Car Rental in Italy: Insurance Needed/Suggested
Jun 28th, 2016, 04:40 PM
#21
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Have you checked the rates via AutoEurope.com?
Europcar is one of their suppliers, that's the overseas name for the National/Alamo/Enterprise conglomeration.
It looks like for two weeks rental, the "full coverage" option is about $130 more than the coverage-with-deductibles. When you get to the booking page, you can check the terms and they are spelled out pretty well, it looks like if there is any new damage to the car, and you have the "full package", all that you will have to pay is a 61 Euro service charge.
Europcar is one of their suppliers, that's the overseas name for the National/Alamo/Enterprise conglomeration.
It looks like for two weeks rental, the "full coverage" option is about $130 more than the coverage-with-deductibles. When you get to the booking page, you can check the terms and they are spelled out pretty well, it looks like if there is any new damage to the car, and you have the "full package", all that you will have to pay is a 61 Euro service charge.
Jun 29th, 2016, 01:53 AM
#24
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I had a reservation with Locauto once. Then I started to do research on their customer service. That was an eye opener. It seems more difficult to trust some of the local companies in Italy. Age of the car, mechanical condition, aggressive wear and tear, and contract requirements, especially insurance package details, differ from company to company. AutoEurope did a price match, and our car was then provided by Europcar.
My sister and I were in Tuscany recently for almost a month. When I gave AE our dates, they transferred us to their leasing department. Any rental over a certain number of days required a "lease" contract. In the end, we couldn't tell any difference. The voucher looked the same. Every aspect of the rental experience was the same as the others we had. When we arrived in Italy, we were greeted with a brand new vehicle, barely 6km on the odometer. When we returned the car, we were given a "no damage" stamp on our receipt. The lot attendant also volunteered to help my sister with her luggage to the airport bus. We were impressed.
Because I travel for business, I tend to analyze cost by the day. Our lease rental started around $70 a day with full coverage. I had reserved months in advance. The price dropped twice before the start of our trip, and AE honored each price drop with a phone call and credit to my Visa card. In the end, we paid about $32 a day for our Compact automatic, which we thought was a very good deal for Italy.
My sister and I were in Tuscany recently for almost a month. When I gave AE our dates, they transferred us to their leasing department. Any rental over a certain number of days required a "lease" contract. In the end, we couldn't tell any difference. The voucher looked the same. Every aspect of the rental experience was the same as the others we had. When we arrived in Italy, we were greeted with a brand new vehicle, barely 6km on the odometer. When we returned the car, we were given a "no damage" stamp on our receipt. The lot attendant also volunteered to help my sister with her luggage to the airport bus. We were impressed.
Because I travel for business, I tend to analyze cost by the day. Our lease rental started around $70 a day with full coverage. I had reserved months in advance. The price dropped twice before the start of our trip, and AE honored each price drop with a phone call and credit to my Visa card. In the end, we paid about $32 a day for our Compact automatic, which we thought was a very good deal for Italy.
Jun 30th, 2016, 11:13 AM
#26
Ok, now I have some questions. When renting a car to drive in Italy, I often flew into Nice, France to rent a car because France did not require the full insurance and my credit card covered me if I refused the CDW. This made the rental much cheaper. Therefore, when renting in Italy, the total insurance is included by law in the package. The only additional insurance I can see is for deductibles. Am I wrong? Also I just rented a car from Rome to Sicily three weeks ago (Using AutoEurope) and they placed a $1200 charge against my cc. I haven't received my bill yet but I am guessing it has been reimbursed.
NYCFoodSnob,
I was surprised to read what you said about the franchised affiliates. The use of the Branded named product should have some universal rules. When I go to MacDonald's in Italy, I still expect to find a Big Mac (by any other name). I realize Hertz, National, Enterprise, etc., are compensated for the use of their name but allowing others to bastardize and seriously damage the brand seems foolish. Further, I would expect these brands must bear some responsibility for the actions of franchised affiliates who are allowed to use their name. Seems odd the affiliates are not required to follow stricter guidelines of the branded name. Then again it also seems odd that the older I get the less I understand!
NYCFoodSnob,
I was surprised to read what you said about the franchised affiliates. The use of the Branded named product should have some universal rules. When I go to MacDonald's in Italy, I still expect to find a Big Mac (by any other name). I realize Hertz, National, Enterprise, etc., are compensated for the use of their name but allowing others to bastardize and seriously damage the brand seems foolish. Further, I would expect these brands must bear some responsibility for the actions of franchised affiliates who are allowed to use their name. Seems odd the affiliates are not required to follow stricter guidelines of the branded name. Then again it also seems odd that the older I get the less I understand!
Jun 30th, 2016, 05:45 PM
#27
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<i><font color=#555555>"The only additional insurance I can see is for deductibles. Am I wrong?"</font></i>
Roadside Assistance is not a deductible. GPS, child seats, and snow tires are add-ons. "Extended Coverage" can include just about anything. The devil is in the details, re: fine print. If a car rental company can sell you something, they're certainly going to try.
