Recommendations for "honest" car hire Alicante - NOT OKMobility!

maxisadog

Hi all, having been conned by OKMobility last summer (still fighting to get my money back! I should have read the reviews first I know!), I'm looking not to get caught out again this year.

Despite having excess insurance I was told I was not sufficiently covered and that I could not have the car unless I paid for "Premium" insurance at about 350 Euros for 10 days. I was furious but had no alternative or the holiday would have been over before it had started.

Has anyone had any good experiences with car hire from Alicante or good car hire companies in Spain in general? I'm determined that the same will not happen again.

Many thanks.

daveyjp

Have look at zest car hire,  UK based brokers I have used a few times without issue.

https://www.zestcarrental.com/

jimi_man

Hi. I’ve always used Centauro car hire from Barcelona and they have branches all over Spain including Alicante. Have a look at them. 

It used to be really cheap - 11 euros for five days was my best though it’s more now. 

NoodleDoodleMan

As recommended above.

My pal who quite often hires in Spain always uses Zest.

https://www.zestcarrental.com/spain/

Their TrustPilot ratings are excellent.

No idea how they compare in price to others though.

Worth looking at ?

Barkin

Unfortunately this (conning customers into buying indurance that isn't needed) is widespread, and not specific to any particular hire companies. 

I used OKMobility in Spain last year, and while they would've liked for me to buy their own insurance offering, a polite "no thanks, I'm happy for you to put a hold on my CC to cover the excess" got the job done.

I'm afraid that avoiding this company won't guarantee that you won't have the same issue with another. 

zagfles

Last few car hires in Spain I've used a local small in-resort car hire place and paid in cash. Most of them are happy with this, I've never had any who insist on a CC. There are loads in Spanish tourist resorts. 

No use if you need the car from the airport but we find it much better value to get transfers/transport to/from airport separately, as we rarely need a car for the whole holiday plus we can hire a smaller car if we don't need to transport luggage.

rolandka

maxisadog said:

Hi all, having been conned by OKMobility last summer (still fighting to get my money back! I should have read the reviews first I know!), I'm looking not to get caught out again this year.

Despite having excess insurance I was told I was not sufficiently covered and that I could not have the car unless I paid for "Premium" insurance at about 350 Euros for 10 days. I was furious but had no alternative or the holiday would have been over before it had started.

Has anyone had any good experiences with car hire from Alicante or good car hire companies in Spain in general? I'm determined that the same will not happen again.

Many thanks.

I started using Wiber when I was stuck in Malaga during Covid. Then later I found them in Alicante as well and they are great. I can recommend it. 

Since 2018, I've been back and forth to Spain 100 times and used many car hire companies including OKMobility, ClickRent, GoldCar, Wiber, Centauro and RecordGO..... I'll be honest, the majority of them are the same...

I have to be frank here. You are just caught up in an insurance product upsell. I wouldn't fault the company for that. My suggestion would be to carefully review the terms next time and stay more informed about your circumstances. 

On the other hand, many people want peace of mind and prefer to avoid the hassle of searching for garages when faced with a puncture, as well as waiting there for repairs while on vacation. Hence, they opt to go with premium insurance.

My advice is the following when it comes to renting in Spain:

You will never have to take a premium package if the rental company offers a basic package. However, with the basic package you have to be aware of the things you are not covered for. Your deposit, which can be as high as €2000, could be at stake, and you may need to arrange for car mechanic assistance independently (so polish up your Spanish skills). Consequently, some agents may rightfully advise that you aren't sufficiently covered. Some of them have no idea about excess insurances and credit cards. Don't even try to explain.

If you have your insurance (excess insurance), you can just state that you are covered. Be firm, know your rights. Be aware of the terms and look up the nearest tyre shop just in case. Some might want to upsell the premium package. This is very common and purely a marketing strategy. All rental companies do this just for you to have "peace of mind".