Car rental advice?

Evening,

Just after a bit of advice for car rentals. Is it as bad as it seems? Are there some main do’s and dont’s? Any companies to avoid? Do companies try and rip you off? Not hired a car before so relatively new to this.

For some context, planning a trip in September in Scotland. Looking to hire a car from Edinburgh somewhere. My partner and I have both driven for 10 years or so but looking to hire something else, I have a fiesta ST and she has an 11 year old VW Polo. As it’s for our honeymoon we were planning on something a bit more roomy and comfortable for a longer drive.

Thanks

Did you see my recent Enterprise thread?

Basically crack on but before you set foot in the car take a video detailing every little chip, scratch, bump, rub on the exterior. Especially if you’re returning to a different location than you’re collecting from.

It can be hit and miss. They are usually ok but there are a few bad ones. Get your own excess insurance as it’ll be cheaper. As above, check the car and take photos or videos. Not too much to worry about

I find Enterprise zero issue – even if I use my own insurance.  I have hired dozens of cars from them with zero issues – they actually have a tolerance policy for minor dings and scratches.

Beware tho – they use dynamic pricing so can end up very expenhsive

Use your own hire insurance – its £50 for a year rather than £20 a day!

I’ve used enterprise for van hire a few times and had zero issues, but I did pay the £20 odd extra for excess insurance, and as @sharkattack said, take loads of pics/video on your phone on pick up and drop off, and try to make sure they see you doing that.

The LWB Trannies I hire though, are not exactly honeymoon cars, although they would easliy fit a double matress in the back, with plenty of room for some extra pillows!

I’ve done it loads over the years, mainly through work so the unexpected cost was never a real concern. That said it has always been fine. I’ve been given some awful cars though – just because the picture shows a nice medium sized car doesn’t mean that’s what you’ll get. So consider trying to talk to someone to understand. *

There’s probably a money saving expert guide or similar. But generally don’t buy their insurance and buy your own. It costs a fraction.

Otherwise what everyone else says. Read the info you get on condition and check it is correct. Also take photos videos before and after.

*Like when you get given a massive SUV in Majorca which makes the small town parking that bit more sporting. Or a BMW 3 series to visit a facility in the borders on a snowy day in winter.

if you’re anxious just pay for full coverage. If you’re slightly money-minded do this via a 3rd party before you go.

I rent cars maybe 5-10 times a year, for the last 20 years and have never been charged for damage that wasn’t mine. I have copped an overly large charge for a fiat panda hub cap which I damaged (£190 all in, covered by excess insurance) and a small charge for denting the back of another panda (£170 iirc, very reasonable, as I didn’t have coverage). I always just go to the cheapest option when I’m renting personally, or avis when renting for work

As others have already said take photos and videos of everything, including the inside and underneath. Do this at collection and again at drop off. Ideally make sure the hire staff see you doing this.

If you want a specific type of car be cautious – they often substitute. We got caught out with a Nissan Quashcai when we booked a ‘Ford Galaxy or similar’ car – really struggled to get six people plus luggage in the thing as the extra 2 seats were no footroom jump seats that took up the entire boot space. Since then we booked an 8 seater car (no real difference in cost) and have accepted a downgrade to a seven seater Galaxy or enjoyed the VW minibuses they seem to provide  for this size.

Get your own excess insurance – we used insurance4carhire but there are plenty more. Loads cheaper than what they will sell you on the day

Make sure you have a credit card with enough spare credit for them to place a hold on, even if you have insurance etc. Most places wont accept debit cards for this.

Thanks for the advice everyone, appreciate the tips etc. The most reoccurring theme does tend to be on it with taking photos when receiving the car. Likely to drop the car off at another destination so I guess this will be paramount.

I’ll check out the excess insurance options as this will put us at ease a bit.

@sharkattack – Will have a look at your enterprise thread! Thanks

enterprise are very cheap for dropoff at a different place – some companies are expensive to do this.

Tick the extra insurance box especially when the company is paying. Long term hire cars all over the world – noticeable ones were.

Ripped the entire side off a Clio on a scaffolding truck – handed the keys into CDG hire desk and walked off. Plucky little car hand been mercilessly ragged up the Mulsanne straight earlier that week.

Ripped a brake line out of a Clio in Morocco. Hammered it flat with a rock and filled the brake resourvoir with shampoo. Told them about that one when it went back.

Rear windscreen fell out out of a Hyundai something or other on Morocco autoroute after denting its roof as a scaffold platform.

Drove a Fiat into a ditch in Turkey. Got a local farmer to pull it out with a few donkeys.

Wheel arch ‘fell out’ of another Clio on Casablanca autoroute rubbed on the tyre till it smoked and melted all up the side of the car.

Numerous dented wheels / missing wing mirrors, few rocks through windows for machine parts / tools left on back seats.

On holiday in Ibiza, jumped and nose dived a newish Seat Ibiza on the dirt track to the villa. Heated a skewer to melt holes for cable ties to hold the bumper together. Nobody noticed.

I get my monies worth.

Car rental advice, you say?

That’s easy. Never rent a car that RNP has previously rented.

Any recomendations for excess insurance??

Any recomendations for excess insurance??

I made a claim in Nov 2020 on the above suggested insurance4carhire. The car  hire excess was £1000, I can’t recall exactly what was required but something like a copy of the hire agreement, description of what happened and proof of the excess taken by the hire co from your acc/credit card.  The money was in my account within a couple of days of making the claim, so I would defo use them again. I think it’s something like £45 for 12 months cover, I continued with the cover for a few years and there was no refusal to cover me after the claim or bumping up of the premium

Thanks for that Banana

I get my monies worth.

It sounds like you should have lost your licence a long time ago and that it’s everyone else’s expense/misfortune that you haven’t.

It sounds like you should have lost your licence a long time ago and that it’s everyone else’s expense/misfortune that you haven’t.

I blame it on watching Dukes of Hazard and Smokey & the Bandit as a kid.

All good advice, especially 3rd party insurance I use Questor, claimed once it was hassle free.

Above all though don’t assume your licence is in your wallet because you never take it out, only to realise at a French rental desk it’s in the scanner at work as some business finance needed proof of ID and you forgot to take it back out. Fortunately the wife stepped up despite never having driven on continent, unfortunately excess insurance was in my name so we ended up buying again at rental desk…

Does it have to be Edinburgh? As TJ says car companies use surge pricing, it’s served by the busiest airport in Scotland, and there is no real quiet season for tourists in Edinburgh any more. You might get a better deal in a more regional centre like Galashiels for example.

RNPs quest to keep old cars running for as long as possible all becomes clear now, it’s to assuage the guilt from his car wrecking past.

https://www.carhireexcess.co.uk/journey/

I got a year’s cover from this site for approx £40

I used insurance4carhire – made a claim once – pretty much hassle free tho you must remember you pay the excess to the hire co and then reclaim it from your own insurance