"Dad what happened to the car" my kid asked me from the back seat in a car park in Launceston. I looked at the back of the Toyota Corolla and saw a scrape on the bumper. My mind went blank. I just thought one thing. I am in trouble and this will cost a lot.
I booked the car through QEEQ a few days earlier. I picked it up in Launceston and planned to drive to Hobart and return it about four days later. When I made the booking I chose AXA Full Coverage. My idea was simple. I drive in another country with a kid in the car and I feel nervous so one more layer of insurance should make me feel safer. I did not think I would use it so soon.
My first question to myself was. Is this very serious. Do I need to go to the counter right now. Then I remembered I bought full coverage. So I contacted their customer service and told them what happened. I also sent some photos of the damage. I was a bit stressed at that time. I had to calm my kid down and I also worried that my English was not clear.
They told me not to worry too much and said this kind of damage was inside the insurance cover. They asked me to follow the normal return process with the rental company and said when the final bill and payment came out I could send all records to them. When I heard this I felt a bit better because at least I did not need to pay a big amount on the spot.
A few days later I arrived in Hobart and returned the car. The staff checked the car and told me there was a damage fee of a bit more than 400 AUD. I agreed to pay but in my heart I was not happy. This money could pay for many fun things for me and my kid in Australia. After that I went back and prepared all the things they needed. I put together the charge from the rental company, the bank payment record, my driving license, my passport and the damage photos. Then I sent them all to the support team.
After this it turned into a simple question and answer process. I had just relaxed a little and they came back and asked me if I could also provide both sides of my ID card. I was surprised because I did not think of that. I checked my phone and saw I only had one side so I took a new photo of the other side and sent it. Some time later they told me that the number I gave looked like a credit card and they needed a debit card account plus the exact bank name and branch. I opened my China banking app and started to look for all this info and I laughed at myself because I did not prepare these things earlier.
During this time I also asked them many things. I asked if my files were enough and how long it might take. They kept replying and said they were still following my case and asked me to wait a bit. I was worried they might not pay or maybe pay only part of it because the rental contract showed an excess of more than 5000 AUD which looked really scary.
After some time they contacted me again and told me the insurance side had approved my claim and would pay 459.32 AUD. They reminded me to check my account. I even asked again to make sure. I said so this means I get back the full damage cost right. When they said yes I finally felt really relaxed. It was like this damage became just a scary memory but at least the money came back.
As a parent driving in another country with a kid this whole thing really showed me the value of AXA Full Coverage. At first I bought it only because I felt unsafe. Now I can see very clearly that without this insurance I would have to pay the four hundred plus AUD by myself. The process of sending and fixing all the documents was a bit tiring but when the 459.32 AUD arrived I felt it was worth it and I am more confident to rent a car again for my family next time.
The day I arrived in Milan alone with my suitcase, the weather was nice and the air felt like early summer. I had booked my car on QEEQ and went to pick it up around the afternoon of May 3. It was a Toyota Yaris from NOLEGGIARE, a small automatic car that looked pretty new. My mood was light and I just wanted to drive into the city.
When I first got the car I did not think too much about insurance. I only thought that since I bought AXA Full Coverage I should be safe. The counter staff showed me the contract and I signed it, then took the key and left. In my head it was only things like I can finally start my Milan trip.
The problem came on the return day. I remember it was around the afternoon of May 7 when I drove back to the office to return the car. The staff walked around the car and then suddenly stopped. He said there was a small scratch. He pointed to the side of the car near the wheel and said this needed a fee.
I was a bit confused. I was not sure if I made that scratch or if it was already there. He took out a form and wrote 180 EUR on it and asked me to sign. I asked him if it really had to be that much. He just kept pointing at the form and said it was their standard charge. I was standing there alone. His Italian accent was strong and I did not catch every word. I felt nervous but I still paid with my card because if I did not pay I could not return the car. When I swiped the card I thought to myself that it was good I bought AXA Full Coverage or this money would be completely on me.
After I went back to where I was staying I felt more and more upset. I opened my booking information and looked at the insurance part. I saw that it said I could claim for car damage. So I decided to try. I saved photos of the rental contract and the damage bill from the car company. I thought this was enough.
