car hire in Italy, groogh

[Blackpuddin]

I need to hire a small car from Pescara Airport this August, but it seems that I require a law degree if I want to avoid being royally screwed. Tried Europcar but their basic price seems magically self inflating by 'extras' like the nearly £50 I have to pay because their airport office closes at 1pm on a Saturday in August (eh?), plus a 21% tax that appears out of nowhere. Holiday Autos seems cheaper but all of the companies I've looked at have a bewildering choice of 'collision damage waiver products' which seem designed to damage my wallet in some way.

Has anybody got any recommendations for Italian car hire? Or at least, does anyone know where I'll get ripped off the least?

[Blackpuddin]

Nobody hired a car in Italy then? Just looked at car hire firm reviews and it seems there are NO trustworthy ones, even the 'big' firms are pulling every scam known to man and charging folks' credit cards for extras way after the end of the hire.

[Magic919]

Best recommendation would be "don't hire one", but I can see that won't help

I stick to Sixt, Hertz, Europcar type outfits. Excesses seemed to have gone up to around a grand last time I did and the CDW was expensive. Taking it without the CDW can be interesting, depending where you drive and/or park it.

Make sure you take the car back full of petrol and hope for the best.

[Muntu]

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Any use^^?

[Blackpuddin]

I just cannot believe what these outfits are getting away with. To hire a satnav for a week typically costs £85 - you can buy a TomTom outright for less than that!

[Blackpuddin]

Muntu said:

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Any use^^?

That was useful, thanks Muntu.

[miln0039]

Erm, when are you going and for how long? Arrival time / dates and return?

I don't really understand why you're wound up if I am honest...but will try to help...

I hired through CarHire3000 (think they changed their name now) and used Locauto locally who have horrible reviews online. However, I made it obvious (by taking many pictures on arrival etc.) that I wasn't one to be messed around - and I wasn't.

If it's cheaper to buy a Sat Nav here...erm, do it. Or buy a map?

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

I don't really understand why you're wound up … horrible reviews online… If it's cheaper to buy a Sat Nav here...erm, do it. Or buy a map?

You answered your own question there. I'm pretty careful too, which is why I've digging around trying to find an outfit that DOESN'T have sh*t reviews and so far have drawn a blank. The satnav thing was meant to be an example of exorbitant charges rather than me saying I was going to take that option anyway. And I hope you'll excuse me if I don't put my exact trip times on this forum.

[miln0039]

Blackpuddin said:

You answered your own question there. I'm pretty careful too, which is why I've digging around trying to find an outfit that DOESN'T have sh*t reviews and so far have drawn a blank. The satnav thing was meant to be an example of exorbitant charges rather than me saying I was going to take that option anyway. And I hope you'll excuse me if I don't put my exact trip times on this forum.

You won't find them. People don't review positive experiences - they just post on the internet to rant (*cough* Porsche threads *cough*).

I try to stick to Avis and the likes, but even I got a charge from them recently for a pretty 50/50 little scratch I miss on pre-inspection. Go in with your eyes open and you'll be fine.

If you're too worried take public transport.

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Blackpuddin said:

You answered your own question there. I'm pretty careful too, which is why I've digging around trying to find an outfit that DOESN'T have sh*t reviews and so far have drawn a blank. The satnav thing was meant to be an example of exorbitant charges rather than me saying I was going to take that option anyway. And I hope you'll excuse me if I don't put my exact trip times on this forum.

You won't find them. People don't review positive experiences - they just post on the internet to rant (*cough* Porsche threads *cough*).

I try to stick to Avis and the likes, but even I got a charge from them recently for a pretty 50/50 little scratch I miss on pre-inspection. Go in with your eyes open and you'll be fine.

If you're too worried take public transport.

I do understand what you're saying about the internet, and thanks for the public transport suggestion but that isn't an option as we're off into the wilds. I'm by no means a natural worrier but you really would have to be laid back to the point of horizontality to ignore the extraordinary number and seriousness of European car hire company complaints, not just by ripped-off punters but also by numerous consumer journalists over the last few years. I'll go in with my eyes open all right but when you're attempting to pick up a car at gone 10pm on Saturday night (it's the only flight out there from the UK, before you tell me to get another one), with a family that's been travelling all day, and from a place that's not even open after 1pm, there's only so much you can see even with your eyes open. Did you know about the 'missing air compressor' scam for example? the one where, when you return the car, they dive straight into the boot, lift up the carpet and announce that you owe them 300 euros for a missing air compressor? That's just one of them, and the penalties for most of these 'transgressions' are huge.

