We are driving through Ireland and Scotland in May.I have read and read and still can't find a definitive answer on where to buy insurance. The sites that are recommended by travelers on this site seem to be for native drivers, not americans. We are renting through Avis but I don't see that they offer super cdw. Any help would be very appreciated.
Posted by
Ottawa, Canada
4555 posts
Ask Avis.....they should be more than happy to offer you extra CDW insurtance.
Posted by
Atlanta
1357 posts
We used Insurance4carhire last summer, but you actually have to go through the website dailyexcess.com. They're based in the UK, and their coverage is through AIG. Their plan will cover the deductible from the car rental company, which is usually 1100-1500 euro. We paid around $60 for the week of coverage.
We did have to file a claim, it took about 6 weeks. Something to consider, though, is the fees that your credit card may charge for foreign transactions. I didn't think of that (we don't use our card much overseas, I'm a cash kind of gal), and I paid around $50 in fees, so that ate into the savings from doing a 3rd party plan. There's cards out there that don't charge foreign transaction fees.
Posted by
Pensacola
9110 posts
The mob I run with always uses this outfit:
An arbitrary week in Ireland looks like 135 euros right now, with all the insurance.
I assume the Ireland and Scotland rentals will be seperate vehicles since there's all kinds of complications with moving a car from one to the other, even if it can be done.
Posted by
Delray Beach, Florida, US
4 posts
Heidi, we have rented cars for the last 3 years in Ireland and always use the our world mastercard issued by citi bank, it is the only card that will pay the cdw insurance in Ireland, no other cards offfers the coverage at no additional cost. We only had to take the paper work from the credit card co. for proof of the insurance, have never had a problem.we got this card because of the rental car insurance policy,if you use the card you must decline the extra cdw insurance at the rental office when you pick up the car, read the fine print.
hope this helps, Lynda
Posted by
New York, NY
319 posts
Have you tried AutoEurope? That's who we used for our two week trip to Ireland in May 2008. They are a consolidator, so they'll help you find the best rates from amongst local rental companies. And all rates will be offered either with or without CDW, depending on your preference (though IMO it's essential).
Posted by
San Diego
1540 posts
I rented a car from Dan Dooley Car Rental at Dublin airport and I was able to add the additional CDW that gave me a zero deductible on the insurance.
We were sure glad we had it when we were driving those narrow roads and couldn't help scraps along the shrubs on left side of the roads.
Really gave us peace of mind......
Posted by
Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
255 posts
I am renting through Budget Ireland and got a great rate with all the insurance including the zero excess super cdw insurance at a rate that was over 200 Euros less than the other companies. Check it out.
Posted by
CA, USA
333 posts
I'm almost 100% sure that Avis will offer you some policy that will equal the Super CDW. It's a money maker for them.
Even though it's a rip off I take it when I'm in Ireland. It seems every tourist I meet up with seems to have either taken off a mirror or flatten a few tires on their first day of touring
Posted by
Ocean Shores, Wa, USA
124 posts
We rented from National/IrishCarRentals/Europcar, all affiliated at the same counter in Shannon. I used my Citi World Master Card, and declined CDW and Super CDW. We did have a fender bender, and I estimated about $300-500 damage. The total bill was $1849.00 for a cracked tail light lens, and a 18" scratch on the rear driver's side bumper.
We finally collected from Master Card Insurance, but it took nearly 7 months. Some tips IF you use World Master Card and IF you have an accident:
Save all paper work (and duplicate it)from beginning to end. Take photos of the damage. Be sure to have a police report, and try to get a paper copy of it before leaving Ireland. If they give you an option for Master Rental insurance to pay the Rental Car Company or to pay you directly....choose the "pay rental car company" option.
Once the rental car company billed my Master Card for the full damage amount, the rental car company didn't have any incentive to provide the numerous documents that the insurance company requires. We were down to the last item, a copy of the Police Report, and the 180 day mark went past and they closed the case. However they said they would reopen it if the proper documentation came in. Luckily the Police Report was in route when it closed, and they did reopen it, and we finally got our check.
So...if you are willing to go thru all this paperwork and all these hoops to save the CDW and SCDW, go for it. I'm inclined to think that I will bite the bullet and just pay it next time for peace of mind.
If you get any kind of quote, make sure it is in writing or email. Print off extra copies just in case. We had 2 bogus charges (135 Euro) on our final invoice, we disputed them, and still never got it resolved. The big problem was that I had given the rental car company the only copy of my internet quote at the registration desk, and this was the documentation that I needed to successfully dispute the amount with Citi Master Card. Dan
Posted by
Atlanta
1357 posts
If you do a 3rd-party policy, like through your credit card or dailyexcess.com, bring a copy of the policy with you. We had ours, so we had a list of the paperwork that you would need.
I have a World MasterCard, but I got scared when, after several phone calls, no one could tell me exactly what their policy covered and if it definitely covered me in Ireland.