<i><font color=#555555>"Also I just rented a car from Rome to Sicily three weeks ago (Using AutoEurope) and they placed a $1200 charge against my cc. I haven't received my bill yet but I am guessing it has been reimbursed."</font></i>
Not exactly clear who "they" is.
To rent from AutoEurope, you need to pre-pay for your rental. In exchange for their so-called great service, they get to hang on to your cold hard cash until you cancel or follow through with the rental.
A "hold" from the actual car rental company (AutoEurope is not Hertz, Avis, Europcar, etc.) takes place at the car agency's counter upon pick-up. A hold is not exactly a charge. Hold amounts are <i>held</i> until you return the vehicle to the agency location. If the vehicle is returned according to the terms of the contract, the hold is released. You're never actually billed for the hold amount, so therefore, there's no actual credit.
<i><font color=#555555>"I would expect these brands must bear some responsibility for the actions of franchised affiliates who are allowed to use their name. Seems odd the affiliates are not required to follow stricter guidelines of the branded name."</font></i>
The car rental business is odd. As a customer, you're stepping into a used vehicle and trusting some corporation to protect your life. Their goal is to make money, and their favorite customers are the ones riddled with fear: They purchase the most expensive insurance packages.
Corporate hierarchy varies from company to company, country to country. For example, Hertz has an international division with its own president while Avis Europe is its own company based in Britain. Most American business travelers know that U.S. customer service standards don't exist anywhere else. An American style complaint is not going to be treated the same way in Europe. It's just the way our cultures differ.
Depending on which European location, Hertz and Avis often get terrible reviews on the internet. Europcar gets its share of bad reviews, too. Renting a car is a gamble, no matter whom you choose. Most people have a positive experience. When something goes wrong, you can expect to read about it on the internet.
Roadside Assistance is not a deductible. GPS, child seats, and snow tires are add-ons. "Extended Coverage" can include just about anything. The devil is in the details, re: fine print. If a car rental company can sell you something, they're certainly going to try.
<i><font color=#555555>"Also I just rented a car from Rome to Sicily three weeks ago (Using AutoEurope) and they placed a $1200 charge against my cc. I haven't received my bill yet but I am guessing it has been reimbursed."</font></i>
Not exactly clear who "they" is.
To rent from AutoEurope, you need to pre-pay for your rental. In exchange for their so-called great service, they get to hang on to your cold hard cash until you cancel or follow through with the rental.
A "hold" from the actual car rental company (AutoEurope is not Hertz, Avis, Europcar, etc.) takes place at the car agency's counter upon pick-up. A hold is not exactly a charge. Hold amounts are <i>held</i> until you return the vehicle to the agency location. If the vehicle is returned according to the terms of the contract, the hold is released. You're never actually billed for the hold amount, so therefore, there's no actual credit.
<i><font color=#555555>"I would expect these brands must bear some responsibility for the actions of franchised affiliates who are allowed to use their name. Seems odd the affiliates are not required to follow stricter guidelines of the branded name."</font></i>
The car rental business is odd. As a customer, you're stepping into a used vehicle and trusting some corporation to protect your life. Their goal is to make money, and their favorite customers are the ones riddled with fear: They purchase the most expensive insurance packages.
Corporate hierarchy varies from company to company, country to country. For example, Hertz has an international division with its own president while Avis Europe is its own company based in Britain. Most American business travelers know that U.S. customer service standards don't exist anywhere else. An American style complaint is not going to be treated the same way in Europe. It's just the way our cultures differ.
Depending on which European location, Hertz and Avis often get terrible reviews on the internet. Europcar gets its share of bad reviews, too. Renting a car is a gamble, no matter whom you choose. Most people have a positive experience. When something goes wrong, you can expect to read about it on the internet.
Jul 1st, 2016, 12:39 AM
#29
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<i>I've never heard that one before, the "fine print" in most credit card agreements states that back-to-back rentals will be considered as one rental of excessive days, and will not be covered.</i>
I have done that frequently in France with no problems. I checked with the CC company about their policy in this regard, and each time I was told that back to back rental are considered fully separate rentals. If I need a car for 33 days, I usually switch cars at mid-point, often getting back the same car that I turned in. All rentals were done through Autoeurope or Kemwel before our departure for Europe.
As a matter of principle, I do not see how the CC company can consider back-to-back rentals as a single rental. Suppose I rented a car for 21 days in France, took the train to Germany on the last day of the rental and upon arrival the same day rented a car for another 25 days. Result: back-to-back rentals that would not even be an attempt at circumventing the normal 31 day rental rule for coverage.
I have done that frequently in France with no problems. I checked with the CC company about their policy in this regard, and each time I was told that back to back rental are considered fully separate rentals. If I need a car for 33 days, I usually switch cars at mid-point, often getting back the same car that I turned in. All rentals were done through Autoeurope or Kemwel before our departure for Europe.
As a matter of principle, I do not see how the CC company can consider back-to-back rentals as a single rental. Suppose I rented a car for 21 days in France, took the train to Germany on the last day of the rental and upon arrival the same day rented a car for another 25 days. Result: back-to-back rentals that would not even be an attempt at circumventing the normal 31 day rental rule for coverage.
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