Beware car hire sharks

Ah, the summer! Sun, sea, sangria . . . and car hire sharks.

As predictable as a hosepipe ban, there is never any shortage of rip- off tales from holidaymakers renting a vehicle.

Just last week, a friend said she had been billed hundreds of pounds for mystery repairs after returning a car in perfect condition.

Others say they have forked out extra for insurance they had already bought in advance after being persuaded at the check-in desk that their perfectly fine policy was not good enough.

And we haven’t even hit the school holidays yet.

even when you think you know all the tricks, you can still get caught out — as I did in April.

We were off to Los Angeles for a wedding and had booked a car in advance with rental firm thrifty.

I thought I’d been ultra-diligent and alert at the check-in desk, saying ‘no’ to all the extras that were offered. We had purchased excess waiver cover through a third party in advance, a cheap £7-a- day insurance policy that pays out if you have any dents or scrapes, rather than the one that car hire firms try to flog you, which can end up costing hundreds of pounds.

But when we returned home a week later, we discovered a $131.45 charge on my credit card for personal accident insurance and premium emergency roadside service. When we challenged the charges, we were told they were listed in the rental agreement — which we had signed.

It doesn’t matter how on guard you are, they always get you. We’d landed after an 11-hour flight and had spent two hours queuing through immigration. We were tired, in a rush and desperate to escape the sweltering airport. that was all it took. We’d missed one line of small print.

eventually, we got our money back but, judging by Money Mail’s postbag, many holidaymakers don’t. Sometimes, firms don’t even bother replying.

Feeling like you’ve been ripped off, or are about to be, shouldn’t be the default experience when hiring a car.

Following a campaign by Money Mail, the competition watchdog is finally investigating the hidden costs customers routinely face.

In the meantime, if you have a car hire story to share, write to us at carhire@dailymail.co.uk or Money Mail, Northcliffe house, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5tt.

Mortgage racket

thOUSANDS of homeowners are missing out on huge savings by sitting on their lenders’ standard variable rate — the rate you switch to at the end of a fixed-term deal.

As we explain on Page 47, many may not be aware they can get a better deal elsewhere, don’t feel confident switching, or just haven’t had the time to get organised.

however, a good number can’t switch even if they want to because affordability rules introduced following the financial crisis mean they don’t qualify for a better deal.

Banks say that, based on this new, strict lending criteria, they are worried these borrowers wouldn’t be able to afford the loan repayments.

Who is doing their maths? Surely if someone can afford to pay a standard variable rate that is three percentage points more than a fixed rate, they can afford to switch to the cheaper deal? Standard variable rates remain a racket for the banks. Making a profit is one thing. But making an excessive one by exploiting longstanding customers is another.

No wonder the regulator has started asking questions.

Pensioner power

NOthING fills me with more joy than the idea of a group of savvy pensioners pretending to be doddery old fools in order to take down the low-lives of this world.

Fraudsters, beware. At 79, Sigrid hambley told Money Mail that the Mail Marshals scheme had given her the confidence to step in and help protect her neighbours against rip-off merchants.

Barry Atkins, 80, says he feels like he has a purpose again after losing £3,000 in a series of scams.

they’re not just helping themselves, but their communities — and all of us.