Okay, I'm looking at renting a compact 4-door for nine days in early May. The quote I got was $366 for manual and $640 for automatic. Dan Dooley advertises itself as "all-inclusive" with a promise of "no surprises" after you book your rental. It is said to include CDI, theft protection, road assistance, etc. However, when I clicked on the explanation of CDI coverage, it seemed to use that acronym interchangeably with CDW coverage. I thought those were two different things. Are they stating that I don't need CDW because CDI is included? I guess my question is if I'm not getting "superCDW" or potentially getting "travel guard", what extras can I expect to be caught off guard by once I'm standing at the rental desk?
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
255 posts
You never know if you don't do your homework which you are. It is very confusing when you get into the acronyms, definitions and deductible amounts of each company. You may think you are fully insured but then they will try to sell you zero deductible. It's a big moneymaker for them. Send them an email with your precise question, make them get specific and bring the response with you, no matter who you book with. I went back and forth with one company 3 times once to pin them down. Be very careful when you get the car to note every ding and scrape as they will surely notice them when you return the car.
Also I would be surprised if Dan Dooley is the best deal. Every time I was going to use them I found a better rate when I kept looking. Usually Budget or Hertz will have a promo about 3 to 4 months in advance. So book the best you can find now and keep checking.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Check with Irish Car Rentals, too. They have always had the best rates when I have been shopping for rentals in Ireland.
Posted by
Eugene, Oregon...Formerly Ventura, CA
2262 posts
Josh, the Dooley prices sound too high. For reference, we rented a smallish Nissan SUV with automatic from Budget in Dublin on Drumcondra Road (dropped off at Cork Airport) for four days, with full Super CDW (zero deductible) for a bit over $400. Super CDW, or whatever terminology gets it there, is highly recommended. Agree with Brian-take the time to make them spell it out to avoid surprises. This particular Dublin office, as well as the Budget people at Cork, was very good.