Renting a car is a potential minefield — there are so many ways in which you
can be ripped off, misled or overcharged. But you can come through it all
unscathed if you know the tricks of the trade and how to avoid them. Here’s
our cut- out-and-keep guide to car-hire scams and how to avoid them.
The scams
SCAM 1: THE EXCESS CHARGE
Most companies claim to offer “fully inclusive” or “drive-away” prices. Don’t
believe a word of it. Although their prices include collision damage waiver
— which limits your liability in the event of damage or theft — you’ll still
pay a hefty excess. Excess charges can be as high as £4,000. You’d be
forgiven for failing to notice the size of the excess when you book because
it’s usually hidden in the small print.
But when you pick up your car, staff may point it out. They’ll then offer to
sell you extra cover. This extra cover — Super CDW — will reduce your
liability to zero. It’s worth having, but expensive — as much as £15 a day,
or £210 for a fortnight.
How to avoid it: you don’t need to pay exorbitant prices for
SCDW. Instead, insure yourself against excess charges with Insurance4carhire.com.
It charges £51 a year within Europe, £125 worldwide. Or book through a
broker such as Holiday Autos (0870 400 0012, www.holidayautos.co.uk)
or Carrentals.co.uk (0845 225 0845, www.carrentals.co.uk).
Both firms offer excess insurance at £2.50 a day.
SCAM 2: THE EXCLUSIONS
Many drivers are surprised to learn that their insurance doesn’t cover
windscreen, wheels, tyres, roof or undercarriage. Rental companies say this
is because a typical prang involves dents and scratches to doors, wings,
bonnets and bumpers. So if you’ve damaged the roof or the undercarriage, you
must have been abusing the vehicle — driving off road, perhaps. This means
that you’ll still be billed if you suffer a puncture or a chipped
windscreen. Some idiot slashes your tyres? You pay. Repair bills can be
extortionate. Peter Jackson, who lives in Turkey, returned a car at Stansted
with a windscreen chip and was charged £617. When he complained, this was
reduced to £300.
How to avoid it: even the most cautious driver can get a
puncture, so protect yourself. The annual policy offered by
Insurance4carhire.com covers tyres, windows, roof and undercarriage. The
£2.50 a day policies from Holiday Autos and Carrentals.co.uk do not.
SCAM 3: WATCH WHAT YOU SIGN
When you arrive at an airport pick-up desk feeling tired, stressed and anxious
to get to your final destination, you’re at your most vulnerable. A cynical
company might think this is just the time to hit you with the hard-sell
treatment. One popular scam is for staff to offer SCDW, saying, “It only
costs €12.” You scribble your initials, not realising it’s €12 per day.
The problem appears to be worse in America. Patrick Sheehy of Haverhill,
Suffolk, arrived in Tampa and declined the £14 a day insurance, which he
didn’t need. A clerk told him: “I know you’re in a hurry, so just sign by
the crosses and away you go.” Only on his return did Sheehy find he’d
“agreed” to pay £196. When he complained, the staff shrugged and said: “You
signed. That’s it.”
How to avoid it: read and understand your travel and
home-insurance policies to ensure you don’t buy duplicate cover. Get a
printout of the rental company’s terms. On collecting your vehicle, don’t
sign anything you haven’t read and understood. Remember that every time you
scribble your initials in a box, you may be agreeing to pay for an extra you
neither want nor need: personal insurance, rip-off petrol refills,
personal-effects cover, or Super CDW. Make them explain each one.
SCAM 4: THE PETROL RIP-OFF
Buying petrol from a car-hire company can be costly. A reputable firm should
give you three choices: to drive the car away full and return it full; to
buy a full tank and return it empty; or to pay only for what you use.
The first is the simplest, but you must fill the tank to the brim — if staff
can squeeze in a few more litres, they may hit you with a “refuelling
charge” of up to £45. The second option is expensive. You’ll pay up to 40%
more than pump prices and you won’t get a refund on the fuel you don’t use.
If it’s difficult to return a car with a full tank, it’s almost impossible
to do so with an empty one. The third option might look attractive until you
discover what you’re being charged for the petrol you’ve used — sometimes
more than double the pump prices.
How to avoid it: some rental staff claim you must take a full
tank and return it empty. To avoid being bullied, check the terms when you
book and keep a copy with you. Refill on the journey back to the airport and
keep receipts.
SCAM 5: DENTS AND DINGS
It’s a familiar story. You collect your car from a badly lit basement car
park, drive it sensibly and return it undamaged, only for staff to give it a
quick inspection and find a tiny scratch or dent. The first you know of it
is when a charge for “damage” appears on your credit-card bill.
How to avoid it: if you don’t have a policy covering excess
payments, you ought to assume you’re going to be ripped off, so do
everything possible to stop it happening. Inspect the car thoroughly on
collection and ensure any damage — however minor — is marked on the
vehicle-condition report. Ask staff to drive the car into a well-lit area
before you inspect it. Take before and after photographs of the car (if you
have a digital camera, switch on the time and date display). On return, wait
while staff inspect it, then ask for a copy of the final report. If nobody
inspects the car, write on both copies: “Staff declined to inspect vehicle.”
Fight back
Be meticulous, both at collection and drop-off. Leave time to read the small
print and insist on vehicle checks. If a car-rental office will be closed
when you plan to drop off, consider using an alternative company. And, most
importantly, if you think you’ve been ripped off, complain. Armed with
evidence, you have a good chance of getting a result. Many Sunday Times
readers have reported successful outcomes dealing with UK-based
customer-services teams. If you booked your car through a travel agent or
broker, ask them to help.
Peter Woodrow of Raglan, Monmouthshire, rented a car from Avis in Eilat and
was charged £185 for a windscreen chip. He wrote to Avis. “The initial
response was that they could not intervene, as the company in Israel was a
franchise, but after months of protracted correspondence, it was refunded.”
Acronym buster
CDW (collision damage waiver) reduces your liability in the
event of an accident. Without it, you could face a bill equal to the
replacement cost of the vehicle.
TW (theft waiver) is the equivalent of CDW, but protects
against theft. Also known as TP (theft protection).
SCDW (Super CDW) does the job that CDW ought to do, reducing
your liability to zero. Often sold in conjunction with Super TW.
PI (personal insurance) pays out if you kill or maim yourself
or a passenger. Usually covered on regular travel insurance.
PEC (personal effects cover) pays out if your property is
stolen from a vehicle. Usually covered on house insurance.
