I can still see that day in St Thomas in my head. The sun was very strong and the Budget parking lot was close to the sea. The wind had a little salty smell. I was standing by the counter looking at the Toyota Yaris while the staff pointed at the door. In my mind there was only one question. How much is this damage going to cost me.
They asked me if I knew the door damage might be very expensive. In that moment my first thought was that I was really glad I booked through QEEQ and added AXA Full Coverage before the trip. If I did not have it I knew I could be in real trouble. Why was I so nervous. Because I was on a business trip and the budget for this whole trip was planned with my company. My own cash is not very high. A sudden bill of several thousand dollars for car damage would put huge pressure on me.
How did it start. It was around the afternoon of April seventh. I parked the car by the street to meet a client. I was not gone for long. When I came back I saw a big dent and scratch on the driver side door and the car that was next to me was already gone. I stood there on the road looking at that long deep mark. I took photos and kept asking myself in my head. Will they charge me for all of this. Can I even pay it. If I pay can I really claim it back. Are there many small rules that say they do not pay.
I quickly opened my email and checked the insurance I bought. I saw the AXA Full Coverage description. It said it covered car damage and theft and also some things that the rental counter full cover often does not include like glass and tires. It also mentioned road assistance and some personal and item loss situations with a very high claim limit. At that moment I felt at least I was not completely unprotected.
Later when I returned the car a day before the planned drop off around April ninth the staff did a full check. When he saw the door he called another coworker. They looked at it together and started a report. People around us were pushing suitcases and starting their vacations. I was just standing there waiting for a number. They told me the damage could be very expensive and it would follow their standard rules. I had no idea what that really meant in money. So I just made sure I kept all my photos my rental agreement and my personal details safe.
Then I contacted customer service and explained I was on a business trip and the car door was hit. I told them my biggest worry was the bill and the claim. I directly asked them if such a big amount could really be covered and what I needed to prepare. They gave me a clear answer. They said AXA Full Coverage is made for this kind of car damage and related costs. As long as it is inside the coverage limit and I provide the right documents the case can go into the claim process. They also reminded me to keep the invoice payment proof and my passport ready.
I asked myself another question. What if the rental counter wants me to pay full amount first. This was the hardest part for me. Seven thousand dollars is not a small number. I had just enough in my account but that would make my life very tight for some time. I still needed to travel to other cities and meet more clients. My stress would be very high. I told customer service this worry too. Their reply was very clear. The insurance works as a reimbursement. I need to settle the bill with the rental company first. Then I send the complete invoice and payment proof and the claim will be checked and paid to me according to the policy.
So what did I do. I tried to calm down and list what I could control. First I needed to be sure the rental bill only included items related to the door damage. Second I checked again the limit of the AXA Full Coverage and which parts were included. When I saw the claim limit was much higher than the amount Budget was talking about I felt a bit more stable. At least from the numbers it was not a hole I could never climb out of.
Because I am a business traveler I still had other meetings after this stop. I could not stay stuck on this problem. I talked with my family and my company to see if I could get support to pay first and then wait for the insurance to return the money. In my head I was not very happy. I kept thinking I already paid for this strong insurance so why do I still need to pay first. But when I thought more I understood this is just how many insurances work. I am the driver and the one who signs with the rental company. So the bill is under my name and later the insurance pays me not the rental counter.
During this time they did not just ignore me. They sent emails and answered calls to explain the rules and to remind me which things might not be fully covered like some loss of use fees so I would not expect every single line to be paid back. For someone like me who travels a lot for work but does not have endless money it helped a lot to have the rules explained clearly instead of just hearing that everything is fine.
When I look back at this experience now I know if I did not have AXA Full Coverage when I saw that deep dent on the door and the look on the Budget staff face I would probably break down. The claim process does ask me to pay first and prepare many documents. But at least I know that if I follow the steps there is a real and clear way for me to get my money back inside the coverage. For a business traveler like me that feeling of a safety net is very important.
