iCarhireinsurance.com, a leading provider of car hire excess reimbursement insurance, has compiled an essential checklist to help holidaymakers avoid car hire pitfalls in 2026:
Excess Protection
When collecting a hire car, rental companies often offer a range of additional products. The most expensive is usually excess protection, which reduces or removes the excess payable if the vehicle is damaged or stolen. Excesses can be as high as £1,800².
Buying excess protection directly from the rental company can cost over £232² on average for a week’s European car hire. This figure includes super damage waiver and additional tyre and excess waiver protection.
Standalone excess reimbursement insurance is often significantly cheaper. iCarhireinsurance.com offers a week’s car hire excess policy from £33.15³, with annual policies starting from £41.99³.
If a customer chooses not to buy excess protection from the rental company, they will usually need to leave the full excess amount as a pre-authorisation on a credit card. This is still required even if the customer has independent excess insurance, as standalone policies typically reimburse the excess after a claim is settled.
Check the Vehicle Carefully and Record Evidence
To reduce the risk of unfair damage charges, drivers should thoroughly check the vehicle at pick-up and drop-off, taking clear photos and videos of any existing damage and ensuring it is noted on the rental agreement.
A 2025 Opinium survey¹ commissioned by iCarhireinsurance.com found that 39% of hire car drivers have discovered damage that was not highlighted on the check-out sheet. Despite this, only 59% take photos at pick-up and return, and fewer than a third (32%) take a video.
The free ‘iCarhire’ app from iCarhireinsurance.com allows users to take and store detailed, time-stamped photos of the rental vehicle, organised by trip and split into before and after the hire period. This evidence can be used if a dispute or claim arises later.
Challenge Damage Claims Promptly - The Fourteen Day Rule
To contest a damage claim made by a rental company, the hirer should query it within fourteen days with the company. If a satisfactory outcome is not reached, check if the hire company is a member of the British Vehicle Rental Leasing Association (BVRLA) in the UK, whose members are expected to adhere to its mandatory Codes of Conduct.
Alternatively, the European Car Rental Conciliation Service (ECRCS) offers a free service to help with unresolved complaints and member companies are bound by the decision reached by the conciliation service. It will investigate whether one of its members has breached its code of practice, which includes billing, vehicle condition and before and after-inspections.
Member companies of the ECRCS include Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Firefly, Hertz, Maggiore, National Car Rental, Sixt, and Thrifty. Unfortunately, there is no equivalent body in the US.
The UK International Consumer Centre (UKICC) also provides free advice for consumers who encounter problems when buying goods and services from outside of the UK. The UKICC also works with the European Consumer Centres Network(ECC-Net), which has a free service to help resolve disputes.
Pay by Credit Card
Using a credit card to pay for the booking and deposit may offer additional protection. Under Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act, consumers may be able to claim from their card provider if the rental company has breached its contract or misled them, provided the payment was between £100 and £30,000 and evidence is provided that the company did not comply with their legal obligations or misled you.
Ben Wooltorton, from iCarhireinsurance.com, said: “Most car hire experiences run smoothly, but problems can become expensive if you are not prepared. Understanding excess charges, considering independent excess protection, and taking clear photos and videos at pick-up and drop-off can make a real difference. If you do receive a damage charge that you believe is unfair, raise your concerns quickly and make use of the complaint routes available, particularly for European rentals where additional support may exist.”
1 Opinium online survey with 1,000 adults who have hired a car in the UK or abroad took place between 21 – 28 March 2025.
2 iCarhireinsurance.com surveyed the cost of renting a medium compact hire car, e.g., a Ford Focus or VW Golf, in six popular winter destinations - Larnaca (Cyprus), Barcelona, Faro, Tenerife, Nice and Milan - from 15 - 22 November 2025. Six rental companies were surveyed – Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Europcar, Hertz, and Sixt - including the cost of excess waivers, excess fees, extra drivers, sat navs and car seats.
3 £33.15 based on a 30-year-old UK resident buying an 8-day single-trip car hire excess policy from iCarhireinsurance.com for use in Europe. £41.99 annual price is based on a UK resident aged between 30-80 purchasing an excess Europe annual policy excluding in-country (UK) cover.
