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

tony2phones · Guru

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

gnight · Veteran Member

Tony, I'm getting ready to book with Budget and have one last question for you. Is the charge they quote on their website the full charge? I've read every single bit of fine print and it seems to be, including the extra charge for dropping the car at a different location. But I want to be sure I don't have any surprise charges when I get there. Are there any questions I should ask them before I book?
Thank you!

tony2phones · Guru

Just email them to ask that same question.. They don't usually include Scdw in their quotes and this can be a lump. As with any quote from anyone ask the price payable at the desk and the fuel policies Budget used to be either Full Full or Empty Empty depending where you rented which never made sense..(think it depended who had had the car beforehand as with all hire companies they do "deals" with the Agencies) Best have things in Hard copy (print the email answers) to take to the desk.

gnight · Veteran Member

Will do! Thank you.

esmile87 · Member

my head is spinning reading from different sites about car rental.... i think i need to recap the steps i need to take and can someone let me know if i'm on the right track?

- call MasterCard- MC. Assist (not issuing bank) to confirm i do have a WorldM MC and that they cover CDW in ireland. In cases that they do, ask for letter of coverage to prove and to know what's being covered

- ask car hire company if there's fees to waive CDW

- check policies on Mileage, Fuel, Second Driver, return locations & fees.

- we will be renting GPS. actually... anyone used their "north american" GPS in ireland? does it work well (given it's updated)? the reason i ask is because we took ours to travel from Canada to the states and it didn't work very well that time and now i'm paranoid.

questions i have:
- if my Mastercard covers CDW, should i still get Super CDW?
- if i need to buy CDW, i should go for Super CDW?
- i can get Super CDW from car hire company or online? which would you recommend?
- i'm still confused with third party liability..... this is usually included in the car rental and not something i have to ask to buy?

has anyone used Tenon Tours? my friend and I went to a travel agent and see if we can get some quotes for drive and hotel packages. she provided us a quote from Tenon Tours and they use Hertz. and here's what the small print says:
"can rental includes all compulsory insurance: CDW insurance (CDW with a deductible), theft protection insurance, VAT sales tax, unlimited free mileage, third party insurance, single driver, Airport Surcharge, and a free road map of ireland. addtional insurance can be purchased upon pick-up.
All one-way rentals outside of the Dublin area (airport and City center location) have a 70 Euro surcharge paid on location at time of pick-up.
** A security deposit will be taken at time of car pick-up and refunded when the car is returned in good condition**"

--> should we still ask to guy the SCDW?
--> security deposit - sounds like we will have to Pay and not just a hold on credit card, agree? ( we have to check the amount they are asking)

esmile87 · Member

so hypothetically, i'm renting from Dooley without credit card coverage for auto insurance:

Car Class Group F-Economy Automatic auto
Collect At : Dublin Airport (Terminal 1 & 2) 29th April 2013 11.30 Hrs
Drop off At: Shannon Airport 6th May 2013 11.30 Hrs
Duration 7 days
CDI Insurance Accepted and Included
LLI Insurance 56.00
Extra Charges
Additional Drivers: 1
Excess Waiver: Selected
Total Amount 390.00

** does Selected mean: i'm buying CDI and Excess (super)? all these lingo.... confuse

and i should check if there will be a hold on my credit card with CDI and if Excess reduce dedutible to Zero and what's covered in Excess?

if... mastercard covers CDW, then both CDI and Waiver = NO?

thanks!

Michele Erdvig · Host

If your World MasterCard covers car rental insurance in Ireland you can charge the car on that card (it has to be rented by the person named on the card). You must decline the other optional insurance for the MasterCard insurance to work. Read all the fine print that MasterCard sends to you so you know exactly what you are getting. Not everything is included. They usually exclude tires, glass and undercarriage.

questions i have:

- if my Mastercard covers CDW, should i still get Super CDW? * No. That will void your MC insurance.

- if i need to buy CDW, i should go for Super CDW? * Generally, yes. Unless you can afford to pay the deductible if your rental car is damaged.

- i can get Super CDW from car hire company or online? which would you recommend? * Depends on what is being offered. Most people would buy it from the car rental company. Read the fine print of any online companies.

- i'm still confused with third party liability..... this is usually included in the car rental and not something i have to ask to buy? * It is included in your Ireland car rental. But for peace of mind you can certainly ask them that question.

For the Dooley question: ** does Selected mean: i'm buying CDI and Excess (super)? * Yes. It means you selected it and are purchasing it. You can phone Dooley in NJ for any clarifications you need: http://www.dandooley.com/ If you purchase such insurance from Dooley there will be no "hold" on your credit card.

Ireland car rentals are so complicated because each company does what they please and makes up their own rules. There is no standardization that they all must follow. When shopping for a car hire in Ireland you are comparing apples to oranges to grapes to avocadoes. I believe it is purposely set up to confuse and wring the most money they can out of tourists.

esmile87 · Member

Thanks Michele. I will need to give Dooley a call... i think it says their Excess only reduce the deductible to 100euro, not zero. i will have to confirm that.

anyone rented from Hertz or Enterprise? i don't seem to be able to add insurance option on either and Enterprise doesn't show option to return the car at a different location... and Hertz just gave the basic quotes and indicated all other additional insurance can be purchased at counter... is it just my computer skill? did people have similar experience?

thanks!