Looking back now I feel the thing I did best for my trip in Bilbao was buying AXA Full Coverage when I booked with QEEQ. When I placed the order I was still thinking if I should really spend extra money. I was traveling alone and wanted to save some cost. But I worry a lot so I told myself it is better to have more protection and feel calm.
It was around the beginning of April when I flew from the UK to Bilbao. I picked up the car near the airport from the Sixt counter. It was a BMW 1 Series with automatic gearbox. The car looked pretty new. That morning around nine I drove out of the parking lot. The sun was strong and the road was not hard to drive. I even thought this trip would be very smooth.
The real problem came one or two days before return in the evening. I was alone driving in the city on a narrow street and tried to reverse into a space. There were many cars parked on the side. I thought the distance was enough and moved back slowly. Then I heard a long scratch sound and my heart just dropped. I got out of the car right away and saw a clear scratch on the side. It was not huge but you could see it very clearly and I knew this would cost money.
I stood by the road for a few seconds and felt a bit shocked. In my head I only thought this is bad and I will need to pay a lot. When I went back to my place I checked the car again and took many photos and some videos on my phone. At that moment I felt really thankful that I had bought AXA Full Coverage. Without it the pressure on me would be very big.
On the return day I went to the Sixt office in Bilbao a bit earlier than planned in the late afternoon. The staff walked around the car and saw the scratch right away. He called his coworker and they looked at it for a few minutes then told me there would be repair cost. I told him I had extra insurance and asked him to give me the needed papers. I still felt nervous inside and I was worried it might be very complicated.
After I got back home I prepared all the photos and the rental papers and sent all the information they asked for. In the next days the customer service kept in touch with me and checked the details and the amount. I remember one thing clearly. They asked me if I prefer the refund in GBP or in EUR. I live in the UK so I said GBP would be better but if not possible EUR is also fine as long as the money comes.
Later they confirmed the amount again. It was about 460 EUR which was around just under four hundred pounds. When I saw this number I thought that if I did not have this insurance and needed to pay it from my own pocket during a solo trip I would feel really bad. Now I only needed to wait for them to pay me back so the pressure was much less.
Some time later they told me the amount was confirmed and they would move on with the claim. Those days I was at work and sometimes missed their calls. They left messages and also sent me emails to follow up. After I finally replied and confirmed everything it did not take long before I got the message that the claim was successful and the 460 EUR was paid. I felt a big relief at that moment and I just thought I was really lucky that I chose AXA Full Coverage at the start.
What if I did not have insurance and had to pay all the damage myself. This thought really hit me only after the claim was approved. When I booked the car on QEEQ I added AXA Full Coverage. To be honest I just wanted some peace of mind. I had a business trip and I did not want to waste time at the counter with extra sales.
I rented the car in Melbourne near the end of April. I picked up a Toyota RAV4 from East Coast Car Rentals at about 1 pm on April 27 and I returned it the next day around 6 pm. The whole trip went very smooth and the car was quite new. It was an automatic so it was easy to drive. When I brought the car back the staff walked around the car and then stopped at the side of the door. He frowned and said there was a scratch there and that in their pick up photos this scratch did not exist.
I was very confused. I did not remember hitting anything. I tried to explain to the counter staff. I said I felt the door side was not very clean when I picked up the car but I also did not take close photos of that part. They told me that the photos in their system showed that part was fine. They also said if they started their claim process they would first charge a big excess amount on my credit card.
When I heard the amount my heart sank. It was not a small number for me. I kept asking the staff for details and at the same time I suddenly remembered that I had AXA Full Coverage. That gave me some courage. The staff said they would follow their rules and charge the full excess first. Later when the damage was fully checked they would compare the real cost and then refund the rest if there was any.
A few days later I got a receipt from the rental company. It showed they had charged the excess and also finished the damage check. The real damage amount was about two thousand Australian dollars. When I saw that paper my first reaction was not anger. I just felt now it was time to use the insurance I bought.
