Warning: Car Rental Rip-offs!! Some Require €2,000 - €15,000 Deposit to Decline CDW

travelingirl · Member

RE: Warning: Car Rental Rip-offs!! Some Require €2,000 - €15,000 Deposit to Decline CDW

Michele Erdvig · Host

Bob,

Thanks for the up to date info. If you don't rent from Dooley (who lists an all-inclusive price) you must add up all the "add-ons" for a final total. That is the only way to compare apples to apples. In order to do that everyone must read the fine print. Many people don't like to wade through that. But spending time on a car rental will pay off in the long run.

Michele

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Y'all might want to check out this link (should lead to "Terms And Conditions") ---

http://www.rentacarireland.com/terms.asp

Although they charge 25 Euro for the 'problem' confuse

of accepting MC MasterRental coverage and they seperate (and HIDE) evileye

the Airport Surcharge, they Do apply a 'Hold' of 2000 Euro, rather than a 'Charge', and there is NO charge for crossing into The North --

Maybe THEY ( as in the Collective 'THEY') are starting to get the message ?????

One might only HOPE! hmm

Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Tuesday 2nd of February 2010 10:20:56 PM

bronxbomber · Veteran Member

Before leaving home, we had arranged with Dooley to pick up our rental at DUB and drop off in Dublin Centre. What they didn't tell us was that they had closed their City branch eight months prior. Luckily we caught it on our own before flying there, and were able to cancel and switch to Eurocar, who were great. Only read your contract at pick up. We almost got charged 20E extra.

Monty · Senior Member

Have used Dooley four times, with none of the antics I see listed by many travelers on this site. The company has everything up front, nothing extra, never a hold on my credit card.

Is there one good company left to rent a car from? Yes, but perhaps only one.

Go with Dooley.

Best travels,

Monty

WLangham · Member

Hello

You may recall the issues I had with Thrifty in Ireland - 2,000 Euro charged against my CC and trying to get the full deposit back.

We did have coverage on our Master Card ( would not accept) and our Visa however the $2,000 Euro was charged against our card ( regardless of having written coverage with an explaination that it would be full refunded at the end of the day when it was returned in Dublin.   Given that we had to be in Dublin at the end of the day our choices were limited.

The issue was that they charged our card in CDN funds ( 2000 Euro plus exchange = Canadian).   When they credited it back it was Euro - this created a night mare for us that took from October to early January this year to clear up.   Thrift was not helpful ( N American HO or Ireland) and only by going through our credit card company were we able to get it adjusted.   We did end up paying a little more then the contracted rate however we very glad to be rid of the issue. It was a stressful exercise.

We had been to Ireland previously with out issues -  I would go back to Ireland again. I would be very very careful that if I agreed again to the deposit to insist on a hold on my credit card. I would advise to have all details ironed out prior to picking up a car.   If they had put the hold on and dealt in the same currency through out the transaction ( Euro to Euro) I believe we would not have had the issues.

Never the less - it was my CCard company that gave us the assistance and money back. The North American HO never did get back to me after commiting to reviewing the situation. The office in Ireland was not helpful in my opinion. This could have been avoided and we have learned a lesson.

thanks W

peterwarren · Newbie

Michele,

I have visited Ireland several times and have never had a problem with a rental car or rental car company.

Last week, I booked airfare for a trip in March. But after reading all the recent car rental horror stories, Im thinking about canceling.

Surely, there must be at least one reputable car rental company left in Ireland.

Regards,
Pete

Michele Erdvig · Host

Wendy,

Thanks for the update. Keep the pressure on. The car rental companies in Ireland can accept or deny the insurance coverage on your credit card. That is why it is important to know in advance.

Alex,

I don't believe that most car companies in Ireland are interested in their customers or their needs. Otherwise they would change their policies.

Michele

alex2213 · Member

Thanks so much for the heads up Michele. It's a pity that companies do this... I wonder if they listen to this conversations. They could learn a lot...

WLangham · Member

Hi,

This is an update to my last post regarding Thrifty Rental ( Shannon & Dublin). You may recall that I was charged on my Visa card a refundable $2,000 Euro for a 1 day rental in CDN funds and the deposit for returned to me in Euro. This created an additional cost over and above the l day rental.

Thrifty car rental declined to assist in sorting this out and in fact saw no error.   Head office in Omaha has not responded to my case.   Visa in Canada is looking into this complicated accounting practice. I have not heard back yet.

