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