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Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Unwelcome car-hire experiences might prove enlightening for intending travellers
We have heard from a few readers who have encountered difficulties at car-hire desks around Europe over the course of the summer, and their experiences might save others from getting into trouble before they leave airports on foreign shores. First up there was James who got in touch in connection with an issue he encountered while renting a car at Pisa Airport. He was less than pleased when the company refused to accept his Bank of Ireland -issued credit card on the basis that his name and the numbers and expiry date were printed on the card, rather than embossed, as used to be the case with the cards. He notes that this restriction was explicitly stated in the terms and conditions, although he did not realise it ahead of time. READ MORE He was fortunate that he had another, older, embossed AIB card that he was able to use, but he 'witnessed two other Irish people at the desk who had no other option but to pay extra charges in order to leave with a rental car. [ Travel insurance and car hire for your holiday: An essential guide Opens in new window ] 'I have contacted Bank of Ireland, who said it had nothing to do with them, and said I should contact Mastercard. Mastercard says it's nothing to do with them and to contact the Bank of Ireland.' We contacted Bank of Ireland to see whether it was aware of the issue and was alerting customers to the issues they might have at car hire desks. Bank sources expressed surprise at this query as the situation appears to be out of line with broadly accepted rules and industry standards – which includes non-embossed cards and widespread acceptance of phone wallet payments. We contacted Bank of Ireland and received the following statement: 'We're sorry to hear that the customer had this experience when using their Bank of Ireland card at a car hire company in Italy. Mastercard scheme rules require that merchants accept all valid Mastercards. The rules emphasise non-discrimination of cards at point of sale. 'Merchants cannot refuse a Mastercard card solely based on appearance, including whether it is embossed or not. If the card is valid and the transaction can be authorised electronically, it should be accepted. These scheme rules apply across Europe including Italy. 'In Italy, rejecting a Mastercard solely because it isn't embossed is not compliant with scheme rules. Retailers must accept valid cards regardless of embossing. The only exemption is if the merchant was to solely rely on old manual imprint machines, which is unlikely to happen given that current industry standard includes non-embossed cards and widespread acceptance of phone wallet payments.' We then heard from Ronan, who booked a rental car in July for his family's summer holidays in Tuscany. 'The rental was for eight days and I booked it through . 'I paid €574 for the car and €116.42 for fully comprehensive insurance for the eight days,' he writes. 'I had previously booked a car with the same company – Drivalia – in Leeds Bradford and did not need a credit card. 'When we arrived at Florence train station to pick up the car, we were told that we would have to provide a credit card and a deposit of €500. Neither my wife nor I use a credit card. I used to have one, but done away with it (begone Satan) and all of that,' he writes. 'The guy told us that we couldn't have the car because the rental agreement states that we have to give a deposit of €500 on our credit cards,' he says. 'Then I realised that I had a virtual credit card on my banking app, but he wouldn't take it.' Ronan then offered a deposit of €500 on his debit card, which he said they could claim back if I returned the car in one piece. 'He refused. I had to pay an additional €100 insurance because I only had a debit card (I don't own a credit card). The extra was on top of the insurance I had already paid and it was non-refundable! — Reader Ellen 'Then, realising that we were going to be stranded, I offered to pay €500 extra for the car, as I knew this would be cheaper than having to book a rental car at short notice. All of this the guy refused. 'Luckily we went around the corner and a very kind man at Avis allowed us to book a car with the debit card, but it cost us €1,000 and we had to leave the car back to Florence,' he says. 'This cost us an additional €250 on train fares, as we had planned to deposit the car back at the airport in Rome, so we had to get a train from Florence to Rome and from Rome city centre to the airport. 'The question I'm pondering is this: why did Drivalia have a different policy at Leeds-Bradford to the one it had at Florence? Why do some car rental companies insist on a credit card when a debit card should suffice?' Then there was Ellen, who had an issue this summer in Crete with Europcar not accepting a debit card. [ Holiday car hire pitfalls to watch out for Opens in new window ] 'To be fair, it was partly my fault, as the email had said you need ID, credit card, etc, but I just assumed that meant credit/debit card as I have never encountered a situation where credit is the only option.' At least when it came to Ellen, the company were able to show a bit more flexibility. 