snowbunny

YEP.

No problems with Hertz in the US.

Hertz in the UK -- hert.

Got the all-inclusive package deal through BA that included insurance.

Someone whacked my wing mirror while I was parked at night on a street in rural Somerset.

Turned car back in. Got home to 500 POUND bill for repair of wing mirror. Found in small print that there was a 800 POUND deductible for said paid-for insurance no matter what the cause. Further found that if I'd refused the Hertz "it hertz" insurance, and stuck the charge on my MasterCard, MC would have picked up the costs in full.

Apparently Americans get taken by Hertz, Avis etc overseas all the time, cos we think that it'll be just like the US, right? Wrong.

Double and triple-check the T&C. Oh how nice it must be to charge someone who lives 5,000 miles away in another country, a sh*tload of money AFTER they've left.

TRPardoe

Que ? I did not say I rented a Corsa, I just quoted 1car1's home page................

Patrick Hasler

My profound appologies

TRPardoe

That's more or less what happened to me with 1car1. They charged me the £500 damage fee but despite repeated email enquiries never provided me with any proof of what the repair bill actually was.

If it really was £500 or more why would they not have sent the info to me? The fact that they did not makes me think that the repair was considerably less than £500.

It's quite a nice side line for them.

Another time I would make sure I used credit card to pay which provided cover.

User Name

The way Americans get totally ripped off by these unsatisfactory practices is nothing short of shameful and very deserving of protective legislation. I'm sure that there are some straightforward vehicle hire business around Heathrow airport, but it is so easy to get fooled thinking the American version carries over into the UK version of the same car hire outfit.

I now make my own arrangements to get to my destination from the airport and hire a car from a local car hire business, and I like to be told what is wrong with the car like here in the USA and prefer to make an inspection in full daylight and after a good nights sleep. I especially look for things that are not recorded on the card as provided by the car hire place.

User Name

Just a thought, but if one makes arrangements to get to one's final destination that does not involve one sitting behind the driving wheel then there is no chance of falling asleep at the wheel after a red eye flight to the UK. In addition, there is no fun in driving in rush hour traffic after arriving on a red-eye flight.

THFC1

This is not Americans getting ripped off, it's just differences between renting a car in Europe compared to the US. In Europe all the major car companies charge an excess on the insurance (CDW & TP) no matter where the customer originated. You can purchase a waiver called SCDW which reduces the excess to zero if you want. In the US if you purchase insurance (LDW and LIS) there is no excess.

User Name

I am sorry, but we are going to have to disagree. At least some of the car hire outfits around the UK airports take sinful advantage of tired travellers and it is nothing short of shameful and disgusting. Local trading standards officers should be imposing good business practices, but that doesn't seem to be happening and one may rationally conclude that new legislation is needed to bring such shameful business practices to heel. It is so bad that I never hire from a car hire place at a UK airport, I expect to see other travellers get ripped off, and I find that shameful, I feel ashamed that my fellow countrymen would even think of behaving as a matter of routine in that fashion against tired travellers, I don't want to see it and rather make my own arrangements to get to my destination and after a good night's sleep take a cab to a local car hire to get a vehicle. Works out much better that way.

THFC1

Those poor tired travellers

User Name

The easy way to avoid getting ripped off is not to get ripped off.

Just plan ahead and hire from a local car hire.