insurance4carhire sales going well on specialist website

insurance4carhire.com products are advertised on the insurance4carrental.com car hire insurance web site and other jml property Services web sites.

Over the past four months there have been 190 sales of different car hire excess and van hire excess insurance products.

Annual car hire policies from insurance4carhire.com, daily car hire excess insurance from the dailyexcess.com and daily van hire insurance in the UK from insuremyvanhire.com

The insurance4carhire.com car hire excess insurance business, is probably the longest established of the car hire insurance operating in the market today. Established way back in 2002, it has been advertised on jml Property Services websites, like jml-property-insurance.co.uk, Scottishcottagerental.com, euro-rentals.com and Welshcottagerental.com since 2004 and the company has genereated nearly £100,000 worth of sales for the insurance4carhire.com group.

All dealings are carried out via the car hire excess insurance advertising on the sites.

For more information about car hire insurance providers who advertise on the insurance4carrrental.com site visit www.insurance4carrental.com site today

Holiday Autos still have World Cup fever

England were knocked out the World Cup in South Africa by Germany last Sunday.

Holiday Autos has just sent out a flyer saying "Even though England are out of the World Cup, it doesn't mean you can't join in! Book car hire while the World Cup's on and you could score a holiday to the country that wins the tournament. Our fantastic World Cup car hire starts from only £11 per day. Either way it's a great result"

According to their flyer dated 30th June 2010 - "Up to 20% off South Africa from £16 per day - Up to 40% off Argentina from £46 per day - Up to 40% off Chile from £31 per day - Up to 15% off New Zealand from £11 per day."

Take a look at the Holiday Autos website at: http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR&lang=EN&aff=xjeffreymilnerltd

Holiday Autos have just won "Best car hire website 2010" from TravelMole - This is the third year running.

Enjoy the remainder of the World Cup 2010

Supplemental Liability Insurance – SLI for car hire rental

and read this if you are going to hire a car.

Supplemental Liability Insurance (SLI) is a form of cover that you can buy to increase your level of Third Party insurance for car rentals in certain parts of the world including the USA.

Third party insurance protects you against financial awards made against you by a court resulting from claims from others (the third party) that you have injured them or damaged their property with the hire car.

For car rentals in many parts of Europe including the UK and in many other parts of the world, this cover will typically be supplied with the rental vehicle and be unlimited, which is to say that no matter how much the court awards in damages your policy would cover it in total.

This is not the case in countries such as the USA where there is little, if any, obligation to buy car rental insurance of any sort. Third party cover as supplied by the rental company, if it exists at all, may very well be limited to amounts which may be inadequate and well below the levels that could be awarded against you by a court.

In these circumstances it would be your personal responsibility to fund any amounts left unpaid by the insurance.

Supplemental Liability Insurance can be obtained from your car hire company but you may find that this is an expensive way of buying this type of cover. There are a number of independent insurance specialist providers who operate on the Internet specialising in cover for car hire rentals. They have a wide portfolio of products specially tailored for your insurance needs in different parts of the world, including SLI and their prices are typically cheaper.

In such situations it may also be worth taking into account that if your rental car comes with little or no third party cover and you need Supplemental Liability insurance, then there may not be sufficient cover for the car itself.

It may be worthwhile to have a look at the collision damage waiver (CDW) and what’s called the ‘excess cover’ available from these Internet specialists to ensure that you have insurance adequate for your needs.

When you buy SLI and/or collision damage waiver cover from these independent providers you will need to take your policy with you as you will need to give the car hire company details so that they can liaise with your insurance company in the event of a claim.

With ‘excess cover’ on the other hand, you may find that the car hire company may just charge the excess to your credit card and all you would then have to do would be to claim on your policy for reimbursement.

So, you don’t need supplemental liability insurance for car rentals in many parts of Europe including the UK, and for those other countries worldwide where third party cover is unlimited. However for destinations such as the USA and Canada where there may be no cover or for other countries where cover may be limited, it may be worth considering Supplemental Liability Insurance from the independent specialists for your rental.

An additional feature of many of the policies available from these independent specialists, including SLI cover, is that their policies can be available on an annual basis. An annual policy, subject to some conditions on types of vehicle, can be used for all of your rentals during the course of the year.

To find out more about car hire excess insurance, take a look at the www.insurance4carrental.com site

As we are now approaching the peak summer holiday period do make sure that you have the proper car hire insurance cover in your holiday car hire rental.

Tips to Avoiding Excessive Car Rental Costs from Carrentals.co.uk

28th Jun 2010


Specialist website helps travellers get utmost transparency when hiring vehicles

As car prices continue to rise for travellers, award-winning car hire price comparison website Carrentals.co.uk is offering advice to help Brits keep informed on how to the best value for money and how to avoid the excessive extra costs.

The leading online car hire site has surveyed 1,500 people and Carrentals.co.uk has found that over a quarter of people polled has experienced expensive charges when renting a car, something which they put down to a lack of transparency from rental provider.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, comments: "Our survey results revealed that people definitely feel they need more transparency when they hire a car at home or overseas and that many people have been hit by high excess charges. Our goal is to help people relax when hiring a car so they are able to enjoy their trip without worrying about costly charges on insurance and fuel for example."

Carrentals.co.uk has put together the following advice to help people avoid costly car hire excess charges:

Credit Card Requirement: - Always have a credit card with the main drivers name and details on when renting a vehicle. Carrying a credit card in the name of a passenger will not suffice.

Excess Insurance: - Always bear in mind the costly excess charges on car rental hire policies. One idea to save money is to take out an excess charge insurance policy from a third party company which covers you for expensive charges incurred. A Collision Damage Excess Waiver insurance policy helps reduce the chances of paying more, and the hirer should always that policy with them. Carrentals.co.uk offers Collision Damage Excess Waiver policies from Questor Insurance for only £3.99 a day - http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/jml

Border Charges: - Some companies will charge for crossing a border, so check whether you have to pay an excess charge for taking the rental vehicle across a border and into another country.

One Way Rentals: - Anyone who wants to book a one way hire would be advised to find out what the hire provider charges for this as it can be as much as £300. Contact your rental company before booking your car hire to find out the cost of a one way rental.

Out of Hours: - Lesser known locations with car hire offices can work unusual hours, especially if the office is not in an airport. People renting cars can therefore risk paying over the odds for picking up a car outside business hours so it is worth checking before booking.

Fuel Policies: - There are usually three main policies regards returning a car and fuel the first is that you return it with a full tank of fuel, the second is that the hirer pays for the fuel they have used only and the third is collecting the car with a full tank and returning it empty. This can though mean that the hirer pays a premium to refill the tank as some companies charge as much as 40% more than the price at the pump for fuel.

