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Holidaymakers vent frustration at car hire process
Travellers are stressed, frustrated and feel out of control when picking up a hire car according to a survey of 2000 British customers.
Over half (58%) said that collecting a hire car is unnecessarily complicated and stressful.
The survey, which was commissioned by iCarhireinsurance.com, a provider of standalone car hire excess insurance, found that only 16% felt in control at the rental desk.
Others reported experiencing emotions from impatience (23%), to frustration (22%) and stress (25%).
Over a quarter (28%) said they had to wait more than half an hour at the rental desk; 43% said they endured hard-sell from sales agents and 52% were shocked at the price of the extras sold at the rental desk.
Also, 17% of customers had unexpected charges added when they picked up the hire car, even though they thought they had paid for everything in advance.
Even more worryingly, 10% arrived to collect a pre-booked and paid-for car, only to be told that none were available.
Nearly half (49%) say they felt concerned after signing an agreement as they did not understand all the terms and conditions and 72% think you need to be an expert in contracts to understand each clause
More than a third admitted to not reading all the terms and conditions.
Ernesto Suarez, founder and CEO of iCarhireinsurance.com, said, "Hiring a car on holiday is the perfect way to explore, but it’s a shame that it’s being tainted with the poor experience many seem to suffer at the rental desk.
"Whilst nothing can be done about the length of the queue, what can speed things up is bringing your extras with you, such as a sat nav, a child’s car seat, and a standalone car hire excess insurance policy, and not only will this save time, but these three items alone could save you a small fortune on your holiday money."
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
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