Renting a car on holiday is a good way to explore your destination as a native would, avoiding the busy tourist traps and making the most of your break. But, like many other tourist industries, the car hire sector is plagued with hidden fees and little surcharges which can relieve the unsuspecting tourist of a lot more money than they expected.
Aside from the 'discovered damage' trick, another all-too familiar ploy is the 'fuel gauge' one. Most rental firms stipulate that a car must be returned with a full tank of fuel, or a refuelling charge will be added. This sounds simple enough, but some unscrupulous firms take it one step further; if they can squeeze even one more litre into the tank after you return it, they could charge you a hefty bill.
Like the discovered damage scam, this is easily avoided if you take precautions. When you pick your rental car up, take a photograph of the fuel gauge and the odometer and make sure the rental staff mark these down on your forms. Then, upon leaving the rental agency, drive to the nearest garage and top up the tank, keeping the receipt. When you go to take the car back, go to the same garage and top up once again, and keep the receipt. Give both of these receipts to the rental staff and this will prove that you filled up the car before returning it.
Bear in mind that some car's fuel gauges read differently to others, and parking the car on an incline could also affect the reading. Topping up the tank on both pickup and collection will take away any doubt that these factors may cause. If you can't do this, you could arrange for the rental company to refuel upon the car's return and charge you the difference, but this will often be much more per litre than you would pay at a filling station. Better to do it yourself if at all possible.
Despite the tricks to watch out for,
holiday car hire can be fun; the experience of driving in another country is something to remember.
Cheap car hire can be booked online, and most
car rental agencies offer airport pickup.
