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Car rental in Italy,again--using Italian AE site ok for US resident?

Car rental in Italy,again--using Italian AE site ok for US resident?

Old Mar 11th, 2009, 10:41 AM
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Car rental in Italy,again--using Italian AE site ok for US resident?

I need a car for 5 days in April; pickup at Malpensa and drop off in Turin center.

I have found substantially different prices on AutoEurope, depending on which site I visit (US, Australian, Italian, UK). In addition, certain cars and even certain drop-off locations in Turin are available on some sites but not on others!

The least expensive car I found on Kemwell is $80 more than the least expensive car I found using AutoEurope's Italian site.

On the Italian site, the price varies by 20 euro depending on whether or not I select the option for "reimborso alle franchigia." (Question: Reimbursement for what?)

More important: If I book using the Italian site, will I get the same insurance coverage that I would if I used the US Kemwell site? Or more to the point: Am I risking anything by using the Italian AE site?

Sorry for revisiting this type of question for the umpteenth time!

Many thanks!
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 11:24 AM
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ekscruncy,
Read the terms and conditions on the Italian site. It appears to me that they have a high deductible (excess) and add on for one way rentals.

Henry
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 11:54 AM
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Henry: Thanks! My Italian is very potty and I can't even see where that information is on the site...

Do you think the deductible is higher than normal? Would not this be covered my my credit card policy?

The price for the 5-day rental of an automatic (Mercedes A-class) is $559 on that site; $637 at Kemwell US.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 11:56 AM
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..I should add that that price is the weekly cost on the AE Italy site and probably on Kemwell as well.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 12:43 PM
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Henry: On another thread, several people claim that the terms are the same on the various AE sites. Can you please let me know where you found these different terms?

I am not sure that renting in Milan and dropping in Turin is termed a one-way rental...I thought that term was used for inter-country rentals.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 12:49 PM
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Did you try all the sites in English first? UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia, etc.?

We booked our car for Spain using the UK site (we live in the US) and it worked out great. I asked an operator on the phone about it, and he said that it probably wouldn't work, but if we were e-mailed a voucher, then it went through.

There is a place to put your actual home address on the reservation form and it lets you pick the country you are from. So you aren't lying about your home information.

I don't know anything about the insurance. How about the insurance from the credit card you are putting it on?
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 12:56 PM
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American Express offers the best coverage on rentals in Europe. We purchased it after doing much reading on line. Contact AX and get info about their special policy for Europe. You pay a one time fee to use it but it is the best
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 12:59 PM
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I made a mistake...they won't allow it for cars rented in Italy - sorry!!
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 01:00 PM
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Kellie: I checked several sites: Australia, UK, etc. The cheapest, of those I checked, is the Italy site and the price seems good..

Did you book by phone, or online? I think from what you wrote, you booked online after phoning to inquire. I just don't want to run into any problems if we damage the car.

Thanks so much for responding--I want to take care of this soon and I am unsure if it is worth taking the chance to save about $80. But perhaps there is no chance!!
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 01:33 PM
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I booked on-line, but did end up calling to ask about the price differences. He said once the voucher arrived, all was good. You could call them and ask them about it and see what their cautions to you are. They don't want you to do it, but he couldn't really convince me why. Just don't give your name!

I did have a back-up reservation directly with a rental car company being held without a credit card just in case.

I wonder if your voucher will be in Italian then? I think it comes down to how much you trust your translation skills.
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 01:44 PM
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Thanks a lot, Kellie! I will follow the same route as you and give them a call just to double check. I might even ask them to match the price on the foreign site!
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 04:55 PM
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For us the savings were over $400!
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 07:26 PM
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ekscruncy,
From AE Italia:
[IL SUO NOLEGGIO INCLUDE]

* Tassa sulla vendita al dettaglio come alla data della prenotazione: 11-Mar-2009
* Chilometraggio illimitato e assicurazione incendio. Assicurazione di Responsabilitá per infortuni o danni a persone o cose al di fuori del veicolo.
* Il noleggio include la Limitazione di Responsabilitá per Danni.Il noleggio limita la potentiale responsabilitá in caso di danno o furto ad una franchigia di circa EUR 1080.
* Il noleggio include l'assicurazione Furto per il veicolo. Il noleggio limita la potenziale responsabilitá per il furto del veicolo ad una franchigia di circa EUR 1800.
* Il Supplemento sull'ufficio di ritiro é incluso se il noleggio inizia in un ufficio in aeroporto o in una stazione ferroviaria.
* Tassa di registrazione.

