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

Michele Erdvig · Host

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

Sambailey · Member

OK Thanks for the heads up. I'll contact them and inquire as to the CDW charges, petrol, etc.

Sally

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Sambailey --

i actually used Budget this July last, for a 13 day rental of a Golf- Class midsize, manual transmission car and we waived the CDW by using our Bank of America Elite Rewards World MasterCard. If you 'Scroll Down' this thread to my entry dated 09/20/10 , I listed ALL the details ...

Bob

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 04:52:28 PM

murphy · Guru

I want to clear up a mistake I made in a post on Dec 12. The excess car insurance that I purchase for tyres, wind screen and undercarriage is: insurance4carhire.com (I had written insuremycar.com, and that probably doesn't even exist!). I see on their websight that a 31 day Europe only policy is 49 GBP. It has gone up a little since I last used them. It can be used several time during the 12 month (annual contract) as long as each rental period doesn't exceed 31 continuous days. The damage, if you have a claim, is billed to your credit card, and then you are reimbursed by insurance4carhire.com. I ususally wait till closer to departure to purchase.....in case I get to go back again within 12 months! biggrin

Their websight says you can buy it up to 3 months ahead of time and designate the start date of the annual contract. Sorry if this caused anyone confusion on excess car insurance. Dan

-- Edited by murphy on Tuesday 14th of December 2010 06:10:08 PM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Sally,

Bob (Itallian Chauffeur) has that post on page 6 of this post. I have rented from Budget in the past with no problems. But they caught me by surprise when between the time I rented a car and actually picked it up they changed their rules and hit me with a 2,000 euro deposit for declining CDW. I complained mightly to no effect. After that I vowed not to rent from them till they change that stupid rule.

I think that they are all renting older cars and hanging on to cars longer than usual because of the recession. Ask for a newer car at the rental desk. The license plate is the key to knowing the year of the car. 09 means 2009 and 10 means 2010.

Michele

jdugan · Newbie

Dan,

Thanks very much for the information. I will look into Journey Through Ireland and see how they compare.

John

IrishLass · Newbie

Hello!
Planning a trip in April and researching the Car Rental possibilities for Pick up and Drop off in Shannon.
So, from what I have read, is it safe to assume that if you go with Dan Dooley or Kemwell and decline the CDW (B/C there is coverage under a World Credit Card) you should not expect to see a Charge on your credit card for the "deductable" unless there are damages to the car upon return?
I called Dan Dooley in NJ and the customer service agent stated that they would not charge it, but put it as a "HOLD" with a credit card. He stated if it s a world Debit Card, then they would likely charge it.
Also, what about with HERTZ? Will you see a charge on the CC if you decline CDW? I have actually seen the best rates with Hertz and Kemwell so far, but am a little suspicious about Hertz and being charged if declining the CDW.
Thanks so much for your comments. This site has been so helpful!!

murphy · Guru

Irish Lass,

We have already booked with Hertz through Journey Through Ireland. However, we have pre-paid the booking and it DID include the regular CDW. Since we are traveling with another couple and sharing the rental car exp. I decided that alone was a sizable savings (1/2) and so that the arrangements would be less messy, have decided to go ahead and get the CDW. If it were just my wife and I, we would decline and use our World Master Card, as we did in 09. For this trip we will cover the balance down to "0" with insurance4carhire.com for under $100....and it is good for a whole year, with maximum 31 day rental periods. So I can not comment on the Hertz policy on declining CDW using the World Master Card. I am sure if you contacted Conn at Journey Through Ireland, he would know the exact details, as they have had this ongoing contract with Hertz for many years. Let us know what you find out! Good luck Dan

Michele Erdvig · Host

IrishLass,

Welcome to my forum. With Dooley they place a "hold" on your credit card for 2,000 euro. That amount will not be available on your card till the hold is lifted. Wise to travel with two credit cards you can use in Ireland.

Kemwel is a broker. They can book you with one of many companies that they are partners with. Whether you will be charged a deposit on your card depends on the company you are booked with. If you don't like the company they book you with, you can call them and have them change it to another.

This is a new year and I have not had the time yet to research every car company in Ireland again. It would be wise to read each website thoroughly and get anything in writing.

A few years ago the car company was going to charge me for something untill I got out an email I had printed showing them it was included. They read it and did not charge me. The burden of proof is always on you.

Michele

Date: 3:10 PM, 03/05/11

I paid an Ireland package by Discover Card through Sceptor Tour. The package includes 6-day car rental.

I just called Discover and they confirmed that it covers car rental CDW worldwide with no exclusion unless the law prohibits.

