AXA Full Coverage"Did you really get all the money back" my friend asked me recently. I thought for a second and said yes it turned out pretty good for me because I added AXA Full Coverage when I booked with QEEQ.
The story goes back to last summer. I took my kid to Sardinia in Italy. We picked up a Ford Puma automatic from VIAGGIARE RENT at Olbia airport. It was around the morning of August 2 and we planned to return it in Cagliari on August 4 in the afternoon. My kid was talking non stop in the back seat and I was pretty excited too.
On the day of the accident the weather was actually very nice. I was not driving fast and the road was fine. At a small junction the car in front stopped very suddenly. I hit the brake but my car still bumped into it a bit. My kid was scared and started to cry. I was also shocked and my first move was to check if he was hurt. Luckily we were both fine. Only the front bumper and part of the body of the car were scratched and looked quite bad. That was the moment I felt that a rental car accident was not just a story from others.
We called the police and talked to the other driver. Then we waited for the police to make a report. My English plus some simple hand signs in Italian were not great. I kept thinking about how much the damage would cost and if I had to pay everything by myself. When I returned the car the staff at the rental counter were normal. They took many photos and wrote notes and said the bill would come later. My heart was not calm at all. I had no idea how much they would charge me.
After I went back home the real trouble started. For the claim I needed to confirm the report with the police and also get the damage and fee details from the rental company. I had to prepare my passport copy payment records and the invoice for the damage. Several times when I tried to send files it just did not work and I was already busy with my kid. I started to feel a bit annoyed. Later I sent all the documents I could prepare to the customer service and asked them to help me follow up.
At some point the rental company mentioned lawyers and a legal case. Just hearing that made my head hurt. They also said they could not give many files because the case was in progress. I was checking emails while helping my kid with homework. Every new reply could change how much I needed to pay. Sometimes I was really worried that AXA might reject the claim and I would need to pay a big amount by myself.
During this time they kept reminding me that the insurance had a valid period and told me not to wait too long. I understood so whenever I got new documents I tried to send them as soon as possible. When all the possible files were finally sent the insurance side started the real review. That waiting time I kept doing math in my head. If I had to pay all by myself I would need to move our family budget and maybe cancel any trip for the next vacation.
When I got the notice that the claim was approved I felt like I could breathe again. The car damage and some related costs that were inside the cover of AXA Full Coverage were paid back to me. The money I had to pay myself was much less than I first thought. It did not break our daily family spending plan. For a parent who travels with a child this kind of safety feeling is more important than the exact amount of money saved.
Now when I talk to friends about that Italy trip I always say that you really need to look at the insurance when you rent a car. A plan that covers damage theft and also things like glass and tires makes a huge difference when something bad really happens.
One-Dollar FreezeI booked my car through QEEQ and I have to say I was first interested because of this thing where you can book with just 1 dollar. At that time I was planning my trip to Lamezia in Italy and I was looking at flights and checking my budget. In my head I kept thinking that my credit card bill should not explode. When I saw this Toyota Yaris automatic I thought I should lock this car first because the price was good and I did not want to lose it.
When I made the booking I used the One-Dollar Freeze. I only needed to pay 1 dollar at the start. When I clicked confirm I still felt a bit unsure and in my head I said to myself is it really just 1 dollar and will there be some trick later. Then I got the payment text from my bank and it showed exactly 1 dollar. I felt relaxed right away. It felt smart because my booking was safe and I did not have to put in all the money at once.
In the next days I just worked on other parts of my trip. I booked places to stay and checked some places to visit. Sometimes a small thought came to my mind that the car was not fully paid yet. I was not stressed because I knew the rest of the money would be charged before the trip started. I only needed to make sure there was enough money in my card. It felt like taking small steps instead of doing everything in one big push and my wallet did not feel so empty.
In the week before the trip I checked my credit card. I saw the hold was there and I told myself to stop spending on useless stuff and to keep the money for the car. I laughed a bit at myself because it was like I was sending a small note to my future self. Then one or two days before the start the payment finished by itself. There were no strange extra fees and it was the same amount as on the booking page. When I saw the bill I felt pretty calm and I thought the timing was just right.