Child Seats: - Car seats for children are usually available but they can be pricey, up to £60 per week for rental. So if your luggage capacity allows it, its worth taking a child seat with you from home.

The Carrentals.co.uk car hire tips are included in the companys Raising the Standard campaign, in which the company calls for more fairness and transparency in the travel sector. For further information on Raising the Standard or to use the forum, read the blog or to get travel advice papers, visit Raising the Standard.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

To compare the latest car hire deals visit carrentals

Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK's leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format. In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards.

Source: Carrentals.co.uk

Lower drink-drive limits in Ireland September 2011

If you are hiring a car in Ireland or taking your own one there or of course are resident there lower limits for drink-driving will come into force in September next year when up-to-date equipment becomes available, Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey has said.

The Road Traffic Bill 2009 was passed by the Dáil (Irish Parliament) on Wednesday 23rd June 2010. The Bill reduces the current blood alcohol limit of 80mg to 50mg, and introduces a new level of 20mg for inexperienced motorists and professional drivers including taxi drivers and hauliers.

Under this Bill, first-time offenders caught with between 50mg and 80mg will receive three penalty points and a €200 fine if they do not challenge the penalties in court. This is the first time in Irish law that drink-driving has not attracted a driving ban.Drivers involved in a crash where someone is injured will face a mandatory breath test.

Cutting the drink-driving limit from 80mg to 50mg in Britiain would prevent about 3,000 road injuries and 145 deaths in the first year alone. Britain has one of the highest legal blood alcohol limits for driving in the world. Only south Cyprus has a higher limit, of 90mg. Luxembourg, Switzerland, Malta and Ireland have the same limit as the UK of 80mg.France, Germany, Italy and Spain have a limit of 50 mg or less. In Estonia, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic the limit is zero.

Examples of what can be drunk at present (June 2010):


90 mgs South Cyprus: Three shots of ouzo

80 mgs UK, Malta and Ireland till September 2011: One-and-a-half pints of ordinary bitter US Canada and New Zealand: Two bottles of Budweiser

50 mgs Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Finland, Greece,Spain, Latvia, Australia, Portugal, Slovenia and South Africa: One glass of wine

20 mgs Poland,Norway, Estonia and Sweden: Half a shot of vodka

O mgs Estonia, Hungary, Romania, Slovakia, Czech Republic

We have a series of useful guides for driving in different countries on the insurance4carrental.com web site -
Driving in Australia
Driving in Canada
Driving in Europe
Driving in New Zealand
Driving in South Africa
Driving in the USA

Well worth taking a look at if you are visiting one of those areas


Sources for the Lower drink-drive limits in Ireland September 2011 include The Irish Times & The Independent

Car hire extras listed in Holiday Spending Budget Blues article

A day after the UK's emergency budget by the new coalition Conservative Liberal Democrat Government was announced on the 22nd June, Britain's Daily Telegraph ran this article "Holiday spending: How to beat the Budget blues".

Well we are in late June, many people just about to go off on holiday and The Daily Telegraph's article had a list of various ways in which you enjoy your holiday for less cost:

Travel at the end of the summer - Swap houses - Cater for yourself - Take your own tent - Save money at the airport - Minimise airline luggage charges - Take the slow road - Avoid the cameras - Fill up on the right side - Eat at lunchtime - Pay with a credit card

and "Beware of car hire extras -The biggest expense you are likely to face at your arrival airport is the extras slapped on to your car hire bill – extras for additional insurance, child safety seats, a second driver, and so on, that you might not have realised you were going to have to pay.

The simple rule here is to read the small print when you book; it's easier and cheaper than reading it when you arrive. The heftiest charge is likely to be to waive any excess you have to pay if you damage the car. It's much cheaper to cover this risk with a specialist insurer such as insurance4carhire.com or carhireexcess.com; book before you leave Britain."

So we are all going to have make savings now, the French Government are planning cuts, The Irish, Spanish and Greek governments have implemented them, but life has to go on and people work hard and enjoy their free time.

One cutback that should not be made is cutting out their insurance even as this is going to cost more in the UK because of the rise in IP(Insurance Premium Tax).

insurance4carrental.com continues to grow bigger by the day

insurance4carrental.com the car hire insurance site for providers of car hire excess insurance is growing bigger by the month.

Way back in February 2009 the site was launched with just one page. By April 2010 we reported on this blog that it had expaned to nearly sixty pages.

Now a few weeks later as we near the end of June it is nearly 90 pages...Well 86 to be precise.

Apart from advertising six providers car hire insurance products - insurance4carhire - Questor Insurance - dailyexcess.com - Essential Travel - Odyssey and iCarhireinsurance, there is also a specialist area for van hire excess insurance trading as insurance4vanrental.com with products from insuremyvanhire.com (a must if you are renting a van in the UK)

Car hire rental provider Holiday Autos and Carrentals.co.uk are also advertised, plus numerous pages of articles, information and guides relating to car and van hire.

jml Property Services who run the site have been advertising car hire insurance since 2004 and as the number of providers was growing it has made sense to create a specialist site.

It is not a comparison site. but purely a web site where car hire excess insurance companies can advertise their products.

The visitor to the site has a lot of detailed information provided by the advertiser and when he or she wants to buy the product they click on a link and all transactions are done with the insurance company.

So to find out more visit www.insurance4carrrental.com or www.insurance4vanrental.com

Car Hire comments on the June emergency budget

BVRLA:The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association

Emergency Budget reaction
22 June

Commenting on today’s emergency Budget, BVRLA chief executive John Lewis said:

“The Chancellor has approached a very difficult task in a positive way and delivered a budget that will start to reduce the deficit with the urgency required without stifling the overall economy.”

Mr Lewis had this to say on some of the Chancellor’s specific measures:

On fuel duty “We are disappointed that the government is still committed to staged increases in fuel duty this year and next.

“The Chancellor said he would consider the introduction of some form of fuel price stabiliser, but we will continue to lobby for an essential user rebate.

“We were disappointed not to hear any further details of a potential lorry road user charge as an alternative way of taxing essential road freight movement.”

On the banking levy “Many companies are already paying extortionately high rates to their lenders and we hope that this banking levy does not indirectly encourage banks to increase these costs even further.”

On VAT “This widely anticipated increase will accentuate the VAT benefits of leasing company cars, because companies purchasing cars cannot claim back any of the VAT on purchase where there is any element of private use.

“Backed up by our research which suggested that 70% of company car mileage is business-related, we recently called on HM Revenue and Customs to increase this 50% VAT recovery rate. With VAT due to rise to 20% from next January, this is now more relevant than ever.

“The 20% VAT will affect car rental rates. The Chancellor announced support for the UK tourism industry in his emergency Budget, and we will be lobbying for a special VAT rate for leisure car rentals, in recognition of this sector’s vital part in the UK’s tourism infrastructure.”

