# Hire Car cost excessive



## jp1 (Jun 11, 2011)

The cost of hire cars, seems at least to me, becoming rather excessive at the moment.

I have just got a quote for a random 2 weeks in July, cat B car from GOLDCAR in Almeria, with full insurance and additional driver, the cost is £670, This excludes fuel that will be also charged at an excess premium.

A few years ago I would have paid around £200 without the full insurance, but since having being ripped off for non existent damage by GOLDCAR, I take the insurance, or preferably avoid them. In Malaga with CENTAURO, the same hire is about £510.

Off peak in April we have been given a quote for around £400, again previous years the cost would have been around £100 without full insurance.

Since my wife now has to visit regularly, as her parents need help, we have decided to take a UK car down and leave it there for the legal 6 months so as to avoid having to pay excessive hire car costs.

Have the hire car companies now realised they have a captive market with all the new owners of holiday homes who are forced to rent? Or have costs in Spain risen dramatically?

The cost of hiring a better VW polo at Heathrow airport, with exactly the same conditions, full insurance, additional driver is £465.

There has to be something wrong when a car hired in London from a major rental company, providing a better car, better checked and valeted, is over £200 cheaper than Almeria !!!

Edited to add labour costs in London are probably double those in Almeria !! And office space, land for parking probably a factor of 10 more expensive at Heathrow!!


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## VFR (Dec 23, 2009)

Base Rate £ 320.75
Mileage: Unlimited
Rental Options £ 107.07
Discount Codes NA
Fees & Taxes £ 7.50
Estimated Total £ 435.32

This is with Avis.
Ist 7 to the 15th at Almeria.
VX Golf with all the boxes ticked (all)


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## jp1 (Jun 11, 2011)

VFR said:


> Base Rate £ 320.75
> Mileage: Unlimited
> Rental Options £ 107.07
> Discount Codes NA
> ...


You haven't quite compared like with like.

If I go to www.avis.es (prices in Euros)

2 weeks 1st July to 15th 

Base price 423,57 €
Asistencia ampliada en carretera 70,00 €
Conductor adicional 70,00 €

Total 563.75 €

And this doesn't include the full insurance.

Since when in the UK do you rent a hire car and YOU are responsible for it's recovery if you break down, when you have been hired a defective car. Absolutely ridiculous.

No doubt, paying for full insurance at the desk would push it past the GOLDCAR price.

But nice try anyway  (And I think you used the cat A car in your comparison as a VW Golf is Cat C which shows base cost of 536 Euros !!)

The cost of hiring at Heathrow in my original post includes those extras, such as FULL INSURANCE and ADDITIONAL DRIVER and of course if the car breaks down as well !!!!


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## Barry S (Jan 6, 2017)

*Excess Hire Car Insurance*

Hi
there are many Companies that offer "extra" insurance for Hire Car
for example

https://www.icarhireinsurance.com/?...TxHUWvJMRZlWa8yOCzcc6BWj4OEaz3hYaAupM8P8HAQ#0

You will probably pay for a years cover what you would pay for a day ot two at the Hire Car desk

Another Tip is to book over the company Rental Cars I have found them very helpful 

Car Hire in the UK, Best Prices Guaranteed - Rentalcars.com

Best
Barry S:car::car:


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## Enchantedowl (Jan 8, 2017)

*Car hire in Spain*

Hi,

I am horrified at the quotes you have been given! I go to Spain quite regularly and flying into Malaga use Cargest. I have never had a problem with them; they give a user discount after your first hire; they are the cheapest I have found; full insurance with no excess (underbody, tyres, windscreen etc not included as with any company). Good courtesy service from office to airport (2/3 minutes), return car to office, courtesy service back to airport. Fair fuel policy - i.e. however much fuel is in the car when you collect it, you return it with the same. I started using them on expat recommendation and have used them ever since. Just google Cargest, it comes up straightaway. They are only at Malaga, by the way

We've had bad experiences with Goldcar - definitely a no-no! Good luck! Adios x


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