Has Enterprise Buried Dan Dooley?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Has Enterprise Buried Dan Dooley?

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

Upon further research, it would appear that Enterprise has now relegated DD to agency status. That is, you can book a car via either the .ie or the .com site, but that booking will be through either Dollar or Enterprise -- with NO offering from Dan Dooley. The .ie booking engine provides NO option to 'Waive' CDW, although the .com site AUTOMATICALLY lists quotes WITHOUT either CDW or Theft coverage, but they are 'offered' at a subsequent step.

I can find NO mention of any Documentation Requirement for 'Waiving' the Insurances, nor for any associated 'Fee' . . . So, the famous Dooley transparency of costs seems to have died, as well.

BOTH offerings from Alamo and Enterprise require a 30 Euro (plus Tax) payment for driving into Northern Ireland -- purportedly, to provide "AAA" (AA?) coverage in that area. That's one more Dooley 'perk' that seems to have been lost.

It would seem that all that's left of Dan Dooley is the name, two websites -- and, possibly, a handful of former employees.

I wonder if Enterprise closed the Ford dealerships in Knocklong and Tipperary, too -- Even though they weren't part of the original deal?

Michele Erdvig · Host

Looks like things are changing yet again and not for the positive. I have always asserted that some sort of oversight and rules are necessary for the car rental industry in Ireland. Evidently Irish tourism bodies and the government do not care. If they did things would have changed long ago.

Renting a car in Ireland has always been the most difficult part of planning a trip. It still is.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

I once referred to renting a car in Ireland as "Kissing a frog" -- as, in: If you kiss a frog first thing, then nothing worse can happen.

Seems that frog just keeps getting slimier . . .

murphy · Guru

I'm Still getting regular promo mailings, in fact Christmas greetings today from Conn at Conn's Ireland (Hertz franchise) He sells the full insurance package so not sure if using a cc to waive cdw is an option with him. I do not recall asking that question during numerous phone conversations in past 4-5 years. Was thinking I should try the cc insurance next time (I have Chase Freedom cc) recently acquired and is suppose to cover Ireland car rentals. Hope to get back to Ireland this fall, now that we have been retired a year, but a major "home building" project has us inundated for the foreseeable future
Dan

yesiree · Guru

Ugh. I hate to think the confusing car hire conversation continues, but that some of the "old reliable" advice is becoming obsolete :(

We used Dooley in October and booked with their website. At that time, they still had the waiver info that appeared as a popup.

Michele Erdvig · Host

I am wondering if the added charges we are now seeing for driving into Northern Ireland have something to do with Brexit and the thought of a hard border? I wonder if you rent in Belfast if there is a charge go go into the Republic? Will have to do some dummy bookings to see.

Jeffcoyle · Member

Back in August,, I rented with Hertz at the Dublin airport.

Price quoted was not what I paid.. I had to pay a lot more.. like $240 more..

I did drive quite a bit in Northern Ireland but they did not charge me for that..

yesiree · Guru

Just booked my car for next week... NOT with Dooley.

Their base rate was great... and I like that they let you clearly see how much to add Basic CDW and Super CDW. But their price for insurance was insanely high. It's clear they're trying to hook customers with a cheap base price and then charge loads for insurance.

What they were charging for basic CDW was higher than an entire booking (with CDW!) with other companies.

I could have declined the insurance and taken that cheap base rate with insurance on my credit card, but my gut told me to avoid them. If they're making their money off insurance, I couldn't trust they would hit me with a frivolous charge for damage. Sure, my card insurance would cover it, but then I'd have to go through process and the headache. Instead, I chose not to give them my business.

Since they're letting people book without any insurance, I imagine there's chaos at their desk as people learn they are required to have some sort of coverage.

-- Edited by yesiree on Saturday 19th of January 2019 08:03:28 PM

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

It all seems a bit, self-defeating -- hmm furious hmm

Why buy a successful, popular and profitable business -- just to 'Run It Into The Ground', by changing almost every single thing that made it successful, popular and profitable? ? ? confuse confuse confuse

Michele Erdvig · Host

Since when has car rental in Ireland ever made any sense? Now it is getting even more murky. Fox no longer rents in Ireland.

Corey, who did you finally book with?

yesiree · Guru

I went with www.carehire.ie which is part of Europcar. We've been using them for our short term leases, and they've been fine.

Try this link: https://www.carhire.ie/touristinformation.php

-- Edited by Itallian Chauffeur on Monday 21st of January 2019 11:11:23 AM

Michele Erdvig · Host

Thanks Corey. There was a recent article in Irish Central about car rentals in Ireland. People were not pleased. However, I don't see it ever changing. The powers that be have no interest in providing clarity to tourists.

Itallian Chauffeur · Moderator

I have been informed by a reliable source that the New jersey Office for Dan Dooley has been closed effective the end of April, 2019.

So long, Jim, Attracta, et al . . . You were bright spots in an otherwise dreary landscape.

Apparently, Enterprise bought it to 'burn' it. furious furious furious

Michele Erdvig · Host

That is bad news. Less and less options for car rentals.

Roy · Guru

Itallian Chauffeur wrote:
It all seems a bit, self-defeating --
Why buy a successful, popular and profitable business -- just to 'Run It Into The Ground', by changing almost every single thing that made it successful, popular and profitable? ? ?

Because its the American way.