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


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


boomer,

Auto Europe will not charge you anything extra. It is the car company that they book you with that you will have to pay the "extras" to. And believe me, there are always extras. The only one that doesn't add them on is Dan Dooley. With them what you are quoted is what you get. Their rates may seem higher at first but once you start adding on all the extras they may be comparable to the other companies. You just have to shop around to find out.

Michele



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Hi Thank you so much. I spoke to Auto Europe and they told me that they would contact their Dublin supplier  Murray/Sixth and find out any additional extras.

Hertz is contacting their training dept and letting me know in 48 hours any additional charges for the car.  Hertz told me that my rate was 196.47 for  a compact car- like an opal astra(5 door hatchback) which included liability insurance(mandatory for Ireland they said). This is for a 12 day rental.  That rate is if i waive the collision if i get approved for the World Card.

The rate they said included Vat Tax and Location fee.  They do not cover tires. The last person i spoke to told me that since World Card was 0 deductible i did not have to pay a deposit.

When the training dept gets back to me - i asked about administrative charges, loss of use, fleet login, key deposit- i will let you know.

I will also let everyone know re Auto Europe. Maybe it is different in Ireland but i have used Auto Europe before and never had any suprises.

Both companies said it is critical that you have a letter from World card stating that they cover you. Just using your card is not enough.

Please advise me as to what other charges i can be charged for.  Other reviewers that i have seen do not like Dan Dooley at all. So i guess it depends on your experiences.

Thanks again

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Boomer:

I've not seen any reviews where someone "doesn't like Dan Dooley at all."  As Michele noted, its the only place that has no hidden costs, so if you see something at Hertz that says $350, and Dooley says $400, you think Hertz is the deal.  Actually that $350 will soon jump to $500 range by the time you sign the papers.

I've used Dooley for more than ten years -- they are the best to deal with that I -- and many others on this forum -- have found.  Do not toss them out of your plans until you look at this closer, or you might find yourself in a mess later on.  There are some nasty stories on this forum regarding what some have been going through with other car rental firms recently.

Monty

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Hi Thank you so much. On trip advisor some of the posters recently had problems with Dan Dooley. As you said it depends on your own experience.

I have contacted Hertz and they are getting in touch with Hertz at Dublin Airport re other fees.

Auto Europe is contacting Murray/Sixth in Dublin to findout other fees.

Can you please let me know what other charges are imposed.

This is what i have so far with Hertz-   a compact car- i requested opal astra(not guaranteed. Just got approved by World Card- the benefits dept told me that they would cover collision only on the rental car. That also includes undercarriage, windshield, roof. Does not include a flat tire, nail in tire etc.  They do not cover liability. Hertz told me that liablity is covered in my rental- because mandatory in Ireland.

My rate is without insurance- since i am using Mastercard- for 12 days  196.47 euro which includes VAT  and location fee.   They told me final price.  Mastercard- no deductible.

Hertz said re fuel- you start with filled tank- and you have two options bring it back full or have them fill it but will cost more.

World Mastercard said in case of an accident they will cover loss of use - with proper documents- i think that is common.  

The training dept is checking with Dublin about fleet utilization log, adminstrative costs, loss of use, keydeposit.

I am not sure about road fee.

Please explain to me what other charges i could incur if they are saying my price is final. Thanks



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Boomer,

There is no car rental company on earth that has 100% customer satisfaction. Problems can and will occur. The best thing to do in a case like that is address it and try to fix it immediately. Don't ignore it. 

I just had a look at www.hertz.ie There is an extra charge for:
  • Location
  • VAT (13.5%)

It looks like since you are a Gold Card member they will waive the hefty security deposit.

One forum member had tire insurance sneeked into her contract which she overlooked because she was so tired on arrival. I always ask about each inidvidual charge that must be initialed before signing.

Below are questions that I always want answered:

When declining CDW is there a "charge" or "hold" put on the credit card? If so, how much?

Is there an extra charge for declining CDW?

Are there any other charges for declining CDW or any other rules that you have about it?

Is there a charge for canceling a reservation?

Is there a charge for changing a reservation?

