British holidaymaker in Spain forced to pay £144 to insure a rental car despite already having insurance
A British holidaymaker was left furious after being forced to spend £144 on car insurance for a rental car in Spain – even after explaining he was already covered.
John White, 62, rented a green Citroën Grand Picasso to go on holiday to Alicante with his wife for a week.
The couple had already bought Axa’s ‘Platinum Excess Waiver’ insurance for €34 (£29), via price comparison website ‘DoYouSpain’.
They then used the same site to rent the car from a separate company called OK Mobility.
The couple needed the car to make the hour-long drive from Alicante airport to their friends’ apartment in Lo Pagan where they were staying.
British holiday maker John White was left furious after being forced to spend £144 on car insurance for a hire car in Spain – even after explaining he was already covered
But when they went to collect the car at the airport, Mr. White claimed that the staff refused to hand him the keys unless he had taken out another insurance policy with them – which cost five times as much.
He told MailOnline: ‘It was our first break in ages so we were really looking forward to it.
‘When we arrived at Alicante airport, we went to OK Mobility car rental to pick up the car.
“We were told that the insurance through “DoYouSpain” didn’t provide enough coverage and to have the car we needed OK Mobility’s insurance, which was €167 (£144) before they would give us the car.”
Mr White, from Swindon, Wiltshire, showed OK Mobility staff proof of his Axa insurance policy, which covered him for the eight-day holiday from April 22 to 29.
But his efforts were in vain and he was given two options: take out the extra insurance or lose the rental car altogether.
“When I showed the girl our paperwork, including the insurance, she immediately rejected the insurance document and told us it was no good,” Mr White said.
“It was their insurance or not a car really. Since it was the first time we rented a car in Spain, we paid for it. Although we weren’t happy about it, we felt like we had no choice. Not happy.’
OK Mobility is listed as a ‘bad’ company on Trustpilot. Forty-nine percent of customer scores are one-star reviews
Above: A scathing review of OK Mobility posted on Trustpilot
Mr White added: ‘The lady we dealt with at the airport also said if we didn’t have their insurance and the car got a scratch we would be liable for a minimum of 1,200 euros (£1,032)’.
DoYouSpain emails confirm that Mr. White should have been given the option to leave a deposit with OK Mobility and use his own insurance.
The deposit would have been returned to him as long as he returned the car “undamaged at the end of the rental period,” the company explains.
But Mr White said no such option was presented by OK Mobility.
OK Mobility has one series of scathing reviews on Trustpilotwhere 49 percent of a total of 6,734 customers gave it a score of one out of five.
Commenting on the site, Elly Nunn said: ‘I rather think the staff have a commission to sell extras and charge pre-existing damage.’
Customer Daniel Astete, meanwhile, said using OK Mobility was “the worst experience ever renting a car.”
John White’s frustrating experience took place at Alicante airport (above)
They added: “I returned the car in perfect condition, barely dusty at Munich airport…
‘That same day I took a flight to France and shortly afterwards they charged me €460 for non-existent damage to the front bumper and windshield.
“I have videos and photos of the car when I returned it and it was spotless.
No one should be refused the key to their rental car for refusing to take out additional insurance at the counter – by law all rental cars in Europe are sold with basic insurance included
Rory Boland, editor of Which? trip
“It’s unbelievable, and no one is answering my questions. What a scam!!! Look after!!! Choose another rental!!!’
Which? said customers feeling pressured to buy unnecessary insurance when renting a car is a complaint they receive time and time again.
Rory Boland, editor of Which? Travel said: ‘It is disturbing to hear that a customer felt pressured to buy unnecessary insurance from the rental counter, a tactic about which we hear repeated complaints.
‘No one should be refused the key to their rental car because they refuse to take out additional insurance at the counter – by law all rental cars in Europe are sold with basic insurance.
‘Excess insurance is recommended, but optional – and you are not required to purchase it from the car rental company. In fact, if you use a third party, you almost always have more extensive coverage at a lower cost.
“Whether or not you’ve already bought excess insurance before you travel, don’t be afraid to stand your ground if you’re pressured to buy additional insurance — and remind pushy sales agents that you understand your rights.’
MailOnline approached OK Mobility for a comment, but none came. Click for Which? here.