Cheap car hire article discussion

coachwise

Having hired a car through "rentalcars.com" formally"car3000" or the like I feel cheated. Having done all the insurances in the UK etc.and paid,the voucher is then sent and it is ONLY THEN do you have access to the terms and conditions. There it is in typical small print-you have to pay in advance for a full tank of petrol(no refunds for unused fuel) so you have to shell out at the checkout desk £100+ for a full tank( at double the price at the pumps.).This made the rental very expensive as we only used 1/4 of a tank!Vehicle was from GOLDCAR!
My point is if you book thro' an agency how can you check before payment the T and C's of the firm whose cars you are going to use?
Is there a comparison site where you can compare like with like including fuel policy?

coachwise

Perhaps some intelligent and well versed MSE disciple could give an idiot checklist for we fools who hire cars abroad once every two years or so . For example "unlimited mileage" means "we will charge you for a full tank of fuel whether you use it or not and we will charge you double the normal cost"

Angela_B

I must admit we have never had any trouble with Goldcar. Also as we tend to travel on Mondays never experience queues - I've always been served, politely, straight away. This may be the reason we've never had problems. In fact, I have usually got the keys in my hand and am waiting for my husband to turn up with the luggage.

However, our next trip is on a Saturday so I am looking for another company as I know it's an awful day for car hire. So I am looking at Malaga Car Hire at the moment.

Couple of questions - how long to wait for the courtesy bus or to walk? And are there queues at the desk? I'm thinking of doing my usual - leave the DH to get the luggage and I'll pick up the car. In this instance I'll then need to go and pick him up. Likewise on the return.

Petar

Hey everyone. I can give you some advice how to get cheaper car. First keep in mind that the prices are higher during the summer season. Second - the longer period you hire a car, more cheaper will be. Third - the cheapest car class is Mini (2-3 doors, low fuel consumption). Also the loyal customers get discounts. I hope those tips are helpful...

Pinknosedpenguin

I can't seem to be able to beat about £200 for a 5 day rental from Newark airport for a 4 person family car in July. Seems a lot compared to Europe...

Do you know if rental companies have a New Years sale?

traveller23_2

In my experience car hire and excess insurance does not cover clutch and engine, if either of these items fail you bear the cost.

jhgreenstein

I just rented a car for 10 days from Easirent at Manchester Airport and cracked the back bumper.
The deductible was 1250 pounds so guess how much the repair cost in their 'own workshop'? 1267 pounds. Suspicious eh?
They claimed that it took 17.5 garage hours to replace and paint the bumper.

Luckily I took out 3rd party insurance from a MSE recommended insurer, World something and am hoping they pay up.

Can rental companies really charge what they like?

traveller23_2

dougyt wrote: »

Hi There,

Does anyone ahve any experience of car seats when using Carhire 3000? On the website it's covered under special requests but then goes on to say they cannot guarantee the availabilty? I would hate to arrive and there be no seat??:eek:

Many Thanks Doug

I have used carhire3000 and the car company you finally use along with many other car hire companies they all seem to say the same thing i.e. cannot be guaranteed. However there always seem to be lots to chose from usually in a pile outside the carhire booking office at your destination, even in peak season.

Fellwalker

I am increasingly frustrated by the new clever ways car hire companies find of getting additional money out of you. How it has changed since I first hired!


I looked at the article and read that

Provider Economy Car Hire* includes built-in excess insurance

and thought I finally had the answer. WRONG! In particular it does not cover glass, tyres and the underside of the car. And surprise surprise, they do sell an additional insurance. For a Ford Focus it is £16 via Questor, compared to an 8 day Questor policy (that covers more) bought via moneymaxim at £17.84. Economy Car Hire also offer cancellation insurance for an extra £4.

So they are doing exactly what the car hire companies are doing, and not giving you full cover without more payments. I wonder if there is any such business that operates outside of Majorca? Last summer we used Terry's Car Hire, and they covered everything, all included. No fuss, no extras needed.

Martin, please amend you recommendation. I thought they were all-inclusive from your link and wording. They are not. :mad:

What's not included?

• Personal accident insurance (PAI): this is normally covered by your travel insurance policy.
• Damage to the vehicle caused by negligence.
• Fuel: Fuel policies vary between each car rental suppliers, we always state the specific fuel policy when booking.
• Road Tolls, parking and traffic fines.
• Out-of-hours charge if applicable.
• One-way rental charges if applicable.
• Delivery charges if applicable.
• Optional extras such as child seats and roof racks etc.
• Tyre and wheel damage, interior damage, damage to the roof, damage to the underside of the vehicle, damage to the glass parts of vehicle (including the windscreen), wing mirrors, loss or damage to the car key, locks, aerials, vehicle documents, registration plates and any additional equipment provided with the vehicle.

And as with so many of these agents, you have no idea who you might be booked with. It could be GoldCar, and I cannot think of any hire company that has had worse reviews.

stuartroberts

legacym wrote: »

I go to Tenerife a lot and would agree on Goldcar the fuel charges are extortionate - you would need to drive around the island every day to use a tank in a week! I use Autoreisen.es they are in the airport include CDW and ARE THE ONLY ONES that don't charge for fuel. Also my car got hit once and they sorted it all instantly with no hassle.

They don't appear on comparison sites.

You are wrong. Auto Plus car don't have any hidden extras and are cheaper too.