'I had to pay an additional €100 insurance because I only had a debit card (I don't own a credit card). The extra was on top of the insurance I had already paid and it was non-refundable!' When it comes to Ronan's queries, we can't say for sure how the company goes about its business, although it is not uncommon for car-hire operators in different countries, even those trading under the same name, to have very different policies. Having said that, we struggle to see why it was unable to accept his virtual credit card. As to the second question, car-hire companies always prefer people to use credit cards for the very simple reason that it gives them more protection should something bad happen to their car while it is in your possession, and it is easier for them to get financial redress long after you have returned home – some might say it is far too easy. It is not uncommon for the damage done to a car to exceed the deposit paid, and car-hire companies also have to factor in things such as cars being returned with fuel tanks almost empty, in contravention of stated policies, as well as the potential for unpaid tolls, parking fines and other road traffic violations. If they have your debit card, they will take a set amount from your bank account and you need to have the funds to cover that cost in your current account on the day in question. With credit cards, however, they don't actually take the money, but freeze it up to a predetermined amount, with that amount unfrozen once the vehicle is returned and the account settled up. So on that level there should be no difference. But it is probably easier after the fact for car-hire companies to extract money from your credit card account – should further charges materialise – then it is to get it from your current account. They simply take the money and the credit card provider does the chasing when it comes to payment. It is also worth remembering that whether you use a debit or credit card, it must be in the name of the main driver. Offering them the card of a spouse or partner will carry no weight as there is no contract in place between an unnamed driver and the car hire company.
Irish Times
01-08-2025
- Automotive
- Irish Times
Holiday car hire: here are the pitfalls to watch out for
The rush to the airport aside, the most stressful element of every holiday for many people is hiring a car. No matter how far in advance you have booked the vehicle, and the care you have taken to make sure you are fully covered to drive it, a battle of wills at the pickup desk is near unavoidable. Different rules in different jurisdictions don't help, nor does the patchwork of consumer protection in different countries. And if a US report that last minute 'add-ons' account for 10 per cent of all car hire profit are true, you can see why counter staff might be so keen to flog extras at the desk. So what should you expect when you arrive, perspiring and with family and luggage in tow, at the pickup desk? And what should set off alarms? First things first: don't rush. The obvious temptation is to grab the keys and head for your villa or hotel room but that could prove a very expensive mistake. READ MORE [ Beware the car hire honey trap Opens in new window ] Take the time to read the contract and, yes, that includes the small print which is where you could find yourself hamstrung financially. And make sure to ask for an all-in figure on the cost you are signing up to. Insurance It is almost inevitable that whomever you are dealing with will try to sell you additional insurance cover. Some adopt more of a hard sell approach than others. In general, it is not necessary. In the European Union, all car hire companies are required to include basic cover in the rental cost and, regardless of the scare stories at the counter, you are not obliged to sign up to any extra cover. What you do need to be aware of, however, are excess fees that apply to most basic insurance cover. These can be substantial. Car hire companies will try to sell you policies – super collision damage waiver – that cover these off but, without exception, you are better off buying a policy from a third party before you travel. These policies are available from specialist insurers online at very competitive rates whereas, for the car hire company, they are a way to pad margins. And they tend to be more comprehensive than the ones offered by car hire firms who might also try to offer you separate cover for things like windscreen and tyre damage. During the booking process, the level of cover (and any excess) will become clear so there is no reason to wait until you get to your destination to organise a policy covering any excess. You may still have to meet the excess cost from the car hire company but you can claim it back on your excess policy. Just be aware that even with an excess policy – and almost certainly with one from a third party – the car hire company will place a block for the excess on your credit card. And, almost always, they will want to put it on the card used to book the car with. This amount can be substantial so make sure your card limit is sufficient or that someone in the party has another card . Damage Don't assume that the company will overlook minor dints and scratches. Just because they have not fixed such items before giving you the car does not mean they will not try to