Car rental insurance in Crete
Car hire in Crete is indissolubly linked to insurance. Therefore, the very first thing to pay attention to is what insurance is offered for the agreed price. Most likely, you will be told that insurance "100%" and covers any damage. But it is not necessary to be seduced immediately because, in fact, such "100%" Greek insurance can sometimes contain unpleasant features.
Any insurance there is a concept of "negligence" and, if the damage to the car occurred by "negligence”, it is necessary to compensate for the damage from its own pocket. "Negligence" will be considered a traffic violation, driving on dirt roads, incorrect parking, etc. So if the tourist was in an accident, unfolding through a solid, or on a dirt road punched a stone carter, insurance such a situation will not work. And this "surprise" may not be the last. Read the insurance terms very carefully. Never hesitate to ask where the type of insurance is spelled out, what it includes. It is desirable to ask specific examples of what will happen if the car was stolen, or there was an accident due to the fault of the tenant (was inattentive), etc. The contract always specifies the type of insurance. Here in them, we suggest trying to understand!
Types of insurance rental car Crete:
CDW (Collision Damage Waiver) is essentially insurance with franchise. Here, the franchise limits the tenant's liability. I.e. In case of damage in an amount less than or equal to the established franchise, the tenant is obliged to compensate for the damage in the amount of this amount. In case of more significant damage, the tenant will pay the amount equal to the specified franchise, and all other damage is covered by the insurance company. However, many companies, offering CDW insurance, install zero franchise as well. Therefore, when you see the abbreviation CDW in the contract, you should not be immediately frightened. On the contrary, it is necessary to simply study carefully the contract concluded with the company on the lease!
TP (Theft Protection) is insurance with protection against theft or loss of a hire car and theft of its parts. The payout scheme is identical to that CDW insurance. Possible options: T.P. with a franchise, T.P. without the franchise.
PAI (Personal Essential Insurance) - insurance of the driver and passengers specified in the contract.
FI (Fire Insurance) - insurance against damage to the car as result of a fire.
WUG - insurance taking into account damage to glasses, car bottoms, wheels.
SCDW, FCDW. In addition to CDW insurance, there are variations on the form: SCDW and FCDW. Most commonly, SCDW insurance refers to CDW insurance with a reduced or sometimes equal to zero franchise. The price of such a policy increases slightly compared to CDW. And finally, FCDW - as it likes to say in rental offices, it is insurance with full coverage of damage, with zero franchise and other values. Attention! Don 't trust marketing moves and new names. Always read the contract carefully!
CDW, SCDW, FCDW - insurance, which each rolling office treats and provides in its own way. From here there is often confusion in concepts. The exit is only one - it is necessary to ask as fully as possible what covers particular insurance, what franchise, etc., and carefully study the contract. If the rolling office refuses to provide information, you should not deal with it. However, no matter how hard you try to explain in words all nuances, you should not forget about the language barrier and possible misunderstanding. Therefore, it is important to remember that the main rules and exceptions, as well as the type of insurance, are stipulated in the contract concluded between the representative of the company and the tenant of the car. Therefore, once again, we recommend studying the treaty very carefully!
Most often, car rental in Crete takes place quickly and, according to the landlords themselves, according to the "optimal" scheme for the tourist, with "100%" insurance. But, sometimes, reading more closely into the contract, it may be that such "full" insurance does not include items such as PAI, FI, and WUG. These are equally important points. After all, anything can happen on Crete mountain roads. After insurance under the PAI program, you will always be able to count on medical care at the expense of the insurance company, as well as to reimburse the costs of treatment. Fire insurance - FI, of course, will not be unnecessary either. And WUG insurance is also more important, as minor damage happens more often than others - the stone that broke the windshield, or the puncture of the wheel on the track... But, let us emphasize that this is not a rule, but rather an exception. Most often, of course, insurance already includes all the listed items. However, we recommend that you always exercise vigilance. And once again we remind about "negligence," the manifestation of which will zero any insurance.
Be sure to explore reviews of Crete 's rolling firms!
Despite all the knowledge that we can have, having come close to the moment of rental of the car, despite the beautiful descriptions and lists of all the benefits that on their websites, and in words can represent certain companies, we always try to study reviews about the looking rolling firms. In addition, in order to develop the truest picture, it is preferable to study reviews from different sites. After all, as is known, often on the Internet along with honest reviews you can find custom comments. The conditions of the company itself, as well as in the reviews it is necessary to pay special attention to such important points as: whether in company it is necessary to have an ICC, or not, whether there is a franchise in insurance or the need for additional fees when receiving the machine and other nuances.
By the way, on our Forum about Crete, there is also a section: Car rental Crete - reviews in which you can read the experience of car rental Crete in different rental companies.
Inspection of the car before rental.
Before paying for the rental car, it should be carefully examined for damage, compliance with the contract and full operability. All defects and problems should be recorded in the contract, even if the damage is minor. Otherwise, there may be problems returning the car. Especially if the insurance was issued with the franchise. Almost always the landlord first formalizes all documents, receives money from you, and then issues a car. After that, it may be that one headlamp or signal does not work, or the bumper is emboldened. Try not to succumb to "everything is normal, do not worry" by the agent and examine the car before concluding the contract and paying. And another advice - always pay attention to the presence of ordered options in the car. Very often it happens that there is a car stereo in the car, but mp3, as ordered, is not. What is even more offensive, you can get a rental car without air conditioning.
