Rental Car issues

When we got to the Alamo desk at the Lyon airport, the agent told us that liability coverage( coverage in case of an accident and/or damage to another car) is not included if the car rental is booked on non-European website.

We've always used AutoEurope to arrange rentals. They are a US-based broker and deal with rental agencies in Europe including Alamo. On their page it says

Auto Europe's France car rental rates include unlimited liability and fire insurance. Drivers could also consider purchasing supplemental insurance such as collision damage waiver (CDW) or personal injury insurance.
https://www.autoeurope.com/travel-guides/france/france-car-rental-faq/

We were never entirely comfortable with rental cars because even with the zero-deductible policy from AutoEurope some things like glass were not covered. So someone smashes a window to break in, we still would pay

In France, refusing the rental company's CDW and charging the rental on certain credit cards comes with credit card's CDW as primary coverage. I've seen European credit card agents sell unneeded and unwanted CDW coverage to customers--and rates can also vary greatly. As far as being required to purchase CDW insurance in France for 400 Euros, you may have been taken advantage of.

You will find the quality of European car rental companies can vary greatly. Because a familiar American rental car name is used in Europe doesn't mean it's the same company as that operates in the U.S. They've often franchised the name--and they can operate completely different.

I have dealt with AutoEurope.com which is a large consolidator of rental cars--a marketing middleman. I've found their business methods and level of service to be good. I also have a 20 year old Hertz Gold Club membership in my ex-Mega company's name with the very lowest rates available. I go with whoever has the cheapest rates--after all taxes, etc.

I don't know about Europe, but in the U.S. car rental companies only carry liability insurance per state regulations. The income off CDW sales goes into a kitty, and they pay for claims internally out of that pool of funds. In reality, most renters' personal insurance policies are primary, and the rental company's CDW kitty is secondary. The credit card's CDW coverage is third in line unless the rental car CDW is refused and it becomes secondary coverage. In other words, rental car companies are self insured and CDW is just another profit department.

Just about all the modern diesels of the world use a secondary liquid called DEF to make the engines run cleaner. There should be a warning light when the DEF levels get low, but the engines shouldn't completely shut down like it did in this situation.. The rental car agent should have made sure the DEF tank was full when you started out, and he certainly should have notified there is a secondary liquid that may need topped off if you drive mega miles. In this case, the renter shouldn't be liable for shutdown in this manner--since it wouldn't restart. It would be considered a mechanical breakdown.

Issue 1. What you were told is untrue and part of an unethical, in my opinion, sales tactic. Visa card insurance, which is not primary coverage, typically states that for it to be effective, you must decline all other coverage. If you have an AE card, they offer primary coverage for $20/$25 per rental period.

Issue 2. Agree, no way to tell what you are going to be charged, and it will be difficult to challenge a manager in Lyon.

Many people rent only through Autoeurope. Yes, the service is good, the prices are competitive; but their real advantage is the 24/7, toll free hotline. With any problem, you call them. Had you used Autoeurope, the first call would have been at pickup when you were charged for insurance you did not need. Second call would have been when the car would not start. You call them, they take care of the problem.

I use Costco car rental in the US, but Costco will not be there if you have a problem when renting in France.

Costco is a travel package retailer, but they don't negotiate problems should one occur.

When my cruise out of Asia was cancelled in March 2020, they had me deal directly with Celebrity, an advantage. If I had been stranded in Asia, it would have been a disadvantage.

I'm sorry you had this happen to you and hope it's resolved quickly for peace of mind. I hope answers here can help you.

I’m so sorry to hear you’re going through this. I had a similar experience with Sixt in Ljubljana a few years ago.
Now I’m starting to get paranoid about my upcoming rental in Avignon. - I booked it through Expedia and the rental agency is EuropeCar. It sounds like it would have been better to book through Auto Europe, perhaps? Even though I pick the car up in 3 weeks I see I could get the same rate — should I cancel my Expedia reservation and rebook through Auto Europe?

Yes. Good idea.

I would definitely recommend changing your booking to AutoEurope and get rid of the Expedia booking. I’ve been booking cars for an upcoming trip and they are really expensive, but I found AutoEurope to be very competitive. I’ve used them for many European car rentals.

We rented a car through Avis in Avignon (Through SNCF-Connect) because we get a discount through our SNCF Advantage card. When I did the rental, the coverage was already included in the price and there was no way to drop it. It listed their coverage with a €1900 deductible. There was an option to buy added coverage which brought us to a zero deductible as well as roadside assistance.

We had planned to use our credit card’s coverage but then found out Citi has dropped it as a benefit from all of their cards except the Costco one. I went to search for cards that still offer coverage and there are very few out there. Be sure to check your card as benefits may have changed!!!

We stopped at the airport gas station to fill up. After filling the tank with diesel, we could not get the car started.

I wonder if there was a mixup on gas vs diesel? As luck would have it the handles are the opposite colors of the states. Here in the US diesel is a hose with a green handle. But in France green is for unleaded gas.

Diesel fuel is called diesel (pronounced ‘dee-ezel’) or gazole or gasoil (both pronounced ‘gazwal’) and is available at all service stations. To help prevent errors, petrol pumps and pipes are colour coded green for unleaded, red for 4-star and black for diesel.
https://www.justlanded.com/english/France/Articles/Travel-Leisure/Fuel

This thread has been so helpful! I have/use the Citi Advantage card and didn’t realize they had dropped CDW coverage, so thank you so much for pointing that out. So I started booking on AutoEurope >> however, it points out that if I don’t purchase the CDW now, if my credit card doesn’t provide coverage I will be required to purchase the CDW at rental counter or will have to provide deposit for value of car!!! (I have a high credit limit but probably not that high!)
I have $35,000 CDW coverage through my travel insurance policy ... so why should I be forced to double purchase the coverage? Should I just go ahead and book the high deductible coverage ... and if I have an accident, can I use the travel insurance coverage?
Gaaahh, why does it have to be so confusing?
Thanks for any further advice.

I wonder if there was a mixup on gas vs diesel?

Unlikely as the car would still have sufficient gas to start. It may not run very well for very long, but the car should start.

if I don’t purchase the CDW now, if my credit card doesn’t provide coverage I will be required to purchase the CDW at rental counter

I should think that you would want collision insurance, whether you purchase it from AE, the rental company, or have it included by your credit card. Other than what American Express offers, most credit card insurance only reimburses you for damage they determine to be reasonable, which may or may not be your actual cost. When relying on credit card insurance, the customer typically pays up front for any and all damage.

Before renting any vehicle outside the US, I always review the terms & conditions of insurance offered by my credit card to determine if I want to rely on it or not.

Yes absolutely agree need collision coverage — I just don’t understand why I’d be forced to buy it twice. I’ve already bought the coverage through my travel insurance coverage. But as I noted, the car rental site (AutoEurope) says I’ll be made to buy it (again) at the rental counter (since my credit card does NOT include such coverage). Will proof of CDW coverage via travel coverage not be acceptable??
Surely others have encountered this conundrum?

I see nothing in Autoeurope´s T&C forcing you to purchase collision. It only states that if you do not accept AE´s insurance, that you should check with your credit card for insurance coverage.

What the rental company may require is a different situation. You should contact them and ask, explaining you have collision with a 3rd party. Only the rental company can answer authoritatively.

Hello all. Thank you for very informative replies. Just to conclude: the rental company finally released the charge and they did not charge any extra other than what was in the contract.
I still find it very confusing when it comes to renting cars in Europe. It appears that each rental agency can make their own rules and we are forced to accept their rules regardless of what our own research or coverage provides.