Michele Erdvig · Host

It is often best to call the toll-free numbers and chat with a car rental rep. Then ask for the info to be emailed to you so you can print it and have it in writing.

Good luck with your quest.

bdokeefe · Veteran Member

Just returned from Ireland and wanted to report on car rental experience. I booked through a reputable firm and used world master card for insurance coverage.

I had requested a category 'B' car, which is the smallest 4 door car. I was 'upgraded' to a Nissan Qashqai, which is one of the most expensive ones they have. With only 7km's on it. None of my cars in the states has less than 150,000 miles on them! I really didn't want the car; I was very afraid of scratches and other damage that seemed pretty inevitable (we did the ring of Berra and also Mizen Head and other narrow roads). When I asked for an older car the lot guy said that was crazy, he had never heard of anyone asking for a smaller car.

So the car itself was great, diesel, 6 speed, got over 40mpg in mixed driving. My anxiety level was pretty high throughout the trip though. We came out mostly unscathed, my wife did a great job reminding me to keep left and as navigator (we're both old soldiers and used paper maps).

I have a few questions: how often do people get such a big upgrade? Also, we were charged 35E for waiving the CDW, is this typical? I know I can call the company to ask about the latter question, but for now I'm curious about your experience with this (and also waiting to see if gas charge is credited back to account; if that's an issue I can kill 2 birds). With the exception of the waiver fee, all charges were what I was originally quoted.

Also, I read a trip report where the writer stated that 80% of vehicles are returned with some damage, is this close to true? Do folks get charged for minor scratches?

Thanks

Michele Erdvig · Host

Some but not all car rental companies have a charge for waiving CDW. Most of the ones I looked at charge 25 euro but maybe rates just went up?

That was some upgrade! It rarely - if ever - happens to me without them wanting to charge more for the "upgrade".

I don't know the percentage of cars that get returned with damage but I'm sure it is pretty high.

Roy · Guru

They may get returned with damage (I have always returned undamaged) but it doesn't appear that they bother fixing the damage.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I agree Roy. If you damage a car they will charge you to repair the damage. But whether they actually fix the car with the money they charge you is another matter. Dings, scratches, dents, chips, etc. are common. But never accept a car with a chipped windshield. A tiny one can spread in an instant and glass is rarely covered by insurance.

Roy · Guru

Good point Michele. I take time and date stamped pictures all around the car and especially the tires.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Last October, Dan Dooley upgraded my Pre-paid Focus-Class Reservation to a nearly new Quashqui, but a two-class upgrade seems pretty rare.

The Fee for Waiving CDW is quoted PRE-VAT Tax, but I would have it to be closer to 30 Euro, rather than 35 ...

The only damage charge I've ever been 'Hit' with, on return has been for a TINY bulge in a rear tire, that Dooley charged 200 Euro {to replace the tire). I didn't quibble, as I had hit the MOTHER of all pot holes -- and already paid 150 Euro to replace the Front tire and to have the front alloy rim straightened. Still, 200 Euro to replace ONE tire DID seem rather excessive. I could have replaced it for HALF that, had I spotted the defect sooner!

With VERY few exceptions, most of the rental cars that I've driven have had high mileage and NUMEROUS scratches, dings and dents. Seemed to me, that nothing was getting fixed until the car was taken out of service to be sold!

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

I think the general consensus is if you dent, ding or scratch a rental car in Ireland you will be charged. But the car company will probably not fix the damage. As long as it is drive-able they will just keep renting it out over and over again. Someone is making money.

tony2phones · Guru

General rule on tyres is if there's a puncture or worse have it fixed yourself,, you don't just pay for a replacement tyre you pay for getting that wheel/tyre to the repair shop and Irish tyres are all imports and expensive..

Repairs generally back up as cars returned are usually scheduled to go out within a day or less so any fix will be booked for after the next return,

Severe damage can mean that car is not fit to go out as scheduled hence the upgrade to the next available (which is partly paid by the damaged unusable)

And unfortunately Transatlantic visitors have the worst record when it comes to damage hence the higher insurance rates they pay above EU and Asian/Australasian visitors (just have a look putting different driving licences into the quote engine for the same car & dates)

bdokeefe · Veteran Member

Thanks for the info, the Nissan Qashqai diesel is a great vehicle, just bigger than I wanted or needed. I did check the companies site and it usuall rents for 2.5 times what our class B would have gone for.

We went to Dromberg circle, and the road (R597) through Glandore is pretty tight, combined w/ horse trailers, made it pretty stressful to me. When we got there I was going to take my time and soak up the nice weather and the site. An Asian gentleman comes over the hill, takes some pictures, and heads back to his car. He couldn't have been there more than 2 minutes. Turns out he is parked next to me, punching stuff into his GPS getting ready to leave. His wife/girlfriend is in the passenger seat, she never got out. Kinda odd, I thought.

And then I see the passenger side view mirror hanging by the wires. And they had a tiny little car.

