| Most of us, when we go on holiday go away to get | | | | If you run over a manhole cover or serious bump in |
| away from it all, so the first thing we all want to do | | | | the road, (not unusual in Spain) and damage the |
| when we pick up our holiday car hire from your | | | | underside of the car, you may be responsible. |
| airport, is to get in the car and get to our | | | | But I also discovered that an excess payment is also |
| accommodation. That is exactly what I had done for | | | | required for damage, that can't be proved to be |
| the 3 or 4 times I had previously visited Spain. | | | | done by another driver, in this case 200 euros. |
| Then one day after searching on the Internet, I | | | | This hit home, when I picked up my next car from |
| found a car hire broker who was offering their cars | | | | the airport, drove it to my accommodation, then |
| considerable cheaper than the company I normally | | | | ½ hour later I realised there was a substantial |
| used. I was suspicious, so I read through the terms | | | | dint on the wing. I have no idea whether this was |
| and condition and discovered that although they | | | | done prior to picking up the car, or during the |
| were advertising fully inclusive insurance, there was | | | | ½ hour after it was parked outside our |
| some small print that explained that not everything | | | | accommodation. What I did know though, was I had |
| was included. I then went back to my normal holiday | | | | not hit anything and I was now liable for an excess |
| car hire provider and was shocked find that they also | | | | payment. I rang the car hire company, and |
| advertised fully inclusive insurance package, but | | | | fortunately they understood the damage could have |
| offered the same conditions in the small print. I had | | | | happened back at the airport and wavered the fee. |
| spent many holidays in Spain and had previously hired | | | | Of course like me you may have visited Spain many |
| a car not knowing that I personally was responsible | | | | times and never had an incident and decide that it is |
| for certain charges should an incident occur. In short | | | | not worth the extra payments. But by knowing the |
| fully inclusive does not mean everything is insured. | | | | situation at least you can make an informed choice |
| Here are the conditions that are part of some | | | | when you next pick up your holiday car from the |
| Spanish car hire agreements. | | | | airport. |
| Fully inclusive insurance may not include, tyres, | | | | To summarise, make sure you read the small print of |
| wheels, windows and sometimes the underside of | | | | any Spanish holiday car hire agreement. Fully inclusive |
| your car. So- | | | | does not necessarily mean everything is covered for |
| If you catch a kerb and damage a tyre, it is your | | | | all eventualities. There may be an excess payment |
| responsibility to replace | | | | should an incident occur, unless you pay extra. Happy |
| If someone smashed a window to steal the stereo, | | | | Spanish motoring! |
| you may be responsible for the window. | | | | |