In order to avoid all this, we recommend to use a small list of everything necessary to pay attention to when taking a car:
Examine the car for external damages (scratches, dents, chips, repainted parts, absence of car parts, etc.)
Examine the car inside. Pay attention to the seats, whether they are chatting, to the plastic parts of the cabin, whether everything is on place, whether it is dirty inside the machine, etc.
Start the vehicle and check the operation of all electrical devices in the cabin (oil level indicators, engine temperature indicators, etc.). Check the serviceability of dimensions, headlamps and stop lamps.
Note all options ordered (air conditioning, car stereo, central lock alarm, etc.)
If possible, take a ride around the site and check how the brakes work.
Before leaving the car, pay attention to the amount of fuel with which you are rented the car, compare it with the level recorded the lease agreement. By the way, it is very important - it is necessary to return the car with the same amount of fuel with which it was rented. In case of detection of fuel shortage relative to the level originally specified in the contract, the lessor has the right to demand reimbursement of the cost of the missing fuel, unless otherwise agreed advance.
If during the inspection you found even minor defects, be sure to insist on putting them the contract, even if you are convinced that it is not necessary.
Car Rental Fee
As a rule, a car, motorcycle or moto roller can be removed by paying back in two ways:
Cash on the place
Having written off the required amount from the plastic card.
After the inspection of the vehicle and the conclusion of the contract, the payment time comes. Usually rental offices Crete accept money, both from card and cash. This is where one point should be taken into account! Most local firms in Crete generally DO NOT take the collateral and DO NOT block additional funds bank account. Don 't be confused with prepayment. It is about temporary blocking of additional - collateral amount on the client 's account. Conversely, large international rolling companies often temporarily block a certain collateral amount on the customer 's card.
And, if on the case of international companies that have long proved themselves, it is quite normal, as it is about years of established world practice, then with local firms in this matter we prefer to be more careful and book cars where the collateral amount on the card is not blocked. On the one hand, the explanation is quite simple - the pledge is taken in case of damage to the car by "negligence," or in insurance with the franchise. It 's kind of reinsurance for landlords. After all, it will be difficult to recover the amount for the damage caused to the vehicle from the tourist who is staying the country for short time.
On the other hand, it is one thing when it comes to blocking funds from a reputable international company, and quite another when the initiative comes from a less well-known local company. Therefore, before paying with plastic card, we recommend to specify whether part of the amount will be blocked as collateral, and if so, how much, when and how it will be returned (unlocked) back. Also when paying cash, you may be asked to pay another pledge amount or ask for the number of valid plastic card. The forum even described cases when the tenant of a car was asked as collateral to leave passport or rights, which is beyond understanding and absolutely unacceptable. Personally, we try to avoid such local firms, because there are many excellent Cretan companies where there is no deposit for rent.
Useful tips
Summing up the above, I would like to add that renting a car in Crete is not a purchase of a bar of bread in a store, but a much more important event. After all, what we rent the end, in which company, on what conditions, etc., our rest will depend. Therefore, in conclusion, probably it will not be unnecessary to give some valuable advice for those who are going to rent a car Crete:
When choosing rental office, pay attention to number of factors indicating the integrity of the organization: availability of a web-site, year of creation of the company, fleet of cars, possibility to order cars via the Internet, partnership with eminent companies, etc. But most importantly, before deciding to rent, carefully study the feedback about the firm which you plan to rent the vehicle. In this difficult case, you will be helped by the following topics and sections on our forum about Crete: vehicle rental on the island of Crete, Rental companys on the island of Crete.
RESPONSES.
If possible, book the vehicles you need on the company 's website even before departure for rest. And the sooner you do it, the cheaper it will cost you to rent.
If you are interested in the model, the color of the car, the type of transmission, etc., we advise you to think about everything in advance and book the car for the right day as soon as possible. Do not hope that when you come to the rental office, you will be able to find the right model, and still a certain color, and fully satisfy your needs. There have been cases when during the tourist season some firms there were no cars left at all.
However, it is worth remembering that many firms do not guarantee the receipt of a specific model, promising only one of the machines from your chosen group. However, it is not necessary to be upset, because all machines selected in the group are approximately the same, both in size and in their technical characteristics. However, when you design a car for rental via the Internet, you can specify your wishes for specific model the notes. As a rule, representatives of Cretan rolling companies try to meet the client if possible.
If there is any problem on the vehicle, immediately report it to the office of the company where the car is rented, as well as declare your intention to replace the faulty car with an identical one. As a rule, such requests are strictly implemented.
If your plans include off-road safari Crete, this is the best case for renting an off-road vehicle. But don 't think that in this case, the phrase "negligence" will no longer include driving on dirt roads. No. Alas, the insurance of the off-road vehicle will still not cover the damage sustained on the dirt roads. Such rules are in place in almost all of Crete 's rolling firms, with some exceptions. However, the SUV has more ground clearance, and self-respecting firms often put appropriate rubber on Class 4x4 cars, adapted to ride on light off-road, which slightly reduces the risk of damage to the vehicle on dirt road.
In case of an accident, the first thing to do is to report the incident to the company 's office and receive the necessary instructions on further actions. It is very important to strictly follow these instructions and instructions established by the company. In particular, most often the rules of companies in case of an accident provide for call to the police, possibly also an insurance agent (it is worth specifying in the company). This is important to remember, as it is a possible compensation for insurance, which may become impossible, for example, without calling the police.
And the main thing - Do not ignore the rules of the road.