Hire car Excess: what would you do?

Weird_Nev

Ok, so you know the score: You've piled off a sleazyjet flight into boiling heat and darkness, and you eventually find the Hire Car desk and present your pre-paid voucher. You are given the keys, and to your horror are told that the car has a €1,000 excess for theft and a €1,800 excess for damage. :eek: The gold plated excess waiver over the period of your hire comes to €280, and you've paid €220 for the hire already. What do you do?

The country is Italy if that makes a difference.

rtho782

How are they going to bill you for any "damages"?

Whilst you know they will "find" scratches etc to make up at least €280 if you don't take it, debts don't follow you home so I'd be tempted to make sure they have no way to bill me and !!!!!! off home at the end of it.

Weird_Nev

You book a hire car with a credit card. A credit card with several thousand pounds credit limit. I think you're hard pressed to find a hire company which will rent you a car without a credit card and being over 25 nowadays.

rtho782

Ah you mentioned a pre-paid voucher, assumed you'd paid the travel agent and not the hire company.

real1314

Weird_Nev wrote: »

Ok, so you know the score: You've piled off a sleazyjet flight into boiling heat and darkness, and you eventually find the Hire Car desk and present your pre-paid voucher. You are given the keys, and to your horror are told that the car has a €1,000 excess for theft and a €1,800 excess for damage. :eek: The gold plated excess waiver over the period of your hire comes to €280, and you've paid €220 for the hire already. What do you do?

The country is Italy if that makes a difference.

You read the guidance on this site regarding car hire and arrange an excess policy before you fly, probably for less than £40. :cool:

iolanthe07

Holiday in the US next time. Care hire there is generally stress-free and amazingly cheap.