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

EHannan · Member

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

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

I started carrying an annual policy from Questor after Insurance4CarHire stopped offering Annual Policies for US residents. My current coverage expires on 6/17/2014, so I'm thinking of renewing -- as this year's trip is from 13 June to 3 July. Total premium was 38.99 GBP. I started buying the extra coverage after having to buy 3 tires, due to striking potholes. furious

Since THEN, I have not had any occasion to file a claim, so can't speak as to the quality of service . . . confuse confuse

Don't know about AARP -- That would be a question for the Car Hire Company -- Specifically, if their Irish Affiliate will HONOR that discount. I have found (Stateside) that often times, the AARP or AAA rate is NOT the Best Deal available -- pricewise -- at least, when it comes to US Hotel and car rentals.

Basic CDW is actually NOT all that expensive -- as in, the DIFFERENCE in price of the rental. The 'BIG BITE' comes from the cost of the 'EXCESS' coverage. Those of us who 'opt out', in order to avail of our Credit Card coverage, do so because the Credit Card REQUIRES us to decline ALL insurance. I'm NOT sure why, as it would DRASTICALLY reduce their 'exposure' -- if they permitted us to buy the basic CDW???

But, they DO -- So, we DON'T! hmm hmm

If you decide to pursue the AARP offer, please advise us of your experience. It's always good to add to our options!

Michele Erdvig · Host

I have resisted becoming an AARP member so don't have any first-hand experience of their discounts. Do you have a code? Perhaps you could go to the Avis.com site and try it. There is also an Avis.ie site but I used the .com for my last rental as they had better rates.

wckc · Guru

We gave in and joined AARP about 6 or 8 years ago. We have both our homeowners and auto insurance through them and received a substantial discount.

I'll be curious to hear if the AARP discounts work for Irish auto rentals...

kmrambo · Newbie

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

Michele Erdvig · Host

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

tony2phones · Guru

Feature on the Radio this morning warning about holiday car hire across Europe.. Apparently the European Consumer Council (based in Dublin) has been studying an increased trend of complaints across Europe (not just Ireland).. They have concluded based on whatever findings that 40% of people are less than 100% happy with their experiences.. Most complaints come from people who have booked via on-line agencies (consolidators) who only sell the basic day rate and fail to warn about essential extras like Insurance (I think someone has been saying that for a long time.. wonder who?).. Fuel.. & --- Sole party Damage.. (something I didn't know about..) apparently if you are in collision with another moving vehicle CDW covers you.. If on the other hand you total the car into a tree/wall other inanimate object then you could in some instances be on stony ground as it were..

The worst countries to rent a car are apparently Spain and Portugal.. where more than 1/2 of all complaints originate. Asked if it was better to go with "Brand" names Hertz (I name because they are on my 3 strike List) and Other top E£$ companies the answer was No.. It made no difference at all.. The impression of being safer using these comes down to their marketing and the mind set that paying more you get better.. apparently not..

Any way just thought I would share that compressed version of my hours wait to see the Dr this morning..

-- Edited by tony2phones on Tuesday 3rd of June 2014 07:56:25 AM

davidb · Newbie

hey michelle, i have read a lot of the thread and am generally confused. the only thing i am certain about now is that i am going to rent a car for only half my trip. i would like to get my car in dublin and return it to shannon. actually, my friend will be doing it because he is the one that is going back first. anyways, i'm so confused! i just want to know the price i'm going to pay. it seems that earlier in the thread people were recommending dan dooley, but some reviews i found elsewhere were pretty scary.

what company do you recommend? my friend and i are young graduate students. we don't have a credit card that would provide insurance. i'm not sure that we can "float" 2,000 deposit, either, for any reason. we are both 25 or above. i have always gotten by without a car in ireland, but my friend would like to do a few things that are unfeasible to do by bus.

i'm thinking of dan dooley with the excess (scdw) and hoping for the best. my hope is that returning it to shannon will cause less problems, especially because my friend could be present for the inspection/etc as it is such a small airport. thanks for the great thread!

wckc · Guru

We have always rented from Dan Dooley, and have never had any problems. Our first three trips we purchased the excess damage waiver - it cost a lot more, but we did have peace of mind. If you are purchasing the insurance offered by the rental company then there are no worries about the deposit.

On our first trip we picked up in Dublin and returned to Shannon with no problems at all. For the next three we picked up and returned to Dublin airport with no hassles there either.

On our last trip we took advantage of the insurance coverage through our World MasterCard. Dooley put a 2,000 Euro hold on the card and only actually charged it when we returned the car (we had a bit of an "issue"). They charged the card on Thursday morning when we dropped it off, and credited the card back for the excess over the repair costs the next day. We promptly filed our claim with World MasterCard and had the reimbursement applied to our account before the due date of our billing cycle. Our only cost for the incident was the difference in the exchange rate between the day they charged us and the credit that was applied the next day.

This September we will be picking up and returning to Shannon, and will use our credit card covered insurance again.

- Wendy Coleman

Cindyo · Member

wckc wrote:
We gave in and joined AARP about 6 or 8 years ago. We have both our homeowners and auto insurance through them and received a substantial discount.

