Hiring a car is often the best way to get around and see the sites when on holiday. A hire car gives you freedom and allows you to explore at your own pace. Most of us have heard of at least one horror story regarding someone being caught out by car hire charges.
But car rental doesn’t have to be scary! Provided you’re sensible and read the Terms & Conditions, there shouldn’t be any surprises. We know this is easier said than done so we’ve come up with the main car hire charges to be aware off.
Remember, not every supplier is out to get you and Economy Car Hire only works with suppliers that we trust.
Fuel Policy & Mileage
One of the main areas where people get caught out is the Fuel Policy. This is in part due to the notorious Full-Empty policy where you pay for a tank of fuel up front and return it empty – this is particularly common in Spain & Portugal.
The drawback is if you don’t travel that far, you end up being charged for fuel you don’t use. Not only is this an obvious waste of money, the fuel is charged at a premium rate and there’s usually an administration charge added too. Full-Empty policies are often expensive and you can end up paying an extra €80-160 on top of the rental fee.
Full-Full on the other hand sees you given a full tank which you must return full. This is the easiest and fairest policy as you only pay for what you use. Ensure the tank really is full to the brim when you return it and you can’t go wrong. This is usually the cheapest and easiest option.
Return with Same Amount does exactly what it says. Simply return the car with the same amount as when you picked it up.
How to avoid being caught out
Both we and Which? maintain a Full-Full policy is the best all-rounder. At Economy Car Hire, the majority of car hire suppliers we work with now offer a Fair Fuel Policy. To make it obvious which firms offer a Fair Fuel Policy, we show Fair Fuel Policy in the search results. This way you know you won’t be ripped off.
Fair fuel policies are as follows:
- Leave a deposit for a full tank of fuel and return full for a refund.
- Collect quarter full and return empty.
- Return with the same amount of fuel.
Always check the Terms & Conditions carefully before completing your payment. If in doubt, contact the broker or supplier for clarification.
Unwanted Upgrades
Suppliers can never guarantee you’ll receive the car you expected. Sometimes they’re returned late, involved in an accident or have been sent for a service. Usually you’ll be given something “similar” but sometimes they may try and upgrade you. “Great” you’re probably thinking, “what’s the problem?”
Sometimes the supplier will use this opportunity to actually charge you for this generous offer and some people have ended up paying 2 or 3 times the original price.
How to avoid being caught out
Economy Car Hire’s Managing Director, Rory Sexton says “If you’re advised that you’ve been given an upgrade on collection, ask if this is free of charge – or if a fee is required”.
Make sure you never agree to anything without knowing the full story – some companies will argue that by accepting the upgrade you agreed to be charged.
Dents, Scratches & Repairs
Cars occasionally get scratched, we all know that, it’s a way of life and the insurance will cover it, right? Not necessarily. A standard car hire insurance policy doesn’t usually cover negligence, damage to tyres, wheels, glass, under body, roof, keys, locks, mis-fuelling, lock outs, and battery failure.
How to avoid being caught out
We always recommend taking out a Top-up Insurance policy when you book to cover yourself. This adds cover for the uninsured parts listed above and enables you to claim back any charges for damage from the Insurance provider. If you’ve already booked your car, log into My Account and add this to your booking.
When collecting the car, make sure that the representative marks down existing damage to the vehicle. Take photos or film every part of the vehicle and ensure the agent sees you doing this. Get good quality pictures of the wheels and odometer/fuel gauge.
Collection Desk Hard Sell
Car rental prices (particularly in Spain & Portugal) are getting ever cheaper. Some suppliers are becoming more aggressive over selling extras when you pick the car up as this is where they make their money. They’ll often recommend taking out additional insurance to cover a multitude of issues. If you’ve taken out additional Top-up Insurance, they may even claim it’s not valid (it is) in order to sell their own policy.
How to avoid being caught out
If you already have Top-up Insurance, say no and check what you’re signing (particularly in the USA) as there have been occasional reports of agents slipping the insurance form in with your other documents. If you don’t have additional insurance, it’s up to you whether you want it or not. If you feel pressured or uncomfortable simply say “No”.
Hidden Charges
Another reason to always check your T&C’s, some car hire suppliers will charge extra for including a second driver, while others also charge if you’ve had your licence for less than four years.
How to avoid being caught out
At Economy Car Hire we include a free second driver in nearly all our quotes. Check your T&C’s to see if your age is going to lead to a charge by the supplier. If you’re not sure, contact your car hire broker.