On capital allowances “The reduction in capital allowances may have a marginal impact on headline lease rates, which could be offset by the staged reductions in the rate of Corporation Tax.

“The reduced allowances will make leasing even more attractive as companies purchasing vehicles will have the administrative and financial burden of carrying these depreciating assets on their balance sheets.”

On National Insurance incentives for job creation “We don’t see why this incentive is limited to new businesses and couldn’t be made available to any employers creating a net increase in jobs”

On spending cuts “Considering that the vast majority of all journeys involving people or goods are still made by road, it is vital that the government explores taking a value-for-money approach when considering whether to axe transport projects. There will be many projects where a relatively small investment may pay big dividends, for example in reducing congestion and helping to move the UK economy forward. “

More Information on the BVRLA here at: http://www.insurance4carrental.com/BVRLA.htm

Van hire insurance sales are increasing daily

Insurance4vanrental.com are reporting great success with the advertising of van hire insurance sales for the past three and a half months.

Since the beginning of March till the middle of June 2010 49 people have purchased a van hire excess insurance policy being advertised on the insurance4vanrental.com site and buying the insuremyvan.com product that comes from the home of the long established insurance4carhire.com group run by Towergate Underwriting.

It is an essential if you are renting a van and the policy only costs £7.99 per day.

Van hire insurance is normally provided on the same basis as car hire insurance in the UK. There is "Third party insurance" - whereby you are covered for any damage to other vehicles and resulting injuries to other parties. Then there is "Collision Damage Waiver" or "Loss Damage Waiver" this limits the van hirer's liability for the van he / she is renting to a fixed amount - the excess (also known as Super CDW, the Deductible, or Non-Waiver) which is often up to £2000.

If the van is damaged during the hire, you will have to pay out this excess amount before the van hire company's insurance policy will cover the rest. That is why you should take out van hire excess insurance.

So if you are moving flat or house and renting a van, buying a load of furniture from a DIY superstore or your van is in for repairs and you need to hire a van, don't forget the van hire insurance and the web site to find this at is www.insurance4vanrental.com

One other thing...what about a great value van to rent? Try Holiday Autos.

They have a great selection of vans in 130 UK locations so there will always be one handy. They have vans to suit all needs. So, if you're moving everything but the kitchen sink or just a chair, they the van for you. Holiday Autos aim to offer low-cost, easy-to-book van hire. Whatever your needs, you can be sure they can help you with all your van hire requirements.

And where are they? Follow this link http://www.holidayautos.co.uk/cgi-bin/liveweb.sh/QSearch.w?ctryref=GBR&lang=EN&aff=xjeffreymilnerltd

Car Hire Insurance Competition Drives Prices Down

16th June 2010 - News Release from "Moneymaxim" -

Competition in Car Hire Insurance Market Drives Prices Down

Find out how to save money when you hire a car this summer with moneymaxim.co.uk, the UK’s only car hire insurance search engine.

• Increased Competition amongst Insurers is pushing car hire insurance prices down – 30% lower than in 2008
• Car hire insurance search engine can reduce cost from more than £20 a day charged by some car hire companies, to less to than £14 a week

The credit crunch has increased the cost of car hire this summer as the cost of financing for car rental firms has increased. But while car rental costs may have increased, there are larger than ever savings to be made on car hire excess waiver insurance when using independent car hire search engine, moneymaxim.co.uk.

Mark Bower, Managing Director of moneymaxim.co.uk explains; “The picture for hiring a car in Europe this summer is not all doom and gloom despite recent reports. Thanks to increased competition, prices for an annual car hire excess insurance policy have fallen by around 30% from those charged a couple of years ago, and are now available from under £35.

Our online comparison site allows car renters to cut the cost of excess waiver insurance from, in some instances, more than £20 a day charged by some car hire companies, to less to than £14 a week! Additionally the service allows those travelling to save not just considerable money, but all the hassle of being pressurised into buying high cost cover at the car hire desk.”

Since its launch in April moneymaxim’s service has seen additional companies join its panel, the latest being Essential Travel , who were added last week, and prices fall as companies seek to attract a greater share of this growing market.

Continues Bower;
“Protect Your Bubble has just trimmed its tariff across a range of car hire insurance products and when bought through Moneymaxim - which features an additional 10% discount to standard pricing - has become the lead company for a number of different types of policy.

“We believe the greater transparency that our service offers has made it easier for travellers to understand the differences between different policies, and see exactly what they are getting for their money.”

“Our online service is backed up with a telephone service and our team have had great feedback both from old hands used to buying these policies, and those new to stand alone car hire insurance, many of whom have been astounded at the savings possible.”

“The advantage we offer is that although there are a number of different options available to hirers individual needs can be catered for by answering half a dozen questions which enables us to short list policies meeting their criteria. If potential purchasers are still unsure guidance is only a free phone call away.”

Notes:

The companies currently represented on the moneymaxim panel are:
carhireexcess.com, Essential Travel , icarhireinsurance , insurance4carhire , insuremycarhire, Intasure, Odyssey , Protect My Bubble, Questor, Worldwide Insure.

Background Information on the Car Hire Excess Insurance Market:

The car hire excess insurance industry was 'created' back in 2002 when Larry Ursich launched Insurance4carhire. Having a background in the car rental business he realised that the cost of 'insuring the excess' when renting a car from hire firms had grown to such a level that there was potential to create a standalone product offering both better cover and lower costs for consumers.

Over the past 8 years further firms have joined the market, with three companies launching this year. The new entrants have brought with them options and innovation and those looking for this type of insurance can find policies covering not just the hire car excess, but baggage loss, carjacking, cancellation and more. Policies catering for car club members have also recently been introduced.

Info about moneymaxim.co.uk: Launched in 2008 by Mark Bower moneymaxim.co.uk aims to deliver an impartial and independent service both online and through telephone money saving specialists.

Source: moneymaxim.co.uk See also: Save Money On Car Hire This Summer 8th June 2010

Car hire accident in Australia

On TripAdvisor's Ireland travel forum, travelers are asking questions and offering advice on topics like "insurance4carhire". Came up on the Google Alerts on the 14th June, a couple of days ago.

Under "Ireland Forum: insurance4carhire" is this interesting entry.

“ insurance4carhire ” Jun 14, 2010, 5:29 AM

On a holiday to australia we took out insurance4carhire cover to deal with the excess on the hire car. It cost £71.00. The excess was £1587. (equivalent to that in Aus dollars.) After 30 years of hiring cars without incident, we had a shocking accident in Tasmania. We were unhurt but hire car written off. Recovery ,paramedics, fire service all attended. It was horrifying. We had to get documents off to London to claim within 31 days.

We just managed to meet this deadline. We did not have the other driver's name or insurance details so had to leave alot of blanks on the claim form. The hire car company charged our credit card with the £1587. immediateky.

