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…