Foreign car hire crooks rip off Britons on holiday

THE motor industry has never been burdened with the best of reputations. There have always been suspicions of sharp practice, price manipulation and turned-back clocks. And now we find the situation is worse than we thought.

A shocking investigation has revealed the multitude of scams inflicted on us by the foreign car hire industry including vast hidden deposits, extortionate insurance and cleaning charges, ludicrous repair fees and much more.

This will not do. In many parts of the world the car hire industry is operating as a racket because it knows it can get away with ripping off holidaymakers without fear of punishment.

This is a scandalous abuse of a captive audience: when many people go on holiday there is no alternative to hiring a car. That they should be put to such expense, inconvenience and in some cases suffer borderline criminal behaviour, is a disgrace.

Many of the worst cases affect families who understandably look for a bargain in order to cut the ever growing cost of their holidays. But if there is one lesson to be learned from our investigation it is this: if it looks too good to be true it is.

So make sure you read our tips on beating the cowboys, and hopefully your family won’t be the next ones who end up being taken for a ride.