Vehicle Hire queries

Duffryman · 06-01-2019 3:06pm

The Nutty M wrote: »

How much were you paying for the week? I do always rent with Avis while in Lanzarote,was there for 2 weeks before Christmas.

Total cost was €283

2 weeks standard rental was €136,excess €1200.

CDW (collision damage waiver) €147 (€10.50/day). Excess reduced to €0,not including tyres or windscreen.

Petrol is very cheap.

We're travelling over on a Friday evening and returning the following Wednesday, so just a five night trip.

Basic rental cost with Goldcar was just €52 for a Ford Fiesta (or similar). Seemed too good to be true, and you know what they say....

Cost with Autoreisen for the same time is €89 for a Seat Ibiza family model. Could have a Citroen C3 for €68 but thought we'd pay a little more for a slightly bigger car.

I've a quote for excess cover from carhireexcess.com for €16.45 for the five days.

coylemj · 06-01-2019 5:17pm

Under His Eye wrote: »

Not everyone has the leeway to have a grand plus blocked on their cards.

If you have a credit card and are reasonably good at settling the balance, you should have no problem getting them to give you sufficient headroom (above the odd spike in your end of month outstanding balance) to cover €2,000 for car hire and hotels where they lock part of your credit limit.

Since the financial crash, credit card companies are not allowed to increase your credit limit unless you ask them.

Prior to the crash, my credit card limit was progressively increased to over €10,000 without me asking for it, even though my biggest balance over the period would have been max. €2,000. Nowadays, you have to ask.

eezipc · 07-01-2019 11:26am

Sarah1916 wrote: »

Myself and my husband plan to rent a car for the first time ever for our holiday in Italy in May.

I always seem to hear of nightmare stories in relation to car rental abroad and I was wondering if any fellow board members have any experience they could share so that we don't follow in the same footsteps.

Excess, insurance, petrol/diesel extra costs etc. come to mind.

Thanks in advance.

I've rented a car in Italy a few times and never had any issues there.
I tend to always use a well known rental company (Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Europcar etc).
I always have excess insurance beforehand. (carhireexcess.ie, AIG, Blueinsurance). On a couple of occasions, I have also paid for the extra insurance with the car hire company as well. It depends on what they offer. The last time I rented a car in Italy, the extra insurance was quite cheap so it gave me an extra bit of peace of mind.
Always always always take pictures of the car beforehand. Interior, exterior and the fuel gauge. Same again as you hand the car back. That's very important.

- A couple of issues I have had.
1: Avis in Zurich tried to charge me an extra days rental (at a very high rate) because I dropped the car back after 9am. I took the car out at 3pm a couple of days beforehand and assumed it was a 24 hour rental. I dropped the car back at 11am. I eventually didn't have to pay it because there was no mention of that in the contract.
2: In Edinburgh, Hertz rang me a couple of days after I returned home asking me where the car was. I left the car in the car park and dropped the key in the "dropoff" box. They could not find the key and assumed I didn't drop back the car. Luckily I had taken pictures of the car after I left it in the car park. I didn't hear anything again so I assume they found the key.

redcup342 · 07-01-2019 11:49pm

Get Excess Insurance.

Treat that car like your own car.

Try and park it off street to avoid it getting some minor damage.

Wipe any bird crap off the car as soon as possible (I've seen issues with people leaving caked in bird crap and the rental company claiming paint damage)

Drop back full (beware that some places will have return with 5/8th or whatever instead of full/full, just ask them for a full car)

Check all damage on the sheet, if it's not a diagram and only a text description of damage take a video on your phone covering all damage before driving off the car rental place, get them to note any additional damage before leaving (TAKE YOUR TIME, DO NOT RUSH)

Keep the receipt for the fuel, I've dropped back in Germany before, one time i didn't have the receipt and he said, we will check the fuel and invoice you if over 2 liters (No issues as i'd filled it next to the drop off)

Sign up for Hertz gold/ Sixt whichever, you can collect miles and more point (500 per rental)

07-01-2019 11:56pm

:mad:

banana_bear wrote: »

...

