Holidaymakers urged to take care after hire car costs surge in Europe

Holidaymakers urged to take care when getting behind the wheel of a rental car this summer after hire costs surge across Europe

• Car hire in August will cost 77 per cent more this year compared with 2019
• Prices are up 100 per cent in Cyprus and 106 per cent in the UK
• READ MORE:  Electric car demand is hit by charging point crisis

Holidaymakers are being urged to take care when getting behind the wheel of a rental car on holiday this summer, after prices across Europe surged.

The average cost of car hire in some popular European destinations this summer will be more than double previous levels, making Which’s latest research crucial reading for travellers.

The consumer champion analysed data from Zest Car Rental and found that a week’s car hire in August will cost 77 per cent more on average this year compared with 2019.

Prices are up 100 per cent in Cyprus, 106 percent in the UK, and increases of a massive 126 per cent are to be seen Italy, where a week’s rental in August has increased from an average £209 to £473.

The most expensive country for car hire is the USA, where a week’s rental is likely to set sightseers back by a staggering £546 on average, up 92 per cent since 2019.

Household names Alamo (72 per cent), Enterprise (72 per cent) and Hertz (71 per cent) came in joint third and fifth places respectively (File image)

The average cost of car hire in some popular European destinations will be more than double previous levels (File image)

While prices are marginally lower than last year, continuing high demand and depleted stocks mean prices have settled at levels well above those seen before Covid.

Which? looked at figures for over 8,000 rentals in nine popular holiday destinations including Italy, Greece and Spain.

Separately, the consumer champion carried out a survey of almost 2,700 Which? members, asking them to assess car hire firms and brokers based on a range of criteria, including clarity of extra charges, age, mileage and condition of the car, customer service and value for money.

With almost half of respondents (47 per cent) reporting that they worry about being exploited by their rental company, it’s essential that consumers are able to book with confidence this summer.

Travellers to the Canary Islands are particularly well served, with the islands home to the only two car hire firms to be awarded Which? Recommended Provider status this year, Auto Reisen and Cicar.

Both achieved exceptional customer scores of 91 per cent and were awarded five stars in categories including the clarity of extra charges, how easy it is to opt out of those extra charges, the clarity of the final hire cost, customer service, and how well description matched reality.

Household names Alamo (72 per cent), Enterprise (72 per cent) and Hertz (71 per cent) came in joint third and fifth places respectively.

Sister companies Alamo and Enterprise both received largely favourable reviews from respondents.

Enterprise was awarded five stars by travellers for both the record customers received of existing damage to their cars, and for age, condition and mileage of their vehicles, and achieved no fewer than three stars in any of the remaining categories.

Similarly, Alamo also received a clutch of three and four star scores, but beat its sister firm on price, with customers paying almost £100 less a week on average.

Goldcar has been one of the survey’s worst performers for years, and again found itself at the bottom of the table this year with a dismal customer score of 54 per cent.

Despite having some of the lowest prices of any of the companies in the survey, with an average price per week of £245, the company scored just two stars for value for money.

Prices are up 100 per cent in Cyprus, 106 per cent in the UK, and increases of 126 per cent are to be seen in Italy (File image)

It also received two stars for the ease of opting out of optional extras, and for customer service, with multiple respondents commenting on pressure selling techniques used to encourage customers to purchase extra insurance at the rental desk, an issue Which? has previously investigated.

This issue cropped up repeatedly in responses from Goldcar customers, with one saying there was a ‘hard sell on the insurance’, which was ‘excruciating’.

Another said they felt the firm was ‘obsessed with selling extra cover’, while a fellow respondent complained of having to ‘suffer the hard sell, which sometimes became close to threatening’.

They even remarked that they saw fellow customers ‘in tears at the desk when asked to pay hundreds of Euros for insurance’.

Goldcar were not alone in this, however. Overall, one in seven people who took out an extra insurance policy at a car hire desk told Which? they felt under a lot of pressure to do so.

Rory Boland, Editor of Which? Travel, said: ‘Travellers this summer can expect to pay much higher prices for car hire than before the pandemic, with strong demand and a continuing shortage of vehicles pushing up costs. While there are deals out there, people should avoid the firms with the cheapest headline prices, because too often they will later be stung by hidden charges.

‘Only use a reputable broker or hire firm, so you can ensure you’re getting the best possible service for your money. Paying in advance, if you can, often works out cheaper overall and helps secure your booking. We also recommend taking out third-party insurance before you travel, as in the past we’ve found hire companies selling inferior policies at the desk at vastly marked up prices.’

Goldcar said in a statement: ‘Pressure selling is not acceptable. With regard to insurance cover, we offer our premium cover to provide a seamless process should damage occur during a customer’s rental.

‘A customer, of course, has the right to choose to buy their cover separately, however, if this is the case they will be charged for any damages that occur during the rental and will then need to claim the costs back from the chosen provider. This is explained to all customers at time of rental.’

Which? surveyed 2,657 members of its online panel in January 2023 about their car hire experiences between January 2021 and January 2023. Customer score combines overall satisfaction and likelihood to recommend.

Source: Read Full Article