Home in the UK we had to obtain police report from Tasmania. Insurance4carhire ( web site: http://www.insurance4carhire.com/index.asp?linkfrom=4&curID=1&langID=1&refID=188 ) were great, they did not quibble and paid out the full amount. I would thoroughly recommend this insurance, worth every penny.

Not too sure how this appeared on the Ireland Forum, maybe the renter was from there, anyway, TripAdvisor has an interesting information page on car rental called "Ireland: Car Rental : Ins/Outs of Hiring a Car" More info about it HERE

£800M Plus Wasted on Over-Priced Hire Car Insurance Policies

iCarhireinsurance.com issued a news release late last week "Over £800M Wasted on Over-Priced Hire Car Insurance Policies"

Apparently £1bn a year spent on excess cover by European hire car drivers - £803m could be saved on insurance if bought in advance - Car rental companies charging 'over the odds'

Equally staggering is the amount of money that could be saved if cover was simply bought before customers arrived at the car-rental desk. The study discovered hire car drivers could be £803m better off each year if they planned their excess insurance and bought it online.

According to 2006 Datamonitor figures, there are due to be 255 million car rental days in Europe this year, with 45% of drivers taking out such cover. The average price charged by car rental desks across the continent is £9.99 a day. But with iCarhireinsurance.com's daily excess policy costing just £2.99 a day, drivers could save £7 a day. Customers taking a two week rental could be almost £100 better off by purchasing an annual policy at only £39.99.

Find out more about this news release at: http://www.insurance4carrental.com/iCarhireinsurance_wasted_June10.htm

carrentals - All You Need To Know About Car Hire Excess Insurance

From the carrentals.co.uk Forum Wednesday June 2nd 2010

Many of our customers are finding that although they have booked a Collision Damage Excess Waiver policy through us (which is a full car hire excess insurance policy provided by Questor Insurance), on collection of their hire car, suppliers are offering them alternative excess insurance products leaving customers unsure of what they are covered for and worrying that they will not be covered if they do not purchase the supplier’s policy.

All car hire suppliers offer excess insurance at pickup, but it is the customer’s right to refuse this. If customers have purchased the insurance already, it is advisable to take a print out of this policy along to demonstrate that you are already covered.

It is also worth noting that taking out an excess insurance policy with a company such as Questor Insurance often works out far cheaper than the policy offered by the supplier at pickup.

Plus, suppliers’ policies often only cover excess payments and not everything else. This is in comparison to the full policy offered by a company such as Questor, which covers all of the below:

• The excess on a car rental agreement
• Damage to tyres, any glass and the under body of the vehicle
• Personal Accident, Baggage, Lost Keys, Curtailment, Locked Out and Drop Off Charges

What do I have to pay if I damage the car?

With Collision Damage Excess Waiver, if you ever have an accident be aware that you will have to pay the excess on your credit card at the supplier’s desk, BUT with a Collision Damage Excess Waiver policy this amount will be fully refunded to you by your insurer on your return home.

Questor Insurance offer their Collision Damage Excess Waiver policy to Carrentals.co.uk customers for only £3.99 a day. To find out more on Questor Insurance’s Collision Damage Waiver policy visit http://www.questor-insurance.co.uk/jml

Nasty Holiday Experiences Revealed in Survey

Nasty Holiday Experiences are Revealed in New Survey - 7th June 2010

Holiday nightmares are highlighted by Brits in a new survey that shows bugs and animal infestations as well as dirty rooms are all common occurrences

• One third of the participants said they had to deal with animal infestations as well as dirty accommodation
• Nearly half said that unexpected costs drove up their holiday budget with car rentals being the main problem
• Worst holiday experiences happened in the UK and Ireland yet they remain popular places to holiday this year

Brits across the country are gearing up for their annual holiday and a new survey has just released its shocking results that show almost three quarters of those who took part had experienced a horrible surprise during their vacation.

Leading car rental price comparator Carrentals.co.uk said that out of the 1,500 people who took part in the survey, one in three arrived at their holiday accommodation to find a range of n\animals already there! Cockroaches, snakes, ants, possums, spiders and worms were the most common along with termites and lizards.

The dismal standard of holiday accommodation was also a big problem for many and used condoms have been found under beds along with urine soaked sheets and bed linen with vomit in. One third said that appliances didn’t work in their rooms and 25% had rooms with broken furniture.

Additional costs during a break were also a big problem as many dealt with car hire problems as well as excess baggage fees and medical bills that were all unforeseen. A total of 27% of the 40% who said they paid out more than they expected blamed the excess costs on car rental.

The Managing Director at Carentals.co.uk is Gareth Robinson and he recently said: “We all know about the usual holiday horror stories but some of the stories we heard were appalling. We strongly advise people to thoroughly research places before making a booking to avoid problematic experiences.”

He adds: “The additional cost is an easy fixable problem for many. When you rent a car it is essential that you check it over for damage yourself before you sign anything and you must fill up with petrol before you give it back. The freedom that a hire car offers is a great part of being on a holiday and as long as you read the terms of the contract in full; you should have no problems.”

Responses for the worst nasty surprise experienced include:
• One holiday goer booked a holiday that was advertised at £110 and had their credit card charged at £3,400
• A boy was left with a swollen face after sending a night in a hotel bed infested with bed bugs
• After hitting a cyclist, a coach driver carrying tourists to the airport ran off leaving the tourists to handle the accident and make their own way to the airport
• One couple had a cup of tea in their hotel room before looking in the kettle to find a dead lizard

Some of the nicer things about holidays were also revealed by the survey including the fact that Spain is still the most popular place to holiday for Brits with 22% making it their primary choice. The Republic of Ireland and the UK were second place and Scottish people were revealed as being the most likely to holiday in Great Britain.

Gareth went on to comment: “The hard economic climate hasn’t deterred Brits from enjoying their holiday this year and the UK and Ireland should get ready to welcome many new visitors this year.”

Using the internet to make a holiday booking is far more popular now than ever before as over 80% of people now use the internet to make their reservations. In comparison only 10% went to a travel agent and 6% used the phone.

