** Vehicle Hire queries **

dohouch

rushfan wrote: »

Anyone have any experience with Goldcar in Majorca? Have provisionally reserved a car with them for July. They're a bit cheaper than the main operators so I'm just a bit wary.

Goldcar have a seriously bad reputation. Google them. I did rent once from them at Madrid airport. Didn't have a problem

ILikeBoats

rushfan wrote: »

Anyone have any experience with Goldcar in Majorca? Have provisionally reserved a car with them for July. They're a bit cheaper than the main operators so I'm just a bit wary.

We used them a fair bit in different places and they were fine until we tried to rent in Majorca.
Aside from the massive queue and the rude staff they were unwilling to make some changes to our policy. They wouldn't accept my AMEX, fair enough I should have checked if they accepted AMEX, they wouldn't accept my debit card without buying their insurance, they wouldn't take my wife's credit card because booking was in my name so we tried to change the booking to my wife and use her CC, they wouldn't allow that.

So pay insurance, even though I had my own excess with a 3rd party, or nothing. Entirely our fault but they were no help. And many others were having arguments at their desk at the same time.
We went to Avis and paid a bit more just because she was being such a cow about it.

I'm sure all would have been fine had my wife just booked it :pac:

coylemj

ILikeBoats wrote: »

So pay insurance, even though I had my own excess with a 3rd party, or nothing.

This is how the cowboys can give low rental quotes to snare the unsuspecting. They can then screw you when you arrive. The original quote is a total sham - it's a shady practice known in the US as 'bait and switch'.

Add up the cost of your hoilday - flights, hotel, spending money - is it really worth the hassle to save €30-40 on the car rental? Only to find when you arrive that you have to pay €200 for the rip-off insurance. Which the big companies will not insist on if you simply decline it and you have a credit card with a few hundred unused on the credit limit.

Savage_Henry

To be honest, thats the practice in most european rental places. Except not taking amex.

ILikeBoats wrote: »

They wouldn't accept my AMEX, fair enough I should have checked if they accepted AMEX, they wouldn't accept my debit card without buying their insurance, they wouldn't take my wife's credit card because booking was in my name so we tried to change the booking to my wife and use her CC, they wouldn't allow that.

elperello

coylemj wrote: »

This is how the cowboys can give low rental quotes to snare the unsuspecting. They can then screw you when you arrive. The original quote is a total sham - it's a shady practice known in the US as 'bait and switch'.

Add up the cost of your hoilday - flights, hotel, spending money - is it really worth the hassle to save €30-40 on the car rental? Only to find when you arrive that you have to pay €200 for the rip-off insurance. Which the big companies will not insist on if you simply decline it and you have a credit card with a few hundred unused on the credit limit.

Agreed, it's not worth the hassle booking with problematic rip-off companies.
After all we go away to relax not run a gauntlet just to get wheels.
Bear in mind though that the excess can be up to 2k depending on class of rental.

coylemj

Savage_Henry wrote: »

To be honest, thats the practice in most european rental places. Except not taking amex.

It's not. Some places will accept a debit card but if you decline their insurance, they will debit your card with the amount of the excess and refund it when you bring the car back undamaged. The problem with the cowboys is that even if they were prepared to accept a debit card, their policy probably has a massive excess which most people would not have enough cash to cover with a debt card.

But if you make an online booking using a debit card, they should tell you their policy there and then and not spring it on you at the desk in the airport that you must buy their insurance.

If you rent from Hertz or Europcar and use a credit card, there is virtually no
presure at all to buy their insurance. They ask, I politely decline, that's it. Those are the firms I have used in Europe in the past few years.

uck51js9zml2yt

Are there any recommendations for hire in Lanzarote?



Tia

naughtysmurf

Cicar or Cabrera Medina, they are the same company really, if staying in a hotel, they will deliver the car, just leave the keys at reception at the end of the rental period, pay in cash on collection of car, no cards needed

coylemj

Makai Incalculable Mushroom wrote: »

Are there any recommendations for hire in Lanzarote?

I booked a 'VW Polo or equivalent' with Europcar for pickup at Lanzarote airport for a week in early Feb., prepaid €99 for 7 days. Car was an Opel Corsa 5 door and the transaction was very smooth with a professional service. No hard sell on the insurance (I declined, they said no problem), walked to the parking area in a large building (shared with other rental companies) next to terminal 1. Signed for the car and was away in no time.

Dropped the car back a week later with a full tank, the same lady was at the Europcar desk in the parking area, she verified that I returned with a full tank, did a quick visual inspection, invited me to take a photo of the contract document where she certified there was no damage and the tank was full which I did and I was sorted. Two days later, the €300 hold on my credit card was released even though the excess was €870.