[IL NOLEGGIO NON INCLUDE]

* Copertura opzionale per poter ridurre ulteriormente la franchigia puó essere richiesta localmente con un costo aggiunivo. * PAI, assicurazione passeggeri all'interno del veicolo noleggiato. Carburante. Si raccomanda al cliente di riconsegnare il veiclo con un pieno di benzina e di conservare tra i suoi documenti le ricevute dei rifornimenti di carburante.
* Tassa di ritorno (One Way) di appross. € 53 se il veicolo é restituito in un'altra cittá diversa daquella del ritiro.
* Pedaggio locale, spese autostradali, o bolli stradali richiesti dalla autoritá locali.

From the Kemwell site:
YOUR RENTAL INCLUDES

* Sales tax as of Booking Date: 11-Mar-2009
* Unlimited mileage and fire insurance. Liability Insurance for injuries or damages to persons or things outside the vehicle.
* Rental includes Collision Damage coverage Rental limits potential vehicle damage liability to the deductible of ZERO.
* Rental includes Theft Protection for the vehicle Rental limits potential vehicle loss liability to deductible of ZERO.
* 15% Airport Surcharge for rentals commencing at an airport location.


Henry
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Old Mar 11th, 2009, 07:35 PM
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ekscruncy,
To find the terms just keep going through the process. After you pick the car and you can request baby seats and stuff look at the bottom of the page.

For the people that think that the terms are the same compare the deductible on the US and Canadian sites.

Henry
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 03:39 AM
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Thanks, Henry.

So it looks like that 53 euro would be added to the 438 euro price, this cancelling out any advantage in booking with the Italian site!

So it appears that the Kemwell US site does offer the best price (of those I checked) in this instance!

Thank you again!
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 04:16 AM
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Never mind my last post.

We are now leaning towards driving to the airport on our last day. This would mean pick-up and drop-off at Malpensa, so we can eliminate the 53 euro drop-off fee.

I do see mention of an airport supplement in the Italian text above. But it does not give an amount. Also what is the reimbursement for franchigia offered on the Italian site?
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 05:19 AM
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In Henry's excerpt, the airport and railway surcharges are listed among the items that are included in the price for rental.

Reimbursement of franchigia (deductible/excess) is mentioned in the 2nd paragraph (not included in price for rental) as an optional insurance which will be available at point of rental.

P.S. My Italian is also potty -- so please do not take my smattering for a real translation!
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 05:33 AM
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This is why your help is appreciated, Cowboy. I looked (too quickly) and thought I'd read that there was an airport surcharge!

Can you see anything else in the Italian that would be substantially different than that written on the English-language text?

I am afraid that this is a MEGO subject for me (My eyes glaze over!)

I hope to get this sorted out and book the car in the next couple of days..

Originally we had planned to drop the car in Turin and take the airport bus to Malpensa on our departure date. But now that I see that the price for a 7-day rental is the same as that of a 5-day rental, we may keep the car (hotel parking for 2 nights) and drive the 90 minutes to Malpensa. The timing works better that way.


Has anyone here rented from the Italian site, or had a bad experience using foreign car rental broker sites?
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 05:56 AM
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The main issue or difference seems to be the deductible:
While Kemwell offers CDW/LDW with zero deductible, AE has CDW with €1080 deductible and LDW with €1800 deductible.
If the €20 you mentioned in your OP for "reimborso alle franchigia" refer to both CDW and LDW I would definetely take it! I think it is crucial to bring the deductibles down to zero because otherwise you pay dearly for every dent or broken mirror.

With AE, you are supposed to bring back the car with full tank, and you are advised to keep a record (sales slip) of that last trip to the gas station.

Otherwise there seem to be no differences. Kemwell does not mention PAI, but I don't think you need PAI unless you plan to give some 3rd party a ride.
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Old Mar 12th, 2009, 06:10 AM
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Many thanks, yet again, Cowboy!

So the main question remaining seems to be about the remiborso della franchigia, and if that would refer to the CDW and LDW. The price for an automatic Mercedes A-class is 454 Euro with the reimborso and 438 Euro without it.

I am willing to bet that if I call the AE USA site they will not know what it means either! I will try to find an Italian friend who can help out...or perhaps someone else here can enlighten me.
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