A Villa in Corfu, A Holiday and Property Guide.

When I went to Florida some years ago I was totally confused with regard to the final price you pay for car rental. In my case it was so confusing that direct comparison between different Car Rental Companies was impossible. I am not sure of the position today, except to say, here in Corfu, we seem to have now inherited a similar confusing situation. This is due to the competition between Companies each wishing to quote the lowest price by excluding items from the total price & then inserting them in as extras. Working to a budget is thus difficult to achieve.

Many clients book with the Company that quotes the cheapest quote for a particular car make & model. In reality, the only comparison that can be made is when you get the final bill when returning the car. The cheapest can turn out to be the most expensive after the extras are added in. Do not get me wrong, these “extra’s” are not totally hidden, only put at the bottom of the page or on another web page under say ” Rental Terms ” in the small print where in reality I & probably others never bother to read the small text or do a search, trusting it to be fair from an established Company.

This exercise was prompted by me having a chat with the Local Rental Company Boss. He could not understand how some major Rental Companies quoted to customer’s prices +/- £100 per week less than he did. He showed me that the figures simply did not, and would not, add up & that this difference could only be explained by extras. These lower quotes were attracting many naive customers.

I therefore went onto the Internet and extracted some of the typical extras/conditions/restrictions and have listed them below with the approximate financial implication. Obviously, the inclusion or the financial cost may differ between Companies and there may well be more not listed. The customer also has a choice to include or exclude some of these extra costs but some are basically mandatory and not included in the “TOTAL PRICE/QUOTE”. e.g. they know if you pick up & return the vehicle at the airport but exclude the 6% tax. The TOTAL PRICE given can therefore NOT be the “TOTAL PRICE” as I understand the words to mean. Remember, most take your Credit Card and produced the blank debit slip. They have the option do use this to charge you, even if you disagree.

This article is given as a guide only, and there is no guarantee to accuracy of any or all of the conditions applying to the Rental Companies or whether they include or exclude some of the above/below. It is the responsibility of those renting to find out for themselves what conditions apply & the cost. A person told me a few days ago that he was quoted EURO 25 per day and rented the car for a week. The final bill worked out to be a massive EURO 75 per day. An unexpected extra EURO 350.

BE FOREWARNED !!!!! Some of the conditions that can be applied:

AGE:
Minimum age can vary depending on the Company, car type & even if you pay by cash or credit card. This applies usually up to the age of 25.

ACROSS BORDER RENTALS:
Only with the prior written agreement of the company.

ADDITIONAL DRIVER CHARGE:
EURO 5 per day/driver

AIRPORT CHARGE:
The charge is applicable to all airports, but in Corfu it is 6% & is calculated on the total, before taxes and fuel charges.

AVAILABILITY:
The Rental Company may be compelled to supply another vehicle if the one booked is not available in exceptional cases.

BABY SEATS:
Available on request, Aprox EURO 4 per day

COLLECTION / DELIVERY:
Min. EURO 14 or Aprox EURO 0.3c to 0.5c per /Km
Aprox EURO 23 outside working hours
( Once for collection and once for delivery )
For 30Km’s out of hours return it is about EURO 70

COLLISION DAMAGE WAIVER :
The renters liability for damage can be between EURO 500 & EURO 1000. The waiver may not be a complete waiver and you may still have an excess to pay, so check. Aprox EURO 19 – EURO 38 per day

DEPOSIT:
Deposits are required at about EURO 120 per day for non-card holders. If you have a card, your card details are taken for any future charge they may wish to make. Some cars cannot be rented for cash.

DRIVER’S LICENSE:
A valid driving license held for at least one year is required.

FERRYING THE CAR:
Only with the prior written agreement of the company.

INCIDENT ADMINISTRATION FEE:
In case of an incident a non refundable fee of about EURO 15 per incident to cover administration expenses can be made.

INSURANCE:
All authorized drivers are covered against fire and liability to third parties for death, injury or damage to property.