I'll be curious to hear if the AARP discounts work for Irish auto rentals...

Hello,

My hubby and I are AARP members and Avis did give us a 10% discount for our rental in August Via their dedicated AARP phone in the US. I emailed Avis in Ireland just to verify my quote and all was well. They do not honor the additional driver at no cost however Which is an AARP benefit. I am paying $760 for a full size automatic for eight days with no insurance. We will be using our World MasterCard insurance and buying an excess coverage policy from Questor. Have verified all with Avis.ie and know I will need to pay fuel deposit upon pickup and there will be a hold on my card. I will be bringing letters of coverage dated within thirty days of my rental as per my agreement.

Also, we paid the rental in advance to receive an additional discount and joined Avis Preferred in the hopes to have things go a little faster upon pickup.

I have done lots of homework on this and feel confident that I am fully prepared and know what to expect.

I will report in when I get back and let all know how things go.

Cindyo · Member

kmrambo wrote:
Hello! We are traveling to Ireland this fall for the first time! So excited...except for the car rental debacle. I want to try and go the World MC route but have found not even all of those cover Ireland. Can anyone suggest and actual card they have been able to use for the CDW?

Our World MasterCard is through Chase. We called and verified that they cover Ireland. According to the rep I spoke to, that is new since the middle of 2013.

Michele Erdvig · Host

There have been recent changes in credit card coverage. For instance some USA Visas have started covering Ireland again. But it is always the car company who has the final say. Best advice: confirm everything in advance and read the fine print. Then you will be prepared.

Dooley is fine. I've used them several times. Avis is fine. I used them last time.

davidb · Newbie

thanks wendy and michele for your input! i feel much better about it. i'm going with dooley. i have a friend in dublin who has a contact at the finance department of hertz in ireland. this employee of hertz couldn't even recommend i go with them... it's that bad! they suggested i choose someone else.

Michele Erdvig · Host

David, It is not a good sign when someone who works for a company does not recommend that company. Happy to provide some input to help with your choice. Hope everything works out well.

Pilar · Newbie

Hello all. I am new to the site and I have found the advise here to be quite helpful. I am traveling to Ireland in mid-September with a friend. I've dreamed of making this trip and driving around the country. However, I've read so much about the difficulties of renting a car that it has made me a bit worried. I have a simple question (I think it is...): if I do get CDW + excess waiver insurance, I won't get the super hight deposit/ hold on my credit card mentioned on this forum right?

Thanks for your help.

wckc · Guru

Pilar -

The high deposits/credit holds are for those who take advantage of the World MC insurance policies and waive the CDW offered by the rental company.

Pilar · Newbie

Got it. Thanks a lot wckc :)

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Welcome to Michele's Forum!

You are correct, in that the high deposits occur when you choose NOT to purchase CDW and Excess. Many of us who travel to Ireland frequently opt to not buy the insurances -- relying upon alternate coverage to avoid the rather pricey costs. Doing so requires FULL understanding of all the Terms and Conditions related to making that choice, however.

What is important to know, is what charges are INCLUDED in your reservation quote, so that you avoid any unpleasant surprises at pick up. Many companies will quote an 'Inclusive Rate' that includes BASIC CDW, but NOT the cost of the 'Excess' coverage. Since 'Excess' typically costs 15-20 Euro PER DAY, that can quickly escalate your cost by a significant amount.

Best advice is to work with a reputable company, ask lots of questions about what is, and is not, included in order to be a well-informed consumer.

Many of the car hire companies offer a discount for pre-paying your car hire. Doing so can also be handy for reducing your Credit Card charges while actually ON vacation.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Pilar, Good info from Wendy & Bob. If you have any other questions about your trip just let us know. We are here to help you have the best trip ever.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I received a private message about excess insurance and thought it might be of interest to all. See below:

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

I am Mark and run www.moneymaxim.co.uk which was mentioned in your excess insurance thread on the forum over the last few days.

I have also just launched a car hire advice website called www.carhirechampion.co.uk where users can pose all those 'How can i' questions

Noticed that the above thread was talking about policies suitable for US visitors which will cover the excess in Europe, and the icarhireinsurance policy had been talked about.

Just to ensure that no one goes down a route and finds themselves accidentally uninsured icarhireinsurance will cover residents from around the world (excluding a few sanctioned countries) on their European policies, but not if a worldwide policy is required (so one required by someone doing a Europe trip, but also visiting Australia, Asia, Africa etc). Worldwide policies are only available to European residents.

There is another insurer, Worldwide Insure, who will cover residents of anywhere both on European and Worldwide policies, and if CDW is required they can accommodate that.

I would say that running a quote through our car hire insurance service is the easiest way of checking out the options, but am certainly not going to try any form of underhand marketing, hence this PM rather than a public post!

The reason I mention this is because the number of companies offering excess insurance and CDW policies to non Europeans has recently reduced significantly. Last Insurance4carhire withdrew from that market, this year Questor and Protect Your Bubble have. You may therefore get a few queries from travellers to Ireland who have been insured with one of these companies, but have now got a letter saying they can no longer be covered.

