The warning about renting a car in Ecuador is that when I arrived at the counter of the rental car company at the airport in Quito to pick up the vehicle after being delayed at least 90 minutes due to inclement weather, the total cost of the rental vehicle had more than doubled.
Warning About Renting a Car in Ecuador
I was expecting the rental vehicle to cost $111.29 for four days in Quito, which included all taxes and fees.
When the man behind the counter asked about insurance, I initially denied it, as I simply told him that my credit card will cover it. He responded that insurance from the use of credit cards is not accepted in Ecuador and that purchasing insurance was mandatory.
“¿Cuanto dinero?”, I asked.
“$35.00”, he replied. Per day.
I was shocked. Suddenly, the total cost of the rental shot up from $111.29 to $285.17. That difference of $173.88 represents an increase of greater than 156 percent.
I was tired; the time was late; I still had not had dinner yet; and I would not even arrive at the hotel property for at least another hour — plus I had to assume that other rental car companies charged a similar fee. I basically had no choice at that moment but to accept the terms and conditions so that I could at least get to the hotel property…
…and I needed the car for a couple of excursions which I had planned outside of Quito — otherwise, I would have found another mode of transportation that I could have used for significantly less money.
No Obvious Notice
I initially booked the reservation for the rental car in Quito through Priceline via AutoSlash, which is a service that almost always finds the lowest rates on rental vehicles. The reservation appeared in my Avis account after matching the membership numbers. Nowhere during the process did anything appear that purchasing insurance was mandatory.
The following paragraphs do appear under the terms and conditions of renting a vehicle with Avis in Ecuador…
Mandatory Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or Partial Damage Waiver (PDW) is required when picking up the rental. Avis Ecuador does not accept insurance from any credit card, external or own insurance policies or insurance from other companies purchased online. Purchase of this coverage in which the client is waived from all financial responsibility in case of accident or total loss of the vehicle, as long as it was being used under the terms and conditions of the rental agreement. This coverage does not cover damages to tires, rims or windshield as a result of any car accident or loss of accessories –wheels, emergency, tire, rims, radio, headrest, rear view mirrors, car antenna, car fire extinguisher, in addition to theft of engine parts and motor components.
If customer declines: The customer is responsible in the case of damage or loss of accessories, the repair for the full cost. In the case of total loss or damage greater than 45%, the customer is responsible for 25% of the commercial value of the vehicle.
Theft protection is not included. It covers third party coverage up to 5,000USD. An additional 10 percent of price value of the vehicle will be charged in case of total loss.
…but not only was I not allowed to decline the insurance coverage, I was never informed at any time during the process of booking the reservation exactly how much the mandatory insurance would cost me — not even an estimate.
Even worse is that if I was involved in an accident, I would have been liable for the first $1,000.00 as a deductible; and accepting that insurance coverage effectively voids the rental car insurance benefit of the credit card which I used to pay for the rental. Fortunately, I returned the vehicle in the same condition as when I had first collected it at the beginning of the rental.
I did not see that verbiage from Avis with Enterprise, Sixt, and other rental car companies that serve Ecuador…
…but the following potentially confusing text does appear under the terms and conditions of renting a vehicle with Enterprise in Ecuador:
Collision Damage Waiver-Theft Protection (CDW-TP) is not insurance. The purchase of CDW-TP is optional and not required to rent a vehicle in Ecuador. If CDW-TP is purchased, the rental company contractually waives the responsibility for all or part of the cost of damage to, loss, or theft of the vehicle during the rental period unless the coverage is invalidated as outlined in the rental agreement. A deductible of up to 2,500 USD will apply. CDW-TP will not cover damage to vehicle accessories or tires. CDW-TP is included in the Enterprise Protection Package (EPP).
Please be aware that most auto insurance policies from outside Ecuador do not provide coverage in Ecuador. Employees of the local rental car company are not qualified to evaluate the adequacy of the customer’s auto insurance coverage. The renter should contact their insurance company before arrival with any questions regarding their specific coverage. If the renter declines both CDW-TP and EPP, the renter is responsible for the full value of damage to, loss, or theft of the vehicle.
The following warning appears when you continue through the process of renting a car with Sixt:
You are liable for all damage and theft up to the full value of the rental vehicle plus admin fees. Your personal insurance or credit card may not fully cover this rental.
Each rental car company has its own murky and vague language about insuring the rental car…
…but none of the rental car companies reveal that the purchase of insurance is mandatory as per the laws of the government of Ecuador — nor the actual total cost of the rental during the reservation process.
The Response From Avis
A survey was sent to me about my experience with Avis regarding the significant upcharge; so I decided to take a few minutes to complete it. The response which I received is as follows:
Dear Brian,
Thank you for taking the time to tell us about your recent experience. We appreciate your feedback since it helps us improve our service and your rental experience.
I deeply regret that we were not able to meet your expectations regarding your previous rental.
Good news or bad, comments from Avis customers help us to evaluate our services and if necessary, change to meet your expectations:
Unfortunately, due to local policies in each country, card insurance is not accepted in Ecuador, and deductibles such as VISA, MASTERCARD, etc. are not subject to the terms and conditions of each country. You can find this information in the local terms and conditions on all official websites. We recommend purchasing insurance from that website to avoid paying more at the counter.
Sincerely,
• Name redacted •
Avis
So much for that, I suppose.
Final Boarding Call
No one should be promised one rate and be forced to pay another rate in any transaction — especially when the increase itself is more money than the original rate that was agreed upon by all parties.
If insurance is mandatory on the rental of a vehicle, including it as part of the advertised rate should be required — as well as an explanation for the higher rate that is obvious and not hidden in fine print somewhere else. Anything less is unacceptable, inexcusable, and borders on false advertising that is similar to mandatory fees that are charged by airlines and lodging companies.
The information of the articles at the blog of AutoSlash is usually quite accurate, detailed, and dependable. Surprisingly, no articles discuss renting a vehicle in Ecuador. Also, neither AutoSlash nor Priceline — which partners with AutoSlash for the actual booking of the rental vehicle — definitively warns about the cost of mandatory insurance.
The experience significantly soured Avis in my mind as a result; and I may very well avoid renting from that rental car company from here on in pending their response to a complaint which I filed with them. If you need a rental vehicle in Ecuador, renting from Avis is not recommended and should be avoided — and I am considering my options in moving forward with this issue.
In the meantime, what are your thoughts pertaining to this experience? What would you have done?
Photograph ©2025 by Brian Cohen.