Edit: Regarding "Full to full" fuel policy: "Full" means that the fuel gauge is at maximum level. They're not going to take a closer look than that. Usually you can drive a good bit before the fuel gauge starts to drop, so if you fill up to the brim 50km before dropping the car off, you should be good.

Many modern yokes detail kms travelled since refuel (often can be fooled by opening petrol cap etc but still) .... some rental smallprint detail to keep the refilling receipt so they can verify you did fill up nearby.

All that accepted I agree with your sentiment....

chicorytip · 08-01-2019 12:56am

coylemj wrote: »

That happens when you decline their insurance, whether you have excess insurance of your own or not. If you have a decent amount of headroom (unused credit) on your credit card, you won't notice anything.

Hotels do the same thing when you check-in, they swipe your credit card and ringfence a slice of your credit limit - it's an insurance policy for them in case you go mad spending in the local shops, bars and restaurants and there isn't enough credit on your card to pay the hotel bill when you're checking out.

It's a different story if you're renting a car and using a debit card. In that case they will actually withdraw the money from your account and hold it hostage in case you need to cover some damage. Catches out some people and often leaves them with no spending money for their holiday because their current account is now drained and they have no credit card!

But are there any car hire companies nowadays that accept debit cards as a form of payment for the actual rental as opposed to paying a deposit when booking online. Enterprise did up until a few years ago but no longer do. Renting a car appears to be no longer possible for those who do not carry or use a major credit card which, I imagine, would be the majority of members of the general population who are entitled to drive.

Under His Eye · 08-01-2019 1:00am

Wrong. There are many companies happy to rent to debit card holders. I don't have nor want a credit card and I can rent no problem.

Teddy Daniels · 08-01-2019 1:03am

tatranska wrote: »

Inspect the car on pick up.Take photos at start and when handing it back.

I video the car and walk round with the agent if at all possaible. Then I email myself the video to give a proof of time and date. I use a car rental excess insurance company and I turn up early after booking the second cheapest type of car, this often results in a free upgrade.

redcup342 · 08-01-2019 9:56am

Under His Eye wrote: »

Wrong. There are many companies happy to rent to debit card holders. I don't have nor want a credit card and I can rent no problem.

There is but you are extremely limited in your choice and costs you way more money as you need to take the maximum insurance and leave a deposit for fuel anyway.

Ireland I usually paid around 10-12 euros a day to rent a car, cheapest was 8 euros a day.

Without a credit card you'd be looking at 30-35 euros a day minimum

Rows Grower · 08-01-2019 10:41am

chicorytip wrote: »

But are there any car hire companies nowadays that accept debit cards as a form of payment for the actual rental as opposed to paying a deposit when booking online. Enterprise did up until a few years ago but no longer do. Renting a car appears to be no longer possible for those who do not carry or use a major credit card which, I imagine, would be the majority of members of the general population who are entitled to drive.

Indigo are a great company to book with if you only have a debit card, usually match or even beat other prices.

ted1 · 08-01-2019 11:06am

chicorytip wrote: »

But are there any car hire companies nowadays that accept debit cards as a form of payment for the actual rental as opposed to paying a deposit when booking online. Enterprise did up until a few years ago but no longer do. Renting a car appears to be no longer possible for those who do not carry or use a major credit card which, I imagine, would be the majority of members of the general population who are entitled to drive.

I rented off europcar in Oman in December with a debit card.

Meursault · 08-01-2019 12:00pm

Hi All,

Can anyone advise whether there is a good time to book a car rental in Switzerland? We will be flying to Zurich in August, so it is a good 8 months away, so there is no rush in booking it.

I am just wondering whether there are specific times of the year to book, to get the best deal, and with which car rental would you book?

Thanks

chicorytip · 08-01-2019 4:26pm

redcup342 wrote: »

There is but you are extremely limited in your choice and costs you way more money as you need to take the maximum insurance and leave a deposit for fuel anyway.

Ireland I usually paid around 10-12 euros a day to rent a car, cheapest was 8 euros a day.

