Car hire - the sting

[Low Gear Guy]

I appreciate that the horse has long since vanished from the stable, but car hire excess insurance is designed for this.
Costs about £60 a year, but it stops this problem in its tracks. And hopefully the insurers are diligent about telling the car hire company to go and do one!

We took out the excess as an option on the travel insurance. A whole year of cover was the same as one day from the car hire company.

 

[Low Gear Guy]

The additional fees charged are part of the business model. This is why it costs £50 per day for a £15k car and £15 per day for a £500 bike.

 

[PaulSB]

We took out the excess as an option on the travel insurance. A whole year of cover was the same as one day from the car hire company.

That's interesting. I'll keep an eye open for that option at next renewal.

 

[DaveReading]

We took out the excess as an option on the travel insurance. A whole year of cover was the same as one day from the car hire company.

+1 for excess insurance, either as part of your travel insurance or as a standalone policy.

That said, I always take a bunch of SLR photos when I return a car, and make sure the rental company sees me doing so.

It doesn't do any harm either to try to find some trivial damage on the car when you pick it up that hasn't been noted. If you can demonstrate that their pre-rental inspection has missed at least something, you might be in a better position should the company try to claim that you are responsible for some other pre-existing damage that they (and you) failed to pick up.

That said, the last two times I've rented a car (in Italy and Spain) were, despite horror stories about the firms in question, both very smooth, hassle-free and good value.

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I hired a car at Alicante airport a few weeks ago - Opel Astra automatic, £68 for a week. Made sure I took pics and video when I picked it up but when I returned it I was a bit worried to find another Scots family having a huge argument at the desk about excess charges because of damages. What I picked up on was they were being charged 750 euros for something quite trivial. The guy was getting quite aggressive to the three staff so when I approached the desk with my keys one of the staff took the opportunity to get out of the office and go check my car - he practically ran. While he was away the family turned their ranting towards me, talking about ripping off customers being this car hire company's business model and how they'd been ripped off by car hire companies all over Europe, wasn't it a scandal, thieves etc.

A few minutes later, as I was getting quite concerned and preparing myself to argue the toss, the member of staff came back with my keys smiling, "no problem senor, thank you".

The look on the other guy's face was a picture as I smugly walked away.

 

[mjr]

I appreciate that the horse has long since vanished from the stable, but car hire excess insurance is designed for this.
Costs about £60 a year, but it stops this problem in its tracks. And hopefully the insurers are diligent about telling the car hire company to go and do one!

Don't you pay the car hire company and then reclaim from the insurer? So you still have to try to tell the hire company to do one. If not, who are you buying from, please?

My wife and I hired a car in Spain. It was crashed into twice, both while stopped. I think the damage (three panels and a wing mirror paint scratched and one alloy wheel gouged) cost us about £40, which is cheaper than I could get the paint fixed for. I suspect it usually helps if the main hirer speaks the local language. Oh, and that it's not Enterprise. Their main advantage used to be that they hired younger than most. I don't know what they mean by American service: is the USA known for bait and switch and gouging?

 

[guitarpete247]

First time we hired a car was in Jersey. Car hire company offered us the excess option. Me being a Yorkshireman wasn't going to go for it but missus insisted we did. So glad we did as wing mirror was removed from where we parked on last night. Took car back to airport, posted keys into collection box and never heard anything from them.
Always take the excess option when hiring since then (3 trips to Greek islands and no probs.

 

[Globalti]

We hired a car through an internet agent and collected it from Europcar at Palma. To my shame I was careless when agreeing the contract and the clerk piled on loads of extras, doubling the cost over the original quote. We protested for weeks afterwards but got nowhere. Last two trips we've done to cycle in Mallorca we have just booked taxis from airport to hotel, which is far cheaper and less hassle or stress. Spaniards jump in taxis for fun so they are efficient, numerous and cheaper than hiring.

 

[alicat]

I am starting to wonder if car rental firms do this to visitors from abroad. Are they counting on hirers feeling less confident to argue about a charge imposed in a foreign country?

 

[Joey Shabadoo]

I am starting to wonder if car rental firms do this to visitors from abroad. Are they counting on hirers feeling less confident to argue about a charge imposed in a foreign country?

There might be something in that. The language barrier and trying to keep to a schedule puts pressure on the hirer. I've heard of companies demanding extra payments for unnecessary insurance and flat out refusing to release the car until it's paid.

 

[Jody]

What faults are they claiming to the vehicle. Have they given you an itemized list as £1000 of charges is a hefty amount.

 

[Cycleops]

Rental car firms are basically crooks, from the small to the large, avoid them at all costs. Try to find a "rent a banger ' company and pay cash.

 

[PaulSB]

I am starting to wonder if car rental firms do this to visitors from abroad. Are they counting on hirers feeling less confident to argue about a charge imposed in a foreign country?

I don't know if this is the case or not but if someone is concerned about overseas car hire I would recommend using rentalcars.com

The company is Manchester based, acts as a broker, has very good prices and in my experience very good customer services. I always use them and have yet to have an issue.

 

[Drago]

I simply buy a cheap car out the local paper for a few pesos, and push it into a lake when I'm done with it.

 

[screenman]

The additional fees charged are part of the business model. This is why it costs £50 per day for a £15k car and £15 per day for a £500 bike.

In many cases the price the rental companies sell the cars for at 6 months old is often more than they paid for them in the first place, most bodyshops that supply a curtesy car that I know of pay only around a £100 a month to lease them.