Auto Europe

  • IRELAND
  • Contact our Rental Specialists

    WAYS TO PROTECT
    YOUR EXCESS

    Car Rentals Worldwide
    Alamo Rental Car
    Avis Car Rental
    Budget Rental Car
    Dollar Car Rental
    Europcar
    Hertz
    National Car Rental
    Sixt Rent a Car
    Car Rentals Worldwide

    Full Damage Protection | Zero Excess | Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess | Frequently Asked Questions

    Save on car hire coverage with Auto Europe

    In order to help you protect yourself during a car hire, Auto Europe offers different excess protection products. The choice of several protection services allows our customers to tailor the offer to their individual needs. Therefore, on our booking engine, you will find four ways to protect your excess: Full Damage Protection, Zero Excess, and Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess. These are not always available in all pick-up locations. To see which services are available in a given destination, make a search on our booking engine with your choice of destination and you will be presented with all available protection products in that location. Please read through our guide to learn about individual packages.

    What does excess mean?

    The excess, also known as deductible, is an amount a person hiring a car is liable for, should there be damages done to a vehicle during the rental or if the vehicle is stolen. For example, if your excess is €400 and the damages to the car amount to €600, you are liable for a maximum of €400. The excess amount depends on the car rental supplier and the category of the vehicle. There are also different car parts included in the coverage package, again, depending on the local supplier. The excess amount is blocked on the main driver's credit card at the time of the pick-up. The excess amount as well as the exclusions are listed in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" on our booking engine, as well as on a voucher we send along with the car rental confirmation.

    Full Damage Protection

    Full Damage Protection is a service offered from Auto Europe. A customer that has purchased it, has the right to make a claim to have the excess paid refunded from Auto Europe, should there be theft or damages to the rental car. The customer first pays for the damages up to the excess amount to the rental company, and afterwards, makes a claim to have it refunded by Auto Europe. That is why, the service is called Full Damage Protection which covers most of the parts, including wheels, glass, roof, and undercarriage of the vehicle, among other items. In the event of a claim, the customer is required to send all the necessary documents to Auto Europe to begin the refund procedure, which is explained in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" section on our booking engine.

    Full Damage Protection can be found listed on our booking engine:

    Full Damage Protection

    Zero Excess

    Zero Excess is offered directly from a rental company and can be booked on our website together with the car hire. Zero Excess means there is no excess the customer is responsible for, with the exclusion of the parts not covered by the package, such as glass, wheels, tyres, undercarriage, and roof, among others. The full list of exclusions is to be found, again, in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" section.

    This is how Zero Excess displays on our booking engine:

    Zero Excess

    Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess

    Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess, as an additional service from Auto Europe to Zero Excess in the USA, protects car parts not included in a basic package. In practical terms, if there are damages done to the parts not included in the Zero Excess package (common are wheels, tyres, undercarriage, and roof) the customer first pays for the damages to the rental company and then makes a claim for a refund from Auto Europe. The customer is required to forward the necessary documents to Auto Europe to apply for a refund. The Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess also covers towing fees, unused day refund due to medical reasons or car damage and damage to additional items (i.e. GPS, child seat).

    This is how Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess displays on our booking engine:

    Breakdown Protection with Zero Excess

    Frequently Asked Questions

    1. Why is it preferable to purchase excess protection with Auto Europe, instead of paying for additional insurance with the local car rental company?

    Firstly, the excess protection product from Auto Europe, Full Damage Protection, is most of the time considerably more affordable than the locally offered additional insurance. Secondly, the customer can book our services online when they reserve their car hire, and do not have to worry about purchasing additional insurance locally at the pick-up time.

    2. If I have purchased one of the products with Auto Europe, do I still need to leave a deposit for the rental car?

    Yes, Auto Europe services act on a refund basis. Therefore, the main driver is requested to leave a deposit. If there are damages, the excess is paid to the rental company and a claim can be made for a refund from Auto Europe.

    3. The representative of the local car rental company is telling me that I will still have to purchase their additional insurance, although I have already purchased an excess protection product from Auto Europe. Do I have to purchase their insurance?

    No, additional insurance from the local supplier is not mandatory. However, if the main driver does not present a credit card in his or hers name, the deposit cannot be left and the car cannot be picked up without paying for the additional insurance. Therefore, always remember to bring your credit card for the security deposit to avoid additional local costs.

    4. What do I need to do to make a claim to have the excess refunded by Auto Europe?

    A full explanation of the refund procedure is listed in the "Terms, Conditions & Local Fees" section on our booking engine. Some of the actions involve contacting the police and obtaining a police report from an accident.

    5. I want to add one of these products to my booking, but I cannot see this option on your website. What should I do?

    Our excess protection products are not available for all pick-up locations and cars. When the options are available, they can be seen and booked on our booking engine.