Which? claims some car hire firms are trying to push customers into buying unnecessary insurance when they go to pick up their vehicles.
The consumer champion carried out an undercover investigation of hire firms Spain after 89% of customers who responded to a survey it conducted complained they ‘felt ‘taken advantage of’ at the rental desks.
They were particularly concerned that one in six customers felt pressured into buying additional insurance, even when they already had adequate cover.
Many of those hiring cars buy Excess Reimbursement Polices from third parties to cover the excess on the car rental companies’ standard insurance, but some customers said they felt bounced into buying additional and generally more expensive Super Collision Damage Waiver Cover from the hire firms as well.
Investigators visited Alicante and Malaga airports and filmed their interactions with the Goldcar, Dollar and OK Mobility, the three companies Which? was most concerned about based on reviews and complaints.
Which? says it caught a range of pressure tactics on camera.
OK Mobility told a Which? investigator, who was posing as a customer at Alicante Airport, that their hire didn’t include basic insurance because they had booked through a third party, Rentalcars, which wasn’t true. The ‘customer’ was also warned that any damage, even a scratch would cost €760 to fix, and when they showed their ERI policy they were told the insurance had to be with the car hire firm and that ‘only the other car is covered’, neither of which was true.
An OK Mobility spokesperson said: “OK Mobility employees always provide information about the coverage or extras that the company offers that may be of interest to the user. In this sense, OK Mobility employees offer customers the possibility of hiring coverage that allows them to limit their liability in case of damage to the vehicle and clearly explain both the price of the coverage and what exactly it consists of so that customers can freely decide whether or not it is worthwhile for them to hire such limitation of liability. It is an optional product that the customer can decide whether or not to purchase.”
Goldcar – which has come bottom in Which?’s annual car hire survey for the last six years – told the investigator in Malaga they had no cover, ‘no protection, nothing…in case of damages, you pay everything’. This was untrue as the hire included basic insurance.
A spokesperson for Goldcar said: “Goldcar Spain is, of course, disappointed that the alleged experiences have been identified by Which? Travel.
“With regard to insurance cover, the company offers premium cover to provide a seamless process should damage occur during a customer’s rental. A customer, of course, has the right to choose to buy their cover separately, however, if this is the case they will be charged for any damages that occur during the rental and will then need to claim the costs back from the chosen provider.”
Goldcar was previously caught on camera by Which? pressure selling in 2019.
When Which? rented with Dollar – another low scorer in its car hire survey – its experience at Alicante Airport was smooth, but its undercover investigator was told at Malaga Airport act their ERI policy wasn’t valid and that ‘the thing you bought on the internet is for nothing’.
They were also told they’d be liable for up to €2,400 if anything happened to the car, and that any scratch bigger than one centimetre would cost between €300-€400 to fix.
A spokesperson for Dollar said: “Although we have not been able to view the footage, the actions described do not align with our corporate values or policies. Providing outstanding customer service is a top priority for Dollar and we regularly take steps to ensure all staff adhere to our standards.”
The post Which? accuses car hire firms of pressuring customers to buy insurance appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
The consumer champion carried out an undercover investigation of hire firms Spain after 89% of customers who responded to a survey it conducted complained they ‘felt ‘taken advantage of’ at the rental desks.
They were particularly concerned that one in six customers felt pressured into buying additional insurance, even when they already had adequate cover.
Many of those hiring cars buy Excess Reimbursement Polices from third parties to cover the excess on the car rental companies’ standard insurance, but some customers said they felt bounced into buying additional and generally more expensive Super Collision Damage Waiver Cover from the hire firms as well.
Investigators visited Alicante and Malaga airports and filmed their interactions with the Goldcar, Dollar and OK Mobility, the three companies Which? was most concerned about based on reviews and complaints.
Which? says it caught a range of pressure tactics on camera.
OK Mobility told a Which? investigator, who was posing as a customer at Alicante Airport, that their hire didn’t include basic insurance because they had booked through a third party, Rentalcars, which wasn’t true. The ‘customer’ was also warned that any damage, even a scratch would cost €760 to fix, and when they showed their ERI policy they were told the insurance had to be with the car hire firm and that ‘only the other car is covered’, neither of which was true.
An OK Mobility spokesperson said: “OK Mobility employees always provide information about the coverage or extras that the company offers that may be of interest to the user. In this sense, OK Mobility employees offer customers the possibility of hiring coverage that allows them to limit their liability in case of damage to the vehicle and clearly explain both the price of the coverage and what exactly it consists of so that customers can freely decide whether or not it is worthwhile for them to hire such limitation of liability. It is an optional product that the customer can decide whether or not to purchase.”
Goldcar – which has come bottom in Which?’s annual car hire survey for the last six years – told the investigator in Malaga they had no cover, ‘no protection, nothing…in case of damages, you pay everything’. This was untrue as the hire included basic insurance.
A spokesperson for Goldcar said: “Goldcar Spain is, of course, disappointed that the alleged experiences have been identified by Which? Travel.
“With regard to insurance cover, the company offers premium cover to provide a seamless process should damage occur during a customer’s rental. A customer, of course, has the right to choose to buy their cover separately, however, if this is the case they will be charged for any damages that occur during the rental and will then need to claim the costs back from the chosen provider.”
Goldcar was previously caught on camera by Which? pressure selling in 2019.
When Which? rented with Dollar – another low scorer in its car hire survey – its experience at Alicante Airport was smooth, but its undercover investigator was told at Malaga Airport act their ERI policy wasn’t valid and that ‘the thing you bought on the internet is for nothing’.
They were also told they’d be liable for up to €2,400 if anything happened to the car, and that any scratch bigger than one centimetre would cost between €300-€400 to fix.
A spokesperson for Dollar said: “Although we have not been able to view the footage, the actions described do not align with our corporate values or policies. Providing outstanding customer service is a top priority for Dollar and we regularly take steps to ensure all staff adhere to our standards.”
The post Which? accuses car hire firms of pressuring customers to buy insurance appeared first on Travel Gossip.
Continue reading...
