Holidays as a family can be a costly affair…..but there is one part of the cost that I always tend to dread – Car Hire. Quite simply, because when I think about Holiday Car Hire I basically equate it with getting tipped off. But is there a way not to get ripped off on holiday car hire? Here, I break out some things we should all be looking out for which will help us not to get fleeced.

Look out for astronomic excess costs

So the cost of the car rental may seem fine but uh oh – what is that they’re trying to hide in there….an incredibly high excess charge? Be wary of the amount you have to pay to cover the cost on an accident because if heaven forbid something does go wrong, this can leave your wallet getting seriously spanked.

Full or empty tank

Yes, it might be handy to have a full tank when setting off but did you know that this tends to be at your expense with many companies charging over inflated prices for for a full tank? Plus you may not even use the full tank which essentially means you will be paying for petrol you don’t use.

Fancy an upgrade?

Oh so sorry…..we don’t have any cars left in that price bracket. Yeah right! Forcing you into an upgrade is a classic way of making you spend more money on your hire car than you actually want or need to.  Thanks, but no thanks.

Step aside for the extras

Sat navs, child car seats, and goodness knows what else. You need to know that any extras will come at a cost. When it comes to additional items, the consensus is bring your own to avoid getting ripped.

Face to face or online

These days with so many price comparison sites on car hire and cheap temporary car insurance you would be crazy to go to a physical outlet who just love to rip you off when there is so much money to be saved online. Virtual is the way forward.

Charges when you get home

To make sure you don’t get charged for goodness knows what after your holiday, be sure to get your car fully inspected and signed off on return to avoid any suspect damage claims.

Read the small print

Yes, small print can be an absolute bore but this is quite often where the car hire people will get you. Be sure to comb through the small print for any exclusions or hidden charges or expect to kick yourself afterwards.

Have you ever been ripped off on holiday car hire? What tips would you add to those above? Do leave a comment and share.

*This is a collaborative post 

The post How not to get ripped off on holiday car hire! appeared first on Motherhood: The Real Deal.