Thinking of hiring a car on holiday? Here’s what you need to know to keep costs down and reduce the chances of getting ripped off by a car hire company!
1. Opt for the basic package – At all times resist the patter of the sales person who is trying to sell you insurance for incidents that may not be covered by the basic insurance. Their policies will be far more costly than one you can source yourself, such as our car hire excess insurance… you can find out more from Norbert…
2. Ignore their claims that the insurance you have purchased is not valid – Quite simply it is valid! They will also likely tell you that you need to get extra insurance to specifically cover windscreen, tyres and the undercarriage – you won’t need this if you have arranged your car hire excess with Worldwide Insure.
3. Make sure you have money on your credit card – Some car hire companies may get twitchy about the cover you may or may not have, so will ask for a pre-authorised sum to cover costs on your credit card. This is a normal procedure so make sure you have about £600 available as it will also need to cover fuel costs too if that is part of the arrangement.
4. Take video or photographic evidence of the condition of the vehicle – Even the most minor blemish, inside or out could land you with a bill if it hasn’t been noted before you drive your hire car away. Video and photographic evidence is difficult to dispute, so make sure you capture any damage that already exists on camera.
5. Read the T&Cs – It sounds simple, but how many of us (besides those in insurance) actually pore over the fine print? If scan and tick accept is your modus operandi, now is the time to take a little more time and find out what you are really signing.
- What’s the fuel policy? Some car hire companies make you pay for a full tank up front and you then return it empty – fine if you know you’ll be using a full tank!
- Is there a mileage limit? Some companies don’t want their cars driven for thousands of miles, do check if you have a long journey planned.
- Are you old enough? Generally only an issue if you are under the age of 25.
6. Take your own accessories, don’t hire theirs – Items such as child seats and sat navs can be hired from the car hire company, but usually at a much greater cost than buying items new.
7. Get your camera out again when you return your vehicle – Just as you documented the state of the vehicle before you left, do the same when you get back just in case there are any allegations of additional damage after you’ve handed the keys over and left the building. Keep hold of the paperwork and photos!
8. Keep an eye on your bank statements – Firstly you want to check that any fuel or damage deductions have been correctly charged, or that deposit money is correctly returned. Then you want to keep an eye open to make sure no mysterious payments come out over the following months.
If you would like to know more about car hire excess insurance from Worldwide Insure (not that Norbert hasn’t summed it up succinctly), give us a call on 01892 83 33 38