|
This coverage and description supersedes any coverage and
description you may have received earlier.
Please read and retain for your records.

Effective 3/1/04
For questions about your balance, call the
customer service number on your Visa statement.
What is this benefit?
Visa Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver Program (“Auto
Rental CDW Program”) provides—at no additional
charge—coverage on a 24-hour basis for damage due to
collision or theft up to the actual cash value of most
rental vehicles when certain terms and conditions are met.
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the
program.
Who is eligible?
You are eligible only if you are a valid cardholder whose
name is embossed on an eligible U.S.-issued Visa card. Only
you and any additional drivers permitted by the car rental
agreement are covered.
What is covered?
Visa Auto Rental CDW Program reimburses you for the repair
or replacement of covered losses to a rental vehicle while
it is your responsibility.
Only covered vehicle rental periods that neither exceed nor
are intended to exceed fifteen (15) consecutive days within
your country of residence or thirty-one (31) consecutive
days outside your country of residence are covered.
The program provides coverage up to the actual cash value of
the vehicle as it was originally manufactured. Most private
passenger automobiles, minivans, and sport utility vehicles
are covered, but some restrictions may apply. Please contact
the Program Administrator to inquire about a specific
vehicle.
Within your country of residence this coverage is secondary
to any other valid and collectible insurance from any other
source.
Covered losses are:
-
Physical damage and theft of the covered rental vehicle.
-
Valid loss-of-use charges imposed and substantiated by
the rental agency through a fleet utilization log.
-
Reasonable and customary towing charges, due to a
covered loss, to the nearest qualified repair facility.
What is not covered?
-
Any obligation you assume under any agreement (other
than the deductible under your personal auto policy).
-
Any violation of the car rental agreement or this
program.
-
Injury of anyone or anything inside or outside the
rental vehicle.
-
Loss or theft of personal belongings.
-
Personal liability.
-
Expenses assumed, waived, or paid by the rental agency
or its insurer.
-
Cost of any insurance or collision damage waiver offered
by or purchased through the car rental company.
-
Expenses reimbursable by your insurer, employer, or
employer’s insurance.
-
Loss due to intentional acts, or due to the driver(s)
being under the influence of alcohol, intoxicants, or
drugs, or due to contraband or illegal activities.
-
Wear and tear, gradual deterioration, or mechanical
breakdown.
-
Items not installed by the original manufacturer.
-
Loss due to off-road operation of the rental vehicle.
-
Loss due to hostility of any kind (including, but not
limited to, war, invasion, rebellion, or insurrection).
-
Confiscation by authorities.
-
Vehicles that do not meet the definitions of covered
vehicles.
-
Rental periods that either exceed or are intended to
exceed fifteen
-
Leases and mini leases.
-
Loss or damage as a result of the cardholder’s lack of
reasonable care in protecting the rental vehicle before
and after damage occurs (for example, leaving the
vehicle running and unattended).
-
Losses reported more than twenty (20) days† from the
date of loss.
-
Losses for which a claim form has not been received
within ninety (90) days† from the date of loss.
-
Losses for which all required documentation has not been
received within 365 days from the date of loss.
-
Losses from rental transactions which originated in
Israel, Jamaica, or the Republic of Ireland or Northern
Ireland.
How do I activate this coverage?
For coverage to be in effect, you must:
-
Initiate and complete the entire rental transaction with
your eligible Visa card, and
-
Decline the car rental company’s collision damage waiver
(CDW/LDW) option, or similar provision, if offered by
the car rental company.
Helpful hints:
-
Check the rental vehicle for prior damage before leaving
the rental lot.
-
Review the car rental agreement carefully to make sure
you are declining CDW/LDW and also to familiarize
yourself with the terms and conditions of the car rental
agreement.
What if the car rental company insists that I purchase the
car rental company’s car insurance or collision damage
waiver?
Call the Program Administrator at 1-800-VISA-911 for help.
If you are outside the United States, call collect at
0-410-581-9994.
When and where am I covered?
