Tips to avoid excessive extra charges when renting a car in France

Drivers planning to rent a car this summer should carefully read the contract to avoid abusive practices from hire companies, France’s consumer protection agency is warning. 

Over half (60%) of all hire companies inspected had at least one anomaly and failed to provide a full quote, a recent report from the Direction générale de la concurrence, de la consommation et de la répression des fraudes (national consumer rights and anti-fraud agency, DGCCRF) reveals. 

These anomalies include shorter timeframes to inform the company of an accident, usually 48 hours, significantly shorter than the legal requirement of informing the firm within five days. 

However, the number of companies engaging in such practices may be higher than 60% as the DGCCRF only focused on groups which had already been reported to them. 

This number is also higher than the study conducted last year, when 42% of companies inspected were said to be providing incomplete quotes.

Below, we give tips to help you avoid being taken advantage of when renting a car this summer.

Check your contract is comprehensive and detailed 

All hire car contracts must contain certain key information, including: 

• The general terms and conditions of hire

• The duration of the contract

• Detailed invoicing, i.e. the daily rate of hire

• Any surcharges and the price of any optional extras that have been included

Several companies were found to include ‘unfair’ clauses in their contracts that many people hiring vehicles would miss if they did not carefully read it.

Read more: Can UK paper driving licences be used to hire vehicles in France?

Ensure you are not paying twice for insurance 

This typically applies to people who hire a vehicle online, who should print their rental voucher (bon de location) and bring it with them when they go to collect their vehicle. 

The rental voucher will include details of the purchase, including subscription to insurance to cover you during the hire period. 

Companies may try to get you to sign up for insurance in-person, claiming it was not included when signing up online, therefore getting you to take it out twice and gaining an extra subscription.

Video vehicle upon collection

Companies may rent out cars that are slightly damaged to customers, and then when they are returned claim the most recent driver has damaged them, demanding excess payment. 

If the damage is minor or hard to spot, hire companies may scam several people using this method before fixing the actual damage.

One way to avoid this is to take a thorough video recording of the vehicle – both inside and out – at the moment the vehicle is handed over to you. 

This video will be dated, giving proof of the damage existing before your tenure over the vehicle begins. 

Check invoices for repairs

In the event you are quoted for any damage, ask for a detailed invoice of all the repairs. 

This will minimise the risk of the company overcharging you for work that is not required. 

Have you hired a vehicle in France? What was your experience like? Do you have any advice for anyone planning to do so? Let us know via feedback@connexionfrance.com