Raising the Standard is a campaign that was initiated by Carrentals.co.uk in a bid to work towards improved holiday standards. More information on the campaign can be found on the car hire website; Carrentals.co.uk.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

More information about Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK’s leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

Source: Carrentals Press Release 7th June 2010

Odyssey Car Hire Insurance link now live

10th June 2010 Odyssey car hire excess insurance link is now working http://www.odyssey.co.im/?affiliate_id=14

The details of this company's car hire insurance products - Annual European - Daily European - Worldwide - Family and Partners - 75 to 85 age group etc aqre being advertised on two of the jml Property Services websites:

http://www.insurance4carrental.com/Odyssey.htm and http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/displayproduct.php?id=338&sec=2

Don't forget your car hire excess insurance if you are renting a car this summer

Holiday motorists face fuel price hike in Europe

Royal Mail Group News Release

07/06/2010

• Fuel prices rocket in European motoring holiday destinations
• But Europe is cheaper than UK for diesel motoring
• Luxembourg is best value - the only country with a sub-£1 litre
• View the report at www.postoffice.co.uk/holidaymotoring2010

UK holidaymakers hopping onto a ferry to Europe to avoid ash and strike disruption in the skies this summer will find that it is not just UK pump prices that have gone through the roof. Post Office Travel Money’s new Motoring on the Continent report reveals that fuel prices are sky high across Europe too - up by as much as 24p a litre for unleaded petrol and 30p for diesel (www.postoffice.co.uk/holidaymotoring2010).

The highest rises are in Sweden, which, ironically, recorded 2009’s biggest falls. See-sawing prices in the country mean that holiday motorists will pay nearly 25 per cent more for unleaded and a swingeing 34 per cent extra for diesel fuel. The lowest increases recorded by Post Office Travel Money’s third annual survey of 14 countries were in Germany - up four per cent for unleaded petrol and 12 per cent for diesel¹.

But with reports of more trips taken by ferry², there is good news for holidaymakers travelling abroad in a diesel car. Compared with the UK, they will be quids in wherever they drive in Europe - except in Norway, rated the most expensive driving destination for three consecutive years in the Post Office survey.

Diesel costs 19 per cent less a litre in Spain (£1) than in the UK (£1.23) and is ten per cent cheaper in Ireland (£1.11), which looks a strong holiday contender this year as prices have dropped for accommodation, meals and drinks as well3.

Best deal of all is in Luxembourg, surveyed for the first time in 2010 and cheapest
for both fuels. At 91 pence, it offers the only sub-£1 litre of diesel in Europe4 -
making it 26 per cent cheaper than in the UK. It is also the only country where service stations are regulated, which means that drivers can be sure that fuel prices will be the same wherever they fill up.

Runner up Spain, one of the top five destinations for UK holidaymakers travelling abroad by ferry5, is also good value for both fuels - just 1p more than Luxembourg for unleaded petrol (£1.08)6. With a convenient UK route to Santander, tourists travelling to either Spain or south-west France can benefit from its lower prices.

There are mixed fortunes for UK tourists crossing to France. Over 50 per cent of those taking a ferry to Europe travel to one of the French channel ports but regular travellers may be surprised to find that diesel, historically much cheaper in France than in the UK, costs 24 per cent more than a year ago. At £1.18 a litre, the gap has closed but diesel remains 5p cheaper than in the UK. By comparison, unleaded petrol in France has risen by just 7.6 per cent, well below the 17.3 per cent UK increase.

The Post Office survey again revealed big differences in fuel costs between eurozone countries. Luxembourg was £56.61 less expensive for 1,000 miles of motoring in a car using unleaded petrol than the Netherlands, the most expensive eurozone country at £219.45. The gap was narrower for diesel fuel but motorists can still expect to pay almost £45 more to drive 1,000 miles in Italy than in Luxembourg.

Sarah Munro, Post Office Head of Travel Money, said: "Fuel costs may have risen steeply across Europe this year but our survey again found wide variations in pump prices. This means that UK tourists taking motoring holidays can still make significant savings if they plan carefully. For example, motorists travelling through eastern France could save 15.7 per cent by crossing into Luxembourg and filling up there.

"The clear message to tourists is to check prices before planning their route and fill up in countries where unleaded petrol or diesel is cheaper. Avoid topping up the tank on motorways and instead get fuel at the ferry ports, where it is invariably cheaper, or stop at European supermarkets where it costs less too. With sterling on the rise, tourists should also change money in the UK before they leave to avoid paying more overseas."

All currencies in the Motoring on the Continent report are available at the Post Office. Over 70 currencies can be pre-ordered for next day branch collection at all 11,500 Post Office outlets or online at postoffice.co.uk. Home delivery can also be requested online. Euros are available over the counter at 8,700 Post Office branches. The full range of currencies is available at 1,600 Post Office branches.

Source: Royal Mail - The Post Office

iCarhireinsurance.com awarded membership of the BVRLA

BVRLA Membership - iCarhireinsurance.com awarded membership of the BVRLA

Halo Insurance Services Ltd, and its registered trading name, iCarhireinsurance.com, is proud to announce it has been awarded membership of the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA).

The BVRLA is the trade body for companies engaged in the leasing and rental of cars and commercial vehicles. It has more than 750 members operating more than 2.5 million vehicles. Through its member companies and their customers, the BVRLA represents the interests of more than two-and-a-half million people who drive at work and the 10 million people who use a rental vehicle each year.

The Association works to promote and raise standards of ethical trading and service by the adoption of its Code of Conduct covering in particular standards of safety, quality of service and insurance. BVRLA members are committed to these principles of quality, integrity and value for money.

Ernesto Suarez, CEO, Halo Insurance Services Ltd and Carhireinsurance.com, said, “We are delighted that we have been accepted by the BVRLA. Halo and iCarhireinsurance.com is committed to following the BVRLA’s charter and aim to ensure customers receive the highest level of service and value for money at all times.”

Founded in 2009, iCarhireinsurance.com is a groundbreaking new online insurance service that takes the hassle out of hire car insurance. It offers a range of policies that are fully comprehensive, simple to understand, unbeatable value and accepted at all car rental locations worldwide.

iCarhireinsurance.com is a registered trading name of Halo Insurance Services Limited. Halo Insurance Services Ltd was founded by Ernesto Suarez, a leading insurance professional with 10 years experience in the industry.

Source: iCarhireinsurance.com

For more information about iCarhireinsurance.com Visit: http://www.insurance4carrental.com/iCarhireinsurance.htm

New vice-chairman of the BVRLA

4th June 2010

Neil Cunningham has taken over as the new vice-chairman of the BVRLA.(The British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association)

Currently general manager at Hertz UK, Neil is now in line to succeed the association’s current chairman, LeasePlan’s Kevin McNally, when he completes his two-year term in May 2011.

An economics graduate from the University of York, Neil has a huge amount of experience in the vehicle rental industry, across the UK and in Europe. He joined Hertz as fleet director in 1996 before being promoted to his current position in 1998. Neil was responsible for the company’s entry into the car sharing market in 2008 with the launch of Connect by Hertz in London, Paris and New York.

“Having worked in the vehicle rental industry for more than 25 years, I have seen what a vital role the BVRLA plays in helping to maintain standards and provide a fairer regulatory environment,” said Mr Cunningham.

“I hope I can contribute to these efforts and continue the excellent work achieved by my predecessors.”

