clever pre-paid car hire rip off

SteveD_4

This may have been covered here before, but thought I should mention it.
12 months ago, I pre-booked a car hire from a link on the UK airport web site for a small car in Mallorca for 3 days. We were staying in Palma for the duration so we were only going to do minimal mileage. On arrival at the car hire desk in Palma, my reservation and pre payment was confirmed, but then the clever rip off.. the car was full of petrol which I was told I must pay for and to bring it back empty. As we weren't going to do more than 100 miles in total over the 3 days, I was reluctant to part with £35.00 for a tank of fuel I wasn't going to use. As I had pre-payed the rental fee in the UK, I had no choice but to cough up. They were almost laughing at me as they took my money. Moral is - don't ever pre book a hire car unless you have it in writing that there are no hidden charges. I always hire a car in the destination airport now, where I can call the tune instead of them.

Stonk

You should have done your 100 miles in 1st gear!

budgetflyer

Thats quite a normal situ. Why hire a car if you are doing less than a 100 miles? surely you would have been cheaper with a taxi?

withabix

SteveD wrote:

This may have been covered here before, but thought I should mention it.
12 months ago, I pre-booked a car hire from a link on the UK airport web site for a small car in Mallorca for 3 days. We were staying in Palma for the duration so we were only going to do minimal mileage. On arrival at the car hire desk in Palma, my reservation and pre payment was confirmed, but then the clever rip off.. the car was full of petrol which I was told I must pay for and to bring it back empty.....

.....unless you have it in writing that there are no hidden charges. I always hire a car in the destination airport now, where I can call the tune instead of them.

This WILL have been included in the terms and conditions when you booked online. Did you read them? This isn't a rip-off, it's very common, as is the collect empty, bring back empty version. It's only in the UK where the norm seems to be full to full.

sjpkgp

Although it may not be a rip off I am glad Steve posted it - I didn't know it was common practice for non-UK hires and will check now when I hire abroad.

Must have been tempting to siphon it off and give it away :-))

ManAtHome

I've used DoYouSpain quite a few times now - they've always charged full to full. I normally top up the day before taking it back - never had a surcharge even with a bit missing (probably never more than a gallon down). Link is http://www.doyouspain.com/

beefster

Hertz via Ryan Air web site.
Just back from Sicily where I was on a Full / Return Full contract. Charged a small fortune for fuel on return. Didnt get a chance to top up before returning as there were no petrol stn's on the main motorway and we were running late due to traffic chaos around the airport. A full tank had cost 40 Euro earlier in the week, Hertz charged me 35 Euro for just over 1/4 of a tank plus a 15 Euro filling charge!!!!!!!! I am taking a fuel can with me next time!

withabix

Had a Europcar car from Glasgow airport last week - noticed that they charge £1.40/litre if you don't return the car with the tank 'full'.

BenL

National Car rentals charge a fortune like that as well.

We all got a telling off at work for not filling the cars up and claiming it back on expenses.

After that my Shell pluspoints card got handed around a lot for when people filled them up.

I have seen the hire car workers doing the same with the plus points cards as well, perk of the job I guess.

Ben

Fatboy_NSS

Whenever I've had a hire car I've been given a list of local garages I have to fill up at before returning the car. If you don't bother then expect to be charged a penalty as someone else will have to fill up for you.

Edit: spelling

trisontana

The three times I have hired cars at Faro airport they came with about a quarter tank of petrol and I was told to return the car with same amount in. So I only had to pay for the actual fuel I used. These cars were booked through small , independent hire companies. I think it is the large, multi-national companies that mainly operate the full/full tank policy.