vis2323

Up to last summer CDW & theft insurance in MUC was optional so North American customers were able to used their CC insurance but now it's mandatory, which based on my last year rental data almost doubles the cost of the rental. I also tried CDG with the same results, CDW/theft is included in the price so it seems that Avis in Europe does not allow/accept any more the use of CC insurance.

I contacted Avis to inquire if this is a new (?) policy @avis Europe but they were not able to provide any information and told me to contact Avis Germany. When I insisted the agent checked with a supervisor and said "You can decline the CDW at the counter (@pickup) but not the theft". So if the rental cost shown on the website is $2K how do I know how much is the CDW that will be deducted once I decline the CDW? The answer was: contact their office.

Couldn't find any announcements from Avis/Avis Europe and would appreciate any input. Thanks

Edited: Noticed that they do not offer unlimited miles any more.

AutoSlash

Where did you see that it's mandatory? I just tried a test reservation and it allowed me to book it with miles and no CDW or TPW. A review of the terms and conditions shows that both are optional. Are you sure that you're not booking with a discount code that forces CDW/TPW or limits the mileage?

vis2323

You're right, I check it again and it's all back to "normal". I do not have a screenshot but believe me you couldn't uncheck/decline CDW/TPW, even the Avis agent (I believe she was located in San Diego) tried it. Last year I was really happy to see that Avis has finally brought MUC to our standards (went directly to the parking lot and the keys were in the car) so I couldn't understand what was happening. Most likely someone was doing some king of work on the website, a wrong "if" and the check box was greyed out, miles were limited, ...

I tried it with and without codes, different airports MUC, FRA, CDG,... I'm doing this since Avis offered reservation over the web, Firefox, IE, Opera, Win 10, Win 8.1 Win 7, Linux and since the result was the same I called them and then I registered and posted here hoping that someone knows something. I guess I should have waited a couple of hours (I really feel silly) Thanks for your reply

vis2323

It happened again but I'm not allowed to post a screenshot. Would really appreciate if you could try it using the following data:
MUC
July 11 - Aug 8
Full Size Special - MB C class auto
4,000 Km included $0.26 additional km
CDW/TPF Included (greyed out)

Edited: The date should have been July 11 not July 1

AutoSlash

Do you have an AWD (discount code) applied when searching? Also, what do you have set as your home country?

vis2323

In the past I used Costco's AWD but now I tried it without any AWD; the home country is USA

I tried a couple of times and this is what I got (btw I edited my previous post it was supposed to be July 11 not July 1):
Jul 11 - Aug 7 CDW/TFP is by default added to the total cost BUT the checkbox is NOT greyed out so you can deselect it and the total cost decreases with $1K, also the kilometers are unlimited. Now if you modify the period and add another day Jul 11 - Aug 8 then the CDW/TFP checkbox is greyed out and the lablel on both checkboxes is INCLUDED (no way to uncheck it) and the kilometers are: 4,000 Kilometers included, 0.26 USD per additional kilometer
.
It seems that up to 27 days you can uncheck/decline CDW/TFP and have unlimited km but if you want to rent for 28 days then CDW/TFP cannot be declined and the km are limites.

AutoSlash

Yes, I can duplicate your results using Avis.com. There is something with the way they have things configured there that seems to be auto-adding coverage and limiting mileage for a monthly rental. I can't really explain it, but there is a simple solution. Use the link below to request a quote and you won't have to worry about this. When you book via AutoSlash, you are never forced to take coverage and any mileage restrictions (where applicable) are clearly disclosed. You probably will find that the rates are lower than elsewhere as well.

vis2323

Thank you for your help, it's obvious that whatever it's happening has to do with Avis Europe and depends on the number of days you rent (28, 29, 30 up to 31) and also the month (28 days in Jun is OK but not in Jul). As far as getting a quote with you guys I'll do it when we get closer to our vacation, right now I was just checking the prices using last year's data to ensure that there are no major fluctuation in prices. Thanks again.

AutoSlash

Waiting to make a reservation (especially since it's free) is a mistake. Once your travel dates are finalized, you should make a rental reservation. There is zero downside to doing this, and it protects you in case prices rise. Regardless of where you end up booking, track your rental using the link below and you'll be notified if a better deal comes along. If prices fall, then great, you can re-book with no penalty (obviously don't book a deal that doesn't allow free cancellations). If prices rise, however, then you've already locked in a lower rate. Simply put, the earlier you book, the more you are likely to save.