That morning in Busan I was standing by the parking lot with my suitcase. The sea wind was a bit cold and the sun was not very high yet. I saw the big Kia Carnival from GREEN MOTION parked there. Nine seats and only me driving it away. I felt excited but also a little nervous. It was my first time driving such a big car alone in Korea. I talked to myself in my head and said I was glad I picked AXA Full Coverage on QEEQ because if something happened maybe I would not panic too much.
When something really happened it was actually the second night. The picture in my mind is still very clear. The street lights were not very bright. I was driving slowly and trying to find a place to turn around. There was a post on the side that I did not really notice. Then I heard a soft thump from the back of the car. My heart jumped right away. I stopped at once and got out to check. At the back bumper there was a scratch and some paint was gone. I stood there with my phone light on it and thought in my head that this might cost a lot of money.
At that moment I remembered that I had AXA Full Coverage. I felt a bit calmer. I started to take many photos with my phone from different angles. I also took photos of the plate and the inside and the area around the car. I was talking quietly to myself saying it is better to take more than less. Even with the insurance I still worried because I was in another country. I did not know if it would be very hard to explain everything.
If I jump back a little to when I booked the car I saw that this insurance covered damage and theft and also things like glass and tires. Usually the basic full cover at the counter does not always protect those parts. It also said it can cover roadside help and personal accident and lost items and even problems when you get the car late. The limit was up to fifty thousand dollars. I am normally traveling alone so I felt more protection is better. If something goes wrong it is hard for one person to take all the money pressure. So I chose it without thinking too much.
Now back to the return day. I brought the car back to Busan a bit earlier like on April eighth in the morning before nine. I parked the car and the GREEN MOTION staff came to check it. I was standing there and saying in my head that I hoped it would not be too bad. He soon saw the scratch on the back bumper of course. He wrote everything on his form and then showed me the repair estimate. When I saw the number I kind of expected it but I still said wow inside my mind because it was more than I thought.
I paid the bill right there. When I tapped my card the first thing in my mind was not pain. It was to keep all the papers safe. I told myself that I would ask them for a claim later. So I folded all the receipts and put them carefully in my bag. Then I checked my phone again to make sure I had all the photos.
After that I told the story to their customer service in a simple way. I explained what happened and sent the photos and the repair bill and the card slip. The person who talked to me sounded calm. I did not feel like they were trying to push me away. It felt more like they were saying just give us what you have and we will check it. During that time I still worried. I was afraid I missed some detail in the photos. I was also worried there might be some problem where the repair money and the charged money do not match and that would make things more messy.
A few days later they asked me to add some details and some more damage files. I sent everything I could find. In my head I kept asking how long this would take. I also told myself that since this is AXA Full Coverage and the range is so clear it should be okay.
At one point I felt they were checking with the rental company and maybe the repair side because someone told me that the repair amount and the paid amount seemed different and they needed to confirm. When I heard that I got a bit nervous and also wanted to laugh a little. I said to myself that fixing cars abroad is really confusing. But one thing that made me feel safe was that they still replied to me and did not just disappear.
Near the end of April I opened an email and saw that my claim amount was 352.23 euro. I stared at it for a moment and read the number again. I had a small feeling of surprise like so it is already done. The message meant that the claim passed and I would get this money back. I was in my room and I said out loud that this was great and it was finally solved.
When I look back at the whole thing I first handled the damage at the counter and paid it myself. Then I gave all the papers and photos to them. The communication was not super fast but it was still okay for me. The most important part is that the money really came back and it was not a tiny amount. Three hundred fifty two point twenty three euro is a lot for someone traveling alone and still kind of like a student in style.
I keep thinking that if I did not choose AXA Full Coverage when I booked the car on QEEQ then I would have to pay all of this by myself. Just thinking of that makes me feel a bit scared. Paying a little more for the insurance at the start and then getting a successful claim this time feels very worth it. I was nervous and worried in the middle of the process but at least I knew I had support behind me. For someone driving alone in Korea like me that feeling means a lot.
When I think about this trip now, the easiest moment was actually the day I got the payout. I opened my account and saw extra 412 pounds. I felt my whole body relax. I was really glad that I booked the car through QEEQ and added AXA Full Coverage at the start.
They sent me an email that said my claim was approved and the amount was clear. I only needed to confirm some simple info. For me the whole claim part was not very hard.
The bad feeling came earlier when I returned the car. It was around noon on March 29. I drove the Nissan Leaf back to the Manchester return point with my kids. The car was full of bags and snacks and everyone was tired. I thought the check would be quick. The staff walked around the car and then called me over. There was a scratch near the back door. Under the sun it looked pretty clear. My heart dropped. I thought this might cost a lot.