I would like to also note that I had a letter of Insurance from my Mastercard company stating that we could decline the addtional coverage in Ireland and it was declined by Thrify at the desk in Shannon.   Fortunately we had coverage on Visa as well that was accepted.

We were at the mercy of the rental company - and if we had realized at the time of booking that this would have occurred it would have affected our decisions.

That is where we are at as of today,,,   thanks Wendy

Michele Erdvig · Host

Panther,

I tried Dooley on my last trip a few months ago. It was a good experience. Thanks for your input too. Are you planning on another trip to Ireland some time?

Michele

panther9 · Newbie

Some good news. Dan Dooley's website states this:

CDI Insurance Southern Ireland: A rate inclusive of CDI insurance will have an insurance deductible (excess) of EUR 1000 and EUR 1500, depending on vehicle size. This can be reduced to EUR100 for a fee of EUR 12 and EUR 18 per day, respectively.

So, had I rented with Dooley instead of Hertz, and paid Dooley the extra 12-18 euro per day for CDW -- which is how much I paid for CDW with Hertz -- I would have only been charged 100 EUR for the repair of the plastic part of the mirror.

Ironically, I paid about 12-18 euro for CDW with my Hertz rental, but they had a $2,000 deductible. Compare that to Dan Dooley's 100 Euro deductible.

Who do you think it makes sense to rent from now? :)

-- Edited by panther9 on Saturday 21st of November 2009 09:49:48 PM

panther9 · Newbie

Hi, everyone:

Reading this forum, I see that everyone is obsessed with whether or not to get CDW insurance from the auto rental company. I can say that sometimes, it really doesn't matter.

This past Nov., I rented a car from Hertz. They suggested I get the "super" or "jumbo" CDW but it was about $30 a day or something near there -- I definitely couldn't afford it. So I chose the CDW -- which came with a deductible of $2,000 for any damage the car might incur.

Well, of course, on my way to the airport I parked to go to the restroom, and a car clipped the piece of plastic off the back of my driver's side mirror. No damage to the glass part of the mirror, or the base of the mirro, or anything -- just the piece of plastic ripped off the back.

I called Hertz immediately to report it, as my contract warned that if I didn't, my insurance might not cover the damage.

It didn't matter. A month or so later, there was a charge on my credit card for $1,945.62 -- for a piece of plastic!!! Isn't it funny how the cost of replacing the plastic came just under the deductible, so I am responsible for the full cost and Hertz has to pay nothing?

The irony is that I paid for CDW, but it didn't matter. Because the deductible is so high. I've since been told this is a big scam: The rental companies have local repair shops they work with, and obviously they charge the highest fee they think they can get away with.

Also, I did not receive a single email, phone call, letter or correspondence on this matter. Just the $1,945.62 on my bill. No receipts to itemize the costs, no documentation to show which repair shop did the work -- just an arbitrary, outrageous fee on my credit card.

The moral of the story is that even if you get CDW, if you have an accident, it probably won't matter, as the deductibles the rental companies put in place are so sky high.

And if you choose the jumbo CDW, make sure to ask what the deductible is. If' it's $1,000, then what is the point of paying $30 a day for insurance? If you get even a noticeable scratch, you will have to pay for the repair out of pocket -- and they'll probably charge you $999. I would only get jumbo CDW if the deductible was reasonable ($0-$100).

I will never use Hertz again. I would be more than willing to pay a reasonable fee, but the fact that they charged me this ridiculous amount without thinking they had to provide any notice to me or documentation to justify the charge shows they could care less about their customers and are in the business of scamming their clientele.

Google "Hertz car rental complaints" or something of that nature, and you'll see what I mean.

I'm going to try Dan Dooley or possibly not even rent a car -- if I ever go again, that is. I'm so fed up with the country and its sky-high prices for accommodation and food, not to mention the weak dollar, I'm thinking about skipping it. This from someone who has gone back every year since 1998, if not twice a year.

It's too bad.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Wendy,

Welcome to my forum. No problem with your two postings.

Renting a car in Ireland is fast becoming a real problem. Most have layers of rules that are not favorable to their "clients". Those who are uninformed before their trip are usually taken advantage of. It is especially dismaying when these rules come as a shock and impact the pocketbook.

