Why won't car hire firms just make it easy

melb

trying to book a car for a week in december at malaga airport. prices are really cheap but when you look at Tand Cs it's a minefield but Centauro took the biscuit. i looked on rentalscout and found a focus at a good price - all inclusive insurance and no excess - great i thought and started to read the small print. Actually there is an excess because they take 300 euros deposit if you don't take out the extra insurance for tyres, windscreen etc (which now includes clutch!) which we never bother with usually. We've already got a booking with Record via Doyouspain which is 70 euros but when i've looked at Record's T and Cs that is going to cost another 24 euros for clutch/tyre/windscreen insurance otherwise they take a deposit of 300 euros. the tyre insurance used to be optional but not any more by the look of it.

dzug1

As to WHY - it makes their rental cheaper and many people don't bother to look beyond that. Equals more (unjustified) business

dzug1

Cityboy wrote: »

I have also just booked via Holidayautos for a week in december and the rental company is Centauro in malaga too hence my interest.

On many bookings Holiday Autos provide an excess waiver for free. In the event of a claim you pay the hire company the excess and claim it back from HA

Check if it applies to yours

pompeyrich

Cityboy wrote: »

Can you not just leave a credit card as guarantee for the excess and take out insurance4carhire (£49 for a year's cover) against any excess claims?

I have also just booked via Holidayautos for a week in december and the rental company is Centauro in malaga too hence my interest.

Insurance4carhire wont cover the clutch, I noticed the "misuse of clutch" clause in Girona, with Auriga Crown, early last year. Declined their insurance and they took a 300 Euro "deposit", in my case they actually took it, as a charge and reimbursed it as a refund the next day. I believe this was a mistake but cost me a £ or 2 due to prevailing ex rates.

I contacted I4CH on my return and they told me the clutch was a wear and tear item and wouldn't be covered by their policy. This may have changed if the clutch clause is now more common.

lurkylurky

There's 20% on Topcashback for Insurance4CareHire.