The good news is that there are still alternatives out there!

wicked · Newbie

Thank you for this thread. Answered many of my questions! We're heading over in March for another trip -- are there any updates in terms of which cards to use, etc.?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Some World MasterCards cover insurance. Recently some Visa cards do too. As always, check with your card and ask them to send you the terms of coverage to see if they will cover you in Ireland.

Keep in mind that the coverage is mostly for American and Canadian citizens.

-- Edited by Michele Erdvig on Sunday 5th of October 2014 01:33:25 PM

ANW · Newbie

I'm going to Ireland in August. I am getting anxiety trying to figure out the car rental. I have a World Master Card which will cover me in Ireland. They will give me a letter specifically stating that I am covered in Ireland. I am looking to rent with Dan Dooley since they seem to have good reviews and don't charge extra to go to Northern Ireland. I don't want to pay a $2,000 deposit. Should I just take the CDW and decline the SDW? Do I need any additional insurance? Are there any companies that don't charge a deposit fee.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Pretty much ALL charge a deposit. Declining the SCDW would still involve a large deposit, as the "Excess" deductible is around that amount. Some of the companies merely place a 'Hold' on the card, rather than actually charging the amount and refunding it, but in either case, it will 'Freeze' that amount of credit and make it unavailable for use.

If you buy the Basic CDW, Master Rental will NOT cover the SCDW. Master Rental is an 'All-or-Nothing' coverage -- you have to decline ALL of the Car Hire company's insurance if you want to use Master Rental.

You can call Dooley's New Jersey office (for free) and get specific answers and costs. The staff is VERY helpful!

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Saturday 30th of May 2015 02:26:00 PM

ANW · Newbie

Thanks. I think I will just call Dan Dooley and rent with them and be done with it. At least I will have peace of mind that I am covered. It will end up being about $700 for CDW and SDW. Does this sound crazy to you?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Everyone's situation is different and you need to do what 'feels' best for YOU. smile smile

You need to factor in your credit limit, confidence level and comfort level. For some, the added stress of self-insuring via Credit Card is too much to handle. The type of car (size, kind of transmission), time of year, length of rental and level of insurance would determine if $700 is reasonable or excessive.

Using Dooley as an example, Michele suggests "saving" an on-line quote (It's an option on their website) that emails you a price that's good for 7 days or so. Keep checking and if you find a better price, 'Save' it. If prices go Up, call the NJ office and book, using the lower, 'Saved' price. To ease the sting SLIGHTLY, you can even Pre-Pay over the phone, in order to spread out the expense a bit.

If you pay in US dollars through NJ, there should be NO 'Foreign Transaction Fee' -- which can save you 1 - 4 % depending on what Credit Card you have.

Don't know if it still works, but adding the word "Dochara" on the quote page USED to give a 5% discount. confuse confuse

When / where are you planning to visit?

FinnMacCool · Veteran Member

Any updates on this topic? I was wanting to rent a car in Ireland. Even planned my trip around it. Had NO idea this was going to be a nightmare. I noticed replies to this thread are a year old. Any new good news? Please advise!

Michele Erdvig · Host

Update: Some Visa cards now cover CDW in Ireland but ask your car company if they will accept it.

Very few MasterCards cover CDW insurance in Ireland. Some World MCs.

There is still a very large "hold" or charge when declining CDW.

Did you have any specific questions?

FinnMacCool · Veteran Member

When you say some cards cover the cdw (I will call and see if mine does), it's recommended to then agree to the cdw, or decline it because your card covers it. I understand that I must first check with the car company if they'll accept. Seems all very confusing to me. But then, this will be my first experience overseas. Are you perhaps better off purchasing through a travel agent? And can you save conversion costs if purchasing in your homeland before arriving. For instance, either in this thread or somewhere else, it was mentioned one of the car companies is based in New Jersey of the USA. And I believe that you could avoid any conversion fees by purchasing beforehand. Is there such a thing as purchasing ahead of time and simply presenting a form/receipt and them handing over the keys with no further hassle?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

If your Card covers Irish car rental (and you need to verify through MasterCard or Visa NOT the issuing bank!) the rules are that you must decline ALL optional insurances.

Dooley has a New Jersey office and you can pre-pay, in US dollars, to avoid MOST of the 'Foreign Transaction' fees, but some costs are always paid at pick up -- the initial cost of a full tank of gas comes to mind. This can be a non-issue if you return the car full, in most cases.

People mention a US based Hertz agency that uses pre-payment, as well -- I believe it is Easy Tour (?) but I've never used them.

If you use your Credit Card coverage in lieu of the CDW and Excess, most rental companies place a LARGE 'Hold' (and sometimes, a Charge) as a Deposit (at pick up) of between 2000 to as much as 5000 Euro, which is refunded on return, provided there is no damage. This can severely limit your use of that credit card as he Hold or Charge will reduce your available credit. If you DO have damage, the company will CHARGE the estimated repair cost to you on your Credit Card and it will be up to you to file a claim to get reimbursed.

Deciding to use Credit Card coverage is a HIGHLY personal choice.

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Monday 16th of May 2016 12:02:19 AM