We will be renting a car in Dublin 10/13/21. 10 days around the country. Anyone have any good/bad experience with Easirent?
I got a great (confirmed) quote from them a couple months ago but I can't get them to quote me for the SCDW. They aren't answering my emails or online chat questions. I just want to know exactly what to expect to pay. I don't like rental desk surprises!
if they don't answer you when there is no problem do you think that that could be an indication how they would respond if there was a problem?
Just wondering.. I've never heard of them, but that means nothing
I wasn’t familiar with Easirent, either, but I’m curious about what method they used to confirm your quote. It seems that, with your trip a month away, they could use that method again to respond to your inquiries.
It also sounds like you might not have actually booked your rental, but just have a quote. If that’s not good enough, with your imminent trip approaching, for our Sept./Oct. trip in 2018, we had a great experience and price using Europcar. We actually picked the car up in Galway and returned it at the Dublin airport.
The devil is always in the details when renting a car in Ireland, and one of those details is the matter of insurance. Since most of the major credit cards specifically exclude coverage there you're tasked with drilling down into the fine print of rental car contracts to figure out exactly what's covered and at what cost.
To de-mystify the whole process many here rely on AutoEurope for bookings which, in our experience, has usually been Hertz at Dublin airport. They offer competitive rates, a clear explanation of the insurance covers, and reliable and attentive service.
Thank you all for your advice. I've decided that there is just too much uncertainty with Easirent. So I have cancelled that booking and rented directly with Hertz. I am a Gold Club Member and I've had good experience with them in the US. I have good documentation from my credit card company (and a high limit) that shows I'm fully covered and can waive the CDW. Am I asking for problems at the counter attempting this? It means a $300 savings for me.
If you have one of the premium cards that provides coverage in Ireland then you should be good to go, and having Hertz Gold status will help should any issues arise.
Still ... the reps can occasionally get a little chippy at the rental car desk if you opt out of the company's insurance cover, so make sure that you have all of the documentation you need before departure. Wouldn't hurt to make a pre-emptive call to Hertz to ensure that there are no issues before you show up at the desk at Dublin airport.
Also, you should be aware that the default rental in Ireland will be a manual shifter. If you want an automatic you'll need to be careful to specify that at the time you make your booking. The extra cost for an automatic will be worth it unless you have some experience driving on the left and are comfortable with the thought of having to shift with your left hand.
A manual shift is no problem as I own one and use it daily. And I'm left handed! Two trips all over Scotland with a wrong side manual proved to not be problematic. The worst thing for me is to be conscious going in and out of driveways. Keeping me on my toes about that is my wife's job!
Know that if you opt to decline the company insurance cover they'll hit your credit card with a substantial deposit ... upwards of 5,000 Euros as I recall. Might be another reason to speak with Hertz directly so you know what you're getting into - it's not that big a deal but you'll probably want to bring along another credit card in case your primary one approaches it's maximum limit because of the deposit and thereby become unusable for other transactions. Better to know in advance in order to avoid an unpleasant surprise at the airport.
Sounds like you're quite experienced driving a stick on the left from your prior travels in Scotland. If you're interested in some off-the-beaten-path excursions I can recommend "Back Roads Ireland" from DK publishing which, as the title implies, is ready made to order for those looking for a more intimate driving experience in Ireland. Can usually find used copies on Amazon for just a few dollars.
In 2016 with Enterprise, the counter agent told me they wouldn't rent to anyone if they waived the CDW insurance, despite having proof of coverage from my card company. So I walked away from the counter towards another company, and another agent scurried after me claiming the first agent was ill-informed, so I proceeded with the rental. I think it was $176 for 14 days after everything was settled for a "compact", which was fine for four people with light luggage. I'm guessing the two agents pulled the same scam on all the customers which probably worked quite often. Maybe they only tried with older gray hairs like myself...