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Car rental questions including supplemental liabitlity insurance

Posted by (Everett, WA) on

I have used Auto Europe for years, but they have changed. They no longer have a phone number you can call to ask questions and get help. I have rented a car In Germany with the most coverage it offers. When I read through what is included before I booked it said deductibles for CDW and Theft protection and:

Supplemental liability insurance deductible 30,000.00 Euros.

. What is this Supplemental liability insurance? How can I find out what the included liability insurance covers?

I have poured over my documents for the rental. Under Coverage it just lists deductibles for Collision Damage and theft protections. It says nothing about this Supplemental Liability. It also says I have third party liability To 100,000,000.00 and lists no deductible. It frustrates me that they no longer have a phone number. I once had to call on a problem, and back then they had 24/7 assistance.

Also: Where else have people arranged car rentals? I might just need to stop using Auto Europe.

Posted by
9013 posts

We almost used Auto Europe last year (appeared to be a low rental price per day, but then it appeared they would be requiring us to get their insurance, no option. As our Chase VISA card gives insurance coverage. we wanted to have the option to skip their insurance, so we looked elsewhere, and have never used them in 25+ years of renting in Europe.

My guess is that the €30,000 supplemental coverage would be if you hit someone and severely injured them, the coverage would provide an extra €30,000 for medical coverage than the “regular” €100K … or if you total somebody’s big BMW or Mercedes, instead of a little Renault or Kia, you have slightly better coverage. I’m sure experts here will provide a definitive answer.

We’ve almost always rented directly from the company (Hertz, Europcar, Sixt, Dollar, etc.), but have also used a couple of third-party companies (always cheaper than AutoEurope), DiscoverCars and (in Italy only) Noleggiare.

Posted by
1322 posts

Thank you Cyn. I have been loyal to Auto Europe because they helped me with the situation when I called them from England. It appears the company is cutting costs by cutting customer service. I appreciate your suggestion on someone else to try.

Posted by
2500 posts

Remember that AutoEurope is not a car rental agency. They are the front end for accessing multiple rental agencies. Costco Travel is analogous.

Any "requirements" regarding insurance and associated fees are those of the actual rental agencies. I've rented several times over the past two months using AutoEurope as the front end, with two different rental agencies. Wasn't obligated to pay for added coverage in any of the rentals. My Costco Visa card coverage is what I rely on.

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