Non rip-off car hire companies

Bandy2023

Anyone come across car hire companies that don't pressure you into additional insurance policies and charges, and actually charge you what you've booked??

Really heartily fed up of shelling out loads more in Spain, arguing with operatives who just point pens at poorly worded policies on the counter, all while there's a million people behind you wishing you'd just move on ( and the operatives know it )

Last year it was Goldcar, the rental easily doubled in price because 'their policy has changed' etc etc.

I'd actually gladly pay more at the booking stage to guarantee no-hassle there.

eskbanker

Are you prepaying when booking? When doing so I've always found that a firm but polite refusal to pay anything else at the desk has been successful, even with Goldcar…

daveyjp

Not had an issue with Zest - a UK based broker.

If I don't need a car immediately hiring locally in resort or at the hotel can be less stressful.

Bandy2023

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159252#Comment_82159252

I usually refuse as well, I usually take out my own excess policy.

However, last year their "change of policy" was that they would block in inordinate sum on my credit card unless I took their insurance.

The booking said something like Euros 1500 would be blocked on your card, their 'change of policy' , which was all over their desks and just lazily pointed at, was a block of something like Euros 3000

But if you took out their insurance, the block came down to something like Euros 500.

So I dare say most were just paying it rather an a huge block on their CC.

eskbanker

Ah right, I thought your issue was that you were actually being charged more rather than an inflated hold being pre-authorised if not falling for the upsell.

In such circumstances, assuming I have the headroom on a credit card, I'll just take the bigger hold rather than paying to reduce (or not to increase) it…

NoodleDoodleMan

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159258#Comment_82159258

My good mate who hires cars abroad is also a fan of Zest.

vacheron

I've used most companies at some point or another, probably 15-20 over the last 10 years. All of them will attempt to upsell their overpriced insurance to some degree, and sometimes it comes down to the specific branch or even the person that serves you that determines the tenacity of the upselling.

Some don't care, some get pushy or downright lie others will get surly when you refuse. Just kindly and politely keep saying no. I also tell them I got free excess insurance with my home car insurance. (I don't but they seem to mind less than when it looks like you have taken a policy out specifically just to thwart them!)

To avoid price creep on arrival, just pay up front in advance.

Our next car hire booking is in Spain in about 3 weeks time. A 10 day hire of our "intermediate SUV" (EG. VW Tiguan has cost us £68 (£6.80 per day), so they have to make their margins somewhere because it doesn't seem like they are doing it from the hire alone!

… cue £20 per day enhanced insurance and a child seat or satnav that costs more to hire than the acutal car! (I didn't need either BTW, I just checked at the time!) 😊

bagand96

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159258#Comment_82159258

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159913#Comment_82159913

Zest are a broker and not a hire company. They don't rent cars.

Bandy2023

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82160181#Comment_82160181

I do pay in advance, always.

Bandy2023

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82159310#Comment_82159310

Well that's the thing, EUR3000 takes a lot out of a credit card which is also being used for other holiday stuff.

So it's a vicious circle, they're playing on the fact EUR3000 will dent the spending power of many users, and hoping they pay extra for the insurance to counter it.

eskbanker

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/comment/82169589#Comment_82169589

Difficult to generalise but I'd imagine that, out of those prepared to have a €1.5K hold on their card, some, but certainly not all, would consider forking out a substantial premium ("the rental easily doubled in price because 'their policy has changed'") to avoid that being increased to €3K, but accept that credit headroom is obviously variable.