My deepest sympathy went out, fellow traveler.

Moyer921 · Member

I've been doing a lot of research on this. It looks like the two best rates I found for my requirements are...

Avis: 260 euro
DanDooley: 278 euro

Both rates include Super CDW. The advantage of Dan Dooley is that it quotes the Super CDW in the price whereas Avis lists it as 116 euro and says Super CDW is available at the counter for 16 euro/day.

Avis has the following two advantages from what I can decipher of the fine print
- Theft Protection included in Avis, not included at Dan Dooley
- Avis Super CDW reduces deductible to 0, whereas Dan Dooley Super CDW reduces it to 100 euro

It looks like Avis is the better option for me. However I can't really find many/any people that used Avis in Ireland to make sure there's no funny business, whereas there are lots of good reviews about Dan Dooley. Is there anything I'm missing here? Has anyone used Avis in IE or heard any bad stories about them?

Carla · Veteran Member

We've used Avis (& purchased Super CDW) on our previous 5 trips and encountered no funny business, and that includes the time my husband backed into the gate at the B&B on our last night of our 2005 visit. And thank goodness the gate at the B&B wasn't damaged!

-- Edited by Carla on Wednesday 26th of June 2013 08:00:35 AM

tony2phones · Guru

No not many people use Avis because perhaps they are the single most expensive company on the island. I would be careful that both quotes include the same things including fuel policy...Theft protection is standard on any Irish car insurance, personal belongings would be covered by your travel insurance. If you are getting like for like at the same price for the same car type then fine, You want the AT the DESK price to drive away either with or without the "Hold" on your card.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I have to admit that I've never used Avis. I tend to go with the lowest price that meets my needs. It is good that you are finding out all the added "extras" before renting. Also, find out if they charge a fee for cancellations.

tony2phones · Guru

RE: Warning: Car Rental Rip-offs!! Some Require ï¿½2,000 - ï¿½15,000 Deposit to Decline CDW

Michele Erdvig · Host

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

aimeekm · Member

Hello ... new to the forum. In the beginning stages of planning a May/June 2014 trip (i.e. this isn't the first you'll hear from me!). I'm trying to get an approximate budget set, car rental is one of the biggest unknowns to me right now.

So assuming I get a World MasterCard w CDW coverage in Ireland, what's the best way to avoid a large hold on the CC? I think I read that Hertz places a minimal/$0 hold for Gold Members? Is that right, did I imagine that?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

I just had two rentals with Hertz. Both times, I waived the insurance, using my World Master Card. I am also a Gold Plus Member. I was advised BOTH times that a 5000 Euro Charge would be lodged against my Card, for security. I had pre-paid the first (and availed of my Gold Plus Discount), but merely lodged a reservation for the second. Reviewing my receipts, I was NOT charged the 5000 Euro fee on the first rental, but I WAS charged it for the second one. MAYBE they would have waived it, had I 'PUSHED' my Gold Plus Membership, but I don't know. I DO know that the desk clerk mentioned the 5000 Euro Charge, BOTH times. Be aware that Hertz also charges a 30 Euro 'Administrative Paperwork Fee', if you opt to use a Credit Card in lieu of insurance.

Due to high 'Foreign Transaction Fees' on my Master Card, the ONLY thing I use it for -- OVERSEAS -- is for Irish Car Hire, so the Charge or Hold doesn't impact my trip.

Interestingly -- Hertz charges 5 Euro for ACCEPTING a Debit OR Credit Card in payment. Although I understand that this is likely a means to recoup costs charge them by the Credit Card -- It seems entirely disingenuous -- given that Hertz REQUIRES that you provide a Credit Card as a Condition of Rental ...

Bob

aimeekm · Member

Thanks Bob. Good to know. A 5,000E cc hold is a deal breaker for me. So it looks like my best option is to get a rental w CDW & SCDW. I got some quotes, looks like it'll be around or under $500 (12 days), so that is affordable.

Rocky Bay · Member

-- Edited by Rocky Bay on Saturday 3rd of August 2013 05:04:06 PM

Rocky Bay · Member

Jodi wrote:
I have a Aer Lingus World Mastercard that covers the insurance. I have called MC and they have confirmed that they do cover the insurance in Ireland. I am not endorsing the card just that it covers the Insurance.

I have had an Aer Lingus World Master Card for many years and successfully used it to cover my CDW charge until 2010. When I noticed they no longer covered Ireland, I called them and it was confirmed over the phone. I also received a letter from them, which I have long since disposed of, indicating that Ireland was no longer covered for CDW for its card holders. It is odd enough that the same company only offers the coverage to certain cards within its "family" and not all of them but how can two people with the same card and one of them gets the benefit while the other does not???

Michele Erdvig · Host

I agree that it is strange what the credit cards are doing. There seems to be no rhyme or reason. Some people get certain offers in the mail and others don't. My husband and I both have the same card. I get many more points per dollar spent and he gets less. I can only surmise that there are a bunch of factors that we will never know about that determine who gets the offer of free insurance coverage in Ireland.

It is like deciphering the DiVinci Code but in this case it is the Credit Card Code. confuse