Without a credit card you'd be looking at 30-35 euros a day minimum

Can you let me know which companies do? Thanks

chicorytip · 08-01-2019 4:29pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

Indigo are a great company to book with if you only have a debit card, usually match or even beat other prices.

Do they operate here in Ireland? I'm not talking about holiday rentals overseas.

Under His Eye · 08-01-2019 4:31pm

Budget are happy enough to rent with a debit card from Dublin airport.

coylemj · 08-01-2019 11:15pm

Bear in mind that car rental outlets are often franchises with their own local rules so just because (major rental brand) in Slovenia accepts debit cards, it doesn't mean the same brand will do so elsewhere. That variation could also apply in different airports or cities within the same country.

The big difference with using a debit card is that it gives the people on the rental desk leverage over you whereby they can quote an abnormal excess so you really have no choice but to accept their insurance. Whereas a lot of people with a credit card will have several thousand euros of headroom to accommodate the lock so they can decline the insurance.

09-01-2019 12:06pm

I think many still credit cards are some sort of evil due to the experiences of folk who are woeful at money management.

I have 3, 2 personal and 1 business. I use them for the vast majority of my purchases and the balance is cleared 100% every month. The cost to have them is recouped in savings on transaction charges alone over using cash or debit cards I reckon.

And the protection offered by credit cards is absolutely fantastic in the phishing times we live in.

Rows Grower · 09-01-2019 12:40pm

Augeo wrote: »

I think many still credit cards are some sort of evil due to the experiences of folk who are woeful at money management.

I have 3, 2 personal and 1 business. I use them for the vast majority of my purchases and the balance is cleared 100% every month. The cost to have them is recouped in savings on transaction charges alone over using cash or debit cards I reckon.

And the protection offered by credit cards is absolutely fantastic in the phishing times we live in.

I just never saw the point of getting one until I discovered most car rental companies require you to have one. I got one then specifically for car rental but ended up sticking with the crowd that rented me a car with a debit card as they were actually better value.

I've never used it and it costs me 30 euro a year to sit in my wallet which I don't think I'll pay again. Visa debit card offer great protection for customers.

coylemj · 09-01-2019 4:09pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

I just never saw the point of getting one until I discovered most car rental companies require you to have one. I got one then specifically for car rental but ended up sticking with the crowd that rented me a car with a debit card as they were actually better value.

Better value than what? Do you take the excess insurance the rental company offers? If not, do you need to have the excess as a balance in your account for them to debit in case you damage the car or how does it work?

Rows Grower · 09-01-2019 4:50pm

What do you not understand about my post?

The Davestator · 09-01-2019 4:55pm

Duffryman wrote: »

Well, that's great. :eek:

We're off on a family holiday to Lanzarote during the mid-term break in February. We've rented a car through rentalcars.com (which somebody above recommended), but now that I check the booking, I see that the car itself will be from Goldcar.

So, why not use them? Anybody else feel the same way, or is this just based on person's bad experience here?

Had terrible experience with them so I would never touch them again.

They also seem to be the company that is mentioned most on these forums.

coylemj · 09-01-2019 5:11pm

Rows Grower wrote: »

What do you not understand about my post?

It's not a case of not understanding your post, I'm asking you fill in the blanks.

Did you understand the question I asked? Let me try again .... how do you cover the excess when renting with a debit card? Does the rental company insist that you take their insurance because you're using a debit card? Or, if they allow you to decline their insurance, do they then debit the full excess amount from your card and refund the money when you return the car undamaged or how does it work?

Under His Eye · 09-01-2019 5:33pm

When I use a debit card, there is the option to decline the insurance but suffer a massive hold on funds.

