Please help me understand Zero Deductible / Excess Car Rental

sannstarkey · Member

Has anyone rented from Auto Europe with its zero deductible/excess insurance rate? Has anyone had an incident and returned the car? What happened? I'm being quoted a price of about $400 for a week's rental of an automatic with the $0 deductible. The rental is through Dollar.

Also, is $0 really $0? As in I can completely walk away if I ding the car without paying anything? I can't find any fine print on the Auto Europe site. I emailed them, but haven't heard back. Is this insurance policy through Auto Europe or Dollar? Will Dollar put the hold on my CC because the insurance isn't through them? Would I need to get the police and fill out an accident report for a minor scratch?

I'm going to Ireland with my teenage son in a couple weeks and am putting a last minute trip together. Originally I thought I'd use public transport, as I'm extremely wary of driving on the left. But, now I'm considering renting a car, provided I can obtain a truly inclusive insurance policy with the rental. Most credit cards don't protect rentals in Ireland (another reason I'm freaked out about driving there).

I don't know....maybe we should just take the bus.

Help!

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Welcome to Michele's Forum! biggrin

Self - Driving IS really the best way to experience Ireland -- but, it DOES pay to do your 'Homework' ahead of time. To answer SOME of your questions:

$0 Deductible DOES mean $0 -- HOWEVER (and it's a BIG however!) Who provides the Insurance is what really matters.

If it is the Car Hire Company (Dollar), then -- YES. If it is AutoEurope, then the answer is MAYBE. This is because AutoEurope is what is known as an Agent or Consolidator. As such, any Insurance that they sell is considered Third Party Coverage and most Rental Companies neither acknowledge, nor accept that coverage. Therefore, they might (most likely) require a large Deposit (as much as 2-3000 Euro) be applied -- either by a 'Hold' or an actual Charge. If there is no damage, the Deposit is Refunded, but if there IS damage, the Company will take payment from the Deposit and you will have to Claim Back that amount from AutoEurope.

To get a DEFINITIVE answer, you would need to query AutoEurope and Dollar to determine the source (and details) of the coverage.

This is much the same way as Credit Card coverage and other available Third Party Insurance (See: http://www.moneymaxim.co.uk/faq/car-hire-insurance/non-uk-residents-expat-car-hire-insurance ) is handled.

Also, Generally speaking, tire, wheel and under-carriage damage, window glass, side mirrors, lost keys and use of the wrong fuel are almost NEVER covered, unless specifically included.

ALL rental companies will also require payment for the initial tank of fuel. You should ask if their fuel policy allows for a refund if Returned Full, or if you are expected to return it Empty -- with NO credit for unused fuel.

What should ALSO be included (but you need to ask) is Road Tax, Location Fee (Premium) and Northern Ireland cover -- IF you plan to visit the North.

From 28 June to 7 July of 2013, I rented a Manual transmission, Ford Focus (Compact) for 160 Euro TOTAL for , but I used my Credit card for the Insurance. Even if I had bought the offered Insurance, my cost should STILL have been at, or under 300 Euro (about $330 currently). An Automatic would have been more, of course, but I doubt if it would be more than another $100- $150. So -- a $400, All-In small Automatic for 7 days SHOULD be possible.

A LOT depends on time of year and length of rental.

Hope this helps!

sannstarkey · Member

Hi Bob,
Thanks for the detailed answer. I'm sure I'll have more questions the further I get into planning. My son is doing a semester abroad in Galway and has invited me to go out there with him for the 11 days before school starts. The main problem is that he's going to have a semester's worth of luggage. We're flying into Dublin, so we would have to go all the way to Galway and drop his stuff off, before embarking on a bus/train tour around the country. We of course would have to finish the trip in Galway. I'm flying out of Shannon.

The car makes a lot more sense from a logistics point of view, as we can just drive around with his stuff, only going to Galway once at the end of the trip.

Still, I'm pretty scared to drive in Ireland. Though I'm no stranger to driving on American road trips, my husband is always the driver on our foreign travels. I feel that I would have a lot more confidence in the trip if I knew that I was covered in the case of an accident. Auto Europe makes no mention of car rental places requiring large deposits (in conjunction with the zero excess policies) or that windows, undercarriage, etc. aren't covered. I don't think that's fair at all not to disclose these issues. They should put sample contracts up on their site. I guess they think it's acceptable to find all this out at the counter when you are stuck and really have no other options.

Sally

sannstarkey · Member

I just had an idea. Would it be better for me to rent a car without the zero deductible insurance and then purchase Dollar's insurance at the counter? Is there any way to find out how much that will cost before I get there? The same car I quoted above through Auto Europe for a Dollar rental is only $225 without the zero deductible insurance. If I buy directly through Dollar, I won't have to put a hold on my card...correct?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Yes, if you buy the Insurance from the Car Rental company, there is no need, nor justification for a high deductible.

