Holidaymakers who rent cars abroad are being faced with hidden charges for breakdown cover. It is unusual for a car rental company in Britain to not include roadside assistance and recovery in the basic cost of the hire, but consumer magazine Which? found that some companies abroad are asking customers to pay extra for the service.
Which? found that car hire brokers in Britain could not guarantee that breakdown cover would be included with their rentals abroad. The problem is compounded because holidaymakers may not know which supplier they will be using until they pick up the car, so will not know if they have cover until they are abroad.
In some cases, where roadside assistance was included, recovery was not; customers would have to pay extra if the car needed towing unless they bought additional insurance.
Vehicle breakdown cover
Breakdown cover in Britain is available from less than £30 per year. Get an instant quote
Why choose the ETA?
- Cover your car for any driver OR you driving any car
- Over 5,000 qualified mechanics nationwide available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year
- 85% of vehicles fixed at the roadside
- An average call-out time of only 40 minutes with £10 cashback if a mechanic is unable to reach you within the hour
- Profits fund green charity work
Single-trip European breakdown cover; from less than £2 per day
This type of single-trip breakdown cover may suit those who travel abroad only occasionally and motorists who make do with a basic level of breakdown service at home, but prefer the peace of mind offered by a more comprehensive level of cover when abroad. For example, a single-trip breakdown policy from the ETA can cover between one and 31 days and costs from less than £2 per day. Please note: This service does not cover hire cars.
The cost of the cover for a single day is £10.50 with a sliding scale of prices up to £55 for 31 days.
Please call 0800 212 810 for a quote and further details
| European single trip breakdown | . |
|---|---|
| On your way to the coast… | The cover includes up to one hour’s free labour at the roadside Recovery to one single destination in Britain, or
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| Once in Europe… | (Includes the benefits listed above with the following extensions to the cover)
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Terry Colver
Have just rented in the US and Canada, in both cases we had to pay almost $5 per day for breakdown cover, a rip off I feel. They also tried to sell personal insurance cover as well as part of the package, this would have been another $5 or $6 per day and we were already covered by our travel insurance!
Norfolk Anway
That’s my concern Terry. It cost us a small fortune in 2006 whilst renting in Canada. However, we got our money’s worth as we obtained a replacement vehicle the next morning. Am now looking to avoid the ‘small fortune’ when we rent in USA in October 2013, but am finding it difficult.