Leading Comparator Carrentals.co.uk Reveals How to Avoid Excessive Car Rental Costs

    SURREY, ENGLAND, July 03, 2010 /24-7PressRelease/ -- As car hire prices continue to climb and getting a car on holiday goes on being a potentially costly process, award-winning car hire price comparator Carrentals.co.uk is giving out advice to help people stay aware of how to get the very best value for money by avoiding the extra costs.

The award-winning comparison site recently surveyed 1,500 people about car hire and Carrentals.co.uk reported that over a quarter of respondents has experienced expensive charges, something they put down to a lack of transparency on the part of the car rental provider.

Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, comments: "Our survey showed that drivers do want a higher level of transparency when hiring a vehicle and people admitted they have paid over the odds for excess charges. So our goal is to help people enjoy peace of mind when hiring a car so they can enjoy a trip and without stressing out about costly charges on insurance and fuel for example."

Carrentals.co.uk has put together the following advice to help people avoid costly car hire excess charges:

Credit Card Requirement - Always remember that you will need a credit card with the driver's name on with you. A card carrying the name of a passenger will not be enough to rent a vehicle.

Excess Insurance - Watch out for costly charges on car rental insurance policies, and it is one suggestion to have an excess charge insurance policy from a third party supplier to completely negate the expensive charges. Getting a Collision Damage Excess Waiver insurance policy is a good way to do this, though always carry a copy of that policy. Carrentals.co.uk offers Collision Damage Excess Waiver policies from Questor Insurance for only GBP3.99 a day.

Border Charges - Crossing a border in a rental car can be pricey so always check with your hire provider that they don't make you pay through the nose for this.

One Way Rentals - Anybody wanting a one way hire needs to be aware of charges for this, since it can be up to GBP300 per trip. So contact your rental company about cross-border car hire to see what charges are for a one way rental.

Out of Hours - Lesser known destinations can work unusual hours, especially if the office is not in an airport. This means that there can be high charges for picking up a car if they company has to open up the office outside of normal business hours.

Fuel Policies - There are typically three policies for fuel, the first being returning it with a full tank of fuel, one other being charged just for the fuel you have used and thirdly that you pick up the car with a full tank and taking it back empty. Do though be aware that some hire companies charge up to 40% more than the price at the pump.

Child Seats - You can usually get hold of a child seat but they can often be expensive to rent, up to GBP60 per week for rental. So to lessen costs when renting a car, think about taking a child seat with you from home if your luggage limit allows it.

The Carrentals.co.uk car hire tips are included in the company's 'Raising the Standard' campaign, in which the company calls for more fairness and transparency in the travel sector. For further information on Raising the Standard or to use the forum, read the blog or to get travel advice papers, visit Raising the Standard.

Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.

About Carrentals.co.uk
Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK's leading online car hire companies by 2006.

In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

Media Contact
Debbie Williams and Jenny White
Context
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