[miln0039]

Blackpuddin said:

I do understand what you're saying about the internet, and thanks for the public transport suggestion but that isn't an option as we're off into the wilds. I'm by no means a natural worrier but you really would have to be laid back to the point of horizontality to ignore the extraordinary number and seriousness of European car hire company complaints, not just by ripped-off punters but also by numerous consumer journalists over the last few years. I'll go in with my eyes open all right but when you're attempting to pick up a car at gone 10pm on Saturday night (it's the only flight out there from the UK, before you tell me to get another one), with a family that's been travelling all day, and from a place that's not even open after 1pm, there's only so much you can see even with your eyes open. Did you know about the 'missing air compressor' scam for example? the one where, when you return the car, they dive straight into the boot, lift up the carpet and announce that you owe them 300 euros for a missing air compressor? That's just one of them, and the penalties for most of these 'transgressions' are huge.

Then all I can say is that I hope you find a solution and are one of the lucky (one's / many) that don't get ripped off. Have a nice holiday

[LuS1fer]

Have you looked here:
http://pescara.airport-car-hire.net/

Must say that in 10 years of car hire, I have always refused the additional insurance "scam" and left a card deposit and never had a deduction. it may help that I'm cheap and book cars they don't much care about and come "pre-scuffed".

[Blackpuddin]

LuS1fer said:

Have you looked here:
http://pescara.airport-car-hire.net/

Must say that in 10 years of car hire, I have always refused the additional insurance "scam" and left a card deposit and never had a deduction. it may help that I'm cheap and book cars they don't much care about and come "pre-scuffed".

Aye I looked on there, thanks, it put me in the direction of Avis as the best value. Then another PHer referred me to a separate thread which suggested booking through Saga, which suddenly put Hertz well in the lead on value. Now I'm engaged in a dialogue with their Customer Service people trying to clarify the added driver charge, which according to the website is included but which when you try to go ahead with it, isn't. Also trying to find out the added charge for picking up the car out of hours, again not mentioned as a fixed sum anywhere, only that 'you pay that at Pescara' with no indication of how much. Same for the added driver, 'you pay there', but they don't say what you pay.
When something is as cloak and dagger as this I'm afraid I tend to assume that's to facilitate me being ripped off. I'm perfectly happy to pay a reasonable sum, I just want to know what that sum is that I'm going to be asked to pay, rather than being given a figure 'A' at this end and then have the holiday get off to a bad start when I find I actually have to pay A + £300 when I get there. Is this such an unreasonable request?

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Then all I can say is that I hope you find a solution and are one of the lucky (one's / many) that don't get ripped off. Have a nice holiday

Thanks, hopefully we will, it's a scouting mission as well as a holiday so it would be nice to have a good experience.

[LeoSayer]

I have used loads of firms and in my experience Sixt are the best for not hiding things and screwing you on extras. I haven't used them in Italy though.

For example, their rental price includes full CDW except tyres, mirrors and er...something else I can't recall.

[Mosman]

In Italy I've only ever used Europcar never had any problems.

However, to qualify that, I've always been travelling on business so will always take the extra "cover everything/no excess" insurance.

Everything else is always pre-paid through our corporate travel company.

[Blackpuddin]

Mosman said:

In Italy I've only ever used Europcar never had any problems.

However, to qualify that, I've always been travelling on business so will always take the extra "cover everything/no excess" insurance.

Everything else is always pre-paid through our corporate travel company.

Now I'm beginning to see why that 'cover everything' option is so incredibly expensive for those of us who aren't on exes , this box costs well over £100 to tick.

[miln0039]

Blackpuddin said:

Now I'm beginning to see why that 'cover everything' option is so incredibly expensive for those of us who aren't on exes , this box costs well over £100 to tick.

Have you thought about trying Atlas Direct who provide a much cheaper car hire insurance policy? UK based broker and decent cover for a few quid a day? Might give you that reassurance you're looking for? Easy to get a quote on google...

[miln0039]

Blackpuddin said:

Now I'm beginning to see why that 'cover everything' option is so incredibly expensive for those of us who aren't on exes , this box costs well over £100 to tick.

Have you thought about trying Atlas Direct who provide a much cheaper car hire insurance policy? UK based broker and decent cover for a few quid a day? Might give you that reassurance you're looking for? Easy to get a quote - they're easy to find in google? Good luck!

[Blackpuddin]

miln0039 said:

Have you thought about trying Atlas Direct who provide a much cheaper car hire insurance policy? UK based broker and decent cover for a few quid a day? Might give you that reassurance you're looking for? Easy to get a quote - they're easy to find in google? Good luck!

Got to be worth a try, thanks for the suggestion.