I just take the insurance. Can't be bothered with fapping around with ancillary policies and having my holiday money frozen.

abarkie · 11-01-2019 11:03pm

abarkie wrote: »

Don't use Goldcar

https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowTopic-g187525-i191-k11184150-Goldcar_Alicante_Airport-Benidorm_Costa_Blanca_Province_of_Alicante_Valencian_Country.html

Ludo · 15-01-2019 11:34pm

Has anyone used a VPN while booking a car rental? Looking to rent for 10 days in July in Italy. Price when browsing normally is roughly 600 euro but when I activate VPN and set my location to USA, I get a price of about 350 euro. Now googling this seems to say it is a common money saving tip, but I am wondering what the catch is if there is one.
All insurance, fees, cancellation policy look the same. I cannot see anything different on the terms other than the price. This seems too good to be true. Anyone done this before? Rental was with Europcar by the way.

redcup342 · 16-01-2019 12:38am

Ludo wrote: »

Has anyone used a VPN while booking a car rental? Looking to rent for 10 days in July in Italy. Price when browsing normally is roughly 600 euro but when I activate VPN and set my location to USA, I get a price of about 350 euro. Now googling this seems to say it is a common money saving tip, but I am wondering what the catch is if there is one.
All insurance, fees, cancellation policy look the same. I cannot see anything different on the terms other than the price. This seems too good to be true. Anyone done this before? Rental was with Europcar by the way.

Booking via the US Site generally doesn't include CDW.

I would be very wary of it, US Sites will let you book on the basis that you have a North American Credit card that will cover what is legally required.

Also price is generally about Half via the US Site.

Ludo · 17-01-2019 12:13am

redcup342 wrote: »

Booking via the US Site generally doesn't include CDW.

I would be very wary of it, US Sites will let you book on the basis that you have a North American Credit card that will cover what is legally required.

Also price is generally about Half via the US Site.

I read that about CDW online also but on the EuropCar site it is listed as provided in both American and Irish sites.

coylemj · 17-01-2019 1:30am

redcup342 wrote: »

.... US Sites will let you book on the basis that you have a North American Credit card that will cover what is legally required.

It's not that a US credit card covers the insurance, it's that having a US credit card means that you probably own a car and have a US car insurance policy which includes third party cover when you rent a car, something that is not included with Irish policies.

Ludo wrote: »

I read that about CDW online also but on the EuropCar site it is listed as provided in both American and Irish sites.

CDW is essentially fully comp. but with a large excess (you pay the first €x00), it's typically included with car hire from most companies in Europe. What they try to get you to buy at the rental desk is cover for the excess, that's where they get a big slice of commission. Some companies will quote rock bottom prices which exclude CDW, that's when you get the shock treatment when you show up at their desk in the airport.

Under His Eye · 17-01-2019 1:32am

If you use a US site they may well ask you to prove you are a US resident.

coylemj · 17-01-2019 1:41am

Under His Eye wrote: »

If you use a US site they may well ask you to prove you are a US resident.

Airlines and car hire companies usually go by the credit card number, the first six digits tells them which bank issued the card and as far as they are concerned, that indicates where you live.

Under His Eye · 17-01-2019 1:45am

That would certainly not be true in my case. None of my payment cards are from the country I live in.

I have seen such warnings on websites before. "This rate is only available to legal US residents" and similar wording.

coylemj · 17-01-2019 2:03am

Under His Eye wrote: »

That would certainly not be true in my case. None of my payment cards are from the country I live in.

I have seen such warnings on websites before. "This rate is only available to legal US residents" and similar wording.

But you said in post #88 that you use a debit card and accept the insurance that is offered by the rental company to avoid having the excess money locked down or debited from your card.

In which case you are their dream customer and where you live is irrelevant.

Tigerandahalf · 17-01-2019 9:15am

Ludo wrote: »

Has anyone used a VPN while booking a car rental? Looking to rent for 10 days in July in Italy. Price when browsing normally is roughly 600 euro but when I activate VPN and set my location to USA, I get a price of about 350 euro. Now googling this seems to say it is a common money saving tip, but I am wondering what the catch is if there is one.
All insurance, fees, cancellation policy look the same. I cannot see anything different on the terms other than the price. This seems too good to be true. Anyone done this before? Rental was with Europcar by the way.

