Apologies for all-encompassing nature of the question, but I haven't booked a hire car abroad since, I dunno, back in the nineties when my employers used to arrange everything anyway. The only thing we've ever hired ourselves were mopeds. We're off to Fuerteventura in October and we're thinking that for the extra hundred or so € to rent a little runabout, we might get one instead of relying on public transport.
Having read some horror stories here, what do I need to know? Is there insurance I should take out before I go as well as the "all inclusive" the rental company offers?
As an example, it's around €100 to rent a Panda for a week (prices seem to take a dive in October). These are the T&Cs:
Terms and conditionsThis tariff includes:
Unlimited mileage
Local taxes (IGIC or VAT)
Free airport service
Second driver free
Baby seat and booster seats included
Free bookings amendment and cancellation
Fully comprehensive insurance with no excess*. It is included: personal accident cover –PAI-, collision damage waiver –CDW-, Total coverage in case of the theft of the car –TP-.
*Just for premium cars there is an excess of 300,00 euros
This tariff does not include:Damage to wheels (rims) and tyres.
It is forbidden to drive the vehicle off asphalted roads or in forbidden or dangerous areas (such as sand roads, beaches, mountains, etc).
Lost the keys dame or deteriorate the key or the remote control.
Damage caused by filling the tank with the wrong fuel (.Inadequate refuelling.).
Accident or damages caused by inadequate (dangerous) driving or under the influence of alcohol or other substances.
Any damage caused by bad parking.
The charges of any possible law intervention because of any traffic violation.
PLUS CAR are not liable for personal belongings inside the car
General TermsThe minimum age to rent a vehicle is 23 years old and 1 year experience. (except higher groups vehicles where the minimum age 25 years is requires an 2 years experience).
The client returns the vehicle with the same fuel as collected.(It is not necessary a deposit of money for petrol).
The vehicle is only to be driven by persons as named on contract.
The vehicle is not to be transferred between islands without the permission of PLUS CAR.
The driving license must be valid for driving in Europe with a minimum of 1 year of driving experience.
Traffic fines are the responsibility of the clients.
There are some awesome sandy tracks around the coast of Fuerte that hire cars can be very good down... 😉
Not sure about the sensible side sorry...
It is forbidden to drive the vehicle off asphalted roads or in forbidden or dangerous areas (such as sand roads, beaches, mountains, etc).
🙂
Get a 3rd party excess cover (it will most likely be cheaper).
I've used Questor a few times, never had to claim though so can't comment on that.
Check the car over fully with them before you sign for it. Don't be afraid to point out even the smallest dimple or scratch that they don't have noted down.
Wot peterfile said
Cheapest options, decline all additions and get 3rd party cover - £39 for the year iirc
There are some dirt tracks down to some lovely beaches on the west of the island - it's a bit of a grey area if you are covered to drive on them.
If you do, try not to get benighted 3 miles from the nearest tarmac road and end up having to re-seat the connectors to the electric cooling fan on an overheating engine in the dark with an irate wife and 8 month old in the car. 😳
What peterfile said, very important to do so as the small marks not mentioned, will be when you return the car.
Additionally, make sure you get them to inspect it and give you the return receipt when you return the car as that is then the final cost, my old boss once had a hire car company (one of the big ones), claim he hadn't returned it at Barcelona Airport!
Thanks chaps.
(Sorry, meant to include in OP, the rental is with [url= http://www.pluscar-fuerteventura.com/ ]PlusCar[/url] and includes fully comprehensive and no excess (except for premium cars, but I don't have peterfile's kind of disposable income).) So, you're advising that I need further 3rd party excess cover - is that to cover the excess for a third party who's car/child/dog/garden wall I might hit?
As for checking over the car, yes, thanks for the reminder. Honestly, I'm so green at this renting a car shite. 😐
We hired from Autos Feber on Lanzarote 18 months ago.
Asked for a Focus, they didn't have one so got a Saab 9-3 2.0T for the same price. "If you crash it then give us a call and we'll bring you another one" 😀
We left it at the hotel running on the last few drops of fuel, as per their instructions, dropped the keys off at reception and that was it. No fueling/damage/pickup/inspection/"insurance " charges.
