Autoeurope "buyback"

I was on the Autoeurope website checking out rates (for 21 days), and looked at the Peuegot %26quot;Buyback%26quot; option, which of course is not a %26quot;buy%26quot; back at all, but a %26quot;lease.%26quot;

No matter how many times I read the information, I could not see where it is different from a regular car rental, except mabye a nicer car, and definitely at a higher price (even taking into account all fees covered vs fees that need to be added to rentals). So how is this supposed to save money?

What am I missing?

Merci

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Leasing is not the great alternative to renting that it once was. The advantages of leasing come into play when you want a car for a period longer that the CDW coverage of your credit card allows. Some credit cards (Visa/MC) cover CDW for periods of approximately 14 to 28 days. If you card covers only 14 days and you need a vehicle for 21 days, you%26#39;ll now be comparing leasing with a full insurance rental, a comparison which usually make leasing cheaper.

Declining rental insurance (which can have a very high deductible anyway) and using the credit card insurance coverage usually makes renting cheaper than leasing/buy back.

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Thanks.

We have looked into using our credit card insurance coverage. We had Capital One send us the %26quot;fine print.%26quot; Not as great a deal as it first seems, as one must first pay for damages and then try to collect from Capital One. And they are the final arbiters.

We%26#39;ve driven a lot in Europe, and never had so much as a nick; still, we are not willing to risk tying up our credit card paying for any possible damage on the chance that Capital One will indeed come through in the end.

Bottom line, we usually buy the DCW.

And I%26#39;ll pass on the %26quot;Buy back.%26quot;

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As someone who has made a claim with Visa, I can say the process was made easier by dealing with an insurance entity in the US. Ultimately our case was resolved with our paying nothing. We were clearly without fault and had followed all of the French formalities of obtaining a %26quot;Déclaration de Main Courante%26quot;.

As I have stated, the deductibles usually offered with CDW purchased from a rental company are quite high and in either case, you are correct in stating that your credit card will initially be charged for the damages.

If liability and foreign legal procedures are a concern, the lease plans are said to include full, non deductible insurance coverage.

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We are leasing a car from Citroen, in France for the third time, in May this year.

I just re did the figures to double check, and with insurance etc, to rent would cost us an extra $430 more than leasing over a 22 day period.

We book early to get 7 days free on an early bird plan, get 3 days free with a loyalty program, and 10% off the remainder as we own a Citroen in Australia. Also, it is so nice to get a brand new car.

It works for us.

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Thank you both for your input. We%26#39;re still crunching numbers.

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We too suzioz

63 days in Citroen C4 diesel manual (around Toyota Camry size if you aren%26#39;t familiar). AUD2600 (around E1300) and this includes around $350 in additional fees for pick outside France.

Of course, the longer you lease the cheaper it becomes. But the real bonus is you can travel all over Europe without any extra charges. In addition there aren%26#39;t any crazy CDW charges or excesses.

Downside: The tank isn%26#39;t full when you pick it up and if you are unlucky enough to breakdown in this brand new car, you can%26#39;t ring the rental company and ask for another one.

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I have done the Kemwel lease/buyback. I think it is now part of Auto Europe. I always rent an automatic and do take the CDW. When I compared the rental with the lease..the lease was actually cheaper. I only needed it for 16 days, not the 17 pluse days for a lease. You can always turn it in early, as I did.

It was a brand new car. More of VIP attention. Do not need to fill the tank before return. You are 100% insured.

I would definitely do it again.

You just need to check and compare for what might be the best for you under your circumstances. No one way is best!!

Joan

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Whenever I compare the cost of a lease/buyback from the Australian agents for French car companies against the cost of a rental direct from the French sites of the major car rentals, the rental comes off better. The quoted price of the rental includes insurance with an excess, and the excess is covered by my travel insurance.

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