Renting a car is surely a convenient way to travel around in another country. However, car rental remains one of the sources of complaints by consumers. In view of this, it is important to look at the most common issues consumers often deal with when renting a car and what they should be made aware of to avoid disappointments both during and after the car rental period.
It must be kept in mind that there is no specific legislation that regulates the industry of car rental. Notwithstanding, consumers are still protected by legal instruments of a more generic character, such as legislation against unfair contract terms in consumer contracts and legislation against unfair commercial practices.
A common complaint when it comes to car rental relates to insurance. Consumers often complain that upon collecting the car they are made to buy an additional expensive insurance cover by the car rental company. Therefore, before renting, make sure you know what is included in the final price and what is not. Often, the quoted amount would only be the basic price and would not include any extras you will be charged for, such out-of-office hours or other location surcharges, child seat or additional driver. Most importantly, make sure you understand properly what type of insurance policy you’re covered with and the excess to be paid in the event of an accident.
When it comes to excess cover, consumers often complain that the car hire representative pressurised them to pay an excess cover to provide for repairs in case of an accident. Therefore, it is important to read the terms and conditions of the rental agreement to verify whether in actual fact you need to buy the excess cover, especially when the car is booked through an agent and not directly with the car rental company.
Furthermore, it may happen that a consumer is already covered by another insurance policy. In such a case, it is important that the consumer knows the details so that these can be shown at the point of picking the vehicle.
Upon renting the car, the car rental company blocks an amount of money on your credit card as a deposit guarantee to cover any damages to the vehicle. It must be kept in mind that it may take some time after returning the vehicle until the amount is released. Therefore it is always recommendable to verify with the car rental company for how long the deposit will be held for.
Other issues consumers must consider when renting a car include age restrictions. Furthermore, if driving in a foreign country, make sure that you familiarise yourself with traffic regulations, especially certain zones that may be restricted to vehicles, particularly in cities. Keep in mind that the car rental company may charge administrative charges for processing traffic contraventions.
Checking the fuel policy of the car rental company may also prevent you from being charged additional expensive charges if, for instance, you do not return the car with a full tank of fuel as required by the car hire operator.
At the point of collecting the car, also make sure that any existing damage on it is recorded on a special diagram or checklist and that this is signed by a company representative. In the case of breakdown or accidents during the rental period, it is always important to call the numbers indicated to you by the rental company and follow the procedures indicated. It may also be necessary to call the police if there are arguments about who is responsible or at fault.
It may be required that you return the car to a designated parking area after the rental company’s office hours. In such instances, the vehicle will not be inspected by a representative of the company and the condition in which it was returned will not be recorded in your presence. Therefore, if you return the car outside office hours, make sure you collect evidence by taking photographs of the car as confirmation that it was returned in the same condition as you collected it. Finally, it is important to verify as soon as possible the credit card statement to check for any unauthorised transactions or unexpected charges.
This information has been provided by the European Consumer Centre Malta. The ECC-Net is a European network consisting of 30 European Consumer Centres, representing all EU Member States and also Iceland and Norway.
The network is co-funded by the European Commission and the EU Member States. In addition to assisting consumers in case of a complaint or dispute, members of the ECC-Net engage in joint projects in order to investigate specific business sectors. ECC Malta is hosted by the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.
Odette Vella is director, Information, Education and Research Directorate, Office for Consumer Affairs, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.