Renting a car on holiday is a good way to explore your destination as a native would, avoiding the busy tourist traps and making the most of your break. But, like many other tourist industries, the car hire sector is plagued with hidden fees and little surcharges which can relieve the unsuspecting tourist of a lot more money than they expected.

Aside from the ‘discovered damage’ trick, another all-too familiar ploy is the ‘fuel gauge’ one. Most rental firms stipulate that a car must be returned with a full tank of fuel, or a refuelling charge will be added. This sounds simple enough, but some unscrupulous firms take it one step further; if they can squeeze even one more litre into the tank after you return it, they could charge you a hefty bill.

Like the discovered damage scam, this is easily avoided if you take precautions. When you pick your rental car up, take a photograph of the fuel gauge and the odometer and make sure the rental staff mark these down on your forms. Then, upon leaving the rental agency, drive to the nearest garage and top up the tank, keeping the receipt. When you go to take the car back, go to the same garage and top up once again, and keep the receipt. Give both of these receipts to the rental staff and this will prove that you filled up the car before returning it.

Bear in mind that some car’s fuel gauges read differently to others, and parking the car on an incline could also affect the reading. Topping up the tank on both pickup and collection will take away any doubt that these factors may cause. If you can’t do this, you could arrange for the rental company to refuel upon the car’s return and charge you the difference, but this will often be much more per litre than you would pay at a filling station. Better to do it yourself if at all possible.

By: Jay Tillotson

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A recent study has shown that car hire prices are continuing to rise as a result of fuel prices increasing and due to the maintenance and overhead charges that most car hire companies have to face.

The survey was published by American Express and showed its 2007 rental rates and focussed on business travellers. It was determined from the research that the price for hiring a car jumped by 4.4 per cent between 2006 and 2007.

This AMEX study is known for being one of the most reliable sources of information on trends in the pricing of travel related services and it is therefore known as the Business Travel Monitor.

American car hire companies were showed to be having difficulty remaining profitable as their operating costs continue to rise. One of the biggest reasons for the companies finding it difficult to make any profit is due to fleet costs. Car hire firms are finding it hard to cope with the 20% increase on the costs of fleets; this increase is due to firms finding it much more difficult to buy new vehicles from the manufacturers for discount prices. This therefore means that it is extremely difficult to recover the extra expenses.

The survey shows a steady rise in car rental rates which goes back to 2001. The average price of hiring a car in 2001 was $63 and in 2007 it had risen steadily to $72. With this trend showing no signs of slowing down, finding cheap car hire when you are away on holiday in the US is not looking hopeful.

By: Gill Critchley

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