Other Bits & Pieces
Nearly all rental car suppliers offer Satnav, child seats etc. for an additional fee per rental day. But it could be cheaper to take your own. Many airlines now allow child seats to be taken for free, others such as Ryanair charge a small fee but it will almost certainly be cheaper than hiring a child seat out there.
Satnav’s are a similar story, the chances are you already have a European map on yours anyway so why not take that? Alternatively, buy a European GPS for when you’re abroad as it’ll work out much cheaper after a couple of trips.
Top Tips
- We’d always recommend booking through a UK based broker so you’re covered by British consumer laws.
- Book using a credit card. This way if there are any unexpected charges you can get a refund from your credit card company provided the rental cost over £100.
- A cheap price doesn’t mean good value. Check what each deal includes and compare prices on a like-for-like basis e.g. do both prices include a free additional driver or would it be an extra with Quote A?
- If there’s an issue with the car, report it immediately to the supplier and your broker. Some problems are very hard to fix retrospectively and a faulty car can ruin your holiday.
- Always check the Deposit Amount. Some suppliers require a deposit of up to €3,000 which must be paid via credit card.
If in doubt, ask!
Remember, with car hire you’re buying a service and the agent handing you the keys wants to sell you extras. You’re under no obligation to buy anything in much the same way you don’t have to buy everything on offer in Tesco. To have a hassle and surprise free rental make sure you clarify all charges, collect receipts, and don’t be afraid to be firm and say “No”. If you’re not sure about anything, call your broker for clarification.
Be sure to check out our blog for other money saving ideas and make sure you follow us on Twitter and Facebook to stay up to date with all the latest news, tips, and stories.
I’m an unhappy renting through Zest. Dollar agent upgraded car without asking me at Denver 5th March 2017, I signed without paying attention and it cost me an extra $ 360. Zest shouldn’t be working with this company, and I suspect Zest know of the rip off tactics. Won’t be renting a Dollar car ever again, and will be looking for a reputable U.K. agent who works with honest car hire companies (if a pig could fly).
Dear Mr Smart,
Thank you for taking the time to bring this to our attention. I apologise for any inconvenience and frustration this situation has caused you. Please be assured that this is not the level of service that we expect from the suppliers that we work with.
I have taken a look at your case and can see that my colleague in our Customer Relations team has managed to retrieve a full refund for you from Dollar.
I hope that this is a more positive outcome for you and apologise once again for the situation.
Kind regards,
Jessica
Zest Car Rental
When I hired a car in Spain on a full-full basis on returning the car was told the refund would go to the card I used to book with, but none arrived in my a account. On checking the receipt they gave me discovered the account number was not mine. It took many months of complaint to be reimbursed. The following time I had a car on the same basis, on returning it’s asked for the printed receipt and they got very angry and said not to use their company again. Not good service or attitude. Hence I now use buses and taxis.
Dear Pat,
I am sorry to hear of your experiences in Spain. I know that things do not always go to plan, but the suppliers that we work with Spain have good customer service ratings. I am glad that your issue got resolved eventually. I hope that it has not put you off hiring ever again.
Kind regards
Gemma
Economy Car Hire
I am currently in spain and when I picked up my prepaid car I was disgusted at the treatment I received. The rental company tried everything in their power for me to take additional insurance. When I asked to see what extras I was paying for they could not provide a document written in english!!!! I had already paid for top up insurance when I originaly booked the car. Eventually I gave in and took their insurance too. Also this full to full is a pure rip off. I had to pay approx 40 euros for a full tank of fuel then top it up prior to returning the car. Subsequently for 500 km I have to pay 40 euros at the start of the hire then top it up again. In my eyes I am being charged twice……correct? Sorry will not go through a third party again and deal direct with a hire company. Finally, they also tried to charge for an additional driver ….shocking service to say the least.
Dear Howard,
I am sorry to hear about your experience. A senior member of the Reservations Team will be in touch this afternoon to discuss this further with you.
Kind regards,
Gemma
Economy Car Hire
If you don’t have the top up insurance from the supplier, they put a £1000 block on your credit card
So if we buy your top up cover, they put this block on your card.
Seemingly you have to pay topup from the supplier to avoid this situation, not everyone has that amount on a credit card.
We were left waiting for an hour whilst these problems occurred to people before us in the queue
One problem with the full-full fuel policy where you leave a deposit for a full tank of fuel and return full for a refund is that this is done on your sterling based credit card where the deposit and refund can be done at noticeably different exchange rates. In addition you also have to queue up with people collecting cars to get your refund, which can be a significant wait. Is there any solution for either of these issues?