I contacted their customer service and sent all the files from the rental company. That was the charge slip the damage invoice and other things. For me it was just about collecting everything I had and trying to explain what happened. I also told them clearly that I did not take detailed photos when I picked up the car. I could only give what the rental company gave me.
During the talks I was quite nervous. The rental company was very sure that the scratch was not there at pick up and they had their own photos. I was ready for a bad result. I thought even if the claim was not fully approved at least I tried. The support side asked me to send all the documents I had and said they would try to help.
Later they told me the claim was filed based on my documents. I went back to my work and just waited for news. When I got the message that the claim was successful it was around the middle of May. I saw the same number again and this time I really felt relaxed. The damage of about two thousand Australian dollars was paid by AXA Full Coverage. The money that the rental company had taken from me was now coming back to me from the insurance.
When I look back the biggest point for me is that on a business trip it is very easy to lose focus. You rush for time you read emails you answer calls and many things happen at once. You cannot do every small step perfectly like taking clear photos of every part of the car. At the counter when they told me they had to charge the excess if I did not have this insurance the whole story would be much more painful and it might affect my later schedule and mood.
This damage was not a big accident. It was only on the side of the door but the cost was still high enough to hurt. Now I pay more attention to the protection when I book a car and not only the price. For me using AXA Full Coverage with them this time showed me its real value.
I will start from the end because that feeling还在我心里. The 690 euro damage bill was finally fully covered and I did not pay anything myself. When I knew that, my whole body relaxed. My shoulders真的放下来了. I just thought I was really lucky that I chose this insurance.
I booked the car on QEEQ and picked it up in Tirana, Albania. It was around the evening of May 7, close to ten at night. The sky was dark and the lights outside the airport were a bit yellow. I was alone with my backpack and small suitcase, walking to the otoQ counter. The guy at the counter was friendly. I got a Fiat Tipo with manual gear. I also drive manual in Poland so I felt okay. The car looked a bit old. There were some small scratches. He said they were old ones. I still took some photos, just to be safe.
The real problem came near the return day. It was already around May 15. The weather in Tirana was very bright and sunny. I was driving alone in the city. That afternoon I went through a narrow street. Cars were parked on both sides. At one corner I turned the steering wheel a bit too much. Suddenly the car got very close to a parked car. My heart just jumped and I heard a light scratch sound. It was not very loud but my whole body went stiff. My hands were wet. When I stopped and checked, I saw a long mark on the side. My stomach went cold.
My first thought was that I was in big trouble. I thought the rental company would ask for a lot of money. I was alone in a foreign country and I started to think about my budget and my life in Poland. In that moment I suddenly remembered that I had added AXA Full Coverage when I booked. Before this I only thought it was extra safety. Now it became my only hope.
My plan was to go back to Tirana on May 13, wash the car and fill the tank, then return it around three thirty in the afternoon on May 15. After the scratch I drove super carefully for the next days. When I finally went to return the car I arrived a bit early. A staff member walked around the car. He saw the damaged part very fast. He frowned a little, wrote on his paper and took some photos. Then he told me this damage would cost money and they would calculate the amount.
When he said that, my heart got tight again. He also said it might be a high amount. I started to do the math in my head. For someone from Poland like me, a few hundred euro is a lot. After I gave back the keys I sat aside and waited. Time felt super slow. My mind replayed that small corner many times. I felt a bit stupid for not turning slower.
Later they gave me the bill. The number was around 690 euro. I stared at it and I felt almost numb. Then I thought thank god I have the insurance. Without it I really could not handle it. The hardest part for me was not only the money. It was also the language and the feeling of not knowing what will happen. I speak Polish and simple English. The rental staff spoke Albanian and their English was not always easy to catch, so I felt nervous when we talked.
