noelrosie

We've just returned from two weeks in Spain, and when I collected my hire car from Record at Alicante airport, I was asked whether I wanted to increase my 'breakdown cover' from 9.00-18.00 Monday to Friday, to 24-hour, 7 day per week for an extra 20 euros. I was also buying an extra driver and wheels and tyres insurance, and have hired from Record more times than I can remember, and they said that 'as I was a good customer' they would throw it in for nothing.

Didn't think anymore about it, but our daughter has just flown out to Valencia, and hired with Goldcar, and it seems they have the same policy.

I am sure breakdown cover never used to be charged as an extra...

We actually broke down this year, in a car with 2500km on the clock - the engine management system failed the day after we left Alicante. So I guess you do need comprehensive breakdown cover.

I am thinking that car-hire may be going the way of flights, and the cut-price operators are trying every trick in the book to fleece customers for extra cash on collection.

billgates

I thought breakdown cover was automatically included in all car insurance policies by law?
Never heard of daytime-only breakdown cover.

noelrosie

I can't find any mention of the 'extra' charge on the Record site, but as I say, in the end I was not charged for it, however, Goldcar state

"If your car breaks down or you have any other problem during your hire period you can ring our roadside assistance service 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year.

The calls between 09.00 and 18.30 Monday to Friday are free of charge. Outside these hours, you can also call for assistance but there is an administration cost of 20€."

billgates

Ah! So the breakdown cover is still 24hours regardless, but they're asking if you want to pay for out of hours calls in advance? Just in case?

noelrosie

I think it was a total scam when I was asked by Record if I wanted to pay extra for it. Obviously having booked through www.doyouspain.com I did not have a complete list of Record's terms and conditions to hand. Once he saw I was a frequent renter, he 'backed down' in case I argued the point IMO.
Same with Goldcar - I think it is a case of 'taking advantage of tourists' at the airport.

Rotor

Another scam Ive recently came across is where you have to buy a full tank of fuel off the hirer ( www.elitecarmalaga.com which turns out to be Marbelsol, Malaga ) , they charge around 10 cents p/l more than pump price and of course you cant return the car completely empty so they make around an extra 20 euros out of you , in addition to this if you dont take out the CDW they ask for an 800 euro deposit or no car , if you pay the 800 euros you then become liable for any damage , as all the cars are battered they always find damage when you return the car so you loose every way! , they even class clutch failure as damage ! for the non mechanically minded clutches are a consumable .

Consequently when friends of ours booked a Chevy Matiz they ended up with a TATA , piece of **ap , the internet price was 173 euros for the 9 days BUT when all the extras were added it rocketed to 327 euros!

Crooks ,stay away , the known companies like Hertz etc appear more expensive but in reality they are about the same with no hidden shocks / scams.

ps I just done some checks on the Hertz site and they actually work out much cheaper !!!

GerC

and the fuel more at the airports stations , about 3 cent more .... the down the road ..... car rently companys please dont get me going on them

Bri and Katee

We've just booked for the 2nd time this year with Hertz. You always think they have to be more expensive than the rest but its not true, they work out more or less the same as Goldcar. Better yet, if you arrive at lunchtime there is never a queue at their desk, unlike Goldcar! I've often stood in a queue there for over an hour, May day bank holiday 2007 we had to stand for almost 3 hours for the car. There must have been 200 people in the queue and only 1 person on the desk, for the uninitiated, it was the old airport and the queue stretched up the ramp to the arrivals hall.

MaryJones

Gold car seem to have lots of complaints about them here in the Canaires - doing the expensive full tank thing and extra insurance.
Unfortunately they are linked with alot of car hire companies and so you dont realise that you are booking with Goldcar until you get to the end of your internet transaction

Rotor

I`m normally in favour of supporting the local small independent business`s but when they all appear to be scammers I think I`ll go with Hertz or the likes in future.

noelrosie

Same here ... and there is never much of a queue at Hertz

agoreira

A couple of years ago I waited 40 mins, and the next time was around an hour, that was the last time I ever booked with them. Like you, we were in a queue that went right up the ramp, two girls at the desk, but almost Cinderella like, as the clock struck twelve, one girl just up and went, obviously the end of her shift! I thought an hour was excessive, three hours is crazy. I don't use Hertz, but have a company I have now used many times, just off airport, that don't operate the fuel scam. Never a queue, and as they have my details on computer, I'm in and out in minutes.

missile

IMHO, Hertz are no better. They are all a rip off

We hired a group C at Manchester airport. After waiting for 25 minutes in the queue Hertz asked did we want to pay for upgrade? No. We were told no group C cars and you will have to wait whilst we get one sent over and that will be 20 minutes.

We were tired, it a hurry, couldn't be arsed arguing and paid the extra, plus the full tank of fuel.

Rotor

And their names is .............?