No hidden charges, no BS, highly recommended.

loki7777

So I have a question about carhireexcess.ie with EU cover: if I understand will if I would strach a car I would have to pay for it as it wouldn't cover that? Only worldwide would?

Savage_Henry

Which country you would rent at?
In any way - if you scratch it - you pay first out of your money. Then you go with the bill to carhireexcess.ie and they refund you

loki7777

Savage_Henry wrote: »

Which country you would rent at?
In any way - if you scratch it - you pay first out of your money. Then you go with the bill to carhireexcess.ie and they refund you

Latvia. Collision damage waver and you have to ** that it is only apply to worldwide as my friend scratched a car in parking with EU excess and he thinks that he will have to pay for all. We are waiting now for invoice from car company: Prime.

Savage_Henry

He scratched his rental car?
In this case carhireexcess will pay as i understand

coylemj

loki7777 wrote: »

Latvia. Collision damage waver and you have to ** that it is only apply to worldwide as my friend scratched a car in parking with EU excess and he thinks that he will have to pay for all. We are waiting now for invoice from car company: Prime.

Latvia is in the EU, his excess cover will apply. carhireexcess.ie says there is no excess on their policies so he should be able to claim the full amount.

Edit: that company covers 'Europe' which they define as follows...

What countries are covered on a European Policy?

European Policy covers Europe - The countries of the continent of Europe plus Morocco, Tunisia, Turkey and Israel but excluding any trip in, to, or through Belarus.


Which means you would also be covered for Norway, Switzerland, Albania, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro etc. And (soon), the UK

argentum

A friend just returned from a break in Spain and he flies into Alicante every few months for 2 weeks at a time.
He just got caught by Goldcar for €700.00 on his card and they wont reply to his emails telling him why.
There were scratches on the car when he collected but he took photos and got the woman to write them on the form.
Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know .
He also booked it through the Ryanair portal when booking his flights if that helps
Last question can anyone recommend a good car hire company in Alicante

Padraig Mor

naughtysmurf wrote: »

Cicar or Cabrera Medina, they are the same company really, if staying in a hotel, they will deliver the car, just leave the keys at reception at the end of the rental period, pay in cash on collection of car, no cards needed

+1. Wouldn't go beyond them, or Autoreisen. No bull about insurance, hold on cards etc - just pay and drive.

k123456

argentum wrote: »

A friend just returned from a break in Spain and he flies into Alicante every few months for 2 weeks at a time.
He just got caught by Goldcar for €700.00 on his card and they wont reply to his emails telling him why.
There were scratches on the car when he collected but he took photos and got the woman to write them on the form.
Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know .
He also booked it through the Ryanair portal when booking his flights if that helps
Last question can anyone recommend a good car hire company in Alicante

Legally not sure if they can debit a card without telling you why. However this is Goldcar

Can anyone offer advice as to how to chase the refund as the CC company don't want to know ;
https://www.google.com/search?ei=lWhyXL7HCcLexgOMmaPICg&q=credit+card+chargeback+ireland&oq=credit+card+chargeback+ire&gs_l=psy-ab.1.0.0i22i30l2.10306.12782..14011...0.0..0.92.264.4......0....1..gws-wiz.......0i71j0i67j0.0W74L9WPKQ8

tony glenn

coylemj wrote: »

I booked a 'VW Polo or equivalent' with Europcar for pickup at Lanzarote airport for a week in early Feb., prepaid €99 for 7 days. Car was an Opel Corsa 5 door and the transaction was very smooth with a professional service. Desk in the arrivals area, dealt with straight away and no hard sell on the insurance (I declined, they said no problem), walked to the parking area in a large building (shared with other rental companies) next to terminal 1. Signed for the car and was away in no time.

Dropped the car back a week later with a full tank, the same lady was at the Europcar desk in the parking area, she verified that I returned with a full tank, did a quick visual inspection, invited me to take a photo of the contract document where she certified there was no damage and the tank was full which I did and I was sorted. Two days later, the €300 hold on my credit card was released even though the excess was €870.

No hidden charges, no BS, highly recommended.

We rented through AV car rental at Faro. No hassle, no problems on collection or return. Highly recommended!
Our original choice (through a comparison site) was Goldcar...but the overwhelming amount of negative reviews quickly changed our minds!

LillySV

Hi folks I’d love to visit the war sites in France and Belgium and use that trip as a booze cruise too, bringing bottles of wine home... so would need car from Ireland...
I don’t particularly fancy driving my own over so was just wondering if it’s possible to hire car here which I can then bring over to France , Belgium and back here then?

