Our travel editor reveals the eight tips you NEED to follow if you want to avoid overpaying on car hire

SHADY upselling tactics are still rife at car hire desks across Europe.

And even my years of experience did not stop my own daughter getting duped when she picked up her first hire car last month.

5

I had booked and paid for the vehicle via a popular car hire website that offers the chance to book with a variety of different companies. The mistake I made was going with the cheapest — with a company called Firefly, a low-cost car rental company owned by Hertz.

The rental for three days was £67 and knowing that car hire excess insurance is a MUST but does not have to cost a fortune, I booked and paid separately for a policy that would cover her excess should the worst happen. It cost just £13.

Unfortunately, when my 27-year-old daughter arrived at Nice airport in the South of France to pick up the car, the upselling tactics at the Firefly desk kicked in.

She was told she HAD to buy a car hire excess policy before she could drive away. She explained she had a policy but was told it was invalid as it was bought online. That was untrue.

5

Next she was offered a “bargain” — and told that if she paid for a full tank of petrol at the desk, it would be cheaper than filling up at petrol stations outside the airport. Again, that was untrue. My daughter had no idea she was being duped.

Also, because she was not travelling far and only in the country for a few days, it would be all but impossible to use all the fuel she had paid for. My daughter was finally on her way, having shelled out 110 euros for an excess policy she didn’t need and fuel she would never use.

The blame lies solely with the staff at the car hire desk and their pressure-selling techniques. My daughter had never hired a car before and had no idea she was being duped.

And she is not the only one. When I took to social media to complain, people replied with horror stories of their own — and travel professionals told me they never work with Firefly because of similar problems.

5

A look at the reviews on Trustpilot sees them get just a one-star rating — and endless tales of bad practices at desks across Europe and beyond. We asked the company to comment but it did not respond. Reputable car hire comparison sites are trying to tackle this issue.

Last month, suspended Green Motion as a car hire supplier in the UK after a spike in complaints from customers. Holiday Autos’ Lauren Gourley said: “We believe in making the whole car hire experience seamless and stress-free.

“We observed an influx of complaints and decided to suspend Green Motion to ensure customers are shown cars only from companies that can demonstrate an appropriate level of customer service.” So how do you protect yourself, and your money, when booking car hire?

Here are my tips.

5

• When looking to book, do your research. Don’t automatically go for the cheapest price and, before you click to book, check what others have been saying.
  Most car rental comparison sites, such as Holiday Autos and Rentalcars, will have customer ratings for each company. You can also check review sites such as Trustpilot or TripAdvisor.
• While booking, check exactly what the car hire company will expect you to have when you arrive at the desk. This will include a driving licence for all drivers, and you may have to get a code from the DVLA to show if you have any points or convictions on your licence.
• You will also need proof of ID — passport or similar — as well as, sometimes, proof of address.
• Importantly, the car hire company will require a credit card, in the name of the main driver, with enough spare credit on it to cover a specified deposit that they will take if there is any damage to the car or an accident.This can range from £500 to more than £1,000 depending on the car you are hiring. You will NOT be able to drive the vehicle away without this

5

• Once booked, get car hire excess insurance — this will reimburse you should you have an accident or damage the car and the car hire company will take their excess directly from your credit card. There are plenty of companies offering specialist excess insurance at a fraction of the price that car hire companies will charge at the desk. I have used and in the past.They will do single-trip and annual policies. Make sure you print out all the policy documents to show at the car hire desk.
• Don’t be fooled into buying a tank of fuel from the car hire desk. Prices will ALWAYS be higher than you can get from local supermarket petrol stations. Always choose the Full to Full option. Agree to return the car with a full tank of petrol that YOU will fill up before you return it. Leave enough time to do this when you return the car.

MOST READ IN TRAVEL

HOP TO IT

I visited London's most child-friendly pub with bowling, a slide & ice cream van

SANDS GOOD

Seaside town is the ultimate staycation spot & one of UK’s 'best places to live'

HIKE ON

I've walked 10,000 miles through Britain - here's my fave quaint village to visit

ISLE GO

Med's smallest inhabited island hits 20C in mid-winter and has £50 hotel rooms

• When you pick up the vehicle, inspect it and note any damage and flag it up with the car hire company before you leave. Taking pictures or video on your phone will provide valuable proof.
• Leave plenty of time to return your vehicle and make sure you inspect it with the car hire employee and confirm they are happy before you leave.

HAVE you had an issue this summer with car hire? Email us your story at [email protected].