For me the best part was that the pressure was low. Before most trips I have to pay for many things at one time like flights and hotels and other small things. My credit card always looks scary. This time I only paid 1 dollar first and then the rest when the trip was close. My mind felt lighter. At the start I was worried there might be some interest or hidden cost but there was nothing. The numbers were clean and simple.
I also noticed that they did not keep pushing me to do things and they did not send me a lot of complex emails. The whole feeling was like someone helped me hold a spot and then charged me at a good moment. For a young person like me who watches the budget this style is very friendly. The idea of first locking in and then getting charged later made me feel safer when I planned my total travel cost.
When I look back at this booking the thing I remember most is not the car itself. It is this part where I could book with only 1 dollar first. It helped me break the pressure into parts and I did not have to face a big payment at the start. I also did not have to worry about interest. It felt like everything was moving in order and I just needed to have the money ready at the right time.
One-Dollar FreezeWhat does it feel like when you book a car with only 1 dollar first? For me as a business traveler it made my mind feel much lighter.
I will start from the result. In early May I booked a car in Brindisi in Italy through QEEQ. It was a Volkswagen Polo automatic. I planned to pick it up around the morning of May 7 and return it around the evening of May 16. The whole trip was fine but what stayed in my head was their One-Dollar Freeze payment way.
Why did I feel so relaxed? At that time I had many other business bookings to pay. I was paying hotels and flights with my credit card. If I paid the full car rental amount at once my card limit would be very tight. I started to think maybe I should wait a bit before I booked a car. But car prices can change fast and sometimes cars are gone.
So how did I solve this? I saw that they let me pay only 1 dollar first to lock the car. I was a bit surprised. In my mind I asked myself is it really just 1 dollar. I decided to try. The booking was confirmed at once and on my card I only saw that 1 dollar hold. The rest of the money was not taken right away.
When did I pay the rest then? It was simple. The remaining amount was charged automatically closer to the pickup date. By that time my business budget was more clear. It was easy to check my bills and I did not feel a big sudden hit from a large payment. For me this timing felt just right.
What about credit card pressure? Since they did not take the full amount at the start the load on my card that month was much smaller. I could keep some space for other business costs. When you travel for work in another country many costs are not fixed. This way made me feel less worried.
If I use one simple line to say it I used only 1 dollar to hold the whole booking and then paid the rest at a better time. The process was smooth and I felt quite calm.
One-Dollar FreezeI was parking the Seat Arona back at the Milan airport and I was still thinking that the easiest part of this whole rental was the moment I booked it. The lights in the parking area were warm in the early evening. I turned off the engine, pulled the handbrake and looked at the car one more time. It felt like I was putting a whole trip back in its place. The real reason I dared to hit book at the start was their One-Dollar Freeze.
I am the kind of person who gets a bit nervous when using a credit card, especially for a car rental in another country. That night I was on my sofa at home, using my phone and taking my time to choose a car. I saw the note that said I could lock the car with only 1 dollar first. I read that line again and again. My chest felt lighter. I did not need to put the full rental amount on my card at once. I did not have to worry about a big payment hitting me right away.
I chose an automatic Seat Arona with four doors and five seats. It looked perfect for driving in Italy. At that time my trip was still a few weeks away. I was still checking flights and places to stay and I was not one hundred percent sure about everything. I was also afraid that a nice car would be gone if I waited. With only 1 dollar to hold the booking it felt very friendly for someone like me traveling from another country. When I tapped confirm I told myself I was just saving the car for now and the pressure was small.
When it got close to the start of the trip I saw the charge on my card. By then the plan was clear and I felt calm. The rest of the rental amount was taken automatically. There was no shock from a huge bill because I already knew it was coming. There was also no extra interest and that felt fair to me. I only needed to make sure my card had enough limit. The rest was handled by them and I did not have to stress.
