DON’T BE CAUGHT OUT BY THE EXTRAS

Check the Collision Damage

Waiver (CDW) and theft protection excesses. Most are

now very high – £847 is typical – so take out additional cover in advance of collecting

the car. Most car hire companies sell some sort of policy either to reimburse the

excess or reduce it to zero, though independent insurers

can be much cheaper. According to Which? Travel, one of the best policies is sold by reducemyexcess.co.uk. Be sure to check the policy on

exclusions for tyres, windscreens and the underside of the vehicle

Make sure your credit card limit is high enough to leave enough deposit to cover the

excess and that it is in the name of the person on the hire booking form. (A second credit

card in the same name may also be useful.) Debit cards are

not accepted

If your flight is delayed by more than one hour after the start time of the rental, tell the rental office – otherwise your reservation may be cancelled

On collection, question anything you don’t understand

on the contract, and check nothing has been added to the

amount you agreed to pay

Inspect the car to check that

every scratch or dent is marked on the contract. Take photos of all four sides of the

car and also the mileometer

Check the fuel policy – the best will allow you to collect a car with a full tank and return

it in the same state. Keep the receipt from the petrol station where you filled up before

returning the car

If the vehicle is not inspected on return, take a new set of photographs to record its condition. This might be

worth doing even if an inspection does happen

If you cannot resolve a dispute

with a car rental company in the UK, use the British Vehicle

Rental and Leasing Association’s conciliation

service (bvrla.co.uk). For disputes in the EU, try the

European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ecrcs.eu)