I contacted the platform customer service and explained everything. I told them I had the accident near the return day in Tirana and that the car company gave me a damage report and photos. They asked me to send all the things I had, like pictures of the scratch, the damage bill and my rental info. I stayed in my room that night, with the window open. Outside Tirana was a bit noisy. Inside I was sitting on the bed with my phone, checking emails, taking photos and uploading step by step. I was scared I might miss some document and then they could not pay me.
After I sent everything, they said they would help me go through the claim with the insurance. So I waited. I flew back to my normal life in Poland but my mind was still half in Albania. During the day when I was studying I would suddenly think of that 690 euro. At night when I used my phone I would open the photos of the scratch again. Every time I saw it I felt annoyed and a bit angry at myself.
Some time later they contacted me again. They told me the claim was approved and the 690 euro damage would be paid. When I read that message I just sat there for a second. Then I felt really light inside. It was like someone took a heavy stone away from my chest.
For me the biggest feeling from this is that having this full coverage behind me makes me less scared to rent a car alone. This scratch was not a big accident. No one was hurt. But the money was big for me. Without AXA Full Coverage I think I would have a shadow in my heart about renting cars in the future. When I first picked up the car in Tirana at night I never thought I would really need this insurance. I only thought extra protection is maybe smart. Later I saw it actually saved me.
During the claim, what stayed in my mind most is the feeling that I did not fall on the ground. At first I was afraid the rental company would charge me in some strange way. I was afraid of the language gap and that the process might be super hard. Then this fear slowly changed. I felt more calm because I knew someone on the platform side and the insurer would handle the case based on my papers. I did not have to run between companies and make many calls myself.
When the money was confirmed I finally understood that this service is not just some words in a contract. It is something real that can help someone like me. Now when I think about my days in Tirana I still see that narrow street and hear that small scratch sound in my head. But I also remember the moment later in my student room in Poland. The sky outside was gray. My phone screen showed the message that the 690 euro would be covered. In my mind there was only one clear thought. I was really glad I chose this full coverage at the beginning.
"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.
This business trip in Seoul was going pretty smooth until a small thing happened near the end. I booked my car on QEEQ. I picked up a Kia K5 in Seoul around the morning of April 28, 2026, and planned to return it on the afternoon of May 5 in Seoul. Since it was a business trip and my schedule was tight, I added AXA Full Coverage from the start. I did not want to worry about insurance.
So what happened? One day I parked the car in a legal street spot and went to a meeting. When I came back, I saw a scrape on the front bumper. A small area of paint was damaged. I had no idea which car hit it. My first thought was “The rental company will charge me a lot, right?” I took several photos and kept thinking about how much money I might need to pay.
When I returned the car, the staff at the rental counter checked the car and saw the scratch. They said they needed to record it and there might be a fee. Their attitude was normal, but I was still nervous when I heard about the charge. I just gave them all the information they needed. At that moment I was really glad I bought AXA Full Coverage. If not, my business trip budget would be in trouble.
After that I saw pre authorization and charge information on my credit card from the rental company. The amount did not look small. My heart sank for a second. Then I remembered I could ask them to help me with the claim. I collected the photos, the rental agreement and other things I could find and told customer service that the car was parked and got hit by someone unknown. I was a bit worried they might say no.
They asked me many clear questions like where the car was parked, the rough time, and if anyone was injured. I answered them one by one. I also wondered if this would be too much trouble and if it would take very long. They kept following up with me and a few days later asked if I had received the final charge receipt from the rental company. I sent it when I got it. For me the whole process was mainly preparing documents and waiting for news.
After some time they told me that AXA had approved the claim and would pay back the amount that was charged, within the policy limit. I felt very relieved at that moment. My only question then was if the money would really arrive. Soon they confirmed the exact amount and when I saw the reimbursement come through, I felt that all the stress before was finally worth it.
Looking back, if I had not added AXA Full Coverage, this damage from someone else hitting my parked car would be fully on me. For a business trip with already high costs, that would be a big pressure. Now I did feel nervous in the middle and I spent some time on the claim, but the loss was covered in the end. For someone like me who often travels for work, this makes the trip much easier on my wallet.
