Car hiring in Spain

During the last few years I have noticed that when hiring a car in Murcia, the rental company hold a deposit as much as 600 euros  even though I have excess insurance purchased  in the UK.

If this is the rule, then fare and square however, what I resent is that they actually cash the deposit at a rate of say 1.19 to a £ and when returning the deposit buy at a rate of  1.24 . Surely this is immoral and totally un ethical as I lose money on the exchange rate for them to just have 600 euros for 14 days stay.

The idea of a deposit against your CC is for them to hold as a security and should only be actioned should any damaged to their vehicle occur.

Is this correct ? or are my asssumptions wrong.

Please put me right.

What does / can happen, I would think depends on the small print.  And of course one does not have to rent from a particular supplier.

I understand that one often cannot rent unless they use credit card, which unlike a debit card, can be charged without your express permission, for any charges (damage, traffic fines etc.) which arise after the vehicle is returned

I do not usually rent but on one occasion when I was returning a car in UK, another renter in the queue in front of me had just had a smashed windscreen (stone thrown up by a truck) within yards of the vehicle return point. He had full insurance for damage without excess but the windscreen,  tyres,  etc were not included in that.    I think he had to pay £300.

when renting a car I find it much easier to take out the "extra insurance" and it avoids most things other than traffic fines

sorry forgot to mention i am not aware of them actually taking the deposit off my cc and crediting it back.

Yes I always have excess car insurance (Annual) for Western Europe  £39 with Car  Excess Insurance but they still insist on a 600euro security.

When I used to hire cars out here, I have never actually had any money taken off my credit card apart from the hire cost . I thought the idea of using the credit card was that they could add any charges at a later date.

With the very few companies that accept a debit card it would be a different story as the money is taken from the account straight away and then put back as they can't take any further payments without your authorisation. If your hire car companies are taking the money from the credit card rather than just using it as a type of insurance for them then I am sure they are not playing fairly.

I know you are supposed to be given the option of paying in sterling or local currency and I wonder if that makes any difference? I have always pressed the local currency button so you aren't tied to the company exchange rate. 

The rental companies will still take a 600€ deposit even if you buy your own insurance to cover any damage, they seem to not want to recognise these policies. And it don't take to much to work out why.

Just had the same situation, rented a car via Do You Spain, shortly after paying for it an email came through offering extra car insurance for 38.00€, I knew they wouldn't take these, but maybe things change, and it was only a small amount, so bought it, in the line collecting the car all hell was going on with arguments over this from other customers when told it's no good and you will still have to pay the deposit, I did ask and obversely the answer was, no, the deposit will be needed, so I bought the rental companies insurance, roughly double.

I got my extra insurance money back, the 38€ so no harm done.

Although we have a Spanish registered car here I like to try to keep interested in things which once were of huge importance to us such as car hire so I read a lot & remember things that may help others.

so ..try  http://www.easyoption.com

It is my understanding they are excellent, look after their customers & are very well thought of by people on local forums. 

For many years we have used a company called Autos Paris, based at Malaga airport.

They collect you at the arrivals hall, take you to your car which is upstairs next to the drop off points. The hire includes fully comprehensive insurance, one extra driver included and what ever the amount of fuel is in the car they ask you to bring it back with the same amount.

Although they look more expensive than some companies you don't have to go down the where all the car hire companies are then try and find your car in a fuel filled car park! And all of the companies there quote you a price on the website and then charge you for extra ensurance and around 80 euros for fuel which comes to more that Autos Paris prices.

We have passed their details to alot of others who now us them.

Hope this helps.

Terrance43 hires from Murcia (airport?)

I too have annual excess insurance and also have the 600 euros deposit put against against my card every time - however it has only ever been taken off and put back onto the card once about 3 years ago, which entailed being charged for the exchange, I cannot remember who the hirer was.

I have used Economy car hire and chose Centauro as my hirer for the last dozen times, not once has the deposit appeared on my card, thus no exchange charges have been levied.

Who did you hire with terrance? Goldcar perhaps?

Although issued in 2012 this was an informative article that might be worth reading........