When I arrived in Milan and walked out of the airport with my bags to the car rental counter I did not have that usual fear of a fresh big credit card hit. Most of the money was already taken before the booking started in a smoother way. It did not feel like a sudden punch to my wallet. The staff at the car company gave me the keys. I sat in the car and moved the seat and mirrors. Everything felt simple and clean.
On the return day I drove around the parking lot twice to find a good spot. My bags were in the back. There was still a bit of warm air in the car from the daytime sun. When I closed the door I thought that if this one dollar hold did not exist I might have waited and hesitated for a long time and maybe not booked early at all. My budget was not final when I started and I also did not want my credit card limit to be eaten up in one go. This style of payment fit me well as a visitor from abroad. My plans often become fully clear only later and I admit I can be slow to decide.
Now when I think about the whole thing I feel pretty good about QEEQ in my mind. This One-Dollar Freeze really lowered my fear of paying too much money at the start. The booking moment turned into something easy. I only had to give myself a small bit of certainty first and then I could set the rest of the payments step by step.
Dedicated customer serviceI want to start with my feeling. At first I was ready to lose a lot of money. Then because there was one person from the support team always following my case I slowly felt less scared and more calm. Around early April I picked up the car in Milan and later in the month I returned it in Palermo in Sicily. A few days after I came back home to Singapore I got an email from the rental company. They said I had to pay a big damage fee and also a management fee. When I saw the amount I was shocked. I drove very carefully and no staff at the return desk told me there was a problem. So I felt it was unfair and I also felt afraid that the money would really be taken from me.
I booked the car on QEEQ so I reached out to their support. I forwarded the email from the rental company and told them I really did not remember any accident. I only had one short video from the pick up time. From the first message I sent I was helped by the same support person every time. It did not change to another agent. This person checked the details with me and told me what they planned to do next so I knew what might happen. I did not hear how they talked to the rental company but I could feel that someone was on my side and helped me ask what really happened.
During that period I was quite nervous. I asked about the progress from time to time. Every time I sent a message someone replied quite fast. The tone was not cold. They explained step by step what was already done and what we were still waiting for. I sent them my pick up video and they also reminded me to see if I had any other proof so we could use it too. I do not really understand these damage processes so I just gave them everything I had and waited.
Later they told me what the rental company said about the damage and the cleaning. There were still some parts I did not really agree with but I could feel they did not ignore me. They checked the case from start to end and tried to explain it clearly. I already forgot some small details of the trip but I clearly remember the feeling that my case was taken seriously. As an overseas visitor renting a car in another country a few hundred euros is a big amount. It is very stressful to deal with a big rental company alone.
What impressed me most this time was not only the problem itself but the way the dedicated customer service followed my case. I did not feel that I was left alone to fight with the rental company. Even though the result was not perfect in my eyes I still remember that for a while there was someone patient on the other side helping me handle this trouble.
Price Drop ProtectorHow did I feel at first I actually felt a bit surprised. I suddenly got an email that said my car booking price went down and they already sent me a refund of the difference. I just stared at it and thought what did I do I did nothing and the money just came back.
I am planning a trip to Lamezia in Italy. I will pick up a Budget Nissan Qashqai manual around the afternoon of July sixth and return it in the afternoon of July eighteenth. When I booked the car I only wanted the right time and place and a good car. I did not think about the price changing later at all.
So where did this money come from It was because I chose the Price Drop Protector service when I booked. It means if the same car gets cheaper later they will switch my booking to the lower price and send me the difference. I did not log in again. I did not send any email. I did nothing. After some time I just saw the refund and the rental was almost forty euro cheaper.
I got curious and started to think what I could do with that money. In Italy it can pay for a few nice meals or several times of gas. For a student this extra saving feels really good. It feels like free money. Also I do not need to watch the price every day. They help me check it.
So this booking feels very easy for me. I just choose the car and the dates and let them and this Price Drop Protector take care of the saving part. QEEQ made this part a lot lighter for my wallet.
