Cheap car hire article discussion

headpin

Most reputable hire companies allow an hour grace on return. Suggest you do 11.00 to 11.00 and take a chance. Depends on daily rate as you may be better off paying extra day in advance if you think you may go over as the pay at desk rate will be a lot more generally.

It's a gamble that you must weigh up. Good luck.

keypads

Hello. Well I took out excess car hire insurance through a third party before I hired a car from Geneva Airport, and then the worst happened - I managed to prang the car in the car park when returning the car. The car hire company charged me the 2000 SF excess o n my credit card. I am now trying to claim on the insurance. The insurance company want a damage form and the repair invoice from the hire car company. As this was an accident with an international hire car company (Thrifty) does anyone know whether I should contact the Geneva Airport office (which doesn't seem to have a contact) or the main office (which appears to be in the US!). I have tried emails and a completed a form, but haven't managed to get an answer from the hire car company. Any advice appreciated. Thanks

Firemunchkin

I've just been using Moneymaxim to get a quote for excess car insurance for a holiday to Iceland in July. It asks loads of questions, age of driver etc, and gives some very competitive quotes. I then click on the link to 'buy' and it takes me to the retailer's site where none of the information I entered on Moneymaxim has been linked and I have to start again with a new quote - which then turns out to be nearly double what Moneymaxim told me it would be.

On top of that, it doesn't appear that these sites (worldwideinsure and travelexcess) have any way of tailoring the quote according to age or anything else. It's a set fee of 7 days for worldwide cover and that's it. How on earth can we trust Moneymaxim when clearly it's quoting is grossly inaccurate and when it's saying these sites have a range of quotes when they blatantly don't?!

In addition, the direct-carexcess site doesn't allow for 24 hour periods but includes each day as a full day. So what should be a 7 day period for me is turning into 8 days even though it's exactly 7 days and not a minute more. The site doesn't have a field for entering what TIME you're picking up/dropping off the car. Not very cost effective is it? The 15% discount also isn't being applied (and yes, I clicked on the link in the article).

How very frustrating and a big waste of my time.

Firemunchkin

lucevdw wrote: »

Used MoneyMaxim featured site I got £155.95 but when I click More Info to book this car it does to AutoEurope which gives higher price £168. (Olbia Airport, 20 - 26 April, category mini, pickup 12noon, dropoff 8am)
AutoEurope site banner says it is MoneyMaxim site - looks like false advertising.
I queried this but all I got was a long waffling nonsense reply from their online chat. They say it's 'complicated' to offer the same price. Disreputable. Why should this company feature so prominently on MartinLewis' previously excellent site?
Disappointed.

I've just had the exact same experience. Not impressed either.

Majic

Can anyone give me some advice about hiring a car overseas. We are going to France in July and I would like to rent a car for 10 days from Nice Airport.


A family of 4 with 2 suitcases. I don't want to worry about insurance excess. How does it work over there?


Obviously I'm looking for a good deal-any tips?


Thanks

sdfbailey

The article mentions that carhire companies can sting you for childseat costs. I thought I'd share an experience with you which might help.

We arranged a hire car in New Zealand last year, collecting from Greymouth and dropping off in Dunedin. We needed a child booster seat and I forgot to order include on when I ordered the car. On collecting the car, I was offered a booster seat for $60 / day (£30) and we had the car for 8 days.

Next door to the office, there was a store called The Warehouse, which pretty much sold everything from crockery to leather jackets to potatoes. They had a booster seat for $50, which I gladly purchased, and gave to my hotel as a parting gift before heading back home.

Although it may not always be practical, especially if picking up a car from an airport, check if there's a shop that you can purchase your childseat from cheaply nearby.

d139

Good article pointing out this increasingly common scam.
Despite knowing this, and being a regular US car renter, I was caught out today after renting in Florida from Thrifty via Expedia ( via Kayak I think).
No mention on the quote, no mention on the voucher. I checked out the Thrifty website which said hirer could choose - full or empty return.
At the desk they said return empty only when booking via Expedia - it's in the small print of the Expedia terms ( actually a link to small print from within the small print - readable only after logging in to Expedia). This was extremely well hidden. I think the fuel policy should be obvious at the quotation stage.
Needless to say - beware Thrifty and Expedia!

martynh99

Just been shopping around for car hire at Gerona airport for tomorrow for a 1 week booking.
Most booking sites were offering basic car at about £30 but with the sting of a full/empty prepay tank fuel policy . If you switched this to full/full the price of the car hire doubled to £60.

Tried a few of the actual hire companies direct websites and found Goldcar have a new fuel option called flexfuel - never used / heard of it before but basically you only pay for what fuel you use and the price of the car came in at £34.

So my plan is to treat it as a full/full booking and fill the car up just before the airport that way I should have ended up with a full/full hire for a full/empty price - will let you know if it pans out in just over a week

debtfree1day

Hi, never hired a car abroad before and having read some of the stories on here....I am nervous!






Its hungary for 8 days in July....only be doing about 200-300 miles I think


don't need anything bigger than small car like an 120 or a fiesta or something, but its improtnant we can collect the car from the city centre and then drop it at the Budapest airport


normally, I am a total miser, but I want to reduce fear and sleepless nights, so would rather pay an extra few quid for someone reliable and trustworthy.....guidance appreciated!!

keypads

5 weeks on, I am still trying to get the damage documentation from the car hire company to send to the third party insurance company so that I can claim the excess following an accident. Communication is very difficult, if non-existent from the car hire company side. Given the problems I am having, I will always take the car hire company excess insurance from now on rather than a cheaper third party policy.