charge you for damage already there when you return the vehicle. Practice varies widely from company to company and even from one car hire location to another even with the same company. But don't assume what happened last time you hired a car will be the same this time. In fairness, it is not necessarily sharp practice. At busy times of the holiday season, staff are coping with so many cars coming and going that they may simply miss something, only noticing it later when you subsequently return with the vehicle. Having said that, customer feedback online suggests some car hire companies in holiday locations now see charges for minor damage as a significant revenue earner. The rates that some companies charge for even the smallest scratch are far above anything it will cost to put right. The contract you get will normally have a diagram where the car hire company notes any existing issues but you need to take the time to check this carefully before driving away. Is there anything else that is not already noted? If so, take pictures (and/or video) and bring it to the attention of the car hire agency staff before you drive away, making sure they note it on the contract diagram. And don't assume that it is only external damage you'll be held account for. Companies can also charge for scuffs and tears to the interior. When you return the car, make sure the company is satisfied with its condition before walking away. And if you are leaving the vehicle in an unattended lot after hours, make sure you video the vehicle to confirm its state when you returned it. Extras You would have thought that the satnav rip-off would be at an end, given that most cars will now pick up Google Maps or Waze, but every time I pick up a car, I see someone agreeing to take one. Hopefully you're not that person. Even if you're concerned about roaming charges or a data package that won't work abroad, you can download the maps you need so that they can be accessed offline. The rules on child seats and who needs to use one vary widely from country to country and it is important to check these before you travel. No one will fancy lugging a car seat with them from home but the cost of hiring them at your destination could prove very expensive and many airlines are very accommodating on child seats. Most, but not all, car hire firms will also charge for an additional driver or drivers so make sure more than one of you is going to need to drive before you add other names to the contract. Driving in a foreign country is not on most people's favourite lists of things to do and a second driver may not be doing much driving anyway. Fuel It seems like fuel policy should be straightforward but apparently it's not. In general, you will pick up a car with a full fuel tank and commit to returning it full. With Google Maps, the game of 'find the station nearest the airport' isn't what it was. All airports in my experience have a station within a kilometre or so of the car hire drop off, so there's no excuse for failing to have the car full on return. One thing you can be certain of is that the per litre charge imposed by the car hire agency for any top-up necessary will far exceed what you would have paid for the five minute inconvenience of finding a petrol station. Some car hire companies offer alternatives, neither of which sound like a good idea. They can ask you to pay upfront (at their rates) for a full fuel tank with the option of returning it empty. Given everyone's natural aversion to being stranded without fuel, this is inevitably a win-win for the car hire group as punters will always return cars with some fuel. Worse, though I have never come across it personally, is the practice of asking the customer to return the car with the same level of fuel as is in the tank on pick-up. Given how inexact a science fuel gauges are, the customer faces the unenviable choice between erring on the side of caution and overfilling the vehicle or being charged by the company for an alleged underfill. The company's policy should be stated online when you book. If the option is there I would expect a car to have a full tank with the understanding that I need to return it full. Anything else leaves you at the mercy of an unknowable cost. Additional charges Car hire companies, like most airlines these days, have a habit of charging individually for everything. And that can dramatically increase what you understood to be the headline per day cost of your holiday car. These charges can include out-of-hours fees if you turn up outside the desk's office hours – even if that is simply because your flight is delayed. You can also find that the car you booked was given away because you hadn't turned up, leaving you to hire a different and likely more expensive model, if one is available at all. Most companies will ask for your flight number and it is a good idea to let them have that information as it should make them aware of any delays. Some tips There are other ways you can reduce the cost of car hire. If you can put up with travelling from the airport to your first location by public transport (or taxi), you might find it cheaper to rent the same vehicle from an office of the same car hire firm away from the airport. Even then, booking online can be useful. I once arrived into an office Portugal looking to hire a car for the