Quick note to fellow travellers:

DONT USE AUTOUNION OR THEIR COUNTERPART DIFFERENTAL!!!
We prepaid our rental, bought additional insurance on their website, had all the documentation ready and were suddenly told that additional coverage would be required in the amount of 560e before we could get the vehicle. The agent was smug to say the least. She said it was due to a requirement to have an IDP which was not stated and when we showed her that a US license overrode the IDP 'may' be required, she just smiled and said it was her decision and we could forfeit the prepaid rental or pay the 560e.

We are contesting the charge but just be aware, they are sleazy to the max.

Whoa. Sleazy AND smug. Hope all goes well with the fraud report.

Worthless complaint that makes no sense. Who knows where this occurred as a US license overriding an IDP doesn't make sense in Europe. Anyone renting from a company that is not a known international rental car brand can expect problems. Also no mention of rental cost or time frame. 560 euro over a month wouldn't be that bad. It's not that hard to find out countries that require IDPs. So congrats on saving that $20 by not getting one, which you apparently knew about.

I believe the comment was to warn others perhaps not to use this company. A smug reply and criticism at this point serves no purpose. They were merely warning others not to use this company. Relax.

Autounion is a car rental company based in Greece, in business for 30+ years and operating in more than 35 countries. (Hey, Google!) The fees were quoted in euros and lahawk is from the U.S., so I'm pretty sure this occurred in the euro zone. (I'd be curious to know the country, not that it matters.)

If a company can impose substantial additional fees seemingly at the discretion of a desk agent, I'd want to know the name of that company.

There is no mention on their website of a requirement to hold an IDP, only a license that has been valid for at least 1-3 years, passport and credit card.

https://autounioncarrentals.com/anci...71596179356898

lahawk, thanks and good luck.

Depends on the country whether an IDP was legally required or not...

Required to rent/drive the car or to exclude the requirement of more insurance coverage? If it's for insurance, it should be stated in the prepaid rental agreement and not as a surprise on check-in. lahawk had already purchased additional insurance coverage during the reservation process, so this was additional-additional insurance?

FWIW, 560 euros ($650) is what some U.S. people pay for 3 months of insurance coverage. And this amount was on top of what lahawk had already purchased. So, unless lahawk was renting an exotic car or for 90 days, it sure sounds like a rip-off.

FWIW#2, the company gets poor reviews with some reports of scammy behavior.

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/autounion.com

I've never even heard of this company. OP. How did you come across them?

I usually utilize AutoEurope, who have also been a huge help mitigating issies if they arise, too.

IDP always creates a debate here, so I'd be really interested in what transpired over that.

Are you certain the extra was not just a security deposit to be refunded upon return of the car? Because I had a pre-paid rental with SIXT yesterday and I had to pay close to that amount, just to be held until I brought back the car.

BTW: I cannot stress enough how great SixT has been for me. I used AE for many years and now go only to SIXT. They are not the cheapest but they have always been upfront about all the details.

Here's something funny:

Yesterday when I went to the Bari airport to collect the car that I had rented, mine would require waiting to be washed--who knows how long that would have taken. So I was offered an upgrade to a BMW series 3. Larger car, ion which I could put all our stuff in the trunk, rather than on the back seat, as would have been the case with the smaller Audi. So we were offered (by the astoundingly lovely ladies at SIXT) an upgrade to a BMW. I assumed it would be free, because our intended car was not ready. But, as it says in the small print, the free substitute I was offered was a Spanish-made car of a make I had never heard of..CUPRA. Anyone here know that maker?

Thee reason I like to rent Audi is because I drive one at hone and feel comfortable with their systems. BMW I've driven several times in Spain so also familiar with that.

So: Here's the interesting part: I acted all put-out that I would be charged for an upgrade: 50 euro PER DAY! No way.

But then Emmanuela, the manager, said she would help get the price down and asked me which credit cards I had. I showed her my Amex Platinum and she immediately halved the extra daily price from 50 to 25 euro. But I balked and asked her to give me a better price. Lots of chatty back and forth, and we settled on 15 euro per day for the BMW. Rental is for 15 days.

The lesson here is that, with Sixt at least, it's possible to get a discount if you ask.

If you rent with SIXT in Bari airport, you'll meet Akexandra and Emmanuela and they are both a riot! We hung out a long time, filling out the paperwork, with me having to open my big bag to get my USA license....(hidden while in the hotel), and take out lots of my stuff right there at the counter..... And: Alexandra pushed my luggage cart and came with us to the parking area and waited around while we got the instructions about how to use the GPS, etc. So do not be afraid to ask for a discount at the rental counter. You might save some $$$.

When you rent with AE, you will get a choice of about, perhaps 5 automatic SIXT cars in your desired category. Go directly to SIXT and the range of options is about 25 different makes and models of automatic. AND, if you ask, they will give you their direct phone number so in case of a problem, you can call and immediately ask for assistance.

In countries requiring an IDP it is for driving a car, not renting one, although the rental agency may check to make sure you have one. The IDP is used along side the valid country/state driver’s license. If, in fact, the country you were in required you to have an IDP, the rental agency should have refused to rent the car to you, not charge extra for not having one.

BTW, Greece no longer requires US drivers to have an IDP, and that also applies to drivers from most other English language countries. Last I checked Germany didn’t require US drivers to have an IDP, and France requires you to have a French translation of your license. In the latter case you may as well get an IDP to comply with that requirement.

If a car rental company (or just that individual desk) wants to cheat you, they have you over a barrel. All you can do is walk away, and that is not practical, even if you don't prepay.

The best is to pay extra for a standard international company that is recognized throughout the world.

I too have had good experiences with Sixt a couple of times,and Avance was excellent renting at the ATH airport.

I always get an IDP. I even used mine once the last trip.

I believe the OP was in Italy which requires an IDP.

We were in Italy last month and rented a car from Europcar. The man checking us out said (essentially) that they now have to require an IDP and he had to cancel numerous reservations when people showed up without one.

Long list of countries where IDP is required
https://www.theaa.com/driving-advice...p-country-list.

AutoEurope is the way to go

Cupra is a SEAT (part of VW), some are made in Spain and some in VW Germany

Thanks, Bilbo!

I can verify that not all rental companies in Italy require an IDP.
SIXT, for one, does not. I've rented from them several times in the past few years, in both italy and Spain and I ask bout this every time. It's company policy not to require an IDP.

That does not mean that people should forget about having one.
I finally relented and now almost always have a current one on hand. Years ago, I'd just change the dates and use the same one for a couple of years, depending on how well my forging techniques were at the time. You can change a 1 to a 7, but hard to make a 5 a 1.

As I've said before--my issue is the fact that AAA requires it to be renewed every year, while my NY state driveing license is good for about ten years.
So what is AAA's excuse for making me buy one every year?

That's all well and good for people who have an AAA near them, but for me it means a waste of half a day, getting there and waiting on line. Plus the $20 and the $$ to get there and back. It's the time more than anything.

For ekscrunchy, does anyone have experience using this website? It has a high rating on Trustpilot... (FYI, Spain seems to be excluded.)

https://e-ita.org/international-driv...75d67d013771d6