Car rental giants ‘rip-off’ Britons more than other nationalities

TWO of the world’s biggest car hire firms have sparked outrage amid accusations they charge Britons more than other nationalities.

It comes after a probe by consumer group A Spokesman Said revealed how Europcar and Avis charge motorists “rip-off rates” depending on where they booked the rental from.

And the charges are different even when hiring the same vehicle in the same location for the same amount of time, according to the investigation.

A British driver renting a Holden [Chevrolet] Spark from Europcar for five days in New Zealand would be charged £124, while a holidaymaker travelling from Afghanistan, India or Australia would pay the equivalent of £95.

German motorists would be charged £1 more than Britons, while Americans would pay £119.

And Avis charged drivers from Afghanistan, Germany and India £98 for booking a Toyota Yaris for five days in New Zealand, while British customers were expected to shell out a whopping £150.

Similar differences were found for visitors to the UK, with those from Germany, Italy, France and Spain charged less than Americans or Australians.

When quizzed, Europcar said the discrepancies were down to “dynamic pricing [which] means that rates are never static.”

Nic McBride from A Spokesman Said, explained: “This is an absolute rip-off, no two ways about it.

“Why should someone’s country determine the price they pay for the exact same product?

“As for “dynamic pricing” – we conducted multiple quotes over various days and the difference between countries was present each time.”