Car Hire - Mandatory Accessories

Today I rang the UK call centre of CarJet enquiring as to whether the mandatory yellow vests ans warning triangles would be included in the car we will shortly be hiring from Granada airport.  It wouldn't surprise me to find this being the 'norm' all over as generally the same hire companies operate throughout Spain.

We have hired cars many times from both Malaga and Granada and these items have been present each time until August this year when our son was told "if he wanted them, he would have to pay for them."

I was informed that the onus was on us to carry our own and that they are not that expensive.  Are we expected to buy them each time we hire a car and leave them behind when we return it, or are we to transport them to and from the UK taking up part of the baggage weight allowance? 

We're already getting fleeced by the full/empty policy, which incidentally she said all the companies they use had now adopted (Crown being the last from July this year - might it have something to do with the becoming AurigaCrown?)  Is this yet another scam to swell the coffers?

The following web site:
http:/www.andalucia.com/travel/carhire/

states, I quote:

"Lastly check the car on collection for damage, record with digital camera if unsure whether to officially record minor damages onthe contract.  All (hire) cars are required by law to carry two warning triangles in the luggage compartment and two yellow vests in the glove compartment.  Ensure these are present on collection."

I have written to CarJet's customer services asking them to get back to me on this matter.  May be good if others did too!

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I've found that some companies have one jacket and warning triangles in boot.  The majority don't.

As a regular travellor I take a jacket with me in my luggage.  The triangles I keep at the house with some more jackets, these I transfer to the car boot when I arrive at the house.

I have read that you can be fined if you do not have a jacket for all the seats in the car so I have another 4 at home.

Some companies said that if you receive a fine then pass it one to them and they will deal with it, whether this is still the case I couldn't say. 

The main things is this law has been brought in for everyone's safety so I believe in carrying the Hi Vis Jacket with me

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Can any one give me the equipment required to be carried in a car in Spain I have been told you are required to carry a fire extinguisher is this correct.

 

peter

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Its madatory in Spain to have a large bottle or red wine in the car at all times - and a straw!

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Think the fire extinguishor is supposed to be compulsory and also spare bulb kit as well is definitely obligatory - now do a straw poll of how many vcars in Spain actually carry them - semijubilada you are the only person I have heard of that complies with the High Viz jacket rule on number of seats in the car - and that is for a hire car!!!

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Better get a trailer then to carry everything! Its getting like the UK here now!!!

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I read somewhere that someone was fined because they didn't have jackets for all the seats in car even though there were less people in car at the time.

For the sake of a couple of euros or in may case £1 from poundland, I've stocked up with the amount I think I should need.

Anyone who travels out with me gets a vest to put in their suitcase as well.

I don't carry a fire extinguisher as I thought that was only mandatory when travelling through France.

I do have a first aid kit which I believe is mandatory.

Bulbs I don't bother with as I have never had the same make of car in 4 years of hiring them.

The TV engineer who came round to update my TV system a couple of weeks ago told me that a colleague was fined by Traffico as he didn't have a cage behind the seats in his van.  If you think about it logically this law has been put in for his safety as in an emergency sitiation anything stored in the back could shoot forward to seriously hurt himself and a passenger.

When I was travelling from picking up my sister from Alicante Airport I saw that someone had broken down and had the two triangles at the back of the car an equal distance apart.  Is this how they should be positioned as I thought they went at the back and front of the vehicle.

Lastly I read that it is illegal to be parked on the road and use a mobile phone.  So my interpretation would be if you breakdown, park off road if possible, put on Hi Vis vest before you get out of car, put the warning triangles out (where?) make sure you stand well away from car and phone for help.  Obviously if you are travelling with others they should also be standing with you in brightly coloured vests.

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Just received an email from DoYouSpain about this issue. The reply is:

"The fluorescent jackets and triangles are available in both companies, the one you have booked with and the one which operates a full/full policy"

Let's see what happens on arrival .

Mark

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Hmmmm.....I wonder it says available .....not free!!!!