American car insurance will sometimes cover your car rental insurance.

feedthegoat · 17-01-2019 9:44am

Will be using a rental car with two kids this summer, we will be doing beach visits and consequently there will be sand . Will there be any issues when we return the car, will not have access to a good hoover!

redcup342 · 17-01-2019 11:20am

coylemj wrote: »

It's not that a US credit card covers the insurance, it's that having a US credit card means that you probably own a car and have a US car insurance policy which includes third party cover when you rent a car, something that is not included with Irish policies.

Nope, it generally covers Collision, Theft and Towing (Fine Print Actually covers more depending on your card)

https://www.capitalone.com/learn-grow/money-management/credit-cards-rental-car-insurance

coylemj wrote: »

CDW is essentially fully comp. but with a large excess (you pay the first €x00), it's typically included with car hire from most companies in Europe. What they try to get you to buy at the rental desk is cover for the excess, that's where they get a big slice of commission. Some companies will quote rock bottom prices which exclude CDW, that's when you get the shock treatment when you show up at their desk in the airport.

It depends on the company (and it can even depend on which Brand of the company you book via in certain countries) , some of them for example don't cover personal injury or damage to certain parts of the car (e.g. Undercarriage, tyres, windscreen)

Some will have the exception (especially in Germany) "per damage" so if you have an excess of say 1000 euros, that excess applies per incident. If you caused a few seperate (4) incidents you would have to pay the first 1000 euros per incident. (so max 4000 euros)

If you rented from Sixt in Germany you would have noticed them emphasizing over and over again "per damage" and probably thought it was some sort of poor translation.

coylemj wrote: »

Airlines and car hire companies usually go by the credit card number, the first six digits tells them which bank issued the card and as far as they are concerned, that indicates where you live.

They can do but if you go via a broker they generally don't, it's actually happened to me at Cork Airport using an Irish Credit card, turned up, no insurance, Insurance was more than the cost of the Rental, booked via the Kayak APP, everything was in Euros in the APP but I had somehow chosen a US provider.

These days I have an Excess policy and a Germany Liability Insurance to cover the rest (damage to others up to 30 million euros, definitely needed in many US States)

dohouch · 17-01-2019 2:27pm

feedthegoat wrote: »

Will be using a rental car with two kids this summer, we will be doing beach visits and consequently there will be sand . Will there be any issues when we return the car, will not have access to a good hoover!

IN Spain, where I do most of my renting, it's very common for filling stations to have vacuum cleaners, €1 for maybe 5 minutes.

Careful, interior damage is often not included in insurance policies, no ICE Cream stains on the seats, please.

FatherTed · 17-01-2019 2:59pm

Sorry if posted already but this article shows how car rental companies in Ireland like to charge oot for damages upon return.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-how-car-rental-companies-are-charging-customers-for-preexisting-damage-and-not-actually-repairing-vehicles-37691502.html

Lesson: take pictures of any tiny scratch or the tiniest damage to anything on the car and notify them BEFORE you drive away when you pick it up.

Lex Luthor · 20-01-2019 7:14pm

any recommendations?

going in May for 10 days
We've been there about 6/7 yrs ago and think we used Europcar but just wondering of any other options out there

Just need something focus/astra size

thanks

Sarah1916 · 22-01-2019 11:47am

Thanks so much to everyone for your input.

I am a bit confused. When I go to purchase car rental I am given the option of choosing 'full insurance' for approximately €8 a day. Am I right in thinking I do not need this if I am purchasing car hire excess myself from carhireexcess.com?

redcup342 · 22-01-2019 11:59am

Sarah1916 wrote: »

Thanks so much to everyone for your input.

I am a bit confused. When I go to purchase car rental I am given the option of choosing 'full insurance' for approximately €8 a day. Am I right in thinking I do not need this if I am purchasing car hire excess myself from carhireexcess.com?

Yes

Sarah1916 · 22-01-2019 1:54pm

Thanks!

Tigerandahalf · 22-01-2019 8:32pm

Sarah1916 wrote: »

Thanks so much to everyone for your input.

I am a bit confused. When I go to purchase car rental I am given the option of choosing 'full insurance' for approximately €8 a day. Am I right in thinking I do not need this if I am purchasing car hire excess myself from carhireexcess.com?