Later the customer service contacted me and told me that the contract and damage documents I sent were a bit blurry. They said it was hard to see and reminded me not to send very long screenshots. They asked me to send clear and complete files. I felt a bit embarrassed and took out the papers again. I put them flat and tried to take clear photos with my phone. I checked several times before I sent them.
Then they told me they also needed my credit card charge record because the car company had taken 180 EUR. They wanted a proof of that charge. I got a bit worried because my credit card statement is in Japanese yen. I wondered if this would be a big problem. I replied that my card was from Japan so my bill was in yen but I hoped the claim payment could be 180 EUR.
They replied quite fast. The meaning was that I did not need to worry and I only had to provide the yen credit card record that showed the payment. The insurance company just needed to check that I really paid the damage fee. They would tell the insurer that I wanted the payout in euro. At that moment I felt much better. It did not feel like I was struggling alone with all these papers. It felt like someone was helping me talk on the other side.
So I did what they said. I logged in to my credit card account and took a screenshot of the charge detail page for the car company. I checked the amount and the date and made sure it was correct and then sent it. For the next few days I was still a bit worried. I kept thinking that they might refuse because of the different currency or it might take a very long time.
After some time the customer service told me that the documents had been sent to the insurance company for review and they would let me know when there was progress. I put it aside and tried to focus on other things. A little while later they contacted me again and said the claim was approved.
When I saw that message I froze for a moment. I read it a few times and then I realized that the 180 EUR could really be paid back to me. They also confirmed the payout currency and said it would be in euro. At that moment I felt really moved. When the car office first told me to pay 180 EUR I was very upset and I even wondered if I should not have rented a car alone. But knowing that AXA Full Coverage helped me get this money back gave me a strong feeling that someone had my back.
For me the most important part of the whole process was that I only had to prepare what I could see in my hand, like the contract, the damage paper and the credit card charge proof. The rest of the talks with the insurance company were handled for me. I used a card that showed yen but I wanted the refund in 180 EUR and they helped pass on this request clearly.
When I got the notice that the claim was successful I really felt that buying this insurance was the right choice. Now when I think about my rental experience in Milan, there was this unhappy moment when the car company charged me. But because of AXA Full Coverage the ending was not bad. That 180 EUR did not just disappear and I am not as scared of renting a car alone in another country anymore.
That day in Vienna it was raining a bit and I was driving the nine seat car I booked on QEEQ. It was a Mercedes Vito and it felt really big and nice. I even told my friend this trip to Austria felt like an upgrade. Later I was backing up at a narrow corner and the car hit something. There was a long scratch on the side. I got scared right away and I thought the rental company would charge me a lot of money. On the return day around May 18 at noon I went to the Avis counter. The staff checked the car and then showed me some papers with several different charges. When I paid with my credit card I only saw a long number on the screen. When I changed it to my own currency in my head it felt really high. I remembered I had added AXA Full Coverage when I booked. At that time I just thought one more insurance was safer and I did not expect I would really need it. After I went back to my place I contacted their customer service and told them about the scratch and the few charges on my card. They asked me to send photos of my passport and the charge slips and so on. When I filled in my bank info it kept showing error and I felt a bit annoyed. But I did not want to just lose this money so I tried again and checked every number. After a while they reached out and asked me to confirm the total of all the charges. I added them up and told them the amount from my credit card and I also confirmed I wanted to get paid in euros. During those days I kept checking my card bill and looking at those tens of thousands of INR. It was a lot of pressure and I was afraid I would only get a small part back. Then they told me the claim was approved and the amount matched what the rental company took. I felt so much lighter in that moment. I thought this accident would ruin my Vienna trip but the car damage was all covered by AXA Full Coverage so it turned into just a scare and a lesson for me.
