Cheap car hire article discussion

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Handmaid wrote: »

We used Luzcars at Faro last August. I was a bit unsure when told we would collect keys from cafe at airport but it was all really straightforward. Lovely Fiesta - almost new - no problems at all. On return we dropped back in car park and left keys in vehicle. Would definitely use them again.

Cannot recall name of company, but did exactly the same at Malta Airport. Met in cafe by arrivals, given keys after completed paperwork. Car in car park outside and returned to same place and handed keys to car park attendant. Great little car and great price.

maltesersoft

Hired a car in Malta from UK. Transaction went through my Debit Card OK. on invoice it said Credit Card accepted. Company took deposit from Card.When I arrived in Malta car was ready but hirer would not accept the same card as it was a debit card.Therefore changed the hire and cost me twice the amount. The claim of the cheapest car hire became most expensive. Is this legal or not. even though I also had additional insurance by third party to cover excess. Also in Malta the car came with a full tank of petrol which the hirer charged me for it whether I used or not. As it happens I only used half of it so the hirer made 40 Euros extra profit.
People are getting caught with this deal. Any one else with same or similar experience.

aileenlamb

caringa wrote: »

Going to Crete in May and need a small car to collect from Heraklion Airport for one week. Any good suggestions welcome and also ones to avoid!

We have used Anna Cars and are using them again next week - easy, friendly and good value

speedywombat

I've noticed this on a couple of occasions when booking a car in the US. I go through the various search sites - come up with what looks like a fantastic deal (including comparing mileage, insurance etc), BUT they are far from the cheapest. This is because they force you to pay for a full tank at the beginning, and they don't say on the web site how much they will charge you for this...when you get there, they inform you of the price which works out to be 3 times the cost of filling it yourself. They also expect you to return the tank empty...and obviously there are no credits for any fuel that is left. It's very hard to return it empty unless you enjoy running the risk of running out of fuel on your way to catch a plane. It all works out to be loads more expensive than other offers. So as the article says, do check out the policy, but be specifically aware that they don't always publish the prices for the fuel and are deliberately vague! The advice should be to only go for a policy where they only charge for any fuel if the car is not returned full.

doberryfirkin

I will be visiting Split in Croatia this year and may have to rent a car. Any advice on car hire? Also I want to take out excess cover but had bad experience last year with Questor after various admin charges weren't refunded. gain any advice from MSE'rs who have rented in Croatia. Thanks.

beaconfella

There seems to be so many issues with car hire these days, far more than there ever used to be.
I have just used a link from a comparison site and booked car hire via Hotwire. Throughout the process all charges were quoted in Pound Sterling and the final price showed Sterling. When I looked at my Visa statement the company actually charged me in Euros which resulted in a £9.00 currency surcharge.
I am in a position where I need not have used the visa card, knowing beforehand that there would be a charge. This being the case I would have used the Halifax clarity card (no charges) as I object to paying when I need not.
My point is this. I believe Hotwire to have a somewhat misleading system and they do not accurately identify the currency you will be charged in.
I have e-mailed them but have had no acknowledgement.

TammyUK

Went for the cheapest option (prebooked) on car hire on a recent trip to Mallorca.

What stung me though was they gave us a full tank and said return it empty.... they charged us about €80 for the priveledge, plus €25 for an extra driver, and €70 for a baby seat!!

Be careful of the extras!!

TammyUK

It's the baby seat rental that really annoys me.... Just looking at car hire again now and 1 website wants £10 a day and another even more than that!
For a weeks rental I will have to pay more than if I bought a brand new baby seat (logistically impossible though!).
Also these extra costs make comparing prices difficult.
What a swizz!

Nathaniel22

It comes out most affordable but I have never observed of them and cant discover any reviews on the web they don't offer a get in touch with deal with on their wesite......

GM1053

All the tips listed are really good, providing you get your car. I've just returned from a holiday in the USA and had arranged a hire car with a firm I've used for years, this time though I arrived at the ALAMO desk and no booking in my name, I had to hire another car, luckily ALAMO staff took pity and gave me a great rate. I am currently trying to get my money back, this is going to be difficult as the company stopped using credit card payments and insisted on Moneybookers, hence no protection. My advice is if you have booked a hire car, confirm that a vehicle is available in your name at the airport or wherever you are collecting it BEFORE you leave the UK, don't assume as I did that because you have used the firm before with no problems, it will continue. I've since found out that car hire firms are undercutting each other trying to get business, many are falling by the wayside but still taking bookings and not providing cars. For my next trip in October I'm booking direct with ALAMO, no brokers.