New committee appointments
The BVRLA has also appointed four new vice chairmen to its member committees:

Elliot Lennick becomes the new vice chairman of the BVRLA Commercial Vehicle Committee. Elliot is chief executive officer of MAN Financial Services, where he is responsible for Northern, Eastern and Western Europe. In 2000 he established MAN Financial Services in the UK, where it now manages around 10,000 vehicles.

The new vice chairman for the Leasing Broker Committee is Martin Brown. Martin is the managing director of Fleet Alliance and has led the business from its inception in 2002 to one that has placed 8,500 vehicles today.

Simon Oliphant is the new vice chairman of the BVRLA Leasing and Fleet Management Committee. Simon is chief executive of Hitachi Capital Vehicle Solutions and also sits on the board of Hitachi Capital (UK) Plc. He began his career at Hitachi Capital in 1988, joining the board of Fleetlease UK following it's acquisition by Hitachi in 1991. Fleetlease was renamed using the Hitachi brand in 2003.

The new vice chairman for the Rental Committee is Alison Chadwick. Alison is director of regional operations for Thrifty Car and Van Rental and has experience of working for large multi-nationals and smaller independent rental companies during her 20 years in the industry.

More information about the BVRLA:
The BVRLA is the UK trade body for companies engaged in the leasing and rental of cars and commercial vehicles. Its members provide short-term rental, contract hire and fleet management services to corporate users and consumers. They operate a combined fleet of around 2.5 million cars, vans and trucks, buying nearly half of all new vehicles sold in the UK. Through its members and their customers, the BVRLA represents the interests of more than two million business car drivers and the millions of people who use a rental vehicle each year. As well as lobbying the government on key issues affecting the sector, the BVRLA regulates its members through a mandatory code of conduct.
Source: BVRA

Save Money On Car Hire This Summer

As research reveals that only 12% of car drivers will fully read the manual before driving off in a car (new or used) for the first time, we look at ways to save money when driving abroad this year.

Millions of Brits will be heading overseas in the coming months. During last year's May half term holiday alone, M&S Car Insurance figures estimated 1.8 million Brits travelled abroad.

What with the current Ash Travel Chaos announcements and delays expected at air ports, car travel is a popular alternative to avoid airport queues and delays.

Driving into mainland Europe by car means making the most of the scenic routes and discovering parts of a country that are missed when flying. However, the distance can take its toll and result in car breakdowns and delays if adequate preparations are not taken. For those who intend to drive in the European Union outside the UK this summer, it is important to make sure your insurance policy covers EU travel. Some insurance policies, such as M&S Premier Car Insurance, will come with this included, but drivers should not assume this is the case with all policies.

“It is crucial for drivers who are making longer journeys by car for the first time, to make sure they have the adequate car insurance and breakdown cover in place, so that they have peace of mind should the worse happen,” says Andrew Ferguson, M&S Head of General Insurance.

If you prefer to leave your own car at home and decide instead to hire a car when holiday, there are a number of money saving options you can undertake instead. For example, there are considerable savings you can make when you hire a car abroad if you take out separate car hire insurance.

Car Hire Insurance for Driving in Europe

Cars hired in Europe come with insurance that typically excludes the first £1,000 of a theft or damage claim. This can leave holidaymakers seriously out of pocket even for a relatively minor incident. In the US and Canada the position is slightly different, with cars coming either inclusive or exclusive of insurance and customers having the option to buy their insurance at the car hire station or independently.

Using the UK’s only car hire insurance search engine from moneymaxim car renters can avoid the excesses in Europe, get full cover in the Americas, and receive additional benefits that are excluded from the insurance policies offered by car rental companies themselves.

Source: Moneymaxim

See also Car Hire Insurance Competition Drives Prices Down 16th June 2010

Remember whenever you rent a car make sure that you have adequate car hire insurance - Find out more at www.insurance4carrental.com

Booking a Car Rental over the Internet

Came across this article earlier today from http://www.carinsurance4all.info

There’s more in order to renting a car than simply reserving it as well as paying for it. To make sure that you get the best offer adhere to these types of actions as well as tips.

Actions:
1.Select 3 in order to 4 car rental firms which match your own desires and requires. Try this probably through the actual phonebook, or even about the internet, but remember in order to check out each possible option prior to a person making a choice. A person do not want to overlook the very best car rental company because a person got bored from looking

2.Contact the Car Rental Organization and ask about their unique deals, location, accessibility, pickup sites, prices, special rates, resort as well as flight partnerships, extra costs, insurance coverage, everything you can think of that will help reduce exactly what a person spend with regard to the car rental, or even exactly what would make the car rental more convenient with regard to you personally.

3.Select a pick-up point; discover one that is near a person therefore it will not end up being considered a inconvenience, some car rental businesses purchase the actual pickup truck’s cab trip you possess in order to get, some pick a person up your house . or in the international airport to take a person in order to definitely your leasing.

4.Select a vehicle, based on your requirements, find a car that could match all of the people you’ll have in this, as well as when a person are on it’s own just use a compact, some rentals cost higher for bigger vehicles.

5.The next thing in order to complete, after you’ve completely selected that in order to consider, make sure to reserve this, some car rentals include the actual booking fee about the general lease, some make this out to be an extra charge, you should also look out with regard to this when obtain a car rental.

Ideas

With regard to top offers your own money can buy below are great tips purchasing, finding and getting a car rental.

1.When getting a car rental look for accessible upgrades free, you’d want the very best offer so you would would like the very best car, to get this particular done, you need to proceed pick-up your vehicle earlier in the actual morning, when the additional vehicles have not been came back yet, by doing this there would be considered a lack on economy vehicles and also the organization may simply give a person an upgrade for a cheaper cost .

2.Possess an web car rental. These types of leasing fees offer internet just discount rates, or even accepts find a car your own cost techniques in places you just give them your budget and they will discover the greatest offer for you personally, in addition a person wont have in order to go anyplace to obtain a rental.

3.Fill up the actual gas tank before a person come back your vehicle, car rentals bills you you, from a good higher cost, the cost of the actual gasoline needed to fill up the fish tank.

4.Search for deals such as fly-drive-stay or fly-drive, these you can get great low cost rates on Car Rentals, and what’s more you will not have to worry about other particulars like a resort or even an airline, everything’s presently there. You can find these types of deals on most journey agencies or even from Car Dealer Network.

5.In case your regular flyer low cost or free airfare is going to expire, there are a few car rental companies that provide to switch these discounts to discounts on your car rental, even though its less expensive to simply travel with your own regular flyer discount, if its going in order to end anyway, the reason why wait around?

These are just some of the points you’ll need to understand, but always make sure to end up being persistent, ask questions, request discounts, the only reason why people don’t get better value for that things they buy is because they are too self conscious must.