Is there an "airport surcharge"? If so, how much?

Is there a "road tax" fee per day? If so, how much?

Is the car to be returned with a full tank of petrol or empty?

Is there a charge for crossing into No. Ireland?

What other charges apply that are not included in the quoted price?

Michele



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Thanks  Hertz told me yesterday that if i was approved for the World Mastercard- i just got approved- my rate would be 195.31. That included the 13.5% vat  and the location fee- in my case Dublin Airport of 22.91. It is the same rate for the Dublin City location.This rate is for 12 days with a compact car- i requested Opel Astra- diesel- manuel. I am a gold member so if available i can get an upgrade.  No deductible.

They said i would have two options for fuel- bring back with full tank or pay extra for them to refuel.

They said that their rate included liability because it is mandatory in Ireland.

The rate if i did not have the World Master Card would have been  290.47. That included Vat, location fee, CDW, also theft protection fee. 

World card said that they usually pay for loss of use- depending on circumstances.

Still waiting from Hertz- key deposit,  loss of use, fleet utilization log, extra fee for driving into Northern Ireland if desire, administrative fees if accident occurs, road tax fee.

There is no cancellation fee- however if i change days subject to price change if the rate changes.

I have used Auto Europe with visa in other parts of europe and i have never had a problem. I am hearing so many complaints in other forums such as Trip Advisor re Ireland.  

Will keep you posted when i get more info.  

 

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As stated in a previous post, we had troubles with National/Europcar/IrishCarRentals. They charged us a POM fee (peace of mind) of 90 euros, after I initialed the box that suppose to show that I had declined ALL insurance. This fee still showed up on my final bill. It had been lumped in with all the other declined insurance, but they didn't give me the opportunity to initial that particular one. I should have crossed it off, and initialed that. But the agent's verbal instructions was to initial the 4-5 small lines to show that I wished to decline all insurance. At that time I wasn't sure what POM was, and should have asked. The other item was a Northern Ireland cross border fee. I did not cross the border, and never intended to. That 45 euro fee was not on the paperwork I signed at the booth at registration. However, it did show up on my final paperwork. The car rental company said they weren't able to take it off, and the credit card company denied the dispute of charges.

We did have a fender bender, and it showed up as an $1800 charge on my credit card 2 months later. After jumping thru lots of hoops, involving emails and phone calls to Ireland, I was finally reimbursed by Mastercard. I truly believe that the repairs for the scratch on the bumper and the broken tail light lens were far less than $1800, if the truth were know. However, thinking back....the car had 4-5 other serious blemishes, and I may be mistaken, but I surmise, that the $1800 dollars fixed all of them, especially since the 5-6 pictures that I had secured from Irish Car Rentals to submit to Master Card showed more damage than the scratch on the bumper and the tail light lens....an area that could have been coverd with 1 or 2 photos instead of a half dozen! World MC reimbursed every thing but 118 Euros for "loss of use" charges. Master card wanted documentation from the rental car people that  proved "loss of use". The document they needed was fleet utilization documets. We have been unable to get this information so far. It will take more phone calls to try to get this done. Again, renter beware! Dan

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After re-reading my above post, I got to thinking about the scenerio at the Rental Car Lot in Shannon.  There were 5 total cars sitting side by side, one of which was ours,  when we arrived to pick it up.  I was initially surprised by the amount of damage on our particular car.  (I don't recall seeing that on the cars in the Dublin lot, in 2006.)   I did a close inspection of the car, and found that all of the half a dozen major  blemishes were noted on the documents we were given.  I took close up pictures of a couple of minor scratches that were not documented, since the lot attendant had vanished.  I did a quick walk around of the the other 4 cars, all the same make, model and color. and it was very noticable that the other 4 cars were in much better shape....body-wise.  I am now starting to wonder, if the rougher looking cars, are not intentionally given to those who decline CDL or have credit card insurance coverage....in hopes that they might get more damage repaired if and when a fender bender occures?  Has anybody else had a similar experience?  Just curious. Dan



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Thanks   I will give you an update on Hertz. They told me no fee for crossing over to northern ireland- but you are stating 45 euro. Is this for every car rental?

