Car hire excess charges

[Stephi]

Recently back from our holiday home in Policastro, all went well until we tried to return the hire car to a firm called Sicily By Car and owed up to having had a puncture. The guy was most unpleasant. He ran in for him camera and took photos of the very old tyre. He ordered us back into the car, like criminals and we were taken to the manager at Naples airport to make a statement. This we foolishly thought would be the end of it, but a charge has now arrived in the post for 100 euros. How shortsighted as we visit regularly and will not be using them again.

[tuscanhills]

This is just one of many pitfalls to car rental.

There's also:
................the "half tank of petrol" trick
................................the airport collection fee
................................................th e credit card surcharge

Does anyone have any more?

(good topic Stephi, thanks!)

[Cassini]

There's the 'we don't put the plastic caps on the wheels because it would take our mechanics too long to check air pressure' trick and then trying to charge you when you return the car. Budget at Nice airport. They also like many do not put all the tiny scratches on the rental sheet and refuse to put some on you point out as they are considered too small ... then they charge you unspecified sums when you return the car. We don't intend to use them again despite their offer for one free day for every five you rent with them.

[Ric]

Take the worry out of your rental experience by purchasing yearly insurance against the excess: Car Hire Secondary Insurance, Rental Car Insurances.


Why is the forum changing my link to say, "Car Hire Secondary Insurance, Rental Car Insurances" automatically. I didn't type that.

[Cassini]

Yes its all very well having excess insurance and we do. But you can't make a claim if the company refuse to tell you how much they will charge you or send you any paperwork. All you can do is watch your credit card statement and find out how much they are charging and whether it is within the permitted time to claim on the insurance.

[Ric]

In which case they have taken an unauthorised payment from your credit card and as such your credit card will refund you.

(And you have 31 days after the incurred loss to make a claim with insurance_4_carhire)

[Relaxed]

Ric asked: "Why is the forum changing my link to say, "Car Hire Secondary Insurance, Rental Car Insurances" automatically. I didn't type that."


Some forums are cleverer than others. I have noticed my links being "translated" into real person speak rather than url speak outside ItMag forum - it seems to me to be quite helpful: though it is a new feature (to me) here on ItMag.

[Ric]

{Without wanting to go too far off topic --- the forum won't even allow me to use the format [ url="http://www.insurance4carhire.com" ]My Own Words Here[/ url] without auto-editing and removing 'My Own Words Here' for whatever is preset for that url. Not good.}

[Relaxed]

Tuscanhills seems to be the whizz at this stuff. Perhaps he will come in and enlighten us as to how to circumvent the best intentions of the webmaster!

[Cassini]

Originally Posted by Ric

In which case they have taken an unauthorised payment from your credit card and as such your credit card will refund you.

(And you have 31 days after the incurred loss to make a claim with insurance_4_carhire)

Thanks for the helpful idea however not possible in this case. As you will recall we all authorise the car hire company to take payments for uninsured items from our cards as a condition of hire. In this case the payment which was quite small appeared after the 31 day limit with no additional notification sent. Rather Catch 22.