Topics
on car hire rental:
How Irish car hire companies are not improving Irish Tourism...
By
Philip Suter
After renting cars in different countries over the years, it appears that the
Irish car hire companies are always trying to find ways of gaining additional
revenue for their customers and this cannot be helpful to the tourist market.
For the past thirty years my family and I have been visiting Ireland
and hiring cars. We would fly to Dublin
and visit relatives.
Comparing
the experience to renting in other countries I have always felt that when I booked
the rental there would be a lot of additional charges suddenly materializing.
Since the Internet became the common way to make a booking this situation has
not changed.
Many car hire companies based near Dublin Airport make an
additional charge of around €28 so you can collect your car from Dublin
Airport where most renters will arrive, I have also come across companies who
have depots and offices in other parts of Dublin City who also add on this airport
collection fee even though you are nowhere near the airport!
Another
charge that can be added on is a charge from taking the
car from the Republic to Northern Ireland and visa versa. This can cost
in the region of €25 and they claim this for extending the AA breakdown coverage.
The AA operates all over Ireland it seems very strange
that additional charges should apply.
Car
rental companies naturally like to sell car hire excess insurance. When you hire
a car the car rental company will normally find that the car rental agreement
normally includes cover for Collision
Damage Waiver (CDW) and Theft. However you are still liable for the
Excess on the Collision Damage Waiver.
When
the customer collects the car from the car rental dealer, they will normally be
charged on a Daily basis. The customer has the right to accept or decline the
car rental companies Excess. If they do decline, they will be responsible for
the excess charges if they have any damage to the vehicle. This can be a considerable
amount of money.
Car
hire companies like to sell this additional insurance and the daily rate can be
as high as £10.50 per day. Put that onto a 14 day rental and you will be paying
an additional £147 you had not budgeted for. The answer of course is to buy the
insurance separately from an insurance company like those advertising on the www.insurance4carrental.com
website.
I buy an annual car hire excess policy which is very
economical, however I have heard from several sources when renters have told the
desk staff of the car hire company in Dublin that they have their own they have
been told that it is not valid on their cars or their policy is superior so putting
doubt into the renters mind and making them buy additional insurance which is
not necessary. I have come across some car hire companies in Ireland who immediately
deduct an amount of €500 if you have your own insurance in case there is a claim
and they don't have to wait for the insurance company to reimburse the customer.
Fuel
is another area where you can incur higher charges. Some car hire companies
encourage you to return the car empty and I have even seen stickers on the speedo
suggesting that you do that. This means that you are normally paying a refueling
charge for the petrol. In many cases they decide at the time of collection how
much they are going to charge your credit card with and immediately you have to
pay.
If
you don't use all the fuel you might not get a refund. Fortunately a lot of Irish
car rental companies just "swipe" the credit card details into the system rather
like when you go for treatment at a private hospital in the UK and only if there
is a releavant charge do they deduct the amount at the end of the hire. As the
card has the amount dedcuted immediately (as some company's will do if you don't
take their insurance) then you can be out of pocket with currency exchange from
the Euro to the £ Sterling or Dollar.
(click
on image to enlarge)
On
the outskirts of Dublin is the M50
motorway that connects the north and south of the city going around
the perimeter with connections for motorways and road going north, north west,
west and south west and south east. When it was built they put a toll on the West
Link bridge over River Liffey. There were numerous tail backs to the Toll Plazas
so in August 2008 a new system was introduced.
It works by number
plate recognition and you have to pay by pre-paid method, on line or at various
pay points around the country usually in convenience stores or petrol stations.
When
you rent a car you do not have to sort out the payments yourself as the car hire
companies have an arrangement with eFlow the company that runs the toll. You are
then charged back via your credit card when the company receives the eFlow
statement. Cars should be charged between €2 and €2.50 per
crossing.
My
wife rented a car in Dublin in August 2010. She was visiting her family and live
some 10km from the airport. The car was a 2008 rather badly scratched car that
also had a gear box problem. She was immediately charged €69 for a full tank of
fuel and as she had only used about €15 worth filled it up and returned it. The
full €69 amount was credited back to our credit card, however there was another
charge much later in the month from the car hire company - €4.93.
I
wrote to the company and heard nothing, so a couple of week later I emailed them.
I immediately got a reply "Good Afternoon, The recent
charges of €4.93 as the fee for the M50 toll."
I
replied "Thanks for your reply. You might have to check
this out with your colleagues in Dublin, if you are responding from another part
of the country, but can you tell me if the M50 toll is now located between Drumcondra,
Malahide and Portmarnock? I was in Dublin for a few days last week and I don't
think it had moved.