Dear Mr Moody,
Thank you for your comments.
The arrangements with regard to fuel vary from country to country/ supplier to supplier. When getting a quote on our website, if you click on the show rental conditions link displayed underneath each vehicle, then look for the heading Fuel Policy, you can view the exact arrangements. Generally though, the fuel deposit is taken as part of the overall security deposit which is usually pre-authorised as opposed to debited. This means that unless you bring the car back with the incorrect fuel level, you should not suffer with exchange rate issues. I understand that the last rental you had with Hertz in the Canary Islands, this was an issue for you. Hertz Canaries are now owned by a different company, so the deposits are no longer debited, but pre-authorised.
This should help resolve both of these issues for you, as a pre-authorisation simply drops off automatically.
Kind regards,
Gemma
Economy Car Hire
PS This would give more confidence to your customers that they have adequate insurance cover .
Dear Mr Mckenna,
Thank you for your comments. When booking a car with us in Spain (and all locations worldwide) the headline price always includes excess protection which provides cover in the event of a collision or theft. If you click on the show rental conditions link underneath each vehicle and look for the heading “Deposit Requirements” you will find more information regarding this. We do also sell top-up insurance at £2.50 per rental day which provides cover for damage to the wheels, glass parts and underside. If you purchase this, you do not need to buy any insurance locally. You will still need to leave a security deposit upon collection. Simply pay the supplier for any damage then submit a claim upon your return home.
I hope that this helps to clarify this and if you have any further questions, please let me know.
Kind regards
Gemma
Economy Car Hire
perhaps you might consider offering excess insurance cover when booking a car with yourselves as the cost charged by the Spanish Co’s is excessive compared to what is available online?
In Portugal you will be offered to rent a Via Verde device for paying for Road Tolls automatically. This is a bit of a scam.
Portuguese road tolls are expensive, almost more expensive than petrol. We spent £50 on road toll in one week’s hire. But we had to pay about 24 euros in charges on top to rent the device. It would have been cheaper to pay the tolls directly. This device is only useful when you drive on the few roads that don’t hand manned toll booths, like the A22.
Hello,
The suppliers that we work with in Portugal all have different arrangements with regard to transponders for use of the toll roads. If you click on the show rental conditions link underneath each vehicle and look for the section marked motorway tolls, this should give you all of the information that you need to know. Most commonly, a toll transponder device is available upon collection for an additional charge of 20 EUR, payable locally. This includes 15 EUR worth of pre-loaded credit and enables clients to use the toll road without having to visit local pay stations/post offices. An option to add more credit to the transponder is available upon collection or during the rental. It does of course depend how much use you make of the toll roads too. When making your next booking, please feel free to contact us on +441362 852299 or email info@economycarhire.com and we can provide further guidance on this.
Kind regards
Gemma
Economy Car Hire
I rented in Majorca 3 weeks ago, hard sell at the rental desk for their extra bits policy at Euro 16 per day which I refused. I have my own annual policy as I rent up to 5 times per year. They poohed this policy as well as those sold by you and the other car hire brokers as being inadequate because they do not cover towage fees, VAT, loss of use, loss of income etc., which their policy does cover. Whilst there, a customer was debited for over Euro 2,500 for his damaged hire car (the insurance excess being Euro 1,000).
i recently hired a car in Spain
at the reception they informed me that the platinum insurance i purchased on line when hiring the car only covered the vehicle i was hiring up to a value of circa 4500 euro
the car i hired had a value of 20,000 euro
they said if the vehicle was severely damaged or written off in an accident i would have to pay the balance,
is this correct or should i have said no
Bernard
Dear Mr O’Leary,
Thanks for bringing this to our attention. This is technically correct however it depends on whether the damage is a result of a collision or as a result of negligence. By hiring with Economy Car Hire you automatically get free Collision Waiver Damage and built-in excess insurance/excess reimbursement insurance. This means if you’re involved in a collision, you’re only liable for the excess which you would then claim back from the insurance company.
If the damage is a result of severe negligence, then the CDW wouldn’t be applicable and you would have to pay the balance. I must point out this is extremely rare and it’s unlikely the market value of the vehicle will actually be €20,000.
For peace of mind, we’d always advise taking out the optional Top Up Insurance to give yourself as much cover as possible.
I hope this answers your question but if we can be of further assistance, please contact us immediately.
Kind regards,
Mark
Economy Car Hire