I prebooked a car rental using Expedia and received my confirmation. I booked with my RBC Avion card which provides extended car insurance for rentals. I also took an AIG insurance policy offered with the pre booked rental. My personal insurance company also provided me with a rental car policy due to the amount of travel I undertake. Upon my arrival at the Dublin airport, SIXT car rentals, I provided my insurance coverage and advised the attendant that I have three insurance policies in place. I was provided two options to rent the car one being the requirement to put a 5000 Euro deposit on my credit card or option 2 was to take out their policy and reduce the damage deposit to 1500 Euro. I opted for the lower deposit and took the added coverage they recommended. I have filed my concerns with the Irish tourism board, and Insurance council to determine if this is the new practice for car rental agencies and why they can demand this when I have my own coverage in place with documented proof. When I checked online for Irish car rental agencies the average deposit required states 200 to 500 Euro. Has anyone else experienced this questionable practice?
Posted by
la la land...
1007 posts
Figure out a way to travel that doesn't require renting a car, maybe?
I quit renting cars when I travel to Europe about 10 years ago and I never intend to rent a vehicle over there again. Similarly, I never rent cars when I travel in the US, either. I use taxis, mass transit, uber/lyft, car/driver hires, group travel (like day tours with a driver in a van) here, just as I use the same services in Europe.
Avoiding car rentals in Europe can also be accomplished by joining tours like the very ones that RS provides...it is the main reason I would go on a RS tour, also for the convenience of letting someone else do the planning and execution of a trip.
Posted by
Paris
7304 posts
The problem here is Sixt. They are known to offer rates without any sort of damage coverage, making you liable for the entire cost of the car. I've always experienced good service with them but yes, I've always paid for their insurance (which, in my pre-Covid experiences, was sensibly priced).
Next time, rent with a company that offers damage coverage as a standard, with 1000-1500€ deductible being typical, and only rely on your own policy to cover claims up to the deductible.
Posted by
Indianapolis, IN
369 posts
I experienced something similar with Sixt a number of years ago in Amsterdam. I was lured by their apparent low cost, bu it's a "bait and switch " tactic. I have stuck with Hertz since then and never experienced any hidden or surprise fees.
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6790 posts
I've had some pretty large damage deposits applied in the past when renting cars. While it can come as an eye-popping surprise, it's not unusual, and from the company's perspective, I suppose it's understandable (cars are expensive; the cost to replace that car if a customer totaled it would be many times that $5K deposit...if you doubt that, go look at what cars cost nowadays!). The rental agency has limited ability (and interest) in verifying all the details of other insurance policies that a customer might have (hard to do and their staff have other, more pressing tasks), so I can see them just having a blanket policy to put that big deposit on your card. If I was going to hand the keys to my car to some stranger, I'd want a big financial guarantee from them, too.
Remember, the deposit doesn't actually cost you anything at all, as long as you bring the car back in the same condition you found it. So while it may make you flinch, it's not going to hit you financially (of course, this assumes you've got a credit card with a high enough credit line to absorb the deposit, so it's good to know your card's credit limit before you start your trip).
Worth noting: Several times when renting a car, I've been told that they will use my credit card for the deposit, but that they will not actually charge the deposit to the card - they only set up the charge and hold that, so your card is not going to get whacked by that $5000 hit (unless you fail to return the car, of course); they probably do check to see if your card has that much credit available.
It's part of renting a car. I rent cars when it's the best way to get around. Trains and other public transit is great in many places. In other places, without a car, I can't really get to the places I want to go. Many of my greatest travel memories are from remote places, or just places where public transport would not have allowed me the same options. I'll keep renting cars when/where it makes sense. My credit card will be OK (and I'll be v-e-r-y careful with someone else's car!).