I will give you update when i hear from Hertz on the road fee. They think it is a separate charge.

World Card told me that loss of use was based on the circumstances- how vague is that.... I asked them about fleet utilization they said that loss of use and fleet utilization had to be properly documented...

I never had this problem in other countries. I am going to email the ministry soon and strongly suggest regulations.



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AutoEurope is now working with Murray/Sixth. That might make a difference but not sure. I used them for all my european trips but i am now leaning towards Hertz. Waiting for them to give me more info.

Hertz told me that they would not charge for crossing the border. I am wondering if that charge is when you actually do it. Waiting on road fees- but they think i have to pay daily- we will see when the contact me. They are emailing or calling Dublin Airport. They also told me that at the the airport the cars are 2010 or low miles- we will see.



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Trip advisor had a bad review. I agree that one review is not a problem.

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I just wrote shaun quinn and a premond@simi.ie an email about the auto rental concerns.

Will update you when i receive info.

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Dan,

Very interesting observation. You may well be right. I usually don't mind a few scratches or a dent as long as it is documented on the form. The attendants do quick disappearing acts but I go and track them down again and make them document every chip and scratch. They love that when it's raining. I will not accept a car with a chip in the windscreen because it can easily spread and not be covered. I will not accept a car with bald tires (and yes they have tried it).

Once when I returned a car they tried to take the pink sheet on which the original damage was indicated when I picked it up. They told me they needed it. Yeah, right! They didn't get away with that fast one either. I keep all my documentation. If they need something they can make a copy. The originals are mine.

Michele





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Boomer,

Good for you. We will be interested to hear what he has to say.

Michele

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Michele,

It's been said before here and other websights, what a shame it is that there has to be the one segment of the total Ireland experience that can turn out to be so dreadful. You have to be a walking encyclopedia of knowledge, of the do's and don'ts and the maybe's and the gotcha's that can and often do go with, what should be, a simple transaction like a car rental. I've rented cars numerous times in the US, and while it probably isn't fair to compare a rental situation here to one over there (wrong side of the road, narrow roads, rock walls, and all)with a car rental in the US. Renting a car here is almost as easy as going to the convenience store to buy a soda. Not so in Ireland, unfortunately. Maybe the down turn in tourism, volcano, etc will finally put enough pressure on the Country of Ireland, Tourism Council, and with the customer based complaints to get some positive changes in the works.
Thanks again for providing a venue to help the folks who want to travel to Ireland. Dan

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I have to agree. Still waiting on Hertz response for questions that their international dept should have. They have to get their information from Dublin because i pressed their hand.

They were concerned about the theft part of the contract because in Ireland they separate it. I called World Mastercard yesterday and this is what they informed me. They cover theft of the car as well as accessories of the physical car. Hertz was not sure if they covered side mirros, bumpers etc. Which is kind of strange because World said the physical car- but not the contents inside.

World Mastercard said they do not cover liability at all. Hertz covers the passenger but not the driver- and other passengers in the other car if an accident occurs. They call it third party. Mastercard was not aware of that term. Again, all these terms, condidtions etc.....

World Mastercard told me that they are getting alot of requests for confirmation letters for Ireland. They said now it is not enough just to show them your card. They also suggested that you extend the days when you are travelling to cover your self.

For instance- if you are renting a car on July7th for 7 days you need to extend the days up until the day you are leaving or the prior day. That way you will be covered if you want to keep the car longer.  This should be stated in the confirmation letter that they will send you. We also spoke about have the letter with your full name on the card. If a middle name or middle initial is on the card- include that.

They also gave me their toll free number. I requested a letter but the representative said if they email me and if there is a problem- they can pull up the email that i received and they will see that it was sent from their company. Any other problems they can call World Mastercard directly.

However, you must submit a hard copy to the rental company when you go to the counter. Keep multiple copies with you.

The rep also suggested that everyone check the car over and look under bumpers, above the tires and have them record it. Pictures also- but if it is not written on the forms- there could be a problem she said.

We talked about looking at the car in the rain. She said that she is suggesting taking a flashlight at directly into at the windshield and it would show if there are any cracks.

