You nailed it about the “loss of use” trap—people never see that one coming. I’ve watched folks argue for hours over a windshield chip or a door ding, thinking their card had them covered, only to get blindsided by some technicality. The exclusions are brutal, and honestly, most people don’t have the patience to read through all that legalese. If you’re heading into the wilds, paying extra is just peace of mind. Not glamorous, but neither is getting stuck with a bill because a deer decided to play chicken with your rental.
Honestly, you’re spot on about the fine print—those exclusions are wild. I used to think my credit card had me covered for everything, but after a friend got hit with a “loss of use” fee over a cracked headlight, I started reading the details. It’s not just about the damage, it’s all those sneaky charges that add up. I get why people skip the extra insurance, but in places like Montana where wildlife is basically part of the road, it feels like cheap insurance for your sanity.
I totally get where you’re coming from. I used to just decline all the extras, thinking my regular insurance or credit card would handle it. But last summer, driving through Montana, a deer darted out and I barely missed it—got a nasty scratch down the side from a branch instead. Made me wonder, would my card have covered that, or would I be stuck with some weird “processing” fee? It’s tough to know what’s actually covered until you’re in the thick of it. Anyone else ever get surprised by a random charge after the fact?
Title: Do you really need extra insurance for a rental in Montana?
I’ve wondered about this too, especially after a trip through Wyoming where I ended up with a cracked windshield from a rogue pebble. My credit card covered the repair, but the rental company still tacked on an “administrative fee” that wasn’t covered. It was only like $50, but it felt like one of those hidden costs you never see coming.
Has anyone actually read through the fine print on their credit card’s rental coverage? I skimmed mine and noticed they exclude “loss of use” fees, which rental companies love to charge if the car’s out of commission for repairs. That seems like a big gap. Is that just my card, or do most cards have that loophole?
Also, does regular car insurance ever cover stuff like scratches from branches or animal encounters when you’re in a rental? I always assumed comprehensive would kick in, but now I’m not so sure. If you’re driving somewhere rural—like Montana or Idaho—where wildlife is everywhere, is it smarter to just bite the bullet and get the extra coverage?
Curious if anyone’s ever had their own insurance or credit card deny a claim because of something weirdly specific, like “acts of nature” or off-road driving. The rules seem so murky sometimes...
I’ve dug through the fine print on my Chase Sapphire card, and yeah, “loss of use” is excluded there too. Seems pretty standard, unfortunately. The admin fees are another gray area—some cards will cover them, some won’t, and rental companies love to tack those on. As for regular insurance, my comprehensive did cover a deer strike in a rental once, but only after a lot of back-and-forth. They were picky about whether I was “using the car as intended.” If you’re planning to drive on gravel or forest roads, most policies get real vague about coverage. It’s frustrating—almost like they want you to just pay for the extra insurance to avoid the headache.