If so would it cost me a fortune ?

badker

any company recommendations for hiring a car in Italy?

munchkin_utd

LillySV wrote: »

Hi folks I’d love to visit the war sites in France and Belgium and use that trip as a booze cruise too, bringing bottles of wine home... so would need car from Ireland...
I don’t particularly fancy driving my own over so was just wondering if it’s possible to hire car here which I can then bring over to France , Belgium and back here then?

If so would it cost me a fortune ?

yep, thousands as you need to compensate the company for time lost hiring it out and someone to bring it back for you to base.

The drive isnt all that bad anyhow, only 4 or 5 hours to the WW1 sites from Cherbourg on sedate motorway.
If you want to break it up you can see the D-day landing sites (with museums and memorials, cemetries and whatnot) which are between Cherbourg and Le Havre.

coylemj

LillySV wrote: »

I don’t particularly fancy driving my own over so was just wondering if it’s possible to hire car here which I can then bring over to France , Belgium and back here then?

If so would it cost me a fortune ?

munchkin_utd wrote: »

yep, thousands as you need to compensate the company for time lost hiring it out and someone to bring it back for you to base.

Poster intends to bring the car back so is not proposing a one-way trip.

LillySV, I can't find anything on the Hertz.ie website but Europcar.ie says you can't take the car off the island of Ireland and there's even a surcharge of €34 to take it across the border into NI...

We currently do not allow our rentals to leave the island of Ireland. If you wish to drive in Northern Ireland, you must inform us on collection of your vehicle. There is a nominal €34.05 fee when taking a car into Northern Ireland.

https://faq.europcar.ie/during-rental/can-i-drive-into-another-country.html

LillySV

Thanks lads, yea I’d say it would be expensive either ways...maybe just as good just to hire over there and forget the wine! Haha

SusanC10

We are heading to the US over the Easter Holidays and will be hiring 2 Cars in 2 different locations.

We have never hired in the US before (only in Europe) and I am getting confused over the type and level of Insurance required.

We have an Annual Policy for Car Hire Excess which is Worldwide.

Any advice appreciated.

naughtysmurf

SusanC10 wrote: »

We are heading to the US over the Easter Holidays and will be hiring 2 Cars in 2 different locations.

We have never hired in the US before (only in Europe) and I am getting confused over the type and level of Insurance required.

We have an Annual Policy for Car Hire Excess which is Worldwide.

Any advice appreciated.

For the US, my preferred option is to book my car through a reputable third party this side of the pond where all your insurance is included in the price & you prepay in euro, this will avoid the usual insurance upsell on vehicle collection.

I think you only need CDW/LDW to be road legal, this covers damage to the car or loss of car, personally for peace of mind I want uninsured motorist protection too (UMP), covers you in the event that an uninsured motorist damages your car & supplemental liability insurance (SLI), this covers you if you cause injury or damage to a third party or their property,

Use one of the major companies, Alamo, Avis, Hertz etc & join their loyalty program

If you deal directly with one of the above I assume if you decline their insurance options, they may put a significant hold on your credit card, if damage or loss is caused I assume it will be billed immediately & up to you then to get reimbursed from your personal excess policy?

Duffryman

LillySV wrote: »

Thanks lads, yea I’d say it would be expensive either ways...maybe just as good just to hire over there and forget the wine! Haha

Mind me asking why you're so reluctant to drive your own car there, particularly since you don't seem nervous about driving there in the first place, if you'd do so in a hire car?

I've brought my car to France a few times, will be doing so again later this year, and it's grand. And being able to bring home a few bottles of wine is definitely a bonus!

elperello

Duffryman wrote: »

Mind me asking why you're so reluctant to drive your own car there, particularly since you don't seem nervous about driving there in the first place, if you'd do so in a hire car?

I've brought my car to France a few times, will be doing so again later this year, and it's grand. And being able to bring home a few bottles of wine is definitely a bonus!

+1 on that and if you are worried about breakdowns an insurance policy won't be too expensive. Also the ferry crossing is a bit of a cruise.

LillySV

ive an e60 5220d m sport which wouldnt hold much booze in first place...id like to have something like jeep that can carry a good bit more

munchkin_utd

LillySV wrote: »

ive an e60 5220d m sport which wouldnt hold much booze in first place...id like to have something like jeep that can carry a good bit more

if you got a roof rack for the fluffy (relative to bottles of booze) luggage, then you free up the boot for carrying back the interesting stuff !

LillySV

munchkin_utd wrote: »

if you got a roof rack for the fluffy (relative to bottles of booze) luggage, then you free up the boot for carrying back the interesting stuff !

Haha or leave all the fluffy in France and bring back more of the good stuff! Haha