DoYouSpain and Solmar rip off
wombleuk
Posts: 23 Forumite
I recently went to Murcia in Spain and pre-booked my hire car with Do You Spain, as I have done on several occasions.
The local company was Solmar and I have since read negative reports about them.
This is another!
Solmar picked us up from the airport with no fuss, leading us away from the queues at the car hire desks and took us to their office about 5 minute’s drive away.
Once there, after completing some basic details, I was asked to choose between either the basic insurance or the all-inclusive one.
I had received several emails from Do You Spain, offering me their excess insurance for £45 and telling me that I could end up paying over £90 locally if I opted for the local firm’s insurance.
I hadn’t taken up that offer, as I already had an annual excess policy, so I told the woman that I did not need insurance; 3 or four times.
In the end, she told me that I could not have the car unless I chose one of the insurance options.
As it was now 9:30 at night and I still had a couple of hours to drive, I selected the all-inclusive one, which was actually cheaper at 120 euros.
When we got home, I filled out a form on the Do You Spain website, which told me during busy periods, it might take a few weeks to get back to me.
When, after 3 weeks, I hadn’t heard anything, I emailed them a reminder.
They came back and basically removed themselves from the situation, saying that there had been some confusion and advising me to be careful in future.
This is not good enough. I was blackmailed by Solmar into taking out insurance that I did not either want or need.
And Do You Spain did nothing.
I wonder if it would have happened had I taken out Do You Spain's insurance cover? Hmmm
Give them both a wide berth!
The local company was Solmar and I have since read negative reports about them.
This is another!
Solmar picked us up from the airport with no fuss, leading us away from the queues at the car hire desks and took us to their office about 5 minute’s drive away.
Once there, after completing some basic details, I was asked to choose between either the basic insurance or the all-inclusive one.
I had received several emails from Do You Spain, offering me their excess insurance for £45 and telling me that I could end up paying over £90 locally if I opted for the local firm’s insurance.
I hadn’t taken up that offer, as I already had an annual excess policy, so I told the woman that I did not need insurance; 3 or four times.
In the end, she told me that I could not have the car unless I chose one of the insurance options.
As it was now 9:30 at night and I still had a couple of hours to drive, I selected the all-inclusive one, which was actually cheaper at 120 euros.
When we got home, I filled out a form on the Do You Spain website, which told me during busy periods, it might take a few weeks to get back to me.
When, after 3 weeks, I hadn’t heard anything, I emailed them a reminder.
They came back and basically removed themselves from the situation, saying that there had been some confusion and advising me to be careful in future.
This is not good enough. I was blackmailed by Solmar into taking out insurance that I did not either want or need.
And Do You Spain did nothing.
I wonder if it would have happened had I taken out Do You Spain's insurance cover? Hmmm
Give them both a wide berth!
0
Comments
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I recently went to Murcia in Spain and pre-booked my hire car with Do You Spain, as I have done on several occasions.
The local company was Solmar and I have since read negative reports about them.
This is another!
Solmar picked us up from the airport with no fuss, leading us away from the queues at the car hire desks and took us to their office about 5 minute’s drive away.
Once there, after completing some basic details, I was asked to choose between either the basic insurance or the all-inclusive one.
I had received several emails from Do You Spain, offering me their excess insurance for £45 and telling me that I could end up paying over £90 locally if I opted for the local firm’s insurance.
I hadn’t taken up that offer, as I already had an annual excess policy, so I told the woman that I did not need insurance; 3 or four times.
In the end, she told me that I could not have the car unless I chose one of the insurance options.
As it was now 9:30 at night and I still had a couple of hours to drive, I selected the all-inclusive one, which was actually cheaper at 120 euros.
When we got home, I filled out a form on the Do You Spain website, which told me during busy periods, it might take a few weeks to get back to me.
When, after 3 weeks, I hadn’t heard anything, I emailed them a reminder.
They came back and basically removed themselves from the situation, saying that there had been some confusion and advising me to be careful in future.
This is not good enough. I was blackmailed by Solmar into taking out insurance that I did not either want or need.
And Do You Spain did nothing.
I wonder if it would have happened had I taken out Do You Spain's insurance cover? Hmmm
Give them both a wide berth!
Two things.
Their Basic insurance cover is the default, wherein you have to leave or have ringfenced a deposit of perhaps 1200€ on your credit card. In addition, you may have to pay for a tank of fuel in advance and then return the car empty.
Perhaps you didn't have a credit card from which they could block a 1200€ deposit or you just refused to give one to them?
Perhaps you didn't understand that you needed to pay for the fuel in advance.
If you don't let them block the deposit, you need to buy the 'all inclusive' insurance.
