums going up there is also the responsibility of down tim. 14.99-25.99 seems like a small price to pay….