Remember whenever you rent a car make sure that you have adequate car hire insurance - Find out more at www.insurance4carrental.com

Getting the best budget deals on vehicle rental for the UK

By: Sarah Anderson

Along with car hire deals, you'll be able to evaluate rates from many of suppliers such as Hertz, National EasyCar and Enterprise. Renting a vehicle has never been so simple also it often is the greatest means to take a trip and discover the UK, what's more you'll be able to choose to pick up your car in a single place and drop off at a different place. Many car hire providers assist to find the cheapest rates for many people with the many major car rental providers in lots of locations in and around the UK.

The choices are endless, you can choose from a broad variety of cars such as, economy and compact cars. Often available is an impressive selection of vehicles for rental, such as the Ford Focus, Vauxhall Vectra, Vauxhall Zafira and many more. Each and every hire vehicle can come in a variety of shapes and sizes including prestige, people carriers, luxury cars, sports and classic vehicles.

Vehicle rental often is the ideal option for attending conventions, business conferences as well as social events, making it easier so that you can travel and be wherever you need to be without the difficulty of public transport. To rent a vehicle is essential when touring most towns, providing you with time to visit several fantastic attractions around the UK.

It really does not matter if you are arranging a hire vehicle for pleasure or business, as car rental providers can offer short or long term offers based on the requirements of the customer. Benefit from the one way car hire deals that allow you to collect and drop off the vehicle at several places.There are 1,000's of vehicle rental destinations from where you are able to decide and collect your car. Promotions include full insurance without excess you will be certain to pay the price you see. The majority of car hire firms present extra drivers, the use of satellite navigation, as well as unlimited mileage.

With a car hire why don't you include a weekend away in one of many local inns, which can provide all the facilities you can desire for that essential journey, enjoy a fine quality room, clean and in immaculate condition, settle in a top quality hotel on-suite and make it something to remember. Services offered at most hotels include a concierge, room service, business meeting rooms, satellite TV, disabled access, at no cost parking and plenty more and all at an affordable rate.

CheapCarRentalUK is a car rental comparison website which can compare dozens vehicle rental companies to find the best bargains, and the top quality vehicle for hire. Most vehicle rental suppliers present a variety of features such as full insurance with no excess, make use of of satellite navigation, additional drivers, and unlimited mileage, you will be sure to get a fantastic deal for money. All bookings are made with one of our many suppliers such as carhire3000 Ebookers and Travelsupermarket.

Author Resource:- Search this cheap car hire website to locate the ideal vehicle, compare the many promotions for car hire in the UK.

Article From Base Articles

Remember whenever you rent a car make sure that you have adequate car hire insurance - Find out more at www.insurance4carrental.com

Cutting costs on runaway car hire costs 2010

The "Mail on Sunday" ran an article on the Sunday 30th May 2010 on the dramatic rise in car hire costs this summer. This is an area we have been featuring a lot of on this blog and on the insurance4carrental.com site.

Following on from the chaos of 2009 when there was a great shortgage of car hire stock, it looks like the car hire companies are solving any shortage this summer by higher prices. This is a method used by one Irish car hire company last year, put up the prices.

The Mail on Sunday's article was called "The Crafty Traveller: How to slam the brakes on runaway car-hire costs this summer by Fred Mawer"

"What with the major headaches of volcanic ash in the skies and strikes by British Airways' crew, other travel problems have not had much of a look-in this year.
One subject that has received far less attention than it warrants is the dramatic rise in the cost of renting a car in Spain and some other countries."

The article is very similar in content to that in The Times on the Friday 4th June featured on this blog Car hire rip-offs warning "Beware holiday car hire rip-offs as the cost of rentals soars - Holidaymakers are paying up to £100 per week more than last year to rent a vehicle in popular European spots".

Earlier in May Fred Mawyer asked Holiday Autos - the UK's largest broker of hire cars - to provide rental prices for this summer in a selection of popular spots, and compare them against previous summers.

To rent an economy car for a week this July from Palma airport in Majorca, or from Alicante or Malaga airports on the Spanish costas, will cost you nearly three times more than in summer 2007.

Rates have also shot up in Ireland - from Dublin airport, by 75 per cent since last year - and there have been marked increases in prime rental spots in France, Greece and Italy. Of the destinations that Holiday Autos analysed, prices have remained stable only from Faro airport on the Algarve.

So why has renting a car in much of Europe become so expensive? 'Due to the recession, over the past 18 months car rental firms have struggled to obtain the finance to replenish their fleets,' explains Gareth Robinson, managing director of price-comparison website Carrentals.co.uk. 'As a consequence, they are operating with fewer vehicles than in the past.'

He says the problem is most acute, but not limited to, mainland Spain and the Balearics.
'At the same time,' Gareth adds, 'the firms have recently adopted a yield management model of pricing, similar to that used by airlines. This means prices go up significantly for rentals during peak times such as July and August, when the stock of available cars dwindles. It's a classic example of supply and demand.'

The Mail on Sunday article then went on to give advice on how to cut costs - Booking Ahead - Go Larger (in other words rent a larger car there are more of them) Shop around - Excess waiver insurance ("Rental companies often offer to reduce the excess to zero when you're going through the paperwork at the rental desk, but for an exorbitant charge - £10 per day.

Far cheaper are separate excess waiver policies sold by specialist insurers. These can cover you for a single rental, or for a number of rentals over the course of a year.") Find out more Here at the insurance4carrental.com site - Hidden extras (like child seats, second driver) and finally don't rent at all (Take your own car if possible - not so good if you are travelling to the Greek or Spanish islands or take taxis).

The full Mail on Sunday article can be found Here

Car hire rip-offs warning

The Times ran an article on Friday June 4th 2010 called "Beware holiday car hire rip-offs as the cost of rentals soars - Holidaymakers are paying up to £100 per week more than last year to rent a vehicle in popular European spots".

Holidaymakers are being warned that the cost of renting a car has almost doubled in popular destinations over the past year, as car hire companies push up prices to counter the effects of the global economic downturn. (or is this because like in 2009 there are fewer car hire vehicles about and the car rental companies are controlling supply and demand by price?)

Renting a car this year could cost in excess of £100 more than it did in 2009, according to research by Holiday Autos, the car rental broker. (jml Property Services are Holiday Autos agents - http://www.jml-insurance.co.uk/index.php?id=12 )

According to the report "Those visiting Palma in Majorca will pay an average of £247 for a week’s car hire, compared with £142 last year and £93 in 2008. In Alicante, Spain, holidaymakers will pay £247, and in Malaga £229, compared with £147 for both destinations last year and £90 in 2008. Costs in the UK have also been rising.

Stuart Nassos, of Holiday Autos, says: “Car hire companies are struggling to access credit, so they are unable to expand their fleets or replace old vehicles. They are using the lack of supply to push up prices for customers.”