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/15/holiday-car-hire-10-ways-avoid-being-ripped-off

They made reference to holiday autos which received relatively few complaints and to quote "is part of lastminute.com so you have a parent company to complain to if things go wrong".

It apparently won the award for Best Car Rental Operator at the Globe Travel Awards 2013.
 

 Although issued in 2012 this was an informative article that might be worth reading........

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/15/holiday-car-hire-10-ways-avoid-being-ripped-off

They made reference to holiday autos which received relatively few complaints and to quote "is part of lastminute.com so you have a parent company to complain to if things go wrong".

It apparently won the award for Best Car Rental Operator at the Globe Travel Awards 2013.

I know I must be missing something here but...Where's the rip off when renting a car in Spain?

 Although issued in 2012 this was an informative article that might be worth reading........

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2012/jun/15/holiday-car-hire-10-ways-avoid-being-ripped-off

They made reference to holiday autos which received relatively few complaints and to quote "is part of lastminute.com so you have a parent company to complain to if things go wrong".

It apparently won the award for Best Car Rental Operator at the Globe Travel Awards 2013.

I know I must be missing something here but...Where's the rip off when renting a car in Spain?

Well yet again another "Thumbs down" for asking what on the face of it is a perfectly easy question to be answered....

Well not for dopey anyway...Must have been to many big words in my post for him to understand.

Er' dopey, if you dont like the question that much, or have an honest valid reply....Answer it...  Give it your best shot.

The article is self explanatory with regard to rips offs ........ since you made the query Baz1946, here it is in full.

Who is dopey?.....not me I hope

1. Buy the basic package only

The secret to saving money on car hire is to buy the basic package only. Car hire firms make all their profits by selling you the add-ons, which are usually absurdly expensive. In particular, ignore pressure to buy their collision damage waiver (CDW) or "super" CDW insurance, which will cover the "excess", usually £500-£1,000, not covered by the basic insurance. Instead, arrange your own cover independently – see step three.

Use online agents such as holidayautos.co.uk, argushire.com, auto-europe.co.uk to check hire prices first, but also look on the sites of the major players, such as Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar and Sixt. They often have special offers making them just as cheap as the brokers, and booking direct has its benefits if there are problems later.

Keep to on-airport operators – not only are they more convenient, but "cheap" off-airport deals can be a false economy when the car turns out to be a dud. Hire deals organised by airlines such as Ryanair's link with Hertz are rarely better value than using a broker or going to the hire firm direct.

2. Bring your own satnav and child car seats

We tested the cost of hiring a satnav for a week in Italy with Hertz and were asked for €97 (£78.50) for one week. In Spain, Europcar wanted £77.

This is a waste of money. You can buy a new satnav that covers both the UK and Europe for around £50-£60.

Child seats are more tricky. Hertz wanted £78.50 while Europcar asked for £74, and £60 for a booster seat. But if you are flying with a charter airline such as Monarch, it is free to take a child seat with you. Booster seats cost as little as £8 to buy in the UK, indicating just how overpriced the car hire deals are.

If you are flying on a low-cost airline such as Ryanair, check the additional baggage cost when booking. Ryanair charges £10 each way for a child car seat, so even with this extra cost it can still make sense to bring it along.

3. Save £100 by buying excess insurance

When you rent a car, the price generally includes insurance cover for a major crash, write-off, etc, but leaves you with the bill for the first £500 to £1,000. If there are any small scratches or scrapes, adding up to, say, £500 worth of damage, it means you have to pay it in full. So the car hire firms try to persuade you into buying super CDW insurance to cover this first £500-£1,000. But they charge as much as £150 for a week, compared to the £33 cost of buying it independently.

Insurance4carhire.com is an independent insurance company that will sell you an annual excess policy for Europe for £49, or £4.75 per day for shorter rentals.

Unlike the car hire firm's own policies, its policies cover damage to windows, tyres, undercarriage and the roof, and the rest of the car up to £2,000 per single claim. If you damage the car, you pay the car hire firm the agreed excess and then reclaim.

Readers who have claimed say customer service and claims handling is quick and excellent.

icarhireinsurance.com is another firm in this area. Its annual European policy is £40 a year, but is not quite as comprehensive.