This coverage is available on a 24-hour basis, in the United
States and most foreign countries. No coverage is provided
for motor vehicles rented in Israel, Jamaica, or the
Republic of Ireland or Northern Ireland. Additionally,
coverage is not available where precluded by law or in
violation of the territory terms of the rental agreement or
prohibited by individual merchants. Because regulations
vary outside the United States, we recommend you check with
your car rental company and the Program Administrator before
you travel to make sure your Visa Auto Rental CDW Program
will apply.
Coverage is in effect while the rental vehicle remains in
your control or in the control of a person permitted to
operate the rental vehicle in accordance with the rental
agreement between you and the car rental company. Coverage
terminates when the car rental company re-assumes control of
the rental vehicle.
What type of coverage is this?
Visa Auto Rental CDW Program is “secondary” coverage within
your country of residence and “primary” coverage outside
your country of residence.
Within your country of residence, coverage is on
a“secondary”insur-ance basis. It does not duplicate
insurance provided by or purchased through the car rental
company; it will not pay for losses reimbursed by your own
insurer, employer, employer’s insurance, or any other valid
insurance. However, it will pay for the outstanding
deductible portion or other charges not covered by your
primary automobile insurance policy or if you do not have
automobile insurance.
Outside your country of residence, coverage is primary where
available. You do not have to claim payment from any other
source of insurance before receiving coverage under the
policy.
† Not applicable to residents of certain states.
What types of rental vehicles are not covered?
Excluded worldwide are: expensive, exotic, and antique
automobiles; certain vans; trucks; motorcycles, mopeds, and
motorbikes; limousines; and recreational vehicles.
Examples of excluded expensive or exotic automobiles are the
Aston Martin, Bentley, Bricklin, Daimler, DeLorean,
Excalibur, Ferrari, Jensen, Lamborghini, Lotus, Maserati,
Porsche, and Rolls Royce. However, selected models of BMW,
Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac, and Lincoln are covered.
An antique automobile is defined as any vehicle over twenty
(20) years old or any vehicle that has not been manufactured
for ten (10) years or more.
Coverage is provided for only those vans manufactured and
designed to transport a maximum of eight (8) people and
which is used exclusively to transport people. If you have
any questions regarding a specific vehicle, call the
Program Administrator at 1-800-VISA-911. If you are outside
the United States, call collect at 0-410-581-9994.
What do I do if I have an accident or the rental vehicle is
stolen? Immediately call the Program Administrator at
1-800-VISA-911 to report the loss. If you are outside the
United States, call collect at 0-410-581-9994. The Program
Administrator will answer any questions you or the car
rental agency may have and will then send you a claim form.
All claims must be reported immediately following the loss,
but in no event later than twenty (20) days† following the
date of the loss. Furthermore, we reserve the right to deny
any claim that contains charges that would not have been
included had the Program Administrator been notified before
those expenses were incurred. We therefore advise you to
notify us immediately after any loss.
What do I need from the car rental company in order to file
a Visa Auto Rental CDW Program claim?
At the time of the accident, or when you return the rental
vehicle, immediately ask your car rental company for:
-
A copy of the Accident Report Form and claim document,
which should indicate the costs you are responsible for
and any amounts that have been paid toward the claim.
-
A copy of the initial and final car rental agreement(s).
-
A copy of the repair estimate or itemized repair bill.
-
Two (2) photographs of the damaged vehicle, if
available.
-
A police report, if obtainable.
How do I file a claim?
You, the cardholder, are responsible for reporting your
claim to the Program Administrator within twenty (20) days†
of the date of loss, or your claim will be denied. Notice to
any other party will not suffice. Furthermore, we reserve
the right to deny any claim that contains charges that would
not have been included had the Program Administrator been
notified before those expenses were incurred. We therefore
advise you to notify us immediately after any loss.
-
Complete and sign the claim form you receive from your
call to the Program Administrator. Mail the following
documentation to the Program Administrator:
-
The completed and signed Visa Auto Rental CDW Program
Claim Form. Your completed claim form must be postmarked
within ninety (90) days† of the loss, even if all other
required documentation is not yet available, or your
claim will be denied.
-
A copy of your receipt or monthly billing statement as
proof that the entire vehicle rental was charged and
paid for with your eligible Visa card.
-
A statement from your insurance carrier (and/or your
employer or employer’s insurance carrier, if applicable)
showing the costs you are responsible for and any
amounts that have been paid toward the claim. Or, if you
have no other applicable insurance, please provide a
notarized statement to that effect.
