Car hire companies selling unnecessary insurance

A new investigation has found car hire companies selling unnecessary insurance to vulnerable motorists.

The investigation, carried out by consumer champion Which?, caught a number of car hire companies pressuring drivers to take out new insurance policies despite already having insurance in place.

The investigation followed a recent Which? survey that found 89% of UK drivers going abroad fear being exploited when hiring cars, with 17% saying they were put under pressure to take out additional and often unnecessary insurance even though they already had cover.

Which? focused on car hire firms like Goldcar, Dollar, and OK Mobility in popular European destinations in Spain. In some cases customers were given misleading information and warned about excessively high liability costs for even minor damage.

Selling unnecessary insurance

Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said:

“Every year we hear from countless travellers who have felt ripped off and pressured by their interactions with staff at the car rental desk, and our undercover filming has uncovered absolutely shocking practices by Goldcar, Dollar, and OK Mobility staff. Anyone hiring a car this summer should ensure they book with a reputable company or broker and buy their own excess reimbursement policy before they travel.”

In Europe, basic insurance is included in the rental price, although the excess payable can be substantial.