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Anyone comment on whether CDW is actually optional?
My other half is at an airport car rental desk (Manchester) and they won't release car unless she purchases CDW (which effectively doubles rental price).
CDW is already provided by our credit card company, so we have coverage but not from them...
Normally you can pay a bond which you get back when the car is returned safe.
I don't think it's compulsory....but it's their car and they don't legally have to rent it to you.
Rock and hard place situation.
I don’t think it’s compulsory….but it’s their car and they don’t legally have to rent it to you.
Rock and hard place situation.
Yeah, but we've got a contract which specifies the price to be paid
Anyway, it's the missus whose having the problems and she's just messaged me from the airport to says theyve backed down and accepted her credit card insurance! So good result and proud she hasn't caved into their high pressure sales techniques👍
EDIT: to be clear, the car was booked weeks ago via the internet - this isn't a walk-in booking
What co? Never had this before with any of the major CO’s in UK and rent quite a lot.
Had it pulled in the US a few times where they know they can get away with it. I.E holiday weekend, no one else has availability etc..
Hmmm, so it turned out they'd accept her credit card CDW insurance then tried to force her to use their third party liability insurance @£12 per day and she told them to go **** themselves after trying to hard sell her for an hour and a half...
I don't have contract paper work so don't know exactly what was/was not included in the price they quoted but she's essentially been abandoned by them in a industrial estate in Manchester. Nice ☹️
Company is EasiRent (and we've used them before, and they were no problems previously)
Paperwork will say what you’re liable for damage wise with the price you paid (usually ~€1200 in Europe) and it’s up to you whether you protect that with your or there insurance or take the risk (knowing rental companies are increasingly picky about recovering costs).
I’ve never turned up at the rental desk without the booking agreement.
A few years back I was renting cars once per month; I took out private insurance to cover damage to lease cars which worked out significant orders of magnitude cheaper than the rental companies. It is very much worth considering if you will be renting frequently.
My mate had this tried on with him the last time he was abroad (basically he had the relevant insurance and they were trying to foist the same level of insurance he didn't need on him)
This usually happens to me when I am in Glasgow for the football. I park up somewhere only for a young chap to approach me and try to persuade me to purchase some sort of insurance from them to help prevent any damage occurring. Sounds like some sort of CDW scheme offered by the good citizens of Glasgow. I usually decline, as like yourself I already have insurance. The offer is usually presented to me as “ I will watch yer car for a quid mister”. I too wonder if it’s just a scam to make some money off me 🤣
I did think of co-ordinating a load of high value bookings then cancelling at the last minute by way of revenge on one of the worst rental operators.
I’m on the global no rent list for Hertz after they added the insurance after it was declined with no issues from them and the car had been returned. I claimed it back through the credit card at which point they sent an invoice and added me to no rent.
Sounds like a high pressure sales technique and nothing more.
Car hire is one of the few services where I definitely put customer feedback above price.
Dont use cheapo companies. I hire cares a fair amount . I have excess orotection insurance. Tell her to walk away because the cdww or scamming youn on imaginary damage is how they make a profit. Use a big well known compsny
We've had this too. We've hired loads of times in Iceland and without exception, whoever we have used they have always been accommodating and accepting of any insurance we already have.
Lisbon this year was a whole world of pain though. A well known brand but a minor branch.
Been there. Turns out if you book from a UK website in GBP then UK/Eu rentals come with 3rd party liability by law (iirc)
We booked my wife's rental via the global/cdn redirect site in $cdn for our cdw coverage so they had a loop hole. 10hrs on an airplane with 2 kids solo parenting and she didn't have the energy to argue, so kudos to your wife for standing her ground.
I had to fight it retrospectively which was a challenge.
Has anybody actually claimed on their own excess protection insurance? I have had it for a while but always a bit worried that when it comes to it they will weasel out of paying up!
Yes i have thru insurance 4carhire.
I had to pay the excess on the damaged car and claim from the insurance. Paid up quickly and with no issues
I worked for a large corporate and due to the nature of their business, had their own insurance business. They had no car insurance policy in the UK for business drivers - they calculated that the premiums were higher than the potential claims. If you had an accident or a claim you just put it on expenses. Made for some interesting conversations at car rental desks.
Car hire is just a scam these days. They can’t possibly make money at the sticker price so they either sell you insurance products you don’t need or fraudulently claim damage that isn’t there.
Otherwise how could they possibly make money on renting cars at £10/day? The maths doesn’t work out.
Use a big well known compsny
This. Might seem more expensive but it's worth it.
This. Might seem more expensive but it’s worth it.
Meh. The worst hassle I’ve had was with Sixt - they’re all charlatans as far as I’m concerned. But it’s not something I do often, thankfully.
I had it with East Coat Car Hire in Brisbane. Bloke was shouty and claimed he'd never heard of insurance for car hire. My companion was ready to crumble but he backed down eventually. It's the last thing you need after a long flight and they know that.
On the other hand I had crossed wires once with the same firm in Melbourne and they ended up giving me a much bigger car for the same money as a runaround.