| Your holiday package includes a hire car to use whilst | | | | You return a car after your holiday. The hire company |
| you are on your holiday and "the car only cost me an | | | | staff inspect the car and find something wrong. You |
| extra $50 for the entire 7 days hire". And, then the | | | | have no idea what is under the bonnet or even on the |
| unexpected happens such as a scratch on the bonnet, | | | | under floor of the car. The hire staff produce a list of |
| windscreen damage caused by flying debris or the | | | | three mechanical problems and then hand you a bill. |
| worst case is that the car is hit by another motorists. | | | | Those three mechanical problems could have been |
| "We are covered says Jamie because the insurance | | | | paid a 1000 times a year. It is just another revenue |
| will take care of it". | | | | generating scam. |
| You bring the car back to the garage and the hirer | | | | 5)Hire company fuel will cost you an earth |
| hands you an unexpected repair bill of $600. You are | | | | A tank full of fuel can cost you double what you will |
| shocked with bewilderment and the car hire people | | | | pay at the pumps. If you bring a car back to the hire |
| point you to the finer points of the hire contract which | | | | company then expect a big fuel bill. This situation can |
| you duly signed when you collected the car. Below is a | | | | be avoided by filling up the tank before you arrive at |
| list of tricks car hire companies use to siphon money | | | | the hire depot to return your hire car. |
| from you:- | | | | 6)Filled up tank with the wrong fuel? Big mistake |
| 1)Hidden costs. | | | | Putting wrong fuel in your car tank is a mistake easily |
| Hire companies advertise hire charges that are | | | | made. Particularly, if your normal car at home runs on |
| inclusive of insurance but they fail to disclose the high | | | | diesel fuel and your hire car uses petrol. If you were |
| excess charges before you sign the hire contract. If | | | | unfortunate enough to make such an error you will |
| you own a car you may choose to have a small | | | | incur exorbitant costs running into $500 to $1500 to |
| access of say $200 added to the policy to lower your | | | | have your error put right. |
| premium but the access on a hire car can be as high | | | | Which car hire companies are operating their |
| as a $1,000. In case of a small damage say a scratch, | | | | businesses in this unscrupulous manner? |
| the rental company can, if it chooses to, send you a bill | | | | From the sound of things, you will conclude that these |
| for the entire access amount ($1,000.00) even if the | | | | are cowboy outfits out there to rip off unsuspecting |
| repair costs are mush less. | | | | customers. They cannot be large well established |
| 2)The repairs con. | | | | brands names that we recognise. Here is the shocking |
| Customers are billed huge amount as much as a | | | | news, these car hire companies are national and |
| $1,000 for superficial repairs and hire companies don't | | | | international chains:- |
| actually carry out the repairs. It is reported that cars | | | | Bad hire Company 1: Avis car hire charged 87% more |
| are actually handed to other unsuspecting hirers | | | | for fuel and argued that they were right. |
| before repairs are done on them. Therefore, these | | | | Bad hire Company 2: Hertz car hire charged a |
| large access charges in respect of the repairs are | | | | customer nearly $1,500 for filling the tank with the |
| income extra income that the company earns from | | | | wrong fuel. |
| unsuspecting customers. Ask them for a copy of the | | | | Bad hire company 3: Alamo car hire conceded that |
| repairs bill? Well, you will have to wait a long time. If | | | | they charge customers for repairs which are never |
| repairs are not carried out then the bills can never be | | | | carried out. |
| produced. Can they? | | | | Bad car hire company 4: Europcar; according to their |
| 3)Hire vehicles not properly maintained. | | | | representative, cars are returned back to the |
| Imagine having a package holiday with a hire car | | | | manufacturers having had all the repairs carried out |
| thrown in as a bonus. You did not really want a car but | | | | first. It would appear that Eruopcar is no different than |
| it is there so you decide to use it. You take is for drive, | | | | the other suppliers in the market place. |
| it breaks down because it is not really road worthy | | | | Finally, if you need to hire a car ask the hire company |
| and when you finally get it back to the garage you are | | | | about the hidden costs; matters relating to insurance |
| landed with a repair bill. Being in a foreign country and | | | | and excess charges before hiring your rental car. If |
| not knowing the law you are more likely to hand over | | | | you come across unethical practices/conduct please |
| the money but you've just been conned. | | | | report your hire company to the authorities as a |
| 4)Can we inspect the vehicle sir/madam? | | | | matter of course. |