Car hire scam

Welcome to car hire world. I hire 6-8 per year at Alicante. This is the risk everyone faces at Alicante. However I like you did have my own insurance annual policy. So none of their nonsense bothers me. If I have a bump or they try to do me over, so what that's what I pay insurance for. 

''This is the risk everyone faces''

Is it? Do you think they do this to their own (Spanish) or just vulnerable foreign tourists?

I am not making a statement here, just asking the opinion of other members.

I assume you claimed that money back on your own insurance. We use www.insurance4carhire.com  which covers any excess that may be charged by the hire company and always decline the extra insurance at the desk. 

All car hire companies should fully insure the cars they hire out and it's only the excess which is chargeable to the customer if there's an accident or damage to the car. This excess is in the small print usually and can be pretty high, a few thousand sometimes, so if the car has a lot of damage, the whole of this excess could be charged to the customer if they are deemed to be at fault.

Sadly there appear to be companies who are fraudulent and take advantage of scrapes and scratches that are not noticed by the customer on pick up and who knows if this same minor damage is not claimed for more than once. 

This happened to me in Menorca many years ago , with a crack in the dashboard which I only noticed while driving away as the keys were handed to me in a rush as the receptionist was locking up the car hire office to go home.

I remember thinking that obviously (and naively ) they must have made a note of this damage....but no I was charged 800€ which I stopped on my credit card but it took three years of letters to head office back and forth plus debt collector letters before finally  the claim was dropped.

SInce then every year I take out the excess insurance at around 40€ a year and never tell the company we have this and just refuse the top up insurance they offer at the desk each time which is non-compulsory.

Yes its such a shame that these car hire company's do what they do it makes you so nervous of driving their cars. Its such a big scam now days you would think the likes of insurance4 car hire would look into this kind of thing as it must be costing them millions .Fortunately I also went with insurance 4 car hire and they said that they would pay the money without any Quibble it was just the principle of the matter I was so angry .I suppose I will just have to learn how to play the game but still its such a shame .      

Never a true word ray....I visit our holiday home 5-6 times a year always hiring, but the last few times have been so stressful with threats of breakdown not covered if we don't pay an extra 50E (all insurances have breakdown included!) and again a scuff found on the front valence (50e) and the last time....someone keyed the door!! (Should have been a minimum 360e excess but I had a local crash repair centre fix it for 150e).  Anyway, we have now bought a 1200e runabout, no oil painting but new suspension, brakes, tyres, exhaust, serviced....a joy to drive, but the best part is....I do t give a shit about someone keying it or watching where I park...excellent!! 😁

Think this may be something i should look into could you tell me what kind of money are you looking at ie insurance per year and do you pay some kind of road tax in Spain .Its all new to me .

Regards Ray   

We looked into this and it's more hassle than its worth. To be there when the ITV (MOT) has to be done is awkward. The car need to be kept out of the sun as the tyes rot and the paint work bubbles if the car is left in the same place too long. The headlights need polishing each year as the sun stains them.

We are only allowed 6 months a year in Spain as Non Residents and to be there at the right times for the things the car needs are difficult because of this. 

Also the battery needs to be on charge or someone needs to run it regularly to keep it going.

I could go on...it's a good idea in principle but not such a good idea when thinking about all these things.

We had friends who found it more trouble when they were back in the UK and gave up the car.

Thanks for your advise I would never of thought of these things.

We have friends who keep a car here stored at Alicanti Airport have had no trouble costs about €300car is cleaned before they meet the driver outside costa coffee they cover the car from the sun if you supply one jump start the car if needed are school teachers so only out during holidays take car of MOT for then extra charge incidentally they have had the car 7yrs and only paid €900 for it said was the best thing they ever done they say it cost about €1000 a year all in to keep a car in spain.