The first problem I see with what you have outlined is that you were a victim of Dynamic Currency Conversion (DCC). Instead of charging the 2,000 euro in euros they converted it directly into Canadian dollars at their rate. You can read more about DCC on my Tips & Tricks page under the heading of Credit Cards. You should have been given a choice of being charged in euros or Canadian dollars. It is always best to choose the charge in local currency (euros in Ireland).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This is what Thrifty says:

Please be advised that for security reasons, 2000 Euro will be CHARGED to your card in case of damage. If there is any damage, this amount can be claimed back through your credit card company. No damage on return will result in a full refund to your card. We will not be held resposible for any exchange rate charges as a result.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Since it was a one day rental I question why the exchange rates changed so drastically. I would contact Visa and explain the problem with DCC and the exchange rate and have them straighten out the matter. Hopefully they can.

Let us know how it goes.

Michele

WLangham · Member

I have just returned from a trip that included a few days in Ireland.   I rented a car from Thrifty Car Rental Shannon for 1 day and it was dropped off in Dublin same day October 5th to be exact.

I had received a quote from them for the 1 day that included a 25 euro charge for dropping off the car in Dublin. When the car was picked up at Shannon Airport I present a letter from Master Card covering me for insurance purposes. They refused the letter from MasterCard ( Platinum). We had a Gold Visa which they accepted. At that point I was informed that they would be charging my card 2000 euro that would be fully refunded if the car was returned no damage.  I was surprised by the policy since it was not stated in my quote.  I went over the conditions with the CS Agent at the counter ( have his name) and was again informed that a full refund would be given back when the car was returned that day.   We questioned the deposit charge - it was for any excess damages to the car and we would be responsible for collecting from the insurance company.
At that point we were stuck needing to arrive in Dublin to reach our next destination.

When the receipt was given to me the 2000 Euro was converted to Canadian Dollars for a total of $3278.88 ( conversion rate of 1.63944). This did not cover the rental rate plus full tank of gas & drop off which was an additional 115.07 Euro converted at the same rate which was $188.65 CDN ( total $3467.53 CDN)    I was told that if car was returned full tank of gas that would be refunded.

At the end of the day in Dublin the car was returned and a refund of 2,000 euro (plus 61 euro for gas/additional driver was credited) I did notice that they had not converted it to Canadian the same way they had charged it earlier in the day. Which I questioned and told that it would even out. If I back out the "gas refund etc I was credited $2995.67 on my credit card   According to my CCard Company this was because of the way Thrifty processed the credit. Meaning the 2,000 euro was not converted to Canadian dollars immediately and processed the same way that they charged it to my Card the same day. I did not receive a full refund of the 2000 Euro and in fact suffered a loss of $283.21 CDN. ( note this is on top of the rental)

I contacted Thrifty in Dublin today - Dublin's initial response was that they are not responsible for "conversion rate differences". I have pointed out that this was an error created by their accounting/processing practices and if they had processed the credit the same way I would have received the full credit for the 2,000 Euro. I had told them that the CCard company pointed out that it was the way they processed the credit.

It is now appearing that I may have a problem based on my converstation with them today.   I am waiting for a response from Thrifty . I am at a loss at to what my next step is. I am prepared to take this to the next level - this practice of charging a $2,000 euro damage deposit and not returning it in full does seem right and I can not believe that a company of their size would be using such methods with international customers .   If they have accounting issues when crediting it back the very least they could have done was block it off the credit card and then unblocked it.   I know from my conversation today that I am not the first person to bring this to their attention

We rented a car from National/Euro/Alamo group - in the UK on the same trip for 9 days used the same Mastercard coverage that was refused by Thrifty. They had a policy of 250 GBP hold on the card and it was returned with out issue.

Do you have any suggestions as to what I should do next - Thank You Wendy ( Canada)

Michele Erdvig · Host

Christy,

The trip insurance certainly sounds like it is a good option to consider for the car too.

Michele

Green Dragon · Guru

I can handle the deposits - but that might be an option for others. Since I am getting trip insurance anyhow (as it covers trip interruption, cancellation, bag delays, trip delays, medical evacuation, etc.), why not get one with car insurance? I don't see that it increases the price much - it's about $500 for me and my two girlfriends, going next June. That's the same price it was without the car insurance for us in 2006.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Christy,

Since I have a card that still covers Ireland I have not used trip insurance for car coverage. I suppose you should read the fine print. I expect that because you would decline CDW that the "deposits" we are discussing here would be the norm.