When I think about that broken windshield now the first picture in my head is the parking lot in Proserpine in Australia. The sky was really blue and the wind was strong. My kid was in the back seat asking to get out and take photos. I parked the Toyota Corolla from Europcar and thought the car was just right for the three of us. It was around three in the afternoon on April 9 and I was getting ready to return the car. I had picked it up the day before around the same time. It was supposed to be a very normal rental. Then I started the engine to drive to the return area and I heard a sharp pop. I froze. A clear crack showed up on the front windshield. It looked like a small lightning line growing to the side. My kid said from the back seat “Dad what happened to the glass.” My heart dropped and I only had one thought. This is bad and this will cost a lot of money. At that moment I was so glad I had picked AXA Full Coverage when I booked with QEEQ but I still was not sure if it could really cover this big damage. At the Europcar return zone the staff walked around the car. He looked up and saw the crack and his face changed right away. He called me over and showed me the check sheet. He said this was serious glass damage and they had to charge it by their rules. I understood the main idea. The bill would not be small. I started to count our trip budget in my head and I felt really tight inside. My kid asked in a low voice “Do we need to pay a lot of money.” I just said “Do not worry yet. I bought insurance. We see what happens.” At the counter I opened the email on my phone that showed I had AXA Full Coverage. The staff said they would still follow the normal process and the damage cost would first go to me but I could claim it with the insurance. He spoke pretty fast and I was a bit nervous so I just kept nodding. After we left the car lot I sat on a bench nearby and looked at the messages on my phone. My mind was kind of messy. One thousand five hundred and twenty three dollars is not a small number for a family trip with a kid. I started to put together all the things for the claim. I wrote the story of what happened and I checked the plate number and the contract number. I took clear photos of the glass. My kid asked “Will they really give us the money back.” I said “They should. This is what this insurance is for.” But inside I was worried. Later the customer service contacted me and reminded me to complete the details for the claim. I needed to write my home address and my bank account clearly. I used my address in Argentina on Obispo San Alberto. I was nervous and I even wrote my bank account wrong the first time. After some time they reached out and told me the account had a problem and I needed to check it again. I felt a bit embarrassed and also angry with myself. How could I write something so important in the wrong way. I checked my account information carefully and sent it again. After that this thing was always in my mind. Every time I thought about the 1523 dollars I picked up my phone to see if there was any news. My kid joked and said “If they give us the money we do not need to buy less ice cream right.” It sounded funny but it was also very true. On a trip with a kid every little cost is counted. One day I opened my email and saw the message that the claim was approved. The amount was 1523.00 USD. I let out a long breath. Only then I really felt that choosing AXA Full Coverage had saved our budget. Before this I was always scared that insurance had a lot of small rules and they would say this part is not covered and that part is not covered. This time they paid for the glass damage fully and the money came back to my account. I showed the message to my family. My kid only wanted to know one thing. “So we did not really lose money this time.” I smiled and said “No. They helped us take the hit.” There were some small troubles like checking my address and fixing the wrong account but when I compare that to paying 1523 dollars from my own pocket I do not feel these steps are hard at all. When I look back now I remember how scared I was in that parking lot in Proserpine when I stared at the crack in the glass and I compare it with how relaxed I felt when I saw the claim result. The difference is really big. I also feel they followed up very well and when the claim was finally paid I felt that buying this insurance was really worth it. As a parent traveling with a kid this feeling of being protected means a lot to me. If I had not booked through them and clicked that AXA Full Coverage at the start I honestly do not know how I would explain this extra bill to my family. Now this whole thing is just a small story from our trip and not a disaster.