Best way to determine costs (Including the Daily Price of the 'Excess' coverage -- although SOME companies keep a 100 Euro deductible just to keep the renter "honest") is to go to the Company websites (Hertz, Dooley, Avis, Dollar, etc ...) and get the quote for them. Dooley has a US office in NJ -- 1-800-331-9301 -- and the staff there gets high marks. Depending on your details, though they may -- or may not -- be the cheapest. It's all about Supply and Demand on any given period.

Note that there is BASIC coverage CDW & Theft and there is ALSO 'Excess' or 'Super' coverage. Basic covers the car but carries a very high Deductible -- between 2,000 and 5,000 Euro, depending upon car type and value -- and the 'Excess' (or, whatever the particular company calls it) Reduces the CDW Deductible to 0 - 100 Euro. SOME companies offer Optional, Additional Tire and Glass coverage, too.

The 'TRICK' is to make sure that you read the 'Terms and Conditions' of rentals. There is usually a 'Clickable' Link SOMEWHERE on the website that details all the 'nitty-gritty' -- Some websites make it easier than others to find. Careful perusal of those Terms SHOULD assure NO 'Surprises' when you Pick Up the car. Most problems and Complaints stem from people failing to do so -- ahead of time.

As to the driving 'over there', I've driven THOUSANDS of miles without mishap. Yes, it IS a bit disconcerting -- but, if you are a confident and competent driver at home, you shouldn't have much difficulty adjusting. Most First-Timers seem to comment that it was much easier than they expected / feared! biggrin

Feel free to ask away. It's what we are here for! aww aww

tony2phones · Guru

The reason many Credit cards don't cover Ireland is a lot to do with the legalities of the Irish Insurance system not just the cost of claims. The roads are safe but having dropped folk off at Shannon just as the Boston flight arrivals were driving out,, its amusing and frightening..

OK @ Shannon Cars are collected from the Car park facing the terminal (except Dooley's) .. Cars are right hand drive so getting into the left hand door whilst Mrs wrestles with trying to get 2 ton of baggage into the boot (trunk) of a car that possibly weighs less than I do was the first amusement of my morning. Hertz do some nice micro cars but they won't take 4 people and 2 ton of baggage, to the same extent I am not sure 2 people need an Opel Insignia or the amount of baggage they forced into it (maybe they were moving over? or just staying for 6 months?)

Exit the car park and there is a roundabout, the road out is the first exit, not twice round and then away. The cars coming towards you on the right hand side of the road are on the right side, if you are on the right, that's wrong. As bad as being on the right (which is wrong) is to overcompensate.. driving an overloaded Insignia with the left hand wheels on the grass verge is also wrong. The roads are narrower but don't overcompensate to the extent that your passenger is up close and personal with the fence/ditch/wall.

Sit in the driving seat, look over the steering wheel and "spot" how the road fits the window in front of you. Know where the nearside (left) edge is, and the central line infront (maybe it lines up with the base of the wiper blade? does on the Megan) these are easier to remember if you do it when you first get the car rather than deciding when on a road with the fore mentioned fence/ditch/walls.

If you can drive a car you can drive a car, it matters not which side the wheel is or the state of the road. It's the drivers state of mind and just remember a car is at the end of the day a car. You will be fine..

sannstarkey · Member

Thanks Tony for the info.

Question: One of the benefits of renting the car over getting the bus, is that my son and I can begin our trip immediately from the Dublin area without going to Galway first to drop off his semester's worth of luggage. That of course means driving around for a week with 2 large (50lb at least) suitcases, and 2 travel backpacks.

1) Will all that fit in an economy? Or should I pony up for the compact?
2) Will I have to worry about that much stuff in the car getting stolen when we're out and about? Should I cover the bags up with a sheet? Or should I go to Galway first (from Dublin) and unload the semester bags and then start our trip?

tony2phones · Guru

If he can store his belongings at NUIG before the start of his studies you could aim straight there and just drop them day one. Shannon is the closest airport and might make better sense than DUB if planning on spending time in the west? you could always open Jaw into SNN and out from DUB? As your trip is in a couple of weeks I guess your flights are already booked

If there are just 2 of you and you use soft rather than constructed baggage then you and your belongings should fit into a smallish car using the trunk and back seat. I would avoid the very smallest because 2" each side on the width gives 4" more shoulder room in the cabin. Have a think about your itinerary and how you can work it with a Galway start. Normally I would suggest getting an express bus from DUB straight to Galway but with 100+ lb of whatever that might not work and a car is the best option. DUB to Galway is a 2 1/2 hour drive on the Motorways with the M50 and 2 more cash tolls along the way, provided you are a good traveller and not stung by jetlag Galway is possible, take your time and have a couple of breaks.