-
A copy of the declaration page from your primary
automobile insurance carrier.
Enclose all the documents you received from the car rental
company:
-
A copy of the Accident Report Form.
-
A copy of the entire car rental agreement(s).
-
A copy of the repair estimate or itemized repair bill.
-
Two (2) photographs of the damaged vehicle, if
available.
-
A police report, if obtainable.
-
Any other documentation deemed necessary by the Program
Administrator to substantiate the claim.
For faster filing, submit your claim online. It’s easy,
convenient, and available at no extra cost to eligible Visa
cardholders. To submit your claim and learn more about the
Visa Auto Rental CDW Program go to the Visa Auto Rental CDW
Program Claim Center at www.visa.com/visaeclaim.
If you experience difficulty in obtaining all the required
documents within ninety (90) days† of the date of loss, just
submit the claim form and any documentation you already have
available. NOTE: All remaining documents must be postmarked
within 365 days of the date of loss.
Do I have to do anything else?
Usually not. Under normal circumstances, the claim will be
paid within fifteen (15) days after the Visa Auto Rental CDW
Program Administrator has received all documentation
necessary to fully substantiate your claim.
However, after the Program Administrator has paid your claim
of loss, all your rights and remedies against any party in
respect of this loss will be transferred to the Program
Administrator to the extent of the cost of the Program
Administrator’s payment to you. The Program Administrator
shall then be entitled at its own expense to sue in your
name. Should this occur, you must give the Program
Administrator all assistance as the Program Administrator
may reasonably require to secure its rights and remedies
including the execution of all documents necessary to enable
the Program Administrator to bring suit in your name.
Program Provisions for Auto Rental CDW Program: You must
make every effort that would be made by a reasonable and
prudent person to protect the Rental Vehicle from damage or
theft. This provision will not be applied unreasonably to
avoid claims.
If you make any claim knowing it to be false or fraudulent
in any respect including, but not limited to, the cost of
repair services, no coverage shall exist for such claim and
your benefits may be canceled.
Once you report an occurrence, a claim file will be opened
and shall remain open for six (6) months from the date of
the damage or theft. No payment will be made on a claim that
is not completely substantiated in the manner required by
the Program Administrator within twelve (12) months of the
date of damage or theft.
The Visa Auto Rental CDW Program is a service provided to
eligible Visa cardholders in accordance with the policy
underwritten by Indemnity Insurance Company of North
America. Coverage is subject to the terms and conditions
outlined and includes certain restrictions, limitations, and
exclusions. This Program Guide is not a policy of insurance.
In the event of any conflict between the description of
coverage in this Guide and the policy, the policy will
govern. The policy is on file at the offices of Visa U.S.A.
No legal action for a claim may be brought against us until
sixty (60) days after we receive Proof of Loss. After the
expiration of two (2) years from the time written proof of
loss was to be provided, no action shall be brought to
recover on this coverage. Further, no legal action may be
brought against us unless all the terms of this Program
Guide and policy have been complied with fully.
The terms and conditions contained in this Program Guide may
be modified by subsequent endorsements. Modifications to
the terms and conditions may be provided via additional
Program Guide mailings, statement inserts, or statement
messages.
The program described in this Guide will not apply to Visa
cardholders whose accounts have been suspended or canceled.
Visa and/or your Financial Institution can cancel or
non-renew the coverage, and if we do, we will notify you at
least thirty (30) days in advance. If the insurer non-renews
or cancels any coverages provided to eligible Visa
cardholders, you will be notified within 30–120 days before
the expiration of the policy. In the event substantially
similar coverage takes effect without interruption, no such
notice is necessary. Visa Auto Rental CDW Program coverage
will still apply to vehicle rentals commenced prior to the
date of such cancellation or non-renewal provided all other
terms and conditions of coverage are met.
For general questions regarding this benefit, call the
Program Administrator at 1-800-VISA-911. If you are outside
the United States, call collect at 0-410-581-9994.
† Not applicable to residents of certain states.
FORM #VCCDW01 (09/03)

© 2004 Visa U.S.A. Inc. visa.com
|