Following is the online resource I found:
http://www.discovercard.com/customer-service/travel/assets/More_Motiva_Miles_OpenRoad_Combined-Scheduled_Air_CDWDOC.pdf

The PDF itself is not searchable. Look for "WHERE YOU ARE COVERED" in the lower half of the document. It says "Coverage applies to vehicles rented anywhere in the world". Isn't that nice?

I hope it covers the car rental paid through a package. Should I double check?

Thanks a lot

Michele Erdvig · Host

Anonymous,

ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK!! Are you in the USA or another country? I would check on a few things. Inquire of your car company if they will accept Discover card coverage. Many insist on a World MasterCard. I notice that the max amount paid out is $25,000. Since cars are very expensive in Ireland that may not be enough coverage, depending on the car rented.

These are the listed cards:

Discover More Card
Discover Open Road
Miles by Discover Card
Discover Motiva Card

I will be checking on this new development shortly myself. It could be good news for everyone. Thanks for the head's up!

Michele

Date: 4:03 PM, 03/05/11

Hello Michele:

Thanks. I live in the US and just called Discover to confirm that they will cover the rented vehicle even it is through a package.

Now the only missing part is if Dan Dooley accepts Discover's coverage for me to decline CDW. I left message in their voicemail 800-331-9301. Not sure when they will return my call.

Are you in Ireland? Do you know anyone in Dan Dooley Dublin airport that can offer such information?

My rented car is an Economy class, automatic car. It should cost less than $25K US dollars, I assume. :)

Thanks a lot,
David

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

If I might interject ... biggrin

I, too, have an upcoming Package Trip through Sceptre Tours -- Airfare to/from EWR, car hire through Dan Dooley and 6 nights at Adare Manor Villas for four. My paperwork from Sceptre made it clear that the Car Hire was INCLUSIVE of CDW. It also offered me (us) the option of PRE-PURCHASING the Super CDW -- they call it: "VIP Express Car Insurance", which we DID buy. I THINK that the cost was about $20-25 Per Person -- ADDITIONAL. During the selection portion of the buying, the web site said that if we opted NOT to buy that, it would be offered again, at the counter in Shannon, but it would be at, "a higher rate".

We chose to purchase because my World MasterCard coverage SPECIFICALLY states that 'the ENTIRE' transaction' MUST be done on the Covered Car -- that means Reservation, Deposit, Pick Up and Return -- or the coverage was void. It ALSO states that you MUST decline ALL optional insurances ( meaning CDW, Theft and glass/tires -- even though MC EXCLUDES those last two items anyway ... confuse

Since there was NO way to Decline the CDW, it stands to reason that buying it (even when done by default) VOIDS the MasteRental Coverage.... furious

IF Discover covers CDW in the REPUBLIC of Ireland, that is news to me -- but it doesn't mean anything, if the Car Company (in this case, Dan Dooley) doesn't accept their coverage. cry

The last time that I used the Dooley web site and selected the 'Decline CDW' option, the "Pop Up Window" STILL said "Only CERTAIN Visa and MasterCard ..." furious

Not trying to 'Rain on Your Parade', hmm

-- Just want to make sure that you cover ALL your bases. smile

You want to know EXACTLY what coverages (and under what TERMS!!!) you have well before you walk up to the counter, tired from an over-night flight and eager to 'Get The Party Started' biggrin

It's entirely TOO EASY to get flustered and confused there, when Suprises are thrown at you THEN ...

Bob

Roy · Guru

Especially after flying all night. Right, Bob?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Roy --
EXACTLY!!!

FYI: According to www.xe.com $25,000 USA at today's rate -- EQUALS 17,883.97 Euros. confuse

A USED 2009 Nissan Micra Automatic is currently selling in Ireland for 13,995 Euro. I have NO doubt that a 2011 would EASILY excede the 25K limit!!!! cry

My MasterCard's limit, by the way, is $50,000 -- which STILL is exceded by MANY of the Rental Cars on offer in Ireland. furious

Bob

Michele Erdvig · Host

David,

I am not in Ireland right now. It will be best to get the info in writing from Dan Dooley. Then if you go ahead with declining CDW you can show it to the clerks in Dublin. From what Bob mentioned and since you bought a package, I would double-check with your travel agent to see if you might already have CDW included in the package. It is very important to know everything to avoid a costly mistake.

Michele

Green Dragon · Guru

I asked Dan Dooley if they accepted Discover about two weeks ago, in preparation for my trip. They do NOT take Discover at this time.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I've never actually seen the Discover card being accepted anywhere in Ireland. It is usually MasterCard, Visa and to a lesser extent American Express.

