Advice on Car hire - Malaga

Suzycoll

Hi all

I will be hiring a car at Malaga airport in September for a week ( in planning stage atm)

I have just looked at a few sites & I do not understand all the different extra & types e.g one said no excess & seemed to cover everything but was extra €50 a day !

I will be meeting my daughter at Malaga airport. My daughter will be driving and has a Spanish license ( she lives in Spain). The only reason I'm looking is as she does not have a credit card.

I'm wondering if it will be easier for my daughter to make the booking in Spain & pay a deposit or if I can just pay at the desk at the airport using my credit card? She speaks Spanish also so shouldn't be a language barrier.

Im confused 🤔

Any help greatly appreciated

NoodleDoodleMan

My friend always uses Zest car hire - they have a presence at Malaga airport I think.

They are Which recommended I believe, and appear to have good reviews - worth looking into ?

texpeady01

Car rental extras can definitely be confusing, especially with the different excess, insurance, and deposit options.

Since your daughter will be the main driver and has a Spanish license, it may be easier for her to make the booking with her details and add you only if needed. The important thing is to check who is allowed to pay, whose credit card is required for the deposit, and what insurance/excess is included.

The “no excess” option is usually the rental company’s full coverage package, which can be much more expensive than the basic rental. Sometimes it’s cheaper to compare the total price from different providers rather than adding every extra separately.

You can also compare Malaga Airport rental options through ZadCars to see different companies and coverage choices in one place.

Suzycoll

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82056439#Comment_82056439

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82064723#Comment_82064723

Thanks 👍 thanks Tex

Very good advice

brianposter

The sensible thing to do is for your daughter to get a credit card if she is able to do so. Otherwise, assuming you have a driving licence you book and add her as an extra driver. You need to read all the T&Cs carefully (proof of address, DVLC codes, embossed credit card ? etc.) and comply with them (or get an email confirming that the T&C will not be applied).

It is normally appropriate to get a "car hire excess insurance" separately and pay whatever deposit they require with your credit card - make sure you know how much will be required.

One additional thing is that if their is any dispute you should ask for a "complaints form". Simply asking for the form can often change the position dramatically. If they will not give you a form you call the police.

NoodleDoodleMan

"One additional thing is that if their is any dispute you should ask for a
"complaints form". Simply asking for the form can often change the
position dramatically. If they will not give you a form you call the
police."

Absolutely - the form is called Hoja de Reclamaciones and staff of the establishment in question are legally obliged to hand it over - they absolutely don't like having to do so - any reluctance (as advised above) call the police.

https://www.spain.info/en/travel-tips/tourist-complaint/

There are three copies - one for the complainer, one for the establishment and one for the appropriate local authority department that actions these grievances. The latter varies depending on location - tourist resorts covered by the local municipal government Ayuntamiento (town hall) - Malaga is a major city so it will likely deal with such complaints more frequently.

I had to make a formal complaint against a tour firm many years ago after they did not provide the service paid for - a relatively minor issue, however we received the equivalent of £50 (back in the days of pesatas) in compensation - I do remember the front desk supervisor attempting to "play dumb" when asked for the complaint form !!!

Nice try - but no cigar Senor !!! 😁