We are renting a car for 2 weeks in Ireland and are confused about the Super CDW. I have seen web sites like insurance4carhire.com where you can purchase extra insurance for a flat fee at a much lower rate than the Super CDW from the rental companies. I understand that you would pay for and then be reimbursed for damages later this way but as it is so much cheaper that seems ok. Does anyone have experience with this? It also seems that if this were such a good idea someone would recommend it. Thanks in advance for any advice, we are so confused!
Posted by
Chicago
2876 posts
Be sure you read their procedure for filing a claim before you buy any 3rd-party insurance. There can be a lot of paperwork requirements and deadlines. Plus, as you point out, you do have to pay first and seek reimbursement later.
The advantage (really the only advantage) of super CDW directly from the car rental company is that, if something happens, you can basically just walk away. Of course, their big disadvantage is price. You have to decide if the extra cost is worth it to you.
The big headache with Ireland car rentals is that your Visa & Mastercard coverage - which can be pretty good - isn't valid there.
Posted by
OP
Evergreen, CO, United States
5 posts
Thanks! Good advice about reading the fine print. Still thinking it over.
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
Not too long ago this topic came up, and a poster there mentioned having had to file a claim with a third-party company. In her case it took something like 6 weeks to get their money back, during which time the amount of the damage was charged to their card. She felt that the hassles of the process and the time they did not have their money pretty much ate up any savings they got by booking it separately. Perhaps you can do a search and find that thread for details. When I go to Ireland (trip #4 is coming up) I always get the super CDW at the rental counter. It costs more, but it just makes everything so much simpler.
Posted by
OP
Evergreen, CO, United States
5 posts
Thanks all! Great information. It is becoming clear that the outside insurance may not be a good plan. The recommended report also helped us with the car choice issue. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond.
Posted by
Atlanta
1358 posts
Hi Ann, I'm the poster who went through insurance4carhire.com for the excess insurance. I'd recommend it, but only if you're using a credit card that doesn't charge foreign transaction fees. Didn't think about that when I signed up, and the fees ate up most of the savings from using a 3rd party company. But, really, it wasn't that much of a hassle filing a claim, take a copy of the policy with you so you know what paperwork you need before you leave the country. The only thing I had to get after I left was an invoice for the repairs.
Posted by
chicago, IL, USA
1 posts
hello everyone, first time poster here... we are planning our first trip to ireland and plan to rent a car for 2 weeks... there are so much to do for renting a car in ireland - cdw, super cdw, high deductable, etc... i saw a lot of the posters had been rented cars in ireland in previous trips, would you recommend any rental company please? thanks so much in advanced. regards, ec
Posted by
Bloomington, IL, USA
9371 posts
You would be better off posting your own question instead of asking in this thread. That way you will be notified if someone answers you.
Posted by
Spring, Texas
635 posts
Remember that even with super CDW damage to the tires (tyres in Ireland & GB) is not covered. When we checked in our rental car in Dublin, that was the only thing they looked at.