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You have a point there Russ . I have a sneaking suspicion they won't be as i haven't found anything in Spain to be free......Yet. But there is always a first time. The company they have booked me with after changing from Auriga Crown is Europcar who are in the terminal. Loooooong wait!!!

Mark

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In addition to all of the afore mentioned if you are visually impaired (normally happens to me after 10 pints or two bottles of JD) and you need to wear glasses (not the drinks variety) while driving you are supposed to have a spare pair in the car as well!!!!

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10 pints OR 2 bottles of JD! Gosh, is 10 pints on a bad day!!!?

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Any day with a y in it

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Just back from a 4 day trip to Mijas. Car hired from Auriga Crown and checked  for these items. Triangles were in the boot and high vis jackets in the glove compartment. It was returned on a full/full on return policy although I heard them tell others that theirs was full/empty. I think with the small economy cars is full/full and the opposite for the larger cars ? Otherwise, I couldn't see what they were basing it on.

Helen

P S Malaga airport wasn;t too bad, but it was a monday morn and return on thurs evening.

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We have just returned from Vera yesterday. Auriga Crown told the person in front of me to return full (3 day rental) and me empty (4 day rental). One man - obviuosly a regular - told the girl that he would return it full and she accepted this and didn't charge for the tank of fuel. (I am going to try this the next time I am out in December.)

So, I still don't know what the policy is on full/full or full/empty!!

Noreen

This message was last edited by nfm2862 on 10/27/2007.

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Hope you had a good trip Noreen and that your new house is okay.

My booking confirmation stated that up to 3 days, you can specify full/ full, but any longer and it is full/ empty.

"All cars are provided with a full tank of fuel and should be returned empty. On arrival you will be asked to prepay the full tank of fuel so please return the vehicle as empty as possible as Auriga are not able to refund money for unused fuel. If the rental is for 3 days you may ask the representative to offer full/full fuelling against your credit card deposit."

I think it all depends on the person serving you on the day from what I have read .

Mark

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After using Auriga (now Auriga Crown) about 7 or 8 times, I don't think they have a clue on what their own policy is regarding fu/full.  I was told on one occasion to bring it back empty, which I did, and they asked me if it was full or empty on return.  Next time I was told to bring it back empty and I took it back full.  They refunded the fuel cost from the credit card payment.

If I am really on empty, I now take it back empty.  If I have fuel left, I fill it up and am refunded the cost of fuel irrespective of what the person on the desk says when I collect it.

I've never been refused the credit when I've taken it back full.

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Hi Noreen,

We hire from various car companies 5 times a year.

Most of them used to be full/full, but in the last year, they seem to have changed their policy to full/empty unless the hire period is 3 days or less.

We get charged various amounts for the fuel on pick up, anything from 55 to 60€

I have pleaded many times to let us bring it back full and get a refund as we hardly ever use the full tank.................

But to no avail................however, reading Roberto's post about Auriga Crown, I am going to give that one a try next time (Thanks Roberto!)

Also, whilst on the subject, all hire cars should come with ALL of the required safety extras in the boot, flourescent jacket, spare bulbs, warning triangle etc., but none do. It is you who will pay the fine if you are stopped without these extras, not the hire company.

The only time we had them was with Avis, but who wants to pay Avis prices?! (Ours was a freebie on Airmiles)

Regards,

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I would like to have the balls to take it back full at the end of the hire period, but I am a bit concerned that I may end up with a jobsworth who says "thank you very much for filling our car, you want what????" I couldn't handle paying at the beginning and then again by refuelling it.

Mark

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I have used Auriga at Alicante and when I arrived back at airport I found quite a lot of cars waiting to check in and a lady with clipboard going to each one.  When I approached her she said that she was only interested in checking the cars which had a full tank.  I was peeved as we went back with half a tank, we had over estimated how much would be needed for our last couple of days.

When you have paid over 50e for a full tank it's hard to guess how much is a 1/4 of a tank.

If I ever get Auriga again I would definately fill up and get a refund.

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