The staff was calm. He took photos and wrote things down and asked me to sign a damage form. My kids were a bit noisy so I felt stressed. At the same time I was scrolling my phone to find my booking emails. I saw the part that said I had AXA Full Coverage and I felt a bit better. I knew I could talk to customer service and try to get my money back later.
After I got home I put all the files together. I had the damage report from the counter, the photos from them, and my own pictures from earlier days. When I talked to their customer service I just explained the story in simple words and sent all the photos and files. They wrote back quite fast and told me they would deal with the insurance side and I just needed to wait.
For a few days I kept thinking about it. A few hundred pounds is not a small number for us, especially when I travel with my kids and already spend a lot on food and tickets. Then they contacted me again and said the amount was confirmed and the cost would be fully covered. I only had to give my payment details. When I finally saw the 412 pounds in my account I felt so relieved. I was really happy that I chose this insurance because with kids around I cannot watch everything all the time and this made me feel much safer.
What is the scariest thing when you rent a car? I used to think it was the car getting stolen. Then I learned that even a small scratch on the door can make your heart jump. I booked my car on QEEQ. It was a Fiat 500X Cabrio in Naples. I picked it up around the afternoon of March 30 and I was traveling alone, feeling pretty relaxed. Around April 6 when I was about to return the car, I found a clear scratch on the door in the car park. It was not very long, but you could see it right away. In that moment I had only one thought in my head. I am going to pay a lot of money. When I returned the car, the staff at the rental counter checked everything very carefully. They saw the scratch and started to write things down. Their attitude was normal, but they told me there would be a charge and it might be high. When the bill came, it was more than seven hundred euro. I was kind of shocked. That number was scary to me. I was really glad I had bought AXA Full Coverage. If not, I think I would feel bad for a very long time. I took a few clear photos of the scratch on the door. I also kept the bank charge record. Then I sent all this information to them. I was still worried because the bill from the rental company was not very clear and they did not seem to have full repair papers. I was afraid that after all this I would still pay by myself. During this time they kept asking the rental company for proof and invoices. On my side I only had photos and my explanation, so I could only wait. I kept changing the seven hundred euro into pounds in my head and it felt like my travel budget was cut again. Later they told me the amount was checked and they would pay me based on the real charge. The payout was 801.64 euro. I checked it with the rental bill and it basically matched, so I finally felt calm. When the money arrived in my account, I almost did not believe it. I had worried for so long and in the end they really paid back the full amount. I thought about it again. If I did not buy AXA Full Coverage, this return would be a disaster for me. Now when I remember that scratch I still feel a bit scared, but more than that I feel lucky that I bought this cover.
It started with a problem. I was traveling alone in Christchurch in New Zealand and I booked my car on QEEQ. I chose a Toyota Yaris hybrid from SNAP. I picked up the car around the afternoon of February 16 and planned to return it around the 18th in Christchurch. I felt pretty happy because the car was small and used less fuel. It was automatic so it was easy for me to drive alone. Then the trouble came.
The day before I returned the car I was driving near the city. I turned at a junction and the car in front of me braked very hard. I stepped on my brake right away but there was still a small hit. The front bumper of my car got a long scratch. I had only one question in my head. How much will this cost me.
I got out and looked at the car. It did not look like a total disaster but it was clearly not a tiny scratch. I asked myself if buying AXA Full Coverage before was a good idea. I remembered when I made the booking I saw this insurance. It said it covered car damage and even things that normal rental full cover did not cover. It also said the limit was pretty high. Since I was traveling alone I wanted to feel safe so I clicked it. At that moment by the road I felt a bit lucky but I was still scared there would be a lot of trouble.
The next day I went back to the SNAP office to return the car as planned. The staff checked the car and stopped for a while at the damaged part. He pointed at the scratch and asked me what happened. I told him honestly that I hit something when I turned the day before. He took photos and wrote notes. My heart started to beat faster again. I wondered if they would charge my card a big amount right away. I asked him how much it might be. He only said they needed to follow their rules and would send me a bill later. I just nodded because there was nothing else I could do.
Back at my place I opened my email and saw the bill from the rental company. When I saw the number I asked myself again what I should do. The amount was not tiny and for a student like me it was real pressure. Then I remembered the insurance I bought. I searched my emails and found the policy. I checked it again and saw it was AXA Full Coverage. So what should I do next. I sent them an email and attached all the files. I put in the rental bill the photos and the rental agreement.
Their support team contacted me. They asked me to explain what happened and asked if anyone was hurt and if I called the police. I answered honestly. No one was hurt and there was no police report. It was just a low speed bump. After that it was time to wait. New questions came to my mind. Will they reject my claim. Will this take forever.
