Cheap car hire article discussion

MSE_Jenny

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Cheap Car Hire

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LesD

Wow, that generated a massive response!

Just one major point to add. Always compare the quotes in the currency you will eventually be paying. One website is currently using €1.35 = £1 in converting its euro prices into Sterling! Understating the true cost by 7 or 8%.

Oh yes ..... and if Kayak's coverage at Alicante is anything to go by, it's not worth bothering with.

achingdrum

Hi.
Thanks for the useful article on car hire. Using car4lessholidayautos got an economy car for 5 days in France for £143 instead of about £280 via Hertz/Ryanair.

Even despite the very helpful article still fairly confused!
The complete waiver via that the hire company came in was £22 vs about £18/19 with Questor/Dailyexcess etc. Ours doesn't cover the underside (doesn't exclude it in T&Cs but that's what they are saying on the phone) . However Questor/Dailyexcess etc all seem to be underwritten by AIG and seem to limit to £2000 or £3000 which wouldn't be enough for a write off. Also Questor etc seem to cover the policy holder only and not 2 drivers unless you pay for another policy. So balancing that all up went with holidayautos own.

So far so good.

BUT third party liability doesn't seem to be covered. It says it is under T&Cs but 2 operators we've spoken too say that that is just the other person's car not injury/death. My own holiday insurance doesn't cover it. Questor etc don't cover that either.

So will 3rd party (i.e. death/injury to a third person) be offered at the car hire? Will it be massively expensive?
Are the operators wrong and is it already part of CDW (i.e. should it be part of any basic insurance policy that you take out??)
Don't really fancy the fingers crossed option in a foreign country not speaking the language!!
Any help much appreciated.
Thanks very much in advance

eslick

Think the original document should include companies outside of the scrapers such as fifteen02.com and usrentcar, both often offer free upgrades and for us tend to be the cheapest.

RFB_2

Has anyone got any experience with citrox.co.uk?

It comes out cheapest on a carrentals.co.uk but I have never heard of them and cant find any feedback on the web?
They don't provide a contact address on their wesite.

LesD

RFB wrote: »

Has anyone got any experience with citrox.co.uk?

It comes out cheapest on a carrentals.co.uk but I have never heard of them and cant find any feedback on the web?
They don't provide a contact address on their wesite.

SILVERSURFA LIMITED

05935040Travel agencies etc; tourist1 COLVILLE GARDENS, LIGHTWATER, SURREY, GU18 5QQ UNITED KINGDOM

Incorporated on 14 September 2006Last full Members list on 14 September 2007Last Accounts filed to 31 January 2007Accounting Reference Date: 31-01

RFB_2

LesD wrote: »

SILVERSURFA LIMITED

05935040Travel agencies etc; tourist1 COLVILLE GARDENS, LIGHTWATER, SURREY, GU18 5QQ UNITED KINGDOM

Incorporated on 14 September 2006Last full Members list on 14 September 2007Last Accounts filed to 31 January 2007Accounting Reference Date: 31-01

I may be overly suspicious but it may be more than coincidental that the Silversurfa address is a house only half a mile from the carrentals.co.uk office - the only comparison site that includes citrox!

Any way since I haven't found any customers references for citrox I called CarHire3000 who I have used before and asked them to price match. They didn't fully match the price but we agreed on a price only £10 above Citrox.
(Citrox price £336, Carhire3000 original £358, agreed £346,
18 day rental Vancouver->Calgary)

Bob

achan891

Why do the insurance companies charge you more if you are hiring within 150km of your home address? I am a student and don't have a car, but am thinking about hiring one for a weekend away, so would need to pay this surcharge. I know it's not much, but still - t seems so strange to charge more for a close-to-home rental.

loststeve

Hi all, anyone got any advice on paying for damage?!

I put a large scrape in the front bumper of a car from Enterprise recently. I hadn't paid for the DEW (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't - it about doubles the cost of rental for a weekend so for short trips I don't always). So, fair enough I expected to pay for repairs, possibly (given how hire companies work) even a new bumper. The car had a £150 deposit on it so when I took it back in they took the rest of the £500 excess, also fair enough. However I've just got a cheque back for the "unused" excess - of only £116! So they've charged me £384 - and this was on a Toyota Aygo which isn't exactly an expensive car.

There weren't any details with the cheque so I'm going to phone and ask for them - but a. does this sound reasonable and b. have I got a leg to stand on in challenging this? Is there anything specific I should be asking?

cheers,
Steve

RFB_2

The repair charge may include an element for Lost revenue - the amount of rental income they couldn't earn by renting out the car whilst it was being repaired.

Smudgeboy

Hi all

Has anyone got any experience of long-term car rental in the US?

I'm starting off with a week in San Francisco for which I don't need a car, then I want to pick up a 4x4 in San Francisco around Oct 1st and drop off in Las Vegas about a month later, spend a week (car-less) in Vegas and then hire a convertible there, to drop off back at San Fran about another month later. All unlimited mileage, as I'm going touring.

I'm starting to deduce that my best bet is to trawl around the car-hire offices once I get to San Fran, rather than try and book something that complicated over here.

Anyone done a long touring trip like this, who can offer any advice?

Thanks.