When renting a car in another country, in most cases, the company you think you are renting from is just in name only. In fact, the place you are renting from is a franchise and you do not have the same protection you would have in the US.
On a recent trip to Italy due to the size of our group I needed to rent 2 cars. I rented a car in my name from Hertz and one in my sons name from Avis. For both cars I purchased insurance ahead of time. Both cars were rented at the Linate airport. My experience with Hertz was pleasant. At the counter they took the insurance I had purchased but explained since it wasn't through Hertz I would have to file the claim through the insurance I purchased. When my son went to pick up the car from Avis it was another story. The person at the counter was rude and refused to accept the insurance I had purchased. To get the car my son ended up having to purchase insurance through Avis. The insurance ended up being more expensive than the car itself. I tried to correct this but they wouldn't budge.
Later I was able to get a refund from Orbitz for the outside insurance. I also filed a complaint with Avis customer service but they told me I was out of luck since he had signed the contract. In fact, Avis was of no help as the rental company in Milan was a franchise.
I learned my lesson. Please do more research when renting a car in another country.
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