I want to start with my feeling first. If I did not buy AXA Full Coverage when I booked with QEEQ, I think I would still be very worried about the car damage now. I picked up a Budget RAV4 in Christchurch airport around the morning of April twenty ninth. The weather was nice and I felt relaxed. My plan was simple. Drive for a few days and then return the car in Queenstown at the start of May. Then the accident happened. It was in the evening. I was backing out of a parking spot. I did not judge the distance well and I hit a parked car behind me. I heard a loud click and I froze. The first question in my head was how much do I need to pay. The second question was can the AXA Full Coverage really help me. Staff from the rental company came to check the car. They took photos and asked me to sign some papers. I only clearly understood one thing. They would charge a big amount from my card as a damage deposit. When I saw the bank message and the big number, I felt stressed. I was on a business trip and I had a budget but losing so much at once was still a shock. I contacted the platform and sent all the details and files I could find. At that moment I was nervous and I was afraid the process would be very hard. Their customer service then reached out to me. They asked me questions one by one. Do you have the rental contract. Do you have the damage invoice. Do you have clear damage photos. Can you give your bank information. I answered step by step. This made me feel a bit calmer because I felt someone was taking care of this problem with me. Later the rental company said the car was still under repair and they needed weeks to finish the final damage report. I worried it would take too long. But I kept getting messages telling me to watch the charges on my card. They checked if there was any double charge and reminded me what documents I still needed. This follow up made me feel I was not fighting with the rental company alone. When the rental company finally gave the full damage result and the official papers I sent all the documents again. During those days I often checked my bank account. I kept thinking will the claim really work. Will the amount be much lower than the damage cost. They told me they would handle the claim based on AXA Full Coverage and as long as the damage was covered and the documents were complete they would help apply to the insurance company for payment. When I finally received the claim payment I felt a big relief. The damage cost that had been charged by the rental company was mostly covered by the insurance. For a business traveler like me this made a huge difference. I might have needed to pay a large amount by myself but in the end most of it was paid back. Looking back I know that even if you are careful you can still make a mistake while driving. This time I hit a parked car while reversing and it was a hard lesson. But at least the AXA Full Coverage was really useful. From the accident to the deposit charge to waiting for the repair report and finally getting the claim money I could feel that they kept talking with the rental company and the insurance company for me. They blocked a lot of trouble in front so I only needed to prepare the things they told me to prepare. For me that support was very important.
When I dropped off the car at Auckland airport that morning the air was cool and the sky was pretty clear. I closed the door of the Toyota RAV4 and I actually felt quite relaxed because the little accident I had before was all taken care of. I booked the car on QEEQ. I landed in Auckland around April 12 and picked up the car on April 13 in the late morning. It was a RAV4 from Alamo with automatic gear. For an overseas visitor like me it was easy to drive. I planned to return it very early around April 22.
The moment I really remember is when the problem happened. One day I was driving in the city. A car in front of me rolled up some small stones. One stone hit my front windshield and a clear crack showed up in the corner. I froze for a second. My first thought was that this would cost a lot of money. When I got back to my place that day I checked the car more carefully and found a small mark on the edge of a tire. It was probably from parking too close to the curb the night before. I felt even more worried.
On the return day the staff at the rental counter noticed the glass crack and the tire damage very fast. They wrote everything down and showed me their price list. My head hurt when I saw the numbers. I was doing math in my mind and I knew my travel budget might be broken if I had to pay all of it by myself. They charged a sum of money to my credit card first. I understood this was the rule but I still felt upset. I kept all the papers they gave me.
Back at my place I started to check my old emails. I remembered that when I booked I added AXA Full Coverage. At that time I just thought it was extra safety. I did not expect I would really need it. I collected all the receipts the damage report the rental contract and the photos from the rental staff and then I contacted their customer service by email. Because I am an overseas visitor the time difference was a bit messy. Sometimes I was answering at night and sometimes early in the morning.
At first I was nervous. I was afraid I did not prepare the right documents and it would take a very long time. When the customer service replied they were patient and told me what I should send. I followed their list and also took a few more photos of the damage. For a few days I was busy with my trip so I did not send everything at once. After some days they reminded me again. I then realized I forgot a bank statement and I sent it quickly.
After I sent all the files I kept thinking about the case but all I could do was wait. One day I saw their email on my phone. It said the claim had been checked and it was covered by AXA Full Coverage. The crack on the windshield and the small damage on the tire were inside the coverage and also a small roadside cost was included. I felt a huge relief at that moment.
A little later my credit card showed that the money was already refunded. It felt like I suddenly saved a lot. I thought I would have to pay a big bill for the glass and the tire but because of AXA Full Coverage most of it was paid back. For someone like me who still feels like a student and does not have a big budget this money really matters.
When I think about my rental experience in Auckland the car itself was fine. The only problem was this accident. If I did not choose AXA Full Coverage at the start I might still feel bad now about that broken glass and that tire mark. I can still remember how cold I felt standing at the counter early in the morning when they showed me the damage. Then I think of the later email saying the claim was successful and my mood is totally different. There was some worry and some extra work to send all the documents but overall it was worth it and it made me trust their insurance service more.
