Complaints over car hire abroad soar

COMPLAINTS about foreign cowboy car hire firms have soared by 30 per cent in a year.

Spain, Italy, Iceland and Malta are the biggest source of problems for British travellers stung with hidden fees and other problems.

The figures come from the EU European Consumer Centre, which looked at complaints from British consumers to trading standards over foreign car hire.

The figure in the 12 months to June 2016 was 629 – up from 486 the year before.

The main cause of dispute surrounded post hire charges swiped from credit cards for damage, especially after unsupervised drop offs.

The second biggest issue involved disputes related to insurance. Drivers also reported being unfairly charged, or overcharged, for filling the fuel tank.

The Daily Mail has turned the spotlight on these scams and others amid concerns British travellers are being fleeced by unscrupulous firms.

Director of the UK ECC, which is jointly funded by the Government and the EU, Andy Allen, said: ‘Like any transaction, car hire has risks associated with it, but in the light of these figures showing increases in complaints about car rental, we would urge consumers to be aware of some of the problems they could face.

‘Our general advice to consumers hiring cars abroad is, where possible, to return the car to someone in the office, get them to check the car and sign it off as in good condition. If you have to leave the car, take some photos – showing that it was returned in good condition.’