So in conclusion, I don't think they blackmailed you, i think that you misunderstood what you were being told.
Basic cover:The Basic rate is the cheapest rate, and if you choose the full tank option you won´t have to fill up the tank before returning the car.
Obligatory insurance cover.
Car theft insurance.*
Personal accident insurance.
Super Cover:Pick up and drop off your car with a full tank.
Obligatory insurance.
Civil liability insurance.
Car theft insurance.*
Personal accident insurance.
Breakdown cover.
SCDW insurance coverage.
Accident claims management.
Cover for damage to wheel rims, tyres, hubcaps, underside of car, roofs, side mirrors, glass, and clutch.
close0 -
I recently ...booked my hire car with Do You Spain...The local company was Solmar and I have since read negative reports about them. This is another!... Give them both a wide berth!
It's very kind of Funtime to mount such a spirited defence of this company, but Womble's basic message is very sound; that you should do the same research of on-line reviews before booking a hire car that you would if booking a hotel, or come to that, any major purchase.
The web is wallpapered with complaints about the sharp practice which Womble describes; and "Solmar car hire reviews" get almost 50,000 hits on Google; a majority from unhappy punters caught by the usual insurance, fuel fees, imaginary bodywork/ tyre/ windscreeen damage... Solmar aren't the worst by a long shot; Goldcar get over quarter of a million crits; so many that they have their own full time equivalent version of Funtime writing hundreds of responses on Tripadvisor (the intriguingly named "Victoria R", a Goldcar staffer).
Interestingly, I have never had problems in 30 years of renting - often several times a year - in Spain and Italy - by using mainstream operators; initally Hertz via their then Ryanair partnership, then using the Manchester- based broker Carhire3000.com and latterly AVIS who come cheap with BA flights. I always get great cars, often with an upgrade if you join their free loyalty scheme, always get the cheapest fuelling option (usually full-full so you only pay what you use), have never had my annual excess cover (multi-trip with insurance4carhire at £40 p.a.) challenged and have never had to pay a penny for real or imagined damage.
So either (given that this website is about Moneysaving (the URL is a clue?)
- do what Funtime says; read the small print, pay up and shut up...or
- do as Womble suggests- do a web search of the renter before you rent - as you would with a washing machine or any major purchase; after all, a washing machine can't spoil your holiday!
buon viaje0 -
It's very kind of Funtime to mount such a spirited defence of this company, but Womble's basic message is very sound; that you should do the same research of on-line reviews before booking a hire car that you would if booking a hotel, or come to that, any major purchase.
The web is wallpapered with complaints about the sharp practice which Womble describes; and "Solmar car hire reviews" get almost 50,000 hits on Google; a majority from unhappy punters caught by the usual insurance, fuel fees, imaginary bodywork/ tyre/ windscreeen damage... Solmar aren't the worst by a long shot; Goldcar get over quarter of a million crits; so many that they have their own full time equivalent version of Funtime writing hundreds of responses on Tripadvisor (the intriguingly named "Victoria R", a Goldcar staffer).
Interestingly, I have never had problems in 30 years of renting - often several times a year - in Spain and Italy - by using mainstream operators; initally Hertz via their then Ryanair partnership, then using the Manchester- based broker Carhire3000.com and latterly AVIS who come cheap with BA flights. I always get great cars, often with an upgrade if you join their free loyalty scheme, always get the cheapest fuelling option (usually full-full so you only pay what you use), have never had my annual excess cover (multi-trip with insurance4carhire at £40 p.a.) challenged and have never had to pay a penny for real or imagined damage.
So either (given that this website is about Moneysaving (the URL is a clue?)
- do what Funtime says; read the small print, pay up and shut up...or
- do as Womble suggests- do a web search of the renter before you rent - as you would with a washing machine or any major purchase; after all, a washing machine can't spoil your holiday!
buon viaje
What I wrote is not a defence, but a likely explanation.
That particular business model is rife in Spain. Most certainly the OP failed to make even the slightest perusal of the rental T&C.
I took a look at their website and understood what may have happened almost immediately.
Of course I don't know exactly what happened, but from the original post alone, there doesn't not appear to have been any obvious mis-selling.
I too, prefer to use the likes Hertz and Avis, but as you know, people will continue to be drawn in by low quotes.
I'm am quite sure that DoYouSpain also state that at the very least you will pay for your fuel in advance.
Caveat emptor!0 -
I booked the car on the website on a full to full basis with comprehensive insurance.
As I said, I told the local office that I needed no further insurance.
They didn't even ask for a deposit; either I chose one of their insurance deals or no car!
I've not had this problem before.