(Sorry, meant to include in OP, the rental is with PlusCar and includes fully comprehensive and no excess (except for premium cars, but I don't have peterfile's kind of disposable income).) So, you're advising that I need further 3rd party excess cover - is that to cover the excess for a third party who's car/child/dog/garden wall I might hit?
Ha! I'm skint at the moment! 🙂
The excess on hire vehicles is normally very very high (can be over £1k), meaning that if you have a wee accident, you'll be on the hook for a holiday ruining amount. Fortunately you can insure against the deductible/excess for not much money...meaning that if you have an accident, you'll still be liable for that huge excess to the hire company, but you'll get it back from your excess insurer.
You'd be mad not to take it out.
EDIT: sorry, just spotted that you have no excess with the hire (only had two cups of coffee so far today)? That's great, but also quite unusual I think, especially for the price you quoted. Worth double checking that IMO.
Ah, ok, I get you now. Sorry if I'm splitting hairs, but as you're a legal eagle beagle, you'll be used to it, but are you saying that:
[i]Fully comprehensive insurance with no excess*. It is included: personal accident cover –PAI-, collision damage waiver –CDW-, Total coverage in case of the theft of the car –TP-[/i]
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Does not mean what we think it means?
EDIT [i]EDIT[/i] [b][i]EDIT[/i][/b]:
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Yeah, I'll check that out. For £39ish, it might be worth taking it out anyway.
We left it at the hotel running on the last few drops of fuel, as per their instructions, dropped the keys off at reception and that was it. No fueling/damage/pickup/inspection/"insurance " charges.
That is how it normally works.
With work I have hired approx 60-70 cars over the last 10 years and of those I had issues with 2 of them. On both I ended up with no costs, one was an argument about scratches when I returned the car and I pointed out it was impossible for the scratches that they agreed were already there to have occurred without the ones they tried to charge me for happening at the same time!
The 2nd one was due to an early morning drop off (office was closed) they tried to claim for extra damage. I had kept the original pick-up document which showed the extra scratches they had written on my form but hadn't registered themselves, this was about 2 weeks after I dropped the car back, they were definitely trying it on!
collision damage waiver –CDW
Yep, that's what you want. If that's definitely included in your hire cost then that seems like very good value. Are there any other t&cs that relate to the CDW?
Yeah, I'll check that out. For £39ish, it might be worth taking it out anyway.
You won't need it if that CDW is in place.
Sorry DD, I didn't really read your OP very thoroughly at all 😳
Tbh, andermt, I hired countless cars in America and Europe when I used to have a prawper job, and I was a bit more casual about things because I always assumed my employers would sort out any shite. But when it's my name and cc details on the form, I'd rather take a belt and braces approach. 🙂
Yep, that's what you want. If that's definitely included in your hire cost then that seems like very good value.
To be fair, this is for hire from the 1st October to the 8th. The same Panda is €50 more expensive for the last week in August. I guess they're not exactly renting out lots in October and being the Canaries, it's not like they can shift the fleet around the countryside to better utilise it, so off-season rentals are cheap.
Looking at third party webshites, the prices are a bit silly cheap (enough to make me raise my eyebrows a little as to what deposits and whatever I'd be swiping my cc for in resort. I don't want "cheapest", I just want "best for us and peace of mind".
Are there any other t&cs that relate to the CDW?
I've emailed them to ask for a copy of the full T&Cs relating to CDW. There's no more information on the site than what I posted in my OP. Which you [b]DIDN'T READ[/b]!!! 😡
Bloody hell, that was a quick response:
😆
They've just replied and might as well have copied and pasted what I did from the website originally.
So, that's it.
Do not, I repeat DO NOT use GOLDCAR. They are rip off merchants of the highest order and will sting you for a full tank of fuel, extra insurance and any damage whether your fault or not. Google 'Goldcar review' to see what I mean.
Don't book through an agent either (many of whom you'll find book you a GOLDCAR vehicle) - book directly with the company you want to hire from - saves a lot of hastle.
Autoreisen have always been great for us, insurance waiver included, not always the newest cars out there but efficient, friendly and the only time we accidentally put a couple of dents in the car they were not even bothered.