Michele

xaviermatt · Member

Hi Everyone,

I am really glad I stumbled upon this forum after perusing Michele's great website and asking a few questions in another forum. I have a trip in 2 weeks (April 18-25) that I booked through the Aer Lingus website that included a 6-day rental with Dan Dooley Dublin Airport. I have had some correspondence via email with Dan Dooley and have been satisfied with their prompt responses. My main question is this:

I investigated www.insureance4carhire.com and found www.dailyexcess.com which offers excess insurance for really low rates. Before I purchase, I want to know, does anyone know if this service will serve as CDW? Or does it simply complement CDW and act as a super-CDW? Even writing my question I feel very uneducated about it! I am trying to avoid paying any more for the rental than I already have through the package. The Dooley daily CDW and Super CDW rates (19 Euro and 37 Euro) seem like an awful lot for my budget.

Can anyone help clarify if www.insurance4carhire.com is CDW?

Thanks!!

Matt

Date: 10:42 AM, 04/05/11

I just made that same phone call (talked to Doreen) and was told that the deposit was only if I declind the CDW. If I accept it the deposit is like 1000 Euro and if I take the Excess Waiver it is only about 150 euro. (she said they don't usually even charge that unless there is damage) That is a huge relief. I was planning on using my card for other things as well. Doreen offered to do the booking here in the U.S. to save on conversion fees and offered me a discount besides. This sounds great. Glad I was the suggestion on here. Thanks

dbeavers wrote:
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

Michele Erdvig · Host

Matt,

insurance4carhire provides "excess waiver" which is generally called Super CDW. So you will have to purchase CDW from the car company.

Michele

xaviermatt · Member

Thanks Michelle,

That is wat I was afraid of. I can't find any way to get the CDW coverage except through Dan Dooley, which will really add quite a bit for my budget. I have a Capital One Platinum card but Visa and Capital One have both told me that the Republic of Ireland is excluded from their CDW offerings. Alas. Looks like I might get the regular CDW with Dooley and then go to insureance4carhire.com for some peace of mind since it is far cheaper than the super CDW through Dooley.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Matt,

Unfortunately that's the way it works. There are only a very few US cards that cover Ireland now. Certain World MasterCards and Diners Club. Visa pulled out of the Ireland market many years ago.

Michele

xaviermatt · Member

Thanks once again! You're very gracious to keep responding even though I keep misspelling your name! I blame my cousin Michelle.

In the end, the cost of the CDW and the excess insurance from www.insurance4carhire.com will be worth the cost for our peace of mind.

Roy · Guru

I maintain a World card exclusively for car rentals in Ireland.

Michele Erdvig · Host

Matt,

No problem misspelling my name. Everyone does! I maintain a World MasterCard for the car rental too.

Michele

murphy · Guru

I am writing a follow up post concerning a recent car rental using Hertz, and Journey Through Ireland. We booked November 17, 2010 for a March 29, 2011 pickup at Dublin Airport. The cost included a 10% discount for prepayment, for a total of $533.59. The rental period was over on April 10, for a 12 day rental. The car was a 4-door Opel Vectra with manual transmission. It was comfortable for 4 adults, with a boot that held 4-21"roller bags and 4-personal items (lap top size bags) There was enough room for jackets, a small cooler, groceries, and 2 additional carry-on size bags.

We chose this company because they offered an ALL INCLUSIVE rate. We elected to decline the 12 Euro/day super CDW at the Hertz desk, (which resulted in a 1600 Euro hold on our CC) and instead puchased a year long supplemental insurance from insurance4carhire.com for about $80.00

After looking over my credit card bill, there were NO SURPRISES, like the extra fees we had the time before with Irish Car Rentals/National. And the 1600 Euro fee that was to be a "hold" on my card, actually was just that....it never showed up on my cc statement.

Since Journey Through Ireland has had a franchise agreement for many years with Hertz, and they were great to work with, I would be comfortable recommending them. (www.irelandtouring.com)

Dan

-- Edited by murphy on Saturday 30th of April 2011 10:32:38 AM

Wellsley · Guru

Thanks Dan,

We have reservations with this company and will be picking up the car at the Dublin airport and returning it in Shannon. I glad to see you had no problems. Puts my mind to ease.

Frank

ctmccaffrey · Newbie

Hi all,

Just a quick note about easy car rental... I was in Eire May 11-18. Rented using Kemwel (THANK YOU Michele!) The car was from Avis. I declined CDW - had a letter from my World Mastercard, but they did not even ask for it. Paid $146 through Kemwel for the week before I left, and only additional charge was the airport fee (about 30 euro) we were at Shannon, family in Clare. I am posting because I got all worried about the rental ahead of time and in the end it was NO PROBLEM. My Dad is 75 this year, so I did have to rent and drive - they DO ENFORCE the 75 year cutoff. Ok, thats my report, and I can't wait to get back to EIRE!

Michele Erdvig · Host

CM,

Thanks for your feedback on renting a car in Ireland. Hope you enjoyed your trip and visiting with your family in Clare. Are you planning another trip soon?

Michele