Michele

Green Dragon · Guru

As a slightly related topic, I've noticed that some trip insurances carry CDW now. I went to www.insuremytrip.com, and several of the options had either $25,000 or $50,000 coverage for CDW. I would assume that would be sufficient to decline it at the rental agency. Has anyone used outside, non-credit card insurance like this successfully in the past? Inquiring minds want to know!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Sidz,

Thanks for the feedback. I am going to try Dooley next time. I will report back on my experiences.

Michele

Sidz · Guru

I now only use Dooley when I go to Ireland. It is a good company that has no hidden expenses. The rest of it can get confusing with some of the companies, but I cast a nod for Dooley. Only great experiences with them in my travels to the Emerald Isle.

Sidz

Michele Erdvig · Host

Maggie,

Thanks for your feedback. Most of the car rental companies in Ireland have gone crazy with extra charges. The industry really needs looking at.

Michele

Maggie117 · Guru

Hi - I used Kemwel and was set up with Eurocar. I carefully went through the bill and felt I was overcharged $350. I went through my credit card company, and the charges were reversed and the money was returned to me. I followed up with Eurocar numerous times confirming I was set and they never responded... I need to check my credit report...

dbeavers · Member

I was actually checking out groceries (self-checkout line) at the time Miss Lyndon returned my call, so I'm a little fuzzy on the details.

Basically it came down to $40 for one policy and $35 for the other, just not sure which is the major and which reduces the deductible down to $100. I'll finalize it when I call back on Monday.

We fly out Thursday (arriving 7 a.m. Friday) with only one unconfirmed reservation, which I'll take care of once we arrive. It's for our 7th night (at Kilkenny), so if our primary choice is booked, we have other options.

I'll definitely keep you posted on my whirlwind tour.

Dennis

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dennis,

Glad to hear you have your car rental sorted out. It is a maze out there and Dooley is one of the few that gives you all the costs up front. Did you also get Super CDW?

There are a few MasterCards that still cover US citizens in Ireland but they are few and far between. Some Visa credit cards cover Canadian citizens in Ireland. I always suggest people check, double check and triple check to see if their card covers CDW in Ireland before declining. And of course, all that info is on my car rental page for everyone to read.

I'm delighted to hear you are set for your trip. Let us hear back as to how everything (car and itinerary) works out for you.

Michele

dbeavers · Member

I was advised to call for Attracta Lyndon at the Dan Dooley office in NJ. Glad I did. She informed that most of the Platinum/Gold cards from Mastercard no longer include Ireland in their blanket coverage policy. She gave me the number to call, and they verified they have discontinued coverage for Ireland/Northern Ireland rentals.

The good new is that the CD policy only added $40 to the rental, and the policy that covers the glass and minor repairs was only $35 extra. Yes, those are accurrate quotes in US$ from the NJ office.

Thanks for the education here, it helped me avoid a big mistake as well as saving me a lot of time.

Dennis
Ireland bound in August

CowboyCraic · Guru

Michele,

It would seem that hard times are upon Murray or so it would seem in this article from the Irish Times July 9, 2009 edition. Perhaps somebody should tell them that how they treat their customers will reflect on their bottom line?

I am having a very hard time juxtaposing the current economic downturn in Ireland with this wreckless abandon and disregard toward the customer that the auto rental companies seem to be showing. Perhaps they truly believe that through such practices they alone will turn the economy around.

It is quite the puzzle. I, of course, have heard nothing from any of the emails I have sent out. My next step is to contact Chris Elliott at National Geographic Travel. He has said he would look into it for me. He seems to get the answers quickly.

At this rate, it will be a long time before I can travel over again.

Slan Beo, Bit

Michele Erdvig · Host

Are rates skyrocketing?

While looking at the various rules that are currently being added to car rentals in Ireland I have also looked at quotes on the various sites. To me it seems that rates in Sept/Oct has doubled or tripled since I last rented in April/May.

I am very puzzled by that. confuse

The economy is very slow, hotels, accommodations and even castles all over Ireland are offering many specials and lower rates to attract customers, yet car rentals are going up, up, up. Could the few tourists visiting Ireland right now be paying more to make up for the loss? Your guess is as good as mine.

Have fun shopping!

Michele

Michele Erdvig · Host

Dan,

According to the Car Rental Council of Ireland National is associated with Irish Car Rentals. I had a look at National's website http://www.nationalcar.com/ and it says this:

"All customers presenting their credit card as CDR cover, must produce a letter from their bank. Additional fees and surcharges may apply."

Pretty open-ended, huh?

Michele

murphy · Guru

RE: Warning: Some Car Rentals Require €2000 Deposit to Decline CDW