@Funtime: You don't know exactly what happened, but most certainly I didn't read the T&Cs?
Don't get too giddy up there on the moral high ground, will you?0 -
I booked the car on the website on a full to full basis with comprehensive insurance.
As I said, I told the local office that I needed no further insurance.
They didn't even ask for a deposit; either I chose one of their insurance deals or no car!
I've not had this problem before.
@Funtime: You don't know exactly what happened, but most certainly I didn't read the T&Cs?
Don't get too giddy up there on the moral high ground, will you?
No, you did not.
This from the T&CInsurance:
Insurance includes Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) subject to an excess. Excess amount: 1000EUR. You can take the SCDW to remove the excess from our supplier on collection for 16.00EUR a day. Or you can take out damage excess refund insurance with us for only 6.95EUR a day - Total for your booking: 48.65EUR. If you prefer not to take SOLMAR's excess waiver, a deposit of 1000.00EUR will be blocked from your credit card.
As to having to choose one of their insurance deals, as I told you, you have to choose Basic or Super.
The reason why Basic may have appeared more expensive initially is that it probably included an expensive tank of fuel. Once you chose Basic, they wouid have asked for your CC for the deposit.
Nothing to do with moral high ground, as I have nothing against you at all. I'm just providing you with an explanation of what may have occurred, in so that you can proceed correctly.
If you had read the T&C, you would have likely been ready for what occurred on the ground.
DYS's insurance and your annual insurance has nothing to do with the hire car company. Nothing at all.
Am I wrong?
But.... since you have now added to your post that you paid for Full/Full, this is where you might have an issue with DoYouSpain, not Solmar.
The reason for this is that Solmar do not appear to have a Full/Full option outside of purchasing their Super Cover.
So DoYouSpain appears to have sold you a product that SolMar do not supply.
They do sell this
As you can see, both of DYS options require a 1000€ excess.
So unless you purchased Solmar's Super Cover on site, you would have been required to select their Basic Cover and to block an amount on your CC. The petrol thing, I can't say. but the norm would be to charge you in advance for fuel on the Basic Cover. But perhaps this was waived if you bought Full/Full via DoYouSpain.
This from Solmar direct:
So what you need to do is to arm yourself with the facts, in so that you can determine the culprit, rather than attacking me for trying to help you.
It's looks as if DYS have not updated the T&C to match Solmar's T&C.0 -
agree wit the OP, Solmar are thieving toads and should not be touched with a bargepole.
this summer we spent 2 hours+ arguing with them over additional insurance they insisted that we take, and we refused. we had to make several calls to the agent we booked through and basically solmar were not adhering to the conditions agreed with the booking agent and were trying to pass off their own conditions onto customers, which obviously meant they could rip them off. loads of customers came in and went in the time we were there and had to cough up.
eventually they pulled back and gave us the car with no extra payment, although they tried to scare us with stories about what could happen if we had a bump.
returned the car with no scratches and got deposit / hold on the CC back.
we just stood our ground and got our way eventually, but it took us 2 hours in very hot weather with a toddler running wild, very stressful. but that's what they want so you just give up and pay the money.0 -
Sonny_J_99 wrote: »agree wit the OP, Solmar are thieving toads and should not be touched with a bargepole.
this summer we spent 2 hours+ arguing with them over additional insurance they insisted that we take, and we refused. we had to make several calls to the agent we booked through and basically solmar were not adhering to the conditions agreed with the booking agent and were trying to pass off their own conditions onto customers, which obviously meant they could rip them off. loads of customers came in and went in the time we were there and had to cough up.
eventually they pulled back and gave us the car with no extra payment, although they tried to scare us with stories about what could happen if we had a bump.
returned the car with no scratches and got deposit / hold on the CC back.
we just stood our ground and got our way eventually, but it took us 2 hours in very hot weather with a toddler running wild, very stressful. but that's what they want so you just give up and pay the money.
I think this is the issue. That there are differing T&C from what SolMar offer themselves and what is being sold by DoYouSpain.
So it should be up to DoYouSpain to ensure that you get the service for which you paid.
It's not different from a travel agent claiming that your room has air conditioning, but when you arrive, the hotelier tells you that there is none.
Who is ripping you off?
So for me, it is only to point out the facts.
DoYouSpain should sort it out if the OP booked Full/Full.
There is something not right if the OP has booked Full/Full with DYS, but SolMar no longer offer it.0 -
Just back from spain, car hired from Solmar, 200 euro for imagined damage on return, 2mm mark on underside of wing mirror and 4mm blemish on inside of rer door frame, unbelievable.
DO NOT USE THESE PEOPLE0
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