4. Ignore the sales patter at the collection desk

This is where you need to be strong. Don't be persuaded to buy insurance you have already paid for (above). When you fill out the rental agreement, the local agent will try to sell you their super CDW that reduces the excess to zero. They will tell you that your insurance isn't valid (it is) and they will try to sell you windscreen wheel, tyre, and undercarriage insurance (if you bought from the likes of Insurance4carhire, you will also have this).

Assuming you have a policy, don't fall for it. We get lots of complaints about this, and the car hire firm is under no obligation to refund you because you bought two policies – nor is the agent you hired the car from. If you paid twice, it's your mistake.

When you refuse the extra cover, the rental firm will "pre-authorise" a sum to cover the excess on your credit card – typically £600 or so in the local currency. This is normal and allows the firm to charge your card the excess if you do have a crash. They will also charge you for the fuel if appropriate.

You will need enough available credit on your card to handle both.

5. Check the fuel policy, the mileage and other extras

Before you hand over your credit card details, look up the company's fuel policy. If you are driving a long way, does your rental limit the mileage in any way? If you are under 25, is there a surcharge?

A growing number of firms (for Spanish rentals in particular) now insist on a full-to-empty fuel policy on rentals of more than three or four days. You pay for a full tank of fuel and then bring it back empty, which is fine in theory, but if you aren't using the car much you'll end up paying for three-quarters of a tank of fuel you didn't use.

Renters on the small Spanish islands report it being impossible to use a full tank of fuel. Even the big firms now adopt this policy. The only way round it in Spain for those on a week's holiday is to go for a series of short rentals. Elsewhere, such as Italy, it is less prevalent, but starting to appear.

6. Note all damage, and video or photograph the car

This is the key moment. Before you leave, go round the car and look for any damage and mark even minor scratches on the rental agreement. Don't leave anything off. Same for the interior. Check the spare wheel is there, inflated and undamaged. Check the car is full of fuel if it supposed to be, and record the mileage, if it's restricted.

Once you have marked all the damage on the sheet, get someone at the rental desk to sign it – even if it is a long walk or drive back to the desk. If you don't there is nothing to stop the firm arguing that you caused the damage at the end the rental.

Once signed for, there can be no dispute. Take a video or digital pictures of the car (especially any pre-existing damage) as extra proof.

7. Photo the car on return and keep the paperwork

Assuming you have done no damage, and have filled it up (if required), park it up and then take digital photos of each panel of the car, the wheels, the mileometer, and other shots.

Hand the keys back to the person at the desk. If late at night post them through the letter box. Be wary if approached by someone in the car park claiming to work for the car firm. One reader faced a lengthy battle after his car was stolen in this way.

Lastly, keep hold of the paperwork. Don't throw it away, thinking the rental is over – it's not.

8. Keep an eye on your credit card statement

Check your credit card statement a few days later to make sure promised fuel payments and excess charges are returned and keep an eye out in later statements that no extra payments have mysteriously materialised.

9. Fight any additional charges

If you have wisely bought excess protection, simply claim from the firm in question. If the claim is spurious, pass this on to them and let them sort it out. If you bought the car hire firm's policy (why?) and the claimed damage is not covered – it rarely is – then it is time to go into battle.

Send a copy of the photos you took, and talk to the company. Some, particularly those in Spain, will ignore you. Take it up with the agent you made the booking through. They may help. If the hire firm has a UK presence, contact the offices here.

Ask for evidence of repairs that were supposedly carried out.

If you don't get anywhere and know you are innocent, raise the dispute with your credit card provider. The card firm may again try to ignore it, but they are in the UK, and will be easier to tackle. It will then be up to the car hire firm to prove its claim is valid.

10. So which car hire company do you go with?

Shop around, of course, but one firm that we get relatively few complaints about is Holiday Autos. It has the advantage of offering a one-stop shop in that you can buy its basic rental – it also offers Insurance4carhire's excess insurance in the same booking – albeit branded as its own total damage excess waiver.

