How to Avoid Car Hire Scams: Part 1 of many

I was recently speaking with my friend who came back from a holiday to Spain. Of course before he went, I recommended what I thought to be a quality car hire agency. Unfortunately, "The Car Hire Expert" made a small mistake. My friend was treated to a very pleasant experience for the entire trip until he returned to the airport to drop off the car hire. The employee of the the car hire company (I will not name names) told my friend that he would need to pay 100 euros for some small damage to the bumper. Upon further inspection, my friend agreed that there was some damage but he was adamant that he was not the culprit. The problem is that there was nothing he could do and he ended up paying 80 euros after haggling the price down a little bit. The fact that he could negotiate a lower price for the damage is the first sign of a scam, but that is another story all together. If indeed, my friend did not cause the damage, what can he do in this situation? There is seemingly no way out.

Ah, but on the contrary my car hire friends, there is something he could have done. It is what I like to call the "pre-hire inspection." What is it? It is exactly what is sounds like. An inspection of the vehicle before you drive out of the parking lot. It is simple and will save you (could have saved my friend) a lot of money. The task is simple! Just take about 5 minutes before you drive the car to look it over for any signs of damage. Check inside and out and if you find a defect, say some damage to the bumper, you need to alert the car hire company BEFORE you leave the parking lot. This way you will not have to pay for the damage caused by another driver. Furthermore, some of the dishonest car hire companies may diliberatly leave part of the car damaged and charge every drive for the repair. Do not fall victim to this scam. Easily protect yourself with the pre-hire inspection. You should also make sure the gas tank is full before you drive away. If they require the tank to be full upon return, you MUST require the tank is full at departure. Save money and stress with the pre-hire inspection.

Still Low Prices - April

Hello Car Hire Seekers!

The start of April marks the last month of cheap car hire prices. If you tried to get a car hire during the summer (especially for Spain, France, Italy or UK) you discovered that the prices are very expensive. Another problem you may have encountered is that there was a shortage of available car hires. The summer months in Europe are easily the most popular time for people to go on holiday and the car hire companies know this. They raise the price at least 30% for this peak car hire season. It is next to impossible to find a car hire given short notice during the summer months. The only way to overcome this problem is to reserve a summer car hire at least 2 months in advance or to choose a different season for car hire traveling. I would opt for the latter. The best way to find cheap car hire is through a brokerage company.GetRentalCar.com, Orbits and Europcar had the best prices for car hire in October. Since there is a surplus of cars now, you should have no problem confirming a reservation.

The spring months in Europe are really beautiful and the car hire prices are still cheap. The off season tourist months also allow you to find a car hire on short notice. It is basically impossible to get a car hire in the height of summer for a spontaneous holiday. However, the autumn is the perfect time to let your impulses take over. The new budget airline deals mean you can make holiday decisions on the spur of the moment. The problem is that the car hire companies will not have vehicles in the summer. The good news is that off season holidays mean you will easily find a cheap car hire for the destination of your choice. Treat yourself to a great European holiday in the off season and save yourself some money and stress.

The First Post

Hello car hire seekers!

My name is Bill, but my friends call me "The Car Hire Expert." I am going to help anyone and everyone find great deals for car hire anywhere in the world. Do you have a question for me? Because I have the answer for you. I have been involved in the car hire business for 10 years and I have seen everything from scam artists to genuine and upstanding companies. Send me all your questions before you hire a car or after. I can give you advice before you go on your car hire holiday or I can give you information on dealing with a post car hire problem. Anything you want to know about car hire, I want to tell you.