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
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