Just remember you've already paid and don't pay again at the rental desk. The downside to using Holiday Autos is that to ring it you must pay 10p a minute. It charges to add an additional driver – €23 for a week's rental in Spain – compared to Europcar's £60. Holiday Autos' baby seat charges aren't excessive either. It is part of lastminute.com, so you have a big parent company to complain to if things go wrong.

Hi ads.

No dopey is not you, dopey knows who I refer to.

I did read the full article you referred to, and have read many posts on here, but, and this is a totally honest comment, I have never been ripped of over car hire, and up to date must have rented in excess of 100 cars over the past years from all the hire companies at Alicante Airport, now I rent them all via Do You Spain using one car hire company, and still no rental cons like reported on here, thats why I made mention of where are the cons?.

I don't rent off airport, use companies inside the terminal, the once when I had to go for one day on business I rented from one of the vans on the top floor, (old terminal) the power steering was broken so he changed the car, no problems.

Most of the article to me was common sense, if it's used, one bit I didn't think was correct was the rental extra insurance of up to £150.00 = 180.00€ approx., I have never paid no more then 75 to 100€ and most times I have rented large cars, even Mercedes. I think they were just trying to scare monger with the article.

As for sales patter if "Do you want the extra insurance?" counts then I suppose yes I have had that, otherwise nothing else. Had more when we went to buy a Dyson about how it was better to take out "Extra insurance"  £300 Dyson = 15,000€ hire car.

Before this extra insurance thing came along I did always take photos or a video of the car, before and after, seemed to me the obvious thing to do, when the extra insurance first came along I did query it but  it don't take a lot of thought to work out the costs of damage done which you might have to pay for, so for  me it was a good enough buy, lets face it, all insurance is a waste of good money...Until you don't have it, needed it, and wish you did have it.

One friend busted the alloy and tyre, told the rental company on return, they didn't even look, said okay no problem your insured, anyone can do this...Extra insurance 75-100ish...Alloy wheel + tyre = 400 plus  maybe more.

With the fuel policy of full to empty I was told we will reimburse any unused fuel, granted if you don't use the car much before this started you gave them a half tank back perhaps, but every time I rented I have had the choice full to full, full to empty. And when a person takes a car back empty the rental company has to send a driver out to refill the car, if there is no local petrol station it could be a round trip of say 10 / 15 miles or so, perhaps an hours time taken, someone has to pay the guys wages to do this. If the car was empty would you get to a station to fill it up..."Lights on, never mind, another 50 miles in it yet" I deal with the public every day, most times I have to wonder how they get through the day alone.

Yes, some tanks do only hold less then what you have just paid for, but as I said someone has wages to be paid, rents to be paid, rates to be paid, etc etc, it's a business.

I think much of the problems start when you first book the car on-line, the page makes little mention of these costs that can be added, or they are a bit vague, many a time I have stood behind people raving that the rental was 55€, the extras were another 170€....For the loan of a 15,000€ car??

Rant over.

It's good to have positive feedback so thanks for that, but equally forewarned is forearmed so to speak when dealing with those whose intent is not so honourable. Not so long ago we were made aware of cars not having valid MOT and the innocent hirer was being made the scapegoat as they were fined.

I've noticed that most car hire companies appear to adopt fuel full to empty policy so it's interesting to hear that you've been given the choice or even offered reimbursement if you return with half a tank of fuel. I take your point about someone having to go out and get fuel when returned empty but from what I can gather the fuel charge tends to make up for that. Of course it's a business which should be respected but it works both ways, and for many it comes down to how well you are treated as a customer. Repeat business I would have thought is worth fighting for so threads like this which report back findings (good and bad!) are a great help to many, both businesses and clients.

Long live EOS

Ads, you said in point 10 "The downside to using Holiday Autos is that to ring it you must pay 10p a minute."  It says it has an 0800 number on its website. 

As explained in my first posting the guardian article was dated 2012, so they may have altered the details since then!

I found it useful so still hopefully worth a read however! Best to check on the latest websites re contact details, rates etc.

Thanks Morerosado.

I've just seen that SimplyExcess do an annual policy specifically for Spain (and ideal for second home owners).  It's only £32.99