following day – having done an initial recce online. The rate they were looking to charge was a multiple of what I had seen online. I stepped out of the office, took out my phone, booked online at the cheaper rate and returned to the same agent the following morning to pick up the vehicle. No problem. And consider whether you really do need the car for the full week, or two? If you're focusing on a beach or a city location for a chunk of your visit, the car will likely just be parked up (and costing you for that too). Also, not all websites are created equal. It can be useful to use the local website of a car hire company in the country you intend visiting rather than the .ie version. But do make sure the terms and conditions are the same and that you allow for the impact of local currency exchange if outside the euro zone. Consumer group Which? found in its 2025 travel car hire survey that someone booking a hire care in Las Vegas would pay £220 (€255) more for the same car with the same insurance cover by hiring from a UK website rather than through a US website. Which? also advises that it is always better to choose the 'pay now' option rather than paying later when you pick up the car. It locks in the price and removes any scope for local agents claiming rates have changed from what you had expected in the meantime. The bottom line is that a cheap advertised rate is only half the story. Make sure you are comparing like with like and that you have accounted for all additional charges before you hand over your card details and confirm your booking. There's no way of guaranteeing a hassle-free pick-up of a hired car but you can certainly reduce the capacity for surprise and stress by taking the time to do your homework and by knowing your rights. One final tip: when you do get back home, check your credit card bill and make sure what you've been charged for the car is what was agreed. It is not unheard of for people to find discrepancies. If you've been charged more than you expected, chase the company to find out why and to get your money back. You can contact us at OnTheMoney@ with personal finance questions you would like to see us address. If you missed last week's newsletter, you can read it here .
The Sun
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Holiday warning for anyone with a hotel or car hire booked this summer as you could save cash
HOLIDAYMAKERS have been issued a warning over hotel bookings or car hire this summer as one trick could save them cash. You can slash costs if you notice the price has dropped after you've booked and you are able to cancel and re-book for free. 1 The tip, included in latest newsletter, could save you hundreds of pounds. The website also advises using comparison sites like Skyscanner, Kayak, Carrentals and Trivago to check whether prices drop after you've booked. The newsletter said: "Rebook trick: Is hotel or car hire cheaper than when you booked? "If your booking has low-cost or free cancellation, regularly check if you can get the same for less." One MSE reader said they booked car hire for a week away in France six months in advance at a cost of £609. They checked the price on the same month of travel and found it had plummeted to £248 - £361 less - with the same terms and conditions. Most hotel providers and booking sites offer a free cancellation option for each room type, which tend to cost more than non-refundable bookings. So MSE says you need to decide if paying more for free cancellation is worth it. However, even if you can't cancel your booking for free, it's worth weighing up how much the cancellation charge is compared to how much the price has dropped. If the charge is small, it could be worth cancelling and you could still save money. Avoid these common holiday booking mistakes for a stress-free vacation Some sites also offer price promises on hotel stays, meaning you are refunded the difference if the price drops before you arrive. HotelsCombined and On the Beach all offer price promise guarantees. How else to slash holiday car costs and hotel stays You can cut the cost of car rentals while abroad by ditching expensive rental company excess cover and buying standalone cover instead. Make sure you take photos of the vehicle before taking off as well, so you are not forced to cover any damage you didn't cause. If you can, show the snaps to staff at the time of collection so you don't get stung with extra costs when returning the car. Rentals can prove more costly when picking up from the airport - it could make more sense to get a cab to your hotel and hire a car from a local rental branch after arriving in your destination. Just make sure you compare prices to ensure you're actually getting the best deal though. When it comes to booking hotels, Which? Travel has found simply making the booking on your mobile instead of computer or laptop could save you £270. If you can, book your hotel stay at the end of the summer season too - demand will be lower and you'll likely get a cheaper price. Holiday Pay: Your Rights, Advice & Entitlements Here are your rights when it comes to taking time off work: Can my boss deny my holiday request? As a general rule, you need to give your boss a notice period of twice the amount of time you are taking for your holiday. For example, if you request five days of holiday