Is there a reputable car hire company? (europe)

redstiletto

Okay, after having a number of bad experiences in the past with choosing the cheapest car hire company and being ripped off with terrible service/extra costs etc I would like to pay a bit more this time and go with a reputable company. However, when I look at reviews of the big brands I know (Hertz/Avis) they get just as many slatings as all the cheaper companies, despite charging twice as much. The only one that comes out vaguely okay on review sites seems to be Sixt.

Anyone any views on a car hire company I can trust??

zagfles

redstiletto wrote: »

Okay, after having a number of bad experiences in the past with choosing the cheapest car hire company and being ripped off with terrible service/extra costs etc I would like to pay a bit more this time and go with a reputable company. However, when I look at reviews of the big brands I know (Hertz/Avis) they get just as many slatings as all the cheaper companies, despite charging twice as much. The only one that comes out vaguely okay on review sites seems to be Sixt.

Anyone any views on a car hire company I can trust??

I've used Hertz quite a lot and they have usually been OK, and not too much more expensive than the others.

But car hire seems now to be going the way of flights - low headline prices but lots of hidden extras so the price originally quoted is nothing like the price you pay.

Stuff like fuel policy, big excesses and very costly "SuperCDW" to insure the excess, or some claim "no excess" - but tyres, windscreen, underside, roof not covered etc...

111KAB

In my experience it really depends upon the Country/area you want to rent from. For example I had difficulties with Avis France but have never hit problems with Avis Spain.

pompeyrich

Most of the rental locations operate on a franchise system, so as said above no real way of knowing who's best at any given location. You need to be aware of fuel policies and that tyres, glass etc. aren't usually covered, as Zag says the headline price attracts the punters, then the extras make the cost more realistic to the rental company.