Now
I would be obliged if you can give me a copy of the exact time that car passed
through the Eflow toll or should I have to find this out myself? I would appreciate
a reply within the next 24 hours."
The
car hire company replied "Good Evening, -Thank you for
your reply. If you travelled to Drumcondra, this is located at the end of the
M50 meaning you passed the toll bridge. To get exact times of use you will need
to contact the toll operators eflow for this information".
I
replied "Thanks for your reply. This is getting somewhat
stupid. The car is picked up from Dublin Airport. It is driven down the M1 for
a couple of kms till it joins the N1. You are in Drumcondra, the other places
my wife told me she went to were out to Malahide, Howth and Portmarnock. I personally
know the area very well having visited my in-laws in Dublin for over 35 years.
I
need to now on what day and at what time that vehicle passed over the M50 toll.
I am considering copying this together with my initial letter to the Irish Tourist
Board. Problems that tourists and visitors have from Irish based car rental companies
cannot be good PR for tourism. This is so important.
Please
therefore now provide proof that vehicle at the time is was booked out to her
actually passed through the M50 toll."
The company replied again "Thank you for your email .Can
you please advise me of the main drivers name and the date of pick up and drop
of. The reason I require this information is the booking number you have supplied
is not link on our system. Looking forward to hearing from you" .
I
replied giving them the information and then received an email and letter electronically
saying "We are sorry to learn of your concern regarding
the charge applied to your credit card. I have reviewed the charge of €4.93 made
on your card after the rental was closed. This charge is a toll fee for the use
of the M50 in Dublin.
However,
on investigation into the toll it would appear that the toll has been charged
on the wrong rental, the vehicle went back out on rent later in the day on the
21st August and it was that customer who incurred the toll. I do sincerely apologise
for the error and I have refunded the €4.93 back to your card and it should be
reflected within the next 5 working days".
Some
people would have accepted that, however knowing how these companies are trying
to obtain additional fees even if it is €4.93, I
had in fact contacted eFlow the toll company.
"My
wife rented a car from XXX 08DXXXX Monday 16th August & Saturday 21st August.
XXXX claims it went over the M50 toll, Very strange as she only drove it from
Airport to Drumcondra area M1 then N1 & to Malahide, Howth & Portmarnock. Please
advise if that car passed over the toll in that time and when, because I believe
they are oulling a "fast one". Regards".
They
emailed me saying "Thank you for your web message, received
by eFlow Customer Services on October 5th 2010. I apologise for the delay in responding
to your query. We endeavour to respond to all our customers' queries sent by web
message within 24 working hours (Monday - Friday). I wish to confirm that vehicle
registration number 08DXXXXX did not travel on the M50 toll road during your rental
period, August 16th 2010 to August 21st 2010."
Finally
I copied the car rental company in with the eFlow
email and my final comment "Thank you for your reply
and letter. I have actually just received this email in from eflow. Very interesting
your comment stating "the vehicle went back out on rent
later in the day on the 21st August and it was that customer who incurred the
toll." Below is the email from eflow and as
you will see I did not mention the time it was rented from or to."
I
did not receive a further reply, just the credit to the credit card, however incidents
like this are not good for Irish
Tourism when the country needs as many tourists as possible now and
if people are feeling that they being ripped off by providers of travel services
in Ireland they will tell their friends and won't go back there again.
Companies like
Ryan Air and Aer
Lingus are strongly promoting
Ireland to foreign visitors; however once they land at Dublin
Airport some of the car hire companies procedures could ruin the visit.
I do hope the situation improves as Ireland needs a good strong tourist industry.
(October
2010 ©jmlpropertyservices - Philip Suter)
N.B.
This information should not be relied on for accuracy and is presented here without
the responsibility of jml Property Service and the website it is being displayed
at. jml property Services 10-10
Car hire insurance for Irish residents
Travel & self catering holiday rentals
See
also:
Watchdog:
Mis-selling car hire cover at Knock Airport, Ireland - February 2012
and more on this
at the Car hire excess insurance blogspot Looks
like Irish car rental companies are still mis-selling car hire excess insurance
Following on from
the iCahireinsurance
article "Dubious Dublin airport car rental staff - November 2011" we
have added a summary and extracts and comments on the "Car Hire Excess Blog"
and invited readers to comment and add their experiences of problems renting a
car in Ireland - Visit the blog article
"Focus on Dublin Car Hire Rental Staff - November
2011" Here
Car
hire company in Ireland charges for unwanted excess insurance - July 2011
Flying
to Ireland and hiring a car can prove cheaper than taking your own car - March
2011
Irish
car hire companies are taking visitors for a ride - November 2010
Irish
Tourism in 2011 - January 2011
Irish
car rental consumer's problem hiring a car in France - December 2009
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