Articles
Spain is the premier leisure car rental destination in Europe with not only the usual mix of worldwide giants offering car hire but also a healthy mix of national and local companies too. It is also the home of the full to empty fuel policy, which offers zero excess CDW and Theft as a offset to the fuel price and non refundable return of fuel you paid for. Renowned companies such as Europa Goldcar experienced unprecedented growth on the back of introducing this policy coupled with very strong rates sold through broker channels during the early years of the 21st century.
The excellent competition in major leisure gateways for car hire Alicante airport or Malaga airport really drove prices down. The companies that offered the full to full policy were able to gain additional revenue from the cost of the tank of fuel which is given at a noticeably higher price that at the pumps. This couple with the bonus of unused fuel being returned at no cost to the supplier allowed them to maintain their pricing. This is not to say that it was popular policy with renters especially users who where either used to the traditional full to full method, using the car for a short term and / or did not fully read the terms and conditions.
The policy is another option and offset within the car hire industry. The cost of insurance at the desk to reduce or remove liability to CDW or Theft excess amounts can be significant especially on larger or premium vehicles. With the introduction of the refundable excess insurance like we offer here at Car Hire .net this cost is no longer such a factor. So does this reduce the popularity of full to empty suppliers and their offering of no excess insurance?
Here at Car Hire .net we ask you to consider all aspects of your rental requirements before booking. As a comparison engine we bring you many brokers and suppliers with their pricing clearly displayed. You should though consider the length of rental, as well as the amount of time you will be using the car and thus whether a full to full or full to empty policy is best for you. Returning a car with fuel still in the tank is not only going to upset you but more importantly a waste of your holiday money. Look at the cost of a supplier which offers full to full with the cost of the refundable insurance included and then compare that with a low broker price displayed. The low costs vehicles displayed in Spain by brokers are more than likely going to be full to empty providers. Check the terms and conditions as they will show the fuel policy of the supplier provided. On rentals on less than three days don't worry as the all suppliers will offer full to full. This is because they know it is nearly impossible to use a tank of fuel in such a short time especially with the fuel economy offered by cars today.
