Europcar:Day before pickup told deposit is €16,774

pymc

Hi everyone,

First time posting rather than reading!

I am going to France tomorrow and booked a car at the same time as the flight through easyjet.

Today I recieved an email from the local french office telling me:
"
You have booked online this rental WITHOUT insurances. This means that you decline the contractual guarantees in case of theft (TW) and collision damage (CDW). In case of damage to the vehicle or theft your liability to the lessor may be held by up to € 16744.00. Europcar will charge repair, or, the value of the vehicle up to a maximum height of this responsibility. We will propose you the insurances CDW and TW on departure (118.40 € more to reduce the excess to the basic level 1350.00 €). If you decline those insurances you will have to leave an excess of 16744.00 €.
Thank you to specify your choice as soon as possible to bring you the best service.
Thank you for your understanding and see you tomorrow.
Best regards,
"


I informed the representitive via email that I had cover elsewhere, but it didn't seem to matter:

"Ok thank you for your e-mail. I understand that you have personal insurance or with your credit card. So if you decline the CDW and TW you will have to leave a deposit by credit card of 16744 € on departure wether or not your credit card gives you coverage against these risks (it’s a pre-authorisation not taken on your account to cover any damage or theft or any extras like refuelling service, extra day, cleaning ..). Make sure you have enough limit or sufficient funds available to cover this excess.

Thank you"

Surely this is not normal practice? I confirmed over the phone with Europcar that this is the official email for the local office but they cannot reach them via phone. I have the option to cancel (though it was prepaid) but it is unlikely that I will get a cheaper deal either way!

Has anyone else had this happen to them? Any suggestions as to my options?

Thanks!

Cornucopia

What is your "cover elsewhere"?

pymc

Direct car excess as per MSE

Surely this still counts as breach of contract given UK terms and conditions on europcar website state that

"
Standard Deposits:

All rentals are subject to a standard £250 deposit at the time of rental in addition to the appropriate rental charges. All first time customers who present a foreign driving licence and have a UK address will be required to pay a deposit of £1000.00 rather than £250.00."
"

NiftyDigits

You should know if you booked the car without TW & CDW. It would be clear during the booking process. Even with these insurances, there is usually an excess amount; that is what is usually covered by Car Hire Excess insurance.

Don't just go for the cheapest quote, but check what is included in the quote. Often, booking through those kind of brokers may also leave you with an annoying Full/Empty fuel policy.

So check what you have actually purchased and if it it is unsuitable and you can cancel it without penalty, do so and rebook something more suitable.

By the looks of it, you declined even the most basic of insurance on your booking. Mistakenly thinking that the Car Hire Excess would cover all. But the key word here is Excess. It covers the Excess. It is not full insurance.

The phrase here covers it:

We will propose you the insurances CDW and TW on departure (118.40 € more to reduce the excess to the basic level 1350.00 €)

Of course, it could be that the French office has made a mistake, so check your paperwork.

dzug1

Given that with many (all??) of these excess policies the procedure is that YOU pay the excess to the hire car company and then reclaim it from your insurance it's not surprising that the company requires some surety to limit its losses should it have to wait for its money - or not get it at all

NiftyDigits

dzug1 wrote: »

Given that with many (all??) of these excess policies the procedure is that YOU pay the excess to the hire car company and then reclaim it from your insurance it's not surprising that the company requires some surety to limit its losses should it have to wait for its money - or not get it at all

This is not the issue. The issue is that the OP has somehow not included any insurance within the rate.
Unusual, as most bookings will include basic CDW, leaving an excess of up to £1000. Car Hire Excess Insurance will cover £2000 to £3000 of what is not covered by the basic CDW that is usually included in Car Hire quotes. But it seems that the OP has somehow removed even the most basic of insurances from his quote. Mistakenly thinking that the Excess Insurance will cover him.
Or it could be that the French office has made a mistake and basic insurance has been included.

Typical agreement:

Rental charges included:

Road Tax & License Fees (Laf)
Theft Waiver (Thw) (Excess liability charge of €850.00). tax 19.6 % exclusive)
Unlimited kilometers / mileage
Collision Damage Waiver Cdw (Excess liability charge of €850.00). tax 19.6 % exclusive)

You may select additional insurances at your pick-up location (not included in reservation price, VAT included):

Collision & Damage Waiver Plus (Scdw) €11 per day (Excess liability reduced to €220.00)
The "Serenity Pack Plus": zero excess in the event of theft, collision or damage; cover for windscreen damage, tyre punctures and glass breakage; indemnity for driver and passengers in the case of personal injuries; indemnity for luggage and personal belongings in the event of theft or accident.(SER-PP) €27.03 per day (Excess liability reduced to €0.00)
Theft And Collision & Damage Waiver Plus (Sldw) €18.06 per day (Excess liability reduced to €0.00)
Covers Damage To Windscreen, Lights, And Tyres For Normal Use (Wwi) €5.98 per day (Excess liability charge of €0.00)
Personal Accident Cover (Pai) €9.01 per day
Personal Accident Cover Plus (Spai) €6 per day

It's the additional insurances that are usually covered by the Excess insurance. But it is strange that they claim that he doesn't even have what is normally included, as above.