7 car hire rip-offs and how to avoid them

Exploration and discovery are yours for the taking when you hire a car on holiday, but without a little planning you can end up paying way over the odds.

It’s no secret that some car hire firms have less-than-stellar reputations, pressuring customers to spend more at pick-up and adding unexpected charges at drop-off. Arm yourself with a few car hire basics, though, and you can approach the car hire desk with confidence.

From pricey excess policies to expensive extras, we’ve rounded up seven of the worst car hire rip-offs – and reveal how you can avoid them.

Rip-off #1: Sky-high excess costs

Insurance is included when you hire a car in Europe, but you may find it comes with incredibly high excess charges – that’s the amount you have to pay to cover the cost of an accident before the policy kicks in. This can be up to £2,000 in some cases, potentially leaving you well out of pocket if something goes wrong.

One way to get around it is to buy an excess waiver policy, which reduces the charge to zero or a small sum. Your car hire provider will offer you a policy at the desk, but these can cost up to £20 per day. Instead, buy your car hire excess insurance via a standalone provider before you travel and you could pay from just £3.49 a day.

For multiple rentals a year, an annual policy with a standalone provider can work out even better value, so make sure you do the maths!

Rip-off #2: The ‘full-empty’ fuel policy

Being hit with a petrol bill before you’ve even got in the driving seat isn’t the best start to a holiday. But many car hire companies employ a so-called ‘full-empty policy’, which means you pay upfront for a tank of petrol and can return it empty.

There are two drawbacks to this policy. First, you’re likely to be charged an inflated price for the petrol. And second, you may not use all the fuel you’ve paid for if you’re on a short trip or don’t end up driving much. In some cases, you’ll be offered the right to a refund on unused fuel, but there’s still usually a service charge attached.

Look for car hire firms that allow you to return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel it had when you picked it up – either a ‘full-to-full’ or ‘same-to-same’ policy. All car rentals compared on TravelSupermarket come with this fair fuel policy as standard, so you know you won't be out of pocket.

Rip-off #3: The ‘upgrade’ option

When you arrive at the rental desk to pick up your pre-booked car, you may be told the company has run out of vehicles in the category you chose and be offered an upgrade – at a price.

Don’t fall for it. You should either be offered a higher category of car for no extra charge or a lesser one with the appropriate refund. Make sure this is the case before you sign your contract and drive away.

Rip-off #4: Paying for extras you could bring yourself

Want to use a sat-nav when driving abroad or think you’ll need a baby seat? Go for it – but don’t fall into the trap of hiring them through your car rental company. It’ll be cheaper to bring your own.

If you’re travelling abroad, you can usually bring pushchairs and car seats for free on your flight. You could also hire them in your destination (Spain, for example, has loads of rental providers for holiday equipment).

For directions, many sat-navs cover both the UK and Europe. Alternatively, you can use Google Maps in offline mode. Simply download the map of the area you are travelling to and you'll have access to a free sat-nav, without the excessive roaming charges.

Whichever you use, be aware that you may need to turn off speed or traffic camera alerts before you hit the road – they are illegal in many European countries.

If all else fails, there’s always the option of a good old-fashioned paper map.

Rip-off #5: Buying at the desk

With so much to organise before a holiday, it’s easy to put off hiring a car until you arrive at your destination. But booking a vehicle online in advance will save you a chunk of cash, leaving you more to spend on the good stuff.

What’s more, if you book at your destination airport, or other pick-up point such as in a city centre, you risk ending up with an unsuitable vehicle, especially if you’re travelling in a busy time when demand soars.

Even if you’ve left it to the last minute, it’s still worth comparing prices online before you pay up at the desk. It might not be much, but it could still save you some sterling.

Rip-off #6: Unexpected charges when you get home

You expect to return from holiday with a lighter wallet – but it’s infuriating to find extra taken off your credit card for a bill you thought you’d squared. Car hire firms may charge more than you expected if they claim you’ve damaged the vehicle in some way or that you returned it without the agreed amount of fuel.

To protect yourself, give the vehicle a full inspection both when you pick it up (take photos and video as evidence) and when you return it, and ask for a receipt stating it’s in good order with the required amount of petrol.

It also pays to keep all documents, contracts and other evidence (such as the photos) if you need to dispute unexpected charges.

Rip-off #7: Hidden charges

Always read the small print of your car hire policy to check for any hidden charges or exclusions. For example, most car hire companies will add a fee for renters under 25 or for including a second driver, while some charge extra if you’ve been driving for less than four years.

Others – and we're talking about the really unscrupulous operators here – may try and sneak hidden fees, such as their own insurance policies, onto your contract. You will have to sign this before you leave, so ensure that you’re clear about every item/fee on it.

And others will levy an ‘admin’ fee for theft or damage to the car – even if you’ve bought an excess waiver policy. To put it in a nutshell: being thorough in your research when hiring a car is the way to get the best deal.