She said that with this confirmation letter and being prepared there have been less problems on their end.

Also for loss of use- it has to be documented with fleet utilization logs. However, they do not pay any administrative costs if their is an accident or other matters.

Their primary concern is the physical car- not other areas. For instance, lost keys, tires, mechanical failure of the car.  She kept on stressing phsyical car. She was really informative.

Since i wrote to Auto Europe re the bad reviews that they have encountered - they will not respond to my call or to my email. They were supposed to give me another quote. I am probably going to rent with Hertz since they are trying to give me a more detailed info- road fees etc.

Will keep you informed.



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I have the all the info from Hertz. This information is based on my rental situation. It will vary depending on whether you are a Hertz Gold Member or higher.
I am picking up a car at Dublin Airport. I am waiving the CDW and using my World Master Credit Card.

I am a Hertz Gold member so no there will not be a deposit for declining the CDW. .However, Hertz and other rental companies sometimes charge you about 1,200 euro to waive it - even if you have zero deductible. It is in their terms page on their website.

They called Dublin Airport for me. Hertz in Ireland has no loss of use. In the US they do.

I can take car into N. Ireland with no extra charges.

With Hertz they will not charge me for a road tax.

They will hold/block one tank of gas- but will be refunded if i return with a full tank. I also need a receipt.

They might also hold/block one day of rental. Refunded if i bring the car back ontime.

My price for twelve days  Compact car/manuel, no AC, VAT tax included, location fee included will be 195.41 euro. They said no additional charges except- hold-fuel and perhaps/hold-for one day of rental.

Please be advised this is my situation because i am a gold member. I am also eligible for a upgrade if available.

Also World Master Card/Bank of America charges a 3% transaction fee.

If i was allowed to use Visa it would only be 2% on my card- but can not use in Ireland for insurance.I will be using it throughtout Ireland.

I think Capitol ONe no transaction fee- not sure if they have World Card to be used in Ireland because when i pulled up the info they said might not be available in Ireland, Israel, Jamaica and listed a few others.


If anyone has additional info that they would like to share- that would be great.

I think this is accurate because i pressed them to call the actual location.


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Boomer,

It sounds like you are fully informed and very prepared. You are correct that Capital One has no foreign transaction fee. I have a Cap One business card that covers a car in Ireland even though it is not a World MC. So every card and transaction is different.

The language is always "slippery". You have to be a lawyer ten times over to understand it. All the cc compaines use the word "may" in their language. It is entirely up to the car company as to whether they will accept your cc insurance coverage.

Good luck with your car rental. You will have to let us know how it goes once you get back from your trip.

Michele

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Thanks I do not have a flight yet. I am waiting for things to settle down . The airline flights are very expensive now.

I think the business cards are very different. I know that a regular Visa or AMEX does not work in Ireland. For all my research the only card that works is a World Master Card.

I am not sure if Capitol One has a World Master Card that works in Ireland. I went on their site and the words...may suggest that perhaps not. I might check on that.

For 3% for my rental it is not a big deal. Maybe $7.

I am going to use my Merrill Lynch Visa Signature with 2% transaction for everything else. I get points and it is a debit card.

I really feel that i have pressed Hertz to give me the details. But as i mentioned my situation may be different for some users of Hertz unless they are a Gold Member. I also was given an airline discount- which you can ask for.

But the information is pretty representative of their general rental agreement. The major advantage of Hertz Gold- i do not have to pay deductible if i waive the CDW and the Theft. I am eligible for upgrade- quick pickup.

I am pretty sure that they are giving me the full details and no hidden fees. I am prepared and perhaps that will help- as you always say if you come prepared there is less chance of being taken- but no guarantee...

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I have to admit that the more I read about Hertz, overall, the more nervous I became about my own prepaid reservation so...I cancelled it and went with Dan Dooley.  (Cancelling and getting a refund was super simple- so that was a good thing!)

The exchange rate had gone down considerably so it saved me a bit of money (even with the conversion fee since I completely missed the thing about going through the New Jersey office! As Homer would say: "Doh!").  But the number of discouraging remarks on Dan Dooley were outshone by the encouraging ones so I feel at peace with that decision.  

