AutoEurope

Old Feb 13th, 2005, 02:54 AM
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AutoEurope

Has anyone rented through AutoEurope lately. My girlfriend and I are going to Italy this fall and when she talked to them, they wanted payment up front. She says that when she has been to Europe before they never requested this and payment in full was made when the car was returned.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 02:59 AM
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I think you'll find that AutoEurope is very popular on this board. We have both rented and leased cars overseas and have always paid in advance.
Never had the option to pay on return.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 04:28 AM
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ira
 
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Hi B,

Autoeurope will let you make a deposit, with the rest payable on pickup, or pay in full in advance.

I've not yet come across a rental agency that let's you pay upon return.

What would they do if you never returned, Charley?


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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 06:09 AM
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Actually, Ira, I have rented through AutoEurope where you pay a deposit, and although you sign on pickup,the final bill isn't sent to your credit card company until after you return the car. So technically you AREN'T paying until you return the car. I especially know this since we totalled the car this summer in Wales. The final "bill" for the rental (not the wrecked car) wasn't posted to Visa until almost four weeks after the return date, as they adjusted the total, including deducting the final two days of rental which would have been after we wrecked it, and the drop off fee at the airport, since obviously we never dropped it off at the airport.

One slight advantage to prepay it while in the US though, might be to save the one to three percent on your credit card if you're charging in dollars from the US, rather than in euro or pounds over there. Also you will have locked in the final price, not have it based on the current exchange rate at time of returning the car.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 06:34 AM
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I keep trying to tell people that SIXT has better rental deals then all the other companies. A small car in Italy this fall, i tried Rome for sept 15-22
at SIXT it came to $282.20 at AUTOEUROPE
for the same car it came to $386.00, both are all inclusive.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 06:53 AM
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We rented from AutoEurope last year in Rome for a drive across Italy. The service was good. We gave them our credit card info ahead of time. Despite the our scratching up the car, we still haven't seen any extra charges.

P. S. If you are only going to be in Rome, I would recommend not renting a car but taking public transportation instead!
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 07:59 AM
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This is an interesting question, because in all my many dealing with AutoEurope in the past they have asked for about one-third of the payment upon booking, and the rest billed to me after I returned the car.
But last week, when I arranged for a rental for some travel clients of mine, they charged the entire amount immediately. I didn't think to question it at the time because my clients were fine with the arrangement, but now I'm thinking maybe AutoEurope's policy has changed? Could it have to do with the exchange rate?
I think I'll call them tomorrow and ask.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 08:37 AM
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Hi St Cirq,

Save the call.

They give you the option of a deposit now or prepay in full.

Patrick:

I stand corrected.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 09:17 AM
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Jeff, I've often seen these recommendations for SIXT, but I just don't get it.

I just plugged in your dates for both Sixt and AutoEurope for pick up and drop off at Rome airport.
The only true car comparison I could do was for a Fiat Punto (AutoEurope guarantees AC, and Sixt does not, though). Sixt comes out to about $347. I say about, because it is in euro and/or dollars, but the two extra fees they add on are in euro only. The same car from AutoEurope is $385, but it includes a zero deductible, which I believe Sixt doesn't do. What's more, one would be silly to book with AutoEurope now for a Septemeber rental. They are a consolidator and will almost definitely get lower and lower prices as time goes by. I suppose AutoEurope would also match the SIXT price if you wanted to give up the zero deductible.

I can't figure out how you got that much difference from the two companies comparing apples to apples (and dollars to dollars, not euros to dollars).
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 09:32 AM
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On Friday, AutoEurope sent me an e-mail about their specials.

- one car class upgrade
- 15% discount in certain countries, including Italy

Offer expired March 31. You can go to their web site & click on "specials" to see the details.

As I've stated before, we've had a problem with the final charges a few times. When we tried to deal through Avis/Hertz/Europcar in France/Italy we got nowhere. When we tried to deal through AutoEurope (in Portland Maine), things were alwasy resolved in our favor.

Stu Dudley

Stu Dudley

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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 09:38 AM
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I ran the mumbers again with both companies and came out with the same results! For a fiat Punto w/ac 3 drs, 5 seats, unlimited miles, zero deductable
CDW and TW the rate at SIXT was $286.20 USD from the Fiumicino da vinci airport,
the exact same details of the rental were was quoted by AUTO EUROPE at a rate of $385.52 USD. I don't know what site you are looking at patrick? I am looking at SIXT.COM / Holiday cars. I am not going to Italy in sept I was just looking at the prices of a fall rental in Italy for TOP.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 10:31 AM
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The discussion goes to show that comparison shopping is in order. I just compared Sixt and Autoeurope for a potential rental in Bulgaria, and Autoeurope came in almost $200 cheaper for the same nine days.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 10:36 AM
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OK, Jeff, I don't get it. I was clicking "rental cars" on the site rather than "holiday cars". Now that I do "holiday cars" I do see the price you got and see it is only in dollars, not euros like the other way, but I still don't see where it says zero deductible on collision is included.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 10:59 AM
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If you read the details of the insurance coverages for both companies,
you will see that they are both the same.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 02:10 PM
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For those September dates, Nova Rentacar is $277.68 for a Daewoo Matiz or similar (Fiat Punto, Opel Corsa, or Renault Clio) with A/C and full insurance.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 02:44 PM
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Oops! NUMBERS, Sorry.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 02:44 PM
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I have rented from Auto Europe very often...I was just looking today, in fact as I will be in France in September. They have some special rates now IF you prrepay by 3/31, I think..they do that every once in awhile..probably for cash flow reasons....but usually it is as stated by others the CC, perhaps a deposit and the balance upon return of vehicle. It just so happened today that I also checked Kemwel and they had BETTER prices...I was surprised..do some comparing.........
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 03:05 PM
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ira
 
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One thing to be considered is AutoEurope's policy of guaranteeing to meet other firm's prices.

I found a lower rate at Nova and called AutoEurope. They checked and offered me a price lower than Nova.

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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 03:31 PM
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I have done some more research and I believe I will stick with AutoEurope. They seem to give you more complete info and I have read reviews which say that they are easy to deal with, etc.
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Old Feb 13th, 2005, 05:23 PM
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I got a cheaper rate for last September from another company (I'm sorry; can't remember if it was Sixt, Nova, or Thrifty Italia). I called AutoEurope, and they met the cheaper rate.
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