LIABILITY INSURANCE SUPPLEMENT:
Covers the renter and the additional authorized drivers versus third parties in case of injury and for property damage up to a given amount EURO 4 per day

LUGGAGE RACK:
EURO 6 daily.

MINIMUM RENTAL:
One day. At the end of rental, some companies give a further period of 30 minutes free of charge after the time of pick up. After the grace period the renter will be charged a further full day.

PERSONAL ACCIDENT INSURANCE:
For a charge of about EURO 6 per day, Personal Accident Insurance can be obtained covering the driver and each passenger for medical expenses, loss of life or permanent disablement. Check amounts.

PETROL:
For rental periods of 3 days and longer, the renter shall pay the cost of a full tank of petrol at the start of rental.
Full tank of fuel, EURO 25 – EURO 70

REFUELLING CHARGE:
EURO 18.00 + V.A.T.

SUPER COVER:
Here the renter is fully covered from any legal liability for damage to the car (except for violation of the Greek traffic Code) theft of the car, and from the incident administration fee. EURO 20 – EURO 40 per day

TAXES:
Applicable rates are subjected to 19% V.A.T.

THEFT PROTECTION:
Theft of vehicle. Theft has happened but is unlikely probably due to being an island.
EURO 6 – EURO 12 per day

TRAFFIC OFFENCES:
Cost of Traffic Tickets & sanctions are borne solely by the renter.

*****
I really like this one, and the Company deserves 100% for thinking it out. On collection you pay for a full tank of fuel, e.g. If tank holds 50 litres you pay for 50 litres. If you return the car either full or empty you pay EURO 17 for a refuelling charge. If, you return the car full the next customer still has to pay for a full tank of fuel anyway. Thus the renting Company gains at the least EURO 17 up to a max of EURO 17 plus the cost of a full tank of fuel. Imagine if there are many three day renters. Heads I win, tails you loose.

NOTE: The above may not be fully accurate for every company but is given as a guide only in order to convey some of the unexpected costs that customers may be charged for. Please check “all” the conditions with the car rental companies before making your booking.

SOME QUESTIONS THAT MAY BE ASKED BEFORE BOOKING TO HELP COMPARE PRICES.

1. Is there a delivery / return charge.
2. Do you collect / return clients to their flights if collection/drop-off is at another place besides the airport. Is there a charge?
3. Is the insurance “fully comprehensive” or do I need to pay extra for it. What is not included in “comprehensive”.
4. Do I pay any excess (the first EURO xxxx – collision damage waiver) if there is an accident.
5. Is passenger personal cover included in insurance or do I need to pay extra.
6. Is fire & theft included?
7. What happens if car is scratched by a key for example?
8. Is the underside of the car and damage to tyres included in the insurance?
9. What are the re-fuelling arrangements?
10. If I choose to pay by cash is a deposit demanded, how much?
11. Is there an additional driver charge.
12. Is there extra to pay for either a baby seat or roof rack.
13. What are the required age and length of time holding a driving license?
14. Are you based at the airport & do you collect us and drop us off if we rent for a week? do we pay the airport 6% tax?

Some of the above may not apply e.g. baby seat.
Make sure you understand if the extras are daily, weekly, one off etc.

corfunet.com does not agree with the above method of charging. We only suggest those rental companies that “final price” means just that. Nearly all the extra’s listed above will be included in the price and are “free of charge”. One advantage is that when taking delivery the contract basically only needs a signature, instead of the time consuming process of sorting out what you wish and do not wish.

Car rental in Corfu needs to be transparent and the playing fields levelled so customers have the option of fairly selecting a rental company to their needs.

When I rent a car in future I will:-
1. ensure I deal directly with the car hire company.
2. go for a company that does not have numerous extras.
3. ask the relevant questions.

Saving Costs.
* Some car rental companies will pick you up from the airport and drop you off again for the price of the fuel only. This will save the taxi /transport costs which can be EURO 100 for your return trip. This service is given if you rent for a minimum of a week.
* If the car rental company is not based at the airport then no 6% airport tax is applicable.

Gavin Mackay