Yet Another Rental Car Rip Off

Returned my hire car to Record at Malaga airport and completed the accident report form as i was hit by  third party but fortunately caught them and took all thier detials etc i have UK insurance cover so i wasnt particularily concerend.None of the Record staff could be bothered to join me to view the damage.

The hire car had previous damage indetified on the paperwork before i took out the vehicle .

Much to my suprise when i was waiting in departures i was emailed not one but two invoices for damage to the vehicle - one that i had reported but the other one was the result of the previous accident and was identified on the paperwork.

Having tried all avenues Record will not respond to my calls and emails complaining about the obvious malpractice - so i have now become yet another victim of the Spanish Car Rental Scam.

Nobby

Have you contacted your UK insurer? I'm assuming that this is excess cover and that you didn't take the top up cover from Record, they will be very conversant with this practice, or there would be no need for them.

Keep us posted on developments, good luck.

I pay the rental car companies extra insurance, last trip 14 days 173.00€, (about £138.00) sure it's a waste of money if nothing happens, but if it does, then it's money not wasted. 

I think being realistic it's quite obvious that a rental car company would try to claim for previous damage on the rental, in the hope your insurance paid out with little questioning.

Hope your UK insurance pays you out with no trouble.

On the vey occasion I have rented a car I have always photographed it from all angles, preferable with a staff member in the shot, on picking it up and on return..

One  occasion in UK when I was returning a car the guy in front of me in the queue was being given a bill for around £300 for a broken windscreen.  Bad luck it has happened within yards of the car return office. He thought, as I did too, that the 'all risks' insurance he had taken our would cover all risks. However, it excluded glass, tyres, wheels and I believe under-body damage.

I was looking at condition a couple of weeks ago and saw similar exclusion on rental cars in UK. I do not know if that applies to all ‘all risks’ cover.

Other condition excluded drivers over 75, so my son is going to pick me up.   I am 76 too old to rent although I drive my car in Spain, it is now almost 3 years old not a single scratch so far, I ride a road bicycle and a 600 cc motorcycle.

The chances of an insurance company paying out without detailed examination of contract and any accompanying paperwork nowadays is highly unlikely!

Insurance companies are trying to stamp out the growing incidence of abusive claims, but as usual it's the law abiding innocents that suffer in the process as they look to every opportunity to deny legitimate  claims and inflate costs in the process.

It doesn't help when car hire firms add to the abusive claim culture and should be "outed" at every opportunity which hopefully will disincentivise clients from using them.

Its another instance where lack of regulation (and a decent accrediation system)  within the industry has lead to growing distrust and sadly incentivises abusive practice.

If you buy the rental companies Super Cover i.e. SC. It says on the Terms and Conditions of Rental, back page in  the English section 4.1 ....'Your liability for loss or damage to the vehicle, it's parts or accessories will be eliminated' ....That means everything full stop, except judging the height of the car and running under a low barrier or overhead objects.

Worth the extra cash I would say.

I have had Direct Excess insurance for the last year, fortunately I have not had to claim.

The renewal is now due, but there are now exclusions to the 'new' policy so I am looking at an alternative. I have come across Chew Insurance which looks to provide good excess cover.

Has anyone had any experience of this company?

Thanks

For the over 75's check out Centauro Rent a Car.

Destry Thanks but I live in Soain and was looking to rent a car in UK.

I find Questor Insurance fine £39.99 annually 

Have had to use it once for a windscreen claim , when renting with Goldcar, both Goldcar and Questor first class

Write as you find !!

Im insured with Eversure and their online claims process seems very efficient - have you tried to photograph a car in the underground car park in Malaga airport...not the brightest of places.

Talking of the existing damage i foolishly accepted that the fact it had been recorded on the paperwork prior to taking the car that somebody else had copped for the cost.

I wonder how much extra revenue these buggers raise this way!

To make things more annoying Record will not communicate with me - i suppose all Spanish car ental companies are the same - it must be the culture - pay their insurance or suffer as i am with the consequence.

I think it's wrong to suggest all car rental companies are like this

10 years here renting cars up to 12 times a year from 4 different airports and several different companies makes me believe it's no specific company, no specific location, more certain individuals!!

And don't think the UK are any different ..........

Dodworther

I have used Record at Malaga airport and had no problem, but then again I did not encounter any accidents along the way.

From what I am led to believe, you should really only receive a bill for the 950 euros that is debited (held) against your credit card as this is the excess payable in case of accidnets etc. You should then be able to claim this back from your UK excess insurance policy.

There are many ways of looking at whether to take out the hire car companies insurance, yes for peace of mind you could pay their rip off insurance.

I have over thas last 12 years probably hired a car in Spain about 30 times or more and taken out the excess insuarnce back in the UK and as yet have not had to claim. But if you are lucky and don't have an accident then this obviously the least exepensive option.

I hope you get your payment processed with the UK insurance company without a hitch.

I must have rented over 50 times in the last 10 years and only once had a minor problem, when I opted for a cheap n cheerful motor off the internet as the regular firm were not represented at the airport involved.

Otherwise I always use Centauro who are highly professional and reasonably priced.  I looked at others this year for a relative and his family and initially there was a cheaper option, but this proved to be just a silly marketing gimmick, so I ended up back with Centauro -  they may be a euro or two more than the companies quoted on this thread, but life's too short for these avoidable hassles.

The thread heading is wrong and unfair on the car hire sector who in my experience do an excellent job. 

johnzx,

Sorry about that, but it may be of interest to others, in respect of UK car hire I believe that Saga have a 'no upper age limit' deal with Hertz.

johnzx,

Sorry about that, but it may be of interest to others, in respect of UK car hire I believe that Saga have a 'no upper age limit' deal with Hertz.

Acer I think you may have been lucky with your car hire, after reading the reviews, I think all the big boy car hire firms are at it, https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/centauro.net

I got fed up with car rental firms. They always wanted extra insurance when they originally claimed the insurances was comprehensive. They always fiddled or tried to fiddle the fuel.

Final straw was when I booked one Easter (299E in contract). When we reached San Javier they had run out of cars and would do nothing to help us. Finally found a car at 899E which we had to have. Original company offerred us nothing in compensation, not even a discount next time.

We bought an old second hand car. Seguro look after it and bring it to the airport. Paid for itself after about 3 years.

Could not help but have a smug smile when my friend said he was driving out as he could not get cheap hire this year.

I agree tteedd, I got thoroughly fed up with huge queues at the car hire desk, expensive top up insurance, massive amounts charged to my credit card if I had the temerity to use my own excess insurance, that took circa 6 weeks following drop off to be returned, full empty fuel deals and unvaleted cars.

We now use local transport, and will continue to do so until the car hire firms get their act together.

I ALWAYS used Auriga,since from 2002 till 2009  even got to know all the staff by name ,they were brilliant, however back in the day 2008/9 all the car hire co,s  apparently never bought in enough cars and were charging an arm and a leg. As we go for 6 weeks at a time it was a small fortune.    So I bought a 20yo Opel Frontera 2.7. off my friend for €1600    ,he paid €9000 4 years earlier!!!      well she was only 15 at the time,lol.  I LOVE her, she sits at Alicante airport all year waiting for me at €299     its just great.   Sails through the drive through ITV and never breaks down,  ( touch wood, of course.)  Oldest truck on the lot..  Antigua they say. No ins co want to insure her now as shes an old lady but Ive stayed with Linea Directa and they do fully comp for me at €400 .   Shes green, if you see me, wave..Il be on my way to Mojacar for October,nov.      Its as shame if  holiday makers get ripped off though it spoils a trip people may have saved for all year.