From: Ronald Raygun 
Subject: Re: Barclaycard....Advice needed
Newsgroups: uk.finance uk.legal
Followup-To: uk.finance
Date: Sun, 16 Jul 2006 16:04:33 GMT

Tim wrote:

>> > "Ronald Raygun" wrote
>> >> You may be asked to authorise a non-specific payment...
>> >
>> "Tim" wrote:
>> > Wouldn't that be against the T&C of the card?
>> > The cardholder agrees not to make transactions that
>> > exceed the credit limit;  therefore, (s)he *cannot*
>> > (properly) authorise a payment of a "non-specific" amount...
>>
> "Ronald Raygun" wrote
>> He can if we take "non-specific" to mean
>> "not fully specified", e.g. that there is understood
>> to exist an upper bound on the amount authorised.
> 
> What sort of "upper bound" do hire car companies quote?

Probably a few hundred pounds, whatever the level of the insurance
excess is.  If you prang the car, you are liable for the full cost
of the repair if below that level, otherwise for that amount.

Or you could opt for the collision damage waiver they try to flog.