Car rental with AutoEurope-France
 

I am looking at a 5 day rental in Norway, trying to minimize the cost. AutoEurope France is cheaper than AutoEurope UK which is cheaper than AutoEurope US. But the first two brokers include the CDW with a deductible. I read the conditions and I find the following sentence:

<i>Les cartes de <b>débit</b> ne seront PAS acceptées sur place si l'assurance contre le vol et l'assurance-collision (CDW) sont refusées.</i>

Does that mean that I could decline the CDW by using my <b>credit</b> card?

Probably, but check with your credit-card issuer to be on the safe side.

I know that my credit card will carry the CDW, the question is whether the rental agency will accept it.

I always pay for AutoEurope cars in France with a credit card that covers me for the CDW. So I always refuse the CDW.

Yes, that's how I read the sentence above - you cannot pay with a debit card if you're waiving the theft insurance and CDW. You CAN pay with a credit card.

Hi M,

>Does that mean that I could decline the CDW by using my credit card? <

Not necessarily. It only says that they won't accept a debit card if you don't take the CDW.

Have you called AutoEurope?

Have you checked rates at www.kemwel.com and www.novacarhire.com?

((I))

I called AutoEurope and they are very unhelpful. AutoEurope US will even claim that <b>because</b> the rate is basic that it is higher than the European branches' with CDW and a deductible. Kemwel will match any American broker prices, and its prices are the same as AutoEurope.

And www.novacarhire.com claims that there are no cars available for the dates specified.

Wow, that's too bad. I have always had exceptionally good customer service from AutoEurope. Kemwel and AutoEurope are essentially the same company, you know.

Why not ask AutoEurope US to match the AE France price that you found online.

I finally booked with AutoEurope US, because one of the prices was within $26 of the others--European prices were much lower earlier in the week. I can cancel any time if I find anything significantly lower--but I doubt that I will--and because the payment is in dollars, I am protected from dollar fluctuations even though most of the payment is due only on the day of rental.

My translation is: "Your debit card IS NOT accepted if theft insurance and/or CDW is refused." The sentence does not mention "carte de credit," which is a credit card. I use Kemwell, and its price includes CDW and my gold CREDIT (not debit) card provides some insurance. Check with your gold CREDIT card issuer to see what coverages it provides and make sure that you purchase whatever the gold card doesn't cover.

Several points:

1. Calling Autoeurope and asking them to meet another company's quote usually resolves any pricing issues.

2. The CDW offered by your credit card company is a much better bet than paying for a rental company's CDW which often has very high deductibles. If there is a problem, having a US representative is another advance to using your credit card's CDW coverage.

I am aware that the credit card coverage is better than what is offered by the rental agency. But when I was picking up a car in Nice, I had to help translate for a man who had problems with the coverage he had. What worried me is that I cannot tell if the rental agency in Bergen would honor the credit card coverage if the contract from AutoEurope-France states that CDW is included. After all, they offer such coverage because they make money on it. With AutoEurope US basic, I know that I can use my credit card to cover the CDW with no deductible.

HI M,

You did the right thing.

((I))