After a few days they told me that my documents were sent to the insurance company and were under review. They said the claim amount would be in New Zealand dollars. I wondered how much they would pay. Then they told me the number. It was NZD313.38. They said this was the reviewed payout amount and they also gave another number for comparison in another currency. I did a quick check and saw that this money could cover a big part of the bill from the rental company. For me this was very important.
They asked me to confirm if this NZD amount was okay for me. I thought if I should argue for more but I felt this already helped a lot. So I said yes. A short time later they told me that NZD313.38 would be sent to me. My new question was if the money would really arrive.
A few days later I checked my account and saw the money came in. It was exactly 313.38 New Zealand dollars. I was a bit surprised because from the accident to the payout there were many steps but they all worked. The money was real in my account. I looked again at the rental bill and compared it. This payout solved the part that scared me the most.
When I think about the whole thing I remember all the questions in my head. First it was how much I must pay. Then it was if the insurance would accept my claim. Then it was when the money would come. In the end each question got an answer. For someone like me who travels alone and does not have a big budget this AXA Full Coverage really helped me. That scratched bumper did not destroy my whole trip and did not break my bank.
To be honest I felt really bad when I saw a big charge on my card. I booked the car on QEEQ and picked it up at Nice airport around March 21 at noon. The rental company was Avis and they gave me a BMW X3. The car looked pretty new and I was quite happy at that moment. When I drove it out the staff walked around the car with me very fast. I took some photos by myself just in case. Around April 4 in the morning I went back to return the car. The staff said there were scratches on the body and some parts needed repair. They showed me a paper and the amount shocked me. It was about more than 1000 USD. I just stood there and felt a bit frozen. I was really worried because my trip budget felt broken in one second. Later when I calmed down at my place I remembered that I bought AXA Full Coverage when I made the booking. So I collected all the papers and photos. I also kept a clear photo of the damage bill from the rental counter. I contacted them and sent all these files. They asked me to complete my address one more time and I followed that and wrote my full address again. I could feel that they kept checking my case and they reached out when they needed something. For me the whole thing was not very hard. I just shared everything that could show what really happened. After some time they told me that my claim was approved. The amount was 1087.70 USD. It covered what the rental company charged me and even a bit more. When I saw the money come back into my account I finally relaxed and let out a long breath. I also felt really glad that I chose this AXA Full Coverage at the start. Without it I think my whole feeling about this car rental would be totally different.
What insurance did you buy that time my friend asked me on the phone. I said it was the AXA Full Coverage one and I was really glad I bought it.
So this is what happened. I booked the car on QEEQ and flew from Singapore to Osaka. I picked up the car in the city on April eighth in the afternoon. It was a Toyota Noah from CRQ CarRent a seven seater. The staff at the counter gave me the key and reminded me that the car was big so I should be careful when I park. I felt quite proud then. I thought I had many years of driving and it would be fine.
The real problem came later. One evening I parked the car in a pretty narrow parking lot. The sky was a bit dark and the lights were not very bright. When I was reversing I thought the distance was enough. When I got out and checked there was a scratch at the back of the car. The metal was scraped and it looked really bad. My family went quiet. I started to panic right away. In my head I kept thinking how much I would have to pay.
On the return day I drove the car back to the Osaka city branch two days earlier than my first plan. I reached there around three in the afternoon a bit earlier than the time on my booking. The staff walked around the car and checked everything. He quickly saw the scratch. He did not say much. He just took out a paper and asked me to sign and said there would be repair and costs later. My hands were sweaty when I signed. I kept counting in my mind. If I had to pay all of it myself my travel budget would be broken.
Back in the hotel I remembered that when I made the booking I chose AXA Full Coverage. In that moment I felt a big relief. I thought maybe I was not so careless after all. I took all the things they needed like photos of the damage and the return paper. I put them together and sent them. I was still a bit nervous when I uploaded them. I was afraid I missed something.
After some time customer service contacted me. They checked some details and asked about the time of the accident and what it was like. They sounded patient. I felt like they were helping me make the story clear. I told them honestly about the weather that day the light and how the parking lot looked. Those days I was still worried. I was not sure if there would be extra costs or some problem with my claim.
Later they told me the insurance side was working on it and I did not need to worry too much. It felt like my heart was still hanging in the air but slowly came down. After a while I got a message that said the cost of the damage was covered by AXA Full Coverage and I did not need to pay more. I let out a big sigh and read the message again and again to make sure I saw it right.
When I think about the whole thing my feelings were up and down from the start to the end. At first I was scared and I blamed myself and thought I should be more careful. Then I felt lucky because I did not try to save money by skipping the insurance. As a visitor coming from Singapore to Japan driving in a place I do not know very well there can be many small accidents. AXA Full Coverage really helped me this time and stopped a small mistake from turning into a huge problem.