Be careful. The basic insurance may not cover you for damage to windows, tyres, keys or the undercarriage of the car. Whether you have excess insurance or not won't then protect you.

redcup342 · 22-01-2019 9:20pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Be careful. The basic insurance may not cover you for damage to windows, tyres, keys or the undercarriage of the car. Whether you have excess insurance or not won't then protect you.

That's almost exactly what Excess Insurance covers ::pac:

https://www.carhireexcess.com/ie

Cover Includes
Zero Excess
Cover up to €7,500
Fire, Theft & Vandalism
Tyres & Windscreen
Keys & Undercarriage
Personal Possessions Cover
Drivers from 21 to 84 yrs *
Collision Damage Waiver **
Optional Supplemental Liability **

OP is talking about optional excess cover with autoeurope or whoever, if you have your own you don't need it.

coylemj · 22-01-2019 9:39pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

Be careful. The basic insurance may not cover you for damage to windows, tyres, keys or the undercarriage of the car. Whether you have excess insurance or not won't then protect you.

Poster in post #55 paid €147 for the additional insurance for a 14 day rental and it did not include tyres or windscreen.

An annual AIG excess policy which costs €50 does include tyres and windscreen.

Not alone are you taking a bigger risk (no cover for tyres or windscreen) by buying the rental company's insurance, you are also being royally screwed on the premium - for an inferior product.

Tigerandahalf · 22-01-2019 9:57pm

I never realised those extras were included, thought it was just the excess. Good to know.
I guess the only downside is having a big charge on your credit card and having to take photos/videos of the car which is a pain.

coylemj · 22-01-2019 10:09pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I guess the only downside is having a big charge on your credit card .....

All they do is ring-fence part of your credit limit, it does not appear as a transaction on your bill. The same thing happens every time you check in to a hotel.

If it causes you a problem, ask the credit card company to increase your limit. Since the financial crash, they are not allowed to increase your limit unless you ask them to.

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

...and having to take photos/videos of the car which is a pain.

I'd be doing that either way.

Tigerandahalf · 22-01-2019 10:47pm

coylemj wrote: »

I'd be doing that either way.

I don't need to do it when I have the full cover with the car rental company. The last time I was able to park the car at 5am, leave its key in it and walk off. No checking or anything.

redcup342 · 22-01-2019 11:02pm

Tigerandahalf wrote: »

I don't need to do it when I have the full cover with the car rental company. The last time I was able to park the car at 5am, leave its key in it and walk off. No checking or anything.

I never do that, still get them to sign off that I have delivered the car even if it's full insurance (I'll do that for a Work Rental for example)

A. To check it's full (Happened to me once where they charged for Fuel afterwards, had to send them the receipt to prove I had filled it before drop off, the fuel was CRAZY expensive, like 2.22 a liter or around that)

B. To ensure it's agreed the car is clean, you don't want to get some bizarre 200 euro cleaning charge because of some sand on the floor or something.

C. Everything in the Inventory is there (Spare wheel, Jack, Emergency Kit etc) Insurance doesn't cover something you've supposedly taken or something that's missing.

D. To Make sure the drop off time is recorded, happened to me in Munich I dropped off the car and the guy didn't process the car until after my drop off time and I got charged half a days rental (took an email to solve but still, could have been sorted by getting a guy out to sign off on it)

I still take a few pics when dropping off, saves any "misunderstandings" afterwards.

leex · 28-01-2019 5:11pm

Lex Luthor wrote: »

any recommendations?

going in May for 10 days
We've been there about 6/7 yrs ago and think we used Europcar but just wondering of any other options out there

Just need something focus/astra size

thanks

Check out Drive4Fun. Used them in 2017. No issues. Many recommendations on here.

Gravelly · 28-01-2019 5:13pm

Lex Luthor wrote: »

any recommendations?

going in May for 10 days
We've been there about 6/7 yrs ago and think we used Europcar but just wondering of any other options out there

Just need something focus/astra size

thanks

I've been using Zitauto for years. Never a problem, and they don't get too excited about the odd scratch.

** Vehicle Hire queries **

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Vehicle Hire queries