you have to provide a minimum of ten days' notice. Your boss can force you to take a holiday at certain times of year like Christmas and New Year or bank holidays when your workplace may be closed. Companies can also set limits on how many days in a row you can take off to stop just taking a whole month off at once. My boss won't let me take any of the dates off that I have suggested: See how much time off the people you work with have taken off as well as how far in advance they let their boss know they were going to take time off. See if they got similar treatment or if you are being unfairly treated. You have a statutory right to your holiday and if you feel that is being infringed upon you can go to court. Before you make a claim you need to talk to the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (Acas). They will try one last time to reconcile the issue, and if that fails they will give you guidance on how to make an employment tribunal claim How do I calculate my holiday entitlement? You can use this tool to calculate your holiday entitlement depending on your work status.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Car rental companies using new AI tool which could cost you more
Car hire companies are deploying new AI-powered scanning systems to detect even minor vehicle damage, sparking customer outrage over unexpected charges. Hertz, a prominent car rental firm, is using UVeye's automated technology at several US airports, which compares high-resolution images taken at pickup and return to identify new damage. Customers report receiving substantial bills for tiny imperfections, such as small dents or scuffs, often just minutes after returning their vehicles. Specific cases include Kelly Rogers being charged for a 'dent' she thought was a shadow, and another customer facing a $440 bill for a one-inch scuff. Despite customer complaints and plans to expand the system to over 100 US airports, Hertz maintains the technology ensures customers are not charged for pre-existing damage.
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
New AI tool picks up every minor scratch on your car rental – and its freaking people out
Car hire companies are rolling out new AI tools to detect even the tiniest scratches, leaving customers outraged over the 'aggressive' new technology. Developed by UVeye, the automated scanning system captures thousands of high-resolution images from every angle of the vehicle at both pickup and return, which are then compared to spot any damage. UVeye's website boasts that the technology can 'detect 5X more damage than manual checks' and can generate '6X higher total value of damage captured.' Hertz, one of the world's largest car rental companies, has introduced the system at five U.S. airports, following its debut at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport last fall. An automatic damage report is created, and an employee reviews the report only if a customer flags an issue after receiving the bill, Hertz spokeswoman Emily Spencer told The New York Times. Just three percent of vehicles scanned through the UVeye system showed billable damage, she said. Renters fear they'll be hit with hefty fees for damage as small as a scratch. Over the Fourth of July weekend, Kelly Rogers and her husband rented a minivan from Hertz at Atlanta airport to travel about 150 miles to a family wedding in Birmingham, Alabama. The drive to and from the airport went smoothly, they told The Times, and upon inspecting the car at drop-off, the couple said they saw no damage. They said a Hertz employee also inspected the minivan and found nothing. After passing through airport security, they received a message via their Hertz app: the AI system detected a dent on the passenger-side door. Rogers said she was charged $80 for the damage on top of the $115 in fees, which included 'processing' the claim and the 'cost to detect and estimate the damage.' Hertz offered to reduce the $195 charge to $130 if they paid within 24 hours, the couple said. 'It could have been a shadow,' she said. 'We were pulling it up on the app, and we're like, 'This is so bananas.'' Hertz spokesperson Spencer said that Hertz inspected the so-called damage and confirmed it as a new dent. Spencer said that the company, which plans to roll out the scanners at more than 100 U.S. airports, uses the technology to ensure customers 'are not charged for damage that didn't occur during their rental.' Another customer, Patrick, rented a Volkswagen from Hertz-owned Thrifty at Atlanta Airport and told The Drive that he received a bill just 'minutes' after dropping off the car. He returned the car with a one-inch scuff on the rear wheel and charged $440 for the damage and processing fee. He, too, was offered a discount if he paid the fee quickly. 'Saving $30 to accept responsibility is not worth it,' he told the outlet. Adam Foley condemned Hertz's 'aggressive AI use' on LinkedIn and claimed that he was charged $350 for slight damage to the vehicle's roof and fender. 'Enjoy the one-time cash grab with customers. I will never rent at Hertz while this policy continues,' he wrote. Sixt, another vehicle rental company, uses a different AI-supported tool called Car Gate. Avis Budget Group and Zipcar reportedly tested AI damage scanning technology as early as 2019, according to The Times.
