Bizarre car hire request

[PaddyM]

Picked up the hire car at Arrecife Airport and was told to bring the car back with half a tank of petrol , never had this before , always bring back full . Any idea why ?
The car on pick up was just over half full .

 

[PP Bear]

So that they can then fill it full at twice the price and charge it to your credit card. If it were me I’d brim it and take a photo of the dash. If it’s got a computer that displays date and time, I’d have that up in the console as well. Hopefully you took a photo on collection showing mileage and fuel.

 

[EuroTrotters]

very common

 

[EuroTrotters]

The only car hire company I have come to trust is RecordGo and that's only by using their full insured package.

After GoldCar left me with NoCar for 8 days of a 10 day rental of a Brand new Mercedes that broke down. Along with trying to charge me £1200, incl €45 per day for the time it was in the Mercedes garage awaiting a new ECU. Then charging me €90 for topping up with €5 of fuel. Then costing me €160 in Taxis.

Most, but not all of which I managed to claw back.

I took a car over to Spain and matriculated it to Spanish plates.

 

[PaddyM]

So that they can then fill it full at twice the price and charge it to your credit card. If it were me I’d brim it and take a photo of the dash. If it’s got a computer that displays date and time, I’d have that up in the console as well. Hopefully you took a photo on collection showing mileage and fuel.

They have actually written on the agreement bring back half full . It will be difficult to measure at the pump to get the tank accurately half full .

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[David and Sally]

Same as us in Lanzarote. No problems with the companies trying to scam us for more fuel.

 

[VXman]

PaddyM I have had many companies say bring it back as you found it (half full, full, quarter full). Maybe they were saying bring it back half full because that's where is was. I don't think they will be measuring the guage, just getting somewhere near.

PP Bear I doubt very much there would be any charge if you didn't bring it back full.

 

[EuroTrotters]

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[seasideBill]

I’ve always found car hire in Lanzarote relatively cheap and hassle free. If you hire from a reputable local company like Autoreisen I don’t think you’ll get ripped off if you accept their fuel policy. I’ve never had a problem, ditto Cicar.

“At AUTOREISEN we do not sell petrol, nor do we fill the tank with fuel before the car is collected. However, the customer must return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel as was in the tank when the vehicle was collected; if there is less, the customer must pay the difference. In the event that the vehicle is returned with more fuel in the tank than when the customer received it, no payment in terms of the excess or difference will be made to the customer.”

 

[seasideBill]

The only car hire company I have come to trust is RecordGo and that's only by using their full insured package.

After GoldCar left me with NoCar for 8 days of a 10 day rental of a Brand new Mercedes that broke down.

Gold are the pits and have been so for years. Seems they have deals with the likes of Easyjet when hapless punters book car hire with their flight ticket.

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[PaddyM]

We are with AutoReisen , thanks for all your inputs , just never had this before . Cheers .

 

[Imala615]

I hire 3/4 times a year (Portugal ,Alicante and Lanzarote) and for the last few years i have always used https://www.zestcarrental.com/ (with their top up insurance) a Norfolk based company and i have never had a problem with them . Before Zest i did once use Goldcar and got ripped off (read the reviews they are a bunch of crooks) . As said most will be full to full and i have used Hertz (through Zest) in Lanzarote which was full to full but Topcar again in Lanzarote have a policy of bring back same as you take out .

 

[chaser]

I hire 3/4 times a year (Portugal ,Alicante and Lanzarote) and for the last few years i have always used https://www.zestcarrental.com/ (with their top up insurance) a Norfolk based company and i have never had a problem with them . Before Zest i did once use Goldcar and got ripped off (read the reviews they are a bunch of crooks) . As said most will be full to full and i have used Hertz (through Zest) in Lanzarote which was full to full but Topcar again in Lanzarote have a policy of bring back same as you take out .

Always used zest in faro. Always found them excellent never had any of the problems you read about with carhire.

 

[StillGoing]

I always use Autos Plus Car in Lanzarote. I’ll be using them again on Friday. They always say bring it back with roughly the same amount of fuel as it had when you collected it. I don’t ever remember them checking the fuel on collection or return. They also don’t bother checking the car for damage on return (zero excess). They are quite relaxed about it.

I always book using mike@cliffejones.com
He lives in Lanzarote and has a travel business. I have no connection to him. We’ve used him for years and always found him excellent (and one of the cheapest).

 

[zac]

am i reading this correctly, just did a quote to see what it would cost us to rent a car from the 11 Dec through to the 29 Dec 2023 with zestcentral and its come out at only £220 with their top insurance package and cancellation right protection. This doesn't seem right as that's only approx. £12 a day which if it is correct i am thinking of not taking my car and trailer this year with us. This is from and to Murcia airport
Are there any hidden costs with this that I am not seeing?
Jut called them and apparently the price can go up but they won't know till i book, also just looked at the boat fare and it's only costing £50 extra on the boat to take the trailer so although it would be easier to leave it behind it's not that much of a saving and would cost me approx £150 to rent the car with the saving on the boat taken off. Not sure its going to cost me that much in extra fuel to get there and back with a trailer (maybe). Will give it some thought thought before i decide.

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[Imala615]

Always used zest in faro. Always found them excellent never had any of the problems you read about with carhire.

I always go for Master Kings in Faro, great service and free delivery /collection to hotel ( as far as Albufeira ) if you just want a few days and don't need to pick up at the airport . Have noticed some destinations are putting an old driver charge on which i have not noticed before. Portugal is not one .

 

[Imala615]

am i reading this correctly, just did a quote to see what it would cost us to rent a car from the 11 Dec through to the 29 Dec 2023 with zestcentral and its come out at only £220 with their top insurance package and cancellation right protection. This doesn't seem right as that's only approx. £12 a day which if it is correct i am thinking of not taking my car and trailer this year with us which would save us more than that just on the boat fare. This is from and to Murcia airport
Are there any hidden costs with this that I am not seeing?

Wouldn't think so , not used Murcia but Alicante as we stay in Torrevieja and have always used Click Rent as they use the same insurance as Zest so never seem to check the car over properly . Alicante's older driver charge would hit me so would be looking for an alternative.