Since I will be returning the car at Dublin airport (which seems to be where the biggest problems have occurred?) it just made sense *to me* to make the switch...

I'm looking forward to hearing about your Hertz experience, though!  smile
 

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I am confused. I feel that Hertz really was informative about all the fees. I do not understand why you cancelled your reservation. I did not prepay because the price quoted was higher.

I am comfortable with their information. I have read other reviews re Hertz on trip advisor and they had no problems.

Please advise. Thanks

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Hi!

The Hertz price was very competitive and they seemed to include everything in the price that I thought they should but I've never actually rented with them before so kept reading every last review and offhand comment that I could find for the last several months. 

Really, the only 'sticking point' for me was the surprise charges that seemed to pop up for people.  With Dan Dooley there seemed to be almost no charges that weren't expected so I just switched for a little more peace of mind. 

And the basic charge was the same for me with Dooley as Hertz so since there was a better exchange rate than there was back when I made my original reservation with Hertz- then that helped sway me a bit, too.  wink

I'm sure Hertz will be *absolutely fine* for you, especially since you are a Gold member.  smile 

I also have gone with insurance4carhire for the excess.  Hoping I won't need to find out if the claim process is a simple one!







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I am glad that it is working out for you. With Hertz i am not prepaying. The prepay was actually higher for me.

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It was through AutoEurope/Kemwel and Murray/Sixt that I had my first truly horrid car rental experience.  I know that Murray petioned the courts for reorganization in July of last year. Perhaps that is what my "license & taxes fees" of  $500+ went toward, their legal fund...

Dan Dooley may look a tad more expensive on the onset. However, it is a small price to pay for having everything in black and white and, hopefully, no surprises.

It is amazing to me that in these tough economic times for Ireland, when the rest of the tourist industry is doing all it can to make Ireland travel affordable, that the Car rental industry isn't following suit.

I was assisting a friend in her trip planning for a September trip. She has postponed it after seeing what the auto rental costs would be.

Boomer, if you've not yet booked your flights, AerLingus just announced a summer sale... you might give it a go.

Safe Travels to all heading "home"

Slan Beo,

Bit



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thanks  I have not booked yet but i will check aer lingus out. Unfortunately, i live in South Carolina and most of the airlines you have to go to Atlanta.

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See what that "sale" comes out to when you put in dates and take it all the way through.  From where I was flying from, it ended up being pretty darn high.  When Aer Lingus runs one of these things, the end result is often paying really high rates on the vehicle, because if there are two of you flying, you are each paying the same rate as part of the ticket on the car. 

Maybe you will find it to be a better deal -- it was nothing to consider on this end.  no

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Thanks the fare was higher for me. I really have to connect to Atlanta from Charleston Sc and then  to Dublin. Shannon is much harder because an extra stop.

The other airlines are high but AerLingus for me was even higher.


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Same here -- no deal at all when you crunch the numbers.  The promo that Aer Lingus advertises looks great, but reality sinks in when you see what the bottom line will be!  Just keep looking ... something much better than this will come along.

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We just returned from a wonderful two week visit to Ireland. We rented with Dooley. I must say even that proved to be confusing. When we arrived in Shannon, we were told that they had to charge our card $1000 for the deductible. I asked about that saying that I didn't think Dooley actually charged the card. The agent said that they do now. When we returned the card the female agent said it was just a temporary hold that would disappear now that we had returned the vehicle OK. Apart from that, all went well. They did also charge when we got the car for a full tank of gas and that was refunded when we retuned the car full.
With regard to the comments made about battered looking cars, I wonder if they save those for the Americans! If so, considering the challenges of jet lag and left side driving on teeny tiny roads, it sure makes sense. : )

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travelingirl,

Welcome back! We would love to hear more about your trip when you have time. Feel free to post over on the Trip Reports Section of the forum.

Did Dooley actually put a charge on your credit card? Or was it a hold? I rented from them last fall and it was a hold. But things change rapidly, which is why I am inquiring.

Michele

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