What's included
We own the cars we hire out, so servicing, MOT and keeping the car roadworthy are ours to deal with. Fuel and looking after it day to day are yours. The car is insured for you to drive as part of the hire, and we give you those terms in writing with the quote rather than at the counter.
Who looks after what
Ours
- Servicing and MOT
The car is ours, so keeping it serviced and in MOT is our job, not something we hand to you for the length of the hire.
- Keeping it roadworthy
If something goes wrong with the car itself, that is ours to put right. You are hiring a working car, not taking on a project.
- Road tax
Ours, as the registered keeper.
Yours
- Fuel
You take it as you find it and bring it back the same way. We will tell you what is in it when you collect.
- Day-to-day care
Oil and tyre pressures on a long hire, and bringing it back in the condition it went out in.
- Parking and traffic charges
Anything you pick up while you have the car is yours, including the charge for us passing your details on.
The reason the split falls this way is simply that the car belongs to us. We are not passing you a vehicle and the running of it for the term; we are supplying a car that works, and keeping it working is part of what you are paying for.
How the insurance works
On a self-drive hire the car is insured by the hire company for you to drive. You are not arranging your own cover on a car you do not own, and your own policy is not what is being used.
What differs from one hire company to the next is the detail: the excess if something happens, whether anyone else can be named to drive, and any condition about age or how long you have held your licence. Those are the things worth comparing, and the things people most often find out too late.
We put ours in writing with your quote. If you are comparing us against someone else, ask them for the same and compare the excess rather than the headline price.
Common questions
- Does car hire include insurance?
- Yes — that is what self-drive hire means. The car is insured for you to drive as part of the hire, rather than you arranging cover on a car you do not own. What varies between hire companies is the excess, who else is allowed to drive and any age conditions, so ask for those in writing before you book. We give you ours with the quote.
- What happens if the car breaks down?
- Ring us. The car is ours and keeping it roadworthy is our responsibility, so a mechanical fault is our problem to sort out, not something you are left holding.
- Who pays for fuel?
- You do. You take the car as you find it and bring it back the same way.
- What if I damage the car?
- Tell us as soon as you can. What you pay towards it depends on the excess on the policy, which we set out in writing before you book so there is no surprise afterwards.
What you need in order to hire is on what you need, and what is payable is on pricing.