Hire car, higher charge

One Working Lunch viewer found herself not only driving on the wrong side of the road but ending up on the wrong side of the hire car firm.

Not covered

Denise Marshall hired a car via Budget at Toulon in France in July.

While she was there, the windscreen of her car was chipped by a stone in the road. She pointed this out when she returned the car and didn't expect there to be a problem.

But Budget said that the windscreen was not covered under the terms of the insurance she has signed up for - despite her taking out a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW).

Waiver

Denise had to pay £350 for the repair which she thought was over the odds. This was the excess charge.

But in fact Collision Damage Waiver generally excludes damage to the windscreen as well as the underside of the car, the overhead part and the tyres.

This is because cars are often damaged if they are taken 'off road' and these are the most common parts to be damaged.

You can take out Super Collision Damage Waiver - but this only means that you pay a lower excess charge.

Small print

Kim Winter from Holiday Which? says that you should always read the small print in your hire car agreement - and don't imagine that CDW provides you with fully comprehensive cover.

"The company has a duty to make clear to the customer what they are signing up for," says Kim.

"But these days with company websites if you pre-book car hire the terms and conditions are usually up there so it is easier to for you to plough through them rather than being pressured with a queue building up behind you."

Damage limitation

So what pitfalls should you look out for when hiring a car?

You should always:

• Check the car over with the company - be present both when the car is delivered and when you give it back, otherwise you could be blamed for any damage.
• Also be careful with fuel - it's always best to ask for a full tank of fuel and to replace it at the end of the hire term, otherwise you could be charged for fuel you don't use.
• And remember to tear up any blank credit card slips left as a deposit.