Can you really get your money back when a rental car is damaged in another country? I only truly relaxed when I saw the claim payment arrive in my account. I had booked the car on QEEQ for a business trip to San José, Costa Rica in mid March. I picked up a Mitsubishi Asx from Europcar around the morning of March 11. The air was hot and heavy when I walked out to the parking lot with my carry on. I saw the silver car and felt pretty happy. I thought this car would carry me through all the client meetings. Near the end of the trip, the accident happened. One evening I was driving back to San José. A car next to me suddenly changed lane. I turned the wheel fast and my car scraped the barrier on the side of the road. The sound of the brake was sharp and harsh. When the car stopped I froze for a few seconds. My hands were shaking. I got out and checked. There was a big scratch on the bumper and a dent. The street lights were slowly turning on. The air smelled wet and heavy. My first thought was I am in trouble now this will cost a lot. I returned the car about the afternoon of March 20 at the San José office. The desk staff walked around the car slowly. His face turned serious. He started taking pictures and brought out some papers. He tried to explain the damage cost. His accent was a bit strong. I only caught that it was over one thousand dollars. My heart sank. I saw my travel budget breaking in my head and also thought about how I would explain this in my expense report. I had bought AXA Full Coverage from them before the trip because it said it could cover damage, theft, glass, tires and so on and the cover could go up to fifty thousand dollars. Standing at the counter I felt lucky that I bought it. At the same time I was worried the claim might be a mess and maybe they would not pay at the end. Back at the hotel I took clear photos of the damage one by one. The light on the car paint was too bright. I had to squat down to find the right angle. My trousers got dust on them. In my head I kept blaming myself for not being careful. I also kept thinking if this claim does not work this trip will become a loss for my company. When I reached the customer service team I sent them all the photos. The wording on the policy was a bit hard for me so I just kept asking one thing. Can this case be covered. They told me to send all I had and said they would help deal with the rental company and the insurer. As someone who flies a lot for work the last thing I want is to fight with a rental counter alone and argue about terms I do not fully understand. Over the next days I went back to my normal work. I joined meetings and replied to emails. In the back of my mind I was still thinking about the claim. From my side I only saw that they kept following up. When they needed to confirm an amount or a currency they contacted me and asked in a calm way. There was no feeling that I was bothering them. When I first saw the number it was a little over one thousand US dollars. I checked it with what I remembered and also with my card pre authorization. I confirmed I wanted it in US dollars and I told them how much I expected to be covered. For a business traveler every amount is part of the cost control so I was ready for the worst outcome. One morning at the office I turned on my laptop and an email popped up. It said the claim was approved and the payment would be 1184.74 US dollars. I read the number twice then checked my account. When I saw the money really there my shoulders finally relaxed. It felt a bit like finishing a big project overnight and the client saying yes. The stress just drops away. When I think back the main thing I feel is this. Without AXA Full Coverage I might still be arguing with the rental company or I would have simply paid the one thousand plus dollars myself. First I was scared at the counter when I heard the damage bill. Then step by step I got that money back. As someone who travels to many countries for work a small accident on the road can break a whole budget. This time the car damage was fully reimbursed and that gave me a lot more trust in this kind of extra cover from them. Next time I drive in a country where I do not know the roads so well I will feel less nervous.
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