Travellers are also warned to look for extra charges, often hidden in the small print, which can push your final bill dramatically higher than the initial quote." (See Top tips for cheaper car hire)

The article went onto show ways in which costs can mount up as well like " The petrol scam" - Car hire companies should give holidaymakers three choices on petrol use: to accept the car with a full tank and return it full, to buy a full tank of petrol and return it empty or to pay for what is used during the rental period. Some companies insist on filling up the tank themselves and charging as much as 40 per cent more than pump prices"

Bob Atkinson, of the comparison website Travelsupermarket.com said "“Many Spanish resorts, in particular, now charge for a full tank of petrol on collection and customers are expected to return the car empty. During one week’s rental you may use only half a tank. That means that straight away you are out of pocket by up to £40, and the company will not refund you.”

This is something that used to happen (and possibly still does) with one car hire company in Ireland. They even had stickers in the car requesting the hirer returns the car empty.

In the The Times article Bob Atkinson says "if holidaymakers are not offered the option of filling the tank themselves, they should challenge the company. And if you have to fill the tank before returning the car, make sure that the petrol comes right to the brim. If car hire staff can squeeze in a few more litres they may hit you with a “refuelling charge” of up to £45. Keep the receipts whenever you refill and you can present them to the company as evidence when you return the vehicle."

On the same subject, however others have advised over the years, keep the receipts from your final payment - a) To prove that you have filled up the car with fuel and b) if challenged by the car hire company, you can actually prove that you have filled it up with the correct fuel e.g. diesel or unleaded in the correct tank not unleaded in a diesel car! What is more there have neen renters who have topped up the car with water, so keep receipts.

Other "add on charges" were featured. Stuart Nassos of Holiday Autos was quoted saying that some rental companies charge €15 (£12.50) a day to hire a child seat. Apparently most airlines allow passengers to carry them for free, Ryanair will charge £20 return which would work out cheaper and if you need to rent two seats from a car hire company this can prove rather costly. (See Car Rental Hidden Costs)

The next topic was the "excess insurance" The Times Report says "Hertz Car Rental, for example, sells excess waiver insurance during the booking process for £47.14 a week, while others charge as much as £10 a day. "Standalone" insurance products, sold by specialist insurers, can be a much cheaper option. ICarhireinsurance.com, for example, charges £23.94 for a week’s cover, or £39.99 for an annual product. If you work this out, fourtten days using the Hertz service quoted by The Times would cost £94.28 -using the ICarhireinsurance product would be £47.88. If you are taking more than one holiday a year, it really makes sens to take that annual policy and in fact for the two week holiday you would have a saving of some £54.29 and still be able to use that annual Europe policy during the next twelve months.

There are other providers offering car hire insurance from £1.94 a day at the insurance4carrental.com website

It is a very lengthy well researched article that quotes advice from the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA),Which the consumers organisation and Carrentals.co.uk

The article contains similar examples to that from the 30th May edition of The Mail on Sunday article "The Crafty Traveller: How to slam the brakes on runaway car-hire costs this summer" - An issue that keeps on coming up this year and raised in an article on the 26th May "Are there going to be car hire shortages again this summer "

This subject will not go away this summer, the media was full of the car hire shortage issue in the summer of 2009 and with schools breaking up at the end of the month in Ireland and Scotland amd mid July in England and Wales we will hear a lot more about holidaymakers incurring higher costs.

From personal experiences, even if you do book early, you still might not find cheaper car hire in the main holiday season. If you are planning a holiday from September onwards, like last year when car hire supplies returned to a nearer normal level, this year hopefully prices will come down again.

What do you think? Post you comments on this website blog.

View the Times Article HERE

Car hire insurance now available via Thomas Cook

Thomas Cook are now offering Car Hire excess insurance with their page "Car Rental Excess Insurance - Say goodbye to the car hire excess waiver"

Coming under theit "Thomas Cook Essentials" it is appropriate that they have teamed up with Essential Travel as their provider.

They say "From just £1.94 a day, it's the cheap car rental excess insurance you're looking for.Just to sweeten the deal, we have made this coverage available to anyone from anywhere in the world. That's right... you don't have to be a UK citizen to get your insurance for car rental excess. You're even able to buy our insurance from one end of the globe to protect you, and your rental car in another part."

If you would like to find out more about Essential Travel's car hire excess insurance go to: http://www.insurance4carrental.com/Essential_Travel_car_Hire_excess_insurance.htm

insurance4carhire.com featured provider June 10

Every month for the rest of 2010 we are featuring one of the car hire or van hire insurance providers who advertises on http://www.insurance4carrental.com/ To start this monthly event we are featuring the longest established car hire excess provider - insurance4carhire.com Web site at: http://www.insurance4carhire.com/index.asp?linkfrom=4&curID=1&langID=1&refID=188

Founded in 2002 by Larry Ursich, Insurance4carhire is an innovative internet insurance company whose core business is the provision of car rental Excess insurance. For 10 years, Larry ran his own car rental broking company, working closely with Dollar and Budget. After noting the high costs being charged by the car rental companies for Excess cover, Larry decided to develop a better alternative: annual car rental Excess insurance products offering customers convenience, peace of mind and very significant savings. The resultant business has grew rapidly and they and now offers products to cover Europe, US/Canada, Worldwide, Family & Partners and for 75-85 year olds.

This organic growth has been achieved through providing exceptional value for money and high standards of customer service. Most of their customers renew year on year, and referrals from their customers to their family and friends account for a large proportion of their business. What’s more, the travel and motoring press have been consistent in their praise and recommendation of their policies.

In 2005, for the second year running, they received the accolade of “World’s Leading Innovative Ecommerce Travel Product” from The World Travel Awards. These annual awards celebrate achievement in the travel industry and are based on votes cast by travel industry professionals throughout Europe

Consistent endorsement in mainstream newspapers has been the cornerstone to growth. Most of their customers come back year on year and referrals from their customers to their family and friends account for a large proportion of their business.


To reflect the increasingly global reach of their products, in December 2007, they changed underwriters to Chartis Insurance UK Limited, part of Chartis Inc. Chartis insurance Limited is one of the worlds leading insurance companies with operations in more than 130 countries. Chartis Insurance UK Limited has been operating in the UK for more than 50 years and is one of the largest companies in the UK serving the insurance needs of UK individuals and businesses. Chartis Insurance UK Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA Number 202628). Claims are handled by Travel Guard.

In December 2007 Insurance4carhire was acquired by the Towergate Partnership, the largest independently owned insurance intermediary in Europe. Insurance4carhire.com is a trading name of Towergate Underwriting Group Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority, Register Number 313250. The company is registered in England and Wales, Company No. 4043759. The Registered Address is: Towergate House, Eclipse Park, Sittingbourne Road, Maidstone, Kent, ME14 3EN.