florida car hire stand alone cdw

nataliew123

hi
I am going to florida with thomson, they advertised the holiday with free car hire with basic cover but insist alamo, their car hire partners, will not let me out of the airport with the car unless i purchase the upgraded CDW and SLI insurance off them either through thomson or at the desk.cheapest option £320
i have found a very good website called bettersafe where they quote me just £62 for the 2 weeks of standalone CDW and SLI insurance, which you will agree is a serious saving.
Just wondering, i know many have used the excess insurance but has anyone any experience of using this worldwide CDW in florida with the thomson 'free' car hire or otherwise
I will try anyhow if no one replies as i am curious if it works as I'm sure if it does many more families will save a good few quid while thomson and thomas cook continue to lure people in with the devious ad tactics.

donniedarko

It worked with Virgin, according to an earlier post here.

They too use Alamo.

As to Bettersafe, better to buy their annual policy via Quidco if you are likely to rent a car elsewhere throughout the year.

http://www.thomson.co.uk/thomson/page/byo/atoz/atoz09tandc.page

shaun_from_Africa

I've used Alamo many times in the USA and have occasionally had a vehicle that only comes with basic cover and no CDW included.
Because of this, I also have a separate policy for damage to the rented car and Alamo have never once refused to give me a car.

This is what Alamo themselves state:

What are the collision damage waiver options?

CDW IS NOT INSURANCE. THE PURCHASE OF CDW IS OPTIONAL AND NOT REQUIRED IN ORDER TO RENT A VEHICLE.
Renter may purchase optional CDW from Owner for an additional fee.

https://alamo.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8050/~/collision-damage-waiver

and as for Thomson:

Please note your car hire only includes Basic Liability Cover . We strongly recommend that you add either Fully inclusive or Gold Insurance

I would suggest that you e-mail Alamo in the states and ask them.
There is a "contact us" tab in the Alamo link above.

donniedarko

shaun_from_Africa wrote: »

I've used Alamo many times in the USA and have occasionally had a vehicle that only comes with basic cover and no CDW included.
Because of this, I also have a separate policy for damage to the rented car and Alamo have never once refused to give me a car.

This is what Alamo themselves state:

https://alamo.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/8050/~/collision-damage-waiver

and as for Thomson:


I would suggest that you e-mail Alamo in the states and ask them.
There is a "contact us" tab in the Alamo link above.

In the Thomson T&C

Standard Car Hire This includes an air–conditioned car with unlimited mileage, automatic transmission, and radio, plus local road maps and information. You’ll also get liability cover with 3rd-party protection to the state minimum of $20,000 per accident. This covers any damage or injury you may cause with your hire vehicle to people or property. It doesn’t include your relatives or their property. Your car will come with a full tank of fuel. You can choose to simply return the car with a full tank, or pay this up front at the time of rental - the charge for this will be based on the average pump price for mid-grade fuel.
These charges are compulsory and you’ll need to pay them when you arrive…
Florida State Surcharge of $2.05 per vehicle per day
Airport operating fees of $3.00-$3.50 per vehicle plus 10% on all optional extras
Airport handling fees of $3.00-$3.50 per vehicle
State and local taxes
Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) of $26 per vehicle per day – if you’re involved in an accident, CDW relieves you of all responsibility for the collision and covers you for all damage to the hire vehicle up to its full retail value, regardless of fault. Alamo will replace a vehicle unless your negligence has caused the accident or breakdown – or if you’ve broken the law. CDW does not cover you if the vehicle:
Is damaged when driven in a reckless manner or deliberately damaged
Is damaged when driven off road
Interior components are stolen/damaged when vehicle is unlocked/keys aren't secure
Is in an accident, stolen or vandalised and the renter fails to report it to the authorities within the time specified in Alamo's own terms and conditions (typically 24hrs)

Virgin don't state "compulsory" in their T&C.

PeacefulWaters

You can get CDW excess cover for less than £50 a year if you shop around.

Why hire via Thomson or any intermediary?

peachyprice

Or you could just forget the 'free' car with Thompson, as you can see it really isn't free, and rent direct with any of the car hire companies at the airport. That will be probably cheaper that the £320 Thompson are quoting for the insurance 'upgrade'.

donniedarko

PeacefulWaters wrote: »

You can get CDW excess cover for less than £50 a year if you shop around.

Why hire via Thomson or any intermediary?

This is wrong. It is not CDW Excess that is required, but CDW.

As the the Fly/Drive booking, they should check to see how much they are being charged for the Basic Car package, but comparing the cost of a trip without it.

donniedarko

peachyprice wrote: »

Or you could just forget the 'free' car with Thompson, as you can see it really isn't free, and rent direct with any of the car hire companies at the airport. That will be probably cheaper that the £320 Thompson are quoting for the insurance 'upgrade'.

It really depends on how much the Basic Car package adds to the cost of the booking. If it really adds nothing and there is only the State taxes and standalone insurance as added costs, then it's worth it.
But if the cost of the Basic Package is hidden inside the cost of the booking, then a totally standalone booking should be made for comparison.

nataliew123

Thanks for the replies guys, took your advise shaun and emailed them got this response

Hi
i have booked a holiday to Orlando in august with thomson uk, which includes free car hire. It includes the Liabilty cover with 3rd party protection (max $200k per accident) but no CDW or THW.
I have purchased separate CDW and THW from a different company, not Thomson. Is this sufficient to hire the car without any extra compulsory payments to pay on the collection desk when we collect the car.
kind regards Natalie

Dear Natalie,

Thank you for choosing Alamo Rent A Car for your car rental needs! My name is Shanita. I will be happy to help you today.

Your purchase of CDW and THW will be sufficient.

Your reference number for this incident is: 170515-004406

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Shanita
Alamo Rent A Car Email Customer Service Representative

so looks good for now, i will try and confirm with alamo uk and hound thomson to see if i can confirm with them and update as and when

donniedarko

nataliew123 wrote: »

Thanks for the replies guys, took your advise shaun and emailed them got this response

Hi
i have booked a holiday to Orlando in august with thomson uk, which includes free car hire. It includes the Liabilty cover with 3rd party protection (max $200k per accident) but no CDW or THW.
I have purchased separate CDW and THW from a different company, not Thomson. Is this sufficient to hire the car without any extra compulsory payments to pay on the collection desk when we collect the car.
kind regards Natalie

Dear Natalie,

Thank you for choosing Alamo Rent A Car for your car rental needs! My name is Shanita. I will be happy to help you today.

Your purchase of CDW and THW will be sufficient.

Your reference number for this incident is: 170515-004406

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance. Have a wonderful day!

Sincerely,
Shanita
Alamo Rent A Car Email Customer Service Representative

so looks good for now, i will try and confirm with alamo uk and hound thomson to see if i can confirm with them and update as and when

Don't forget;

Florida State Surcharge of $2.05 per vehicle per day
Airport operating fees of $3.00-$3.50 per vehicle plus 10% on all optional extras
Airport handling fees of $3.00-$3.50 per vehicle
State and local taxes

Don't stress yourself out about it. The problem is not with Alamo.

ssstu

Has one had any luck using a separate CDW cover and renting an Alamo car through thomsons?

I have a CDW insurance cover that covers me up to £100,000 for collision, theft or damage to the hire car. Will they let me hire a car with my own insurance or it something Thomson have agreed with Alamo in the terms of the free car hire?