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Terms & Conditions
Please make sure that you read through our terms and conditions carefully.
1. Your contract with Affordable Car Hire
Please read these booking conditions carefully as, together with the specific information about your confirmed car rental booking, they form the basis of your contract with Affordable Car Hire Limited, company number 04532974, with its registered office address at Cambridge House, 27 Cambridge Park, Wansted, London, E11 2PU, ("Affordable Car Hire" or "we" or "us").
We arrange car rental for our customers ("you") with independent car rental suppliers, so when you make a booking with us, either via our website, our Reservations department or through your travel agent, you enter into a contract with Affordable Car Hire acting as principal in relation to the arrangement of your car hire. We arrange car hire as a single component (with certain car insurances provided by the supplier included as part of the total price) and not as part of a package. Accordingly The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 do not apply to your contract with Affordable Car Hire. Please also refer to clause 6. Your rental car
When you collect your car, you will also be required to enter into a contract with the individual car rental supplier which contains your responsibilities in relation to the rental vehicle. You should satisfy yourself that you understand and agree to those terms and conditions before you accept your car, as you will be legally bound to the supplier under that contract. *A copy of the standard Rental Agreement used by the supplier in the country where you are hiring your vehicle can be supplied to you before you make your booking if you should request it.
2. Our Prices
Our car rental prices are correct at the time of publishing on our website. Prices shown are for the group of car (see below) and requested rental period. We reserve the right to alter any of our advertised prices at any time before your contract is confirmed. You will be advised of the current rental price for the group of car you wish to hire (Note each day of a rental is calculated as a 24hr period), together with the cost of each optional extra that you choose, before your contract is confirmed. (Note that where seasonal rates apply, the rate will be the rate applicable on the date of collection, even if the period of hire extends into another season, unless otherwise advised.)
What is included
Our prices include unlimited mileage (excluding certain types of vehicles in some locations advised at the time of booking as per our website), collision damage waiver, third party insurance cover (including supplementary liability insurance in the USA, unless requested otherwise), theft protection insurance, any airport surcharges and all applicable government and/or state imposed taxes (plus bail bond in Spain). Click here for further details of the insurances that are included in your car rental price.
What is excluded
(a) all charges and taxes payable directly to the car rental supplier on collection of your vehicle and which include, without limitation, fuel, special request items (such as roof racks and child/baby seats), any additional drivers and/or young driver surcharges, and any local charges for delivery and collection out of hours or one way airport fees, as these vary according to the location of the collection point. We will advise you of additional charges and taxes when you make your booking;
(b) our optional extras, such as Maxi Control, Maxi Fun and Where2 GPS Navigation which are priced separately at a daily or weekly rate on our website; and
(c) any insurance not included above.
Price Watch Promise:
If you find the same car from the same collection point for the same period offered by any other independent car rental company at a cheaper rate, we will do our very best to find, but do not guarantee, a price match to ensure that you receive the best prices available. You may use our price watch promise up until the day of departure. Our price watch promise does not apply to promotional offers.
Tesco Token Vouchers & Limited Availability:
On occasions due to limited availability on a Tesco Reward Token reservation the maximum token voucher allowance will be as stated in the price brackets. Please check an alternative date and for the full terms and conditions please see the Tesco Rewards website.
3. Making a booking and payment
Bookings may be made online or by calling our Reservations department on 0845 9000 420 or through your travel agent. You must pay us or your travel agent a deposit of £25 (or such other amount advised at the time of booking) upon making your booking, with the balance of the total price for your car rental, including any optional extras, being due to us six weeks before the scheduled vehicle collection date. Bookings made six weeks or less before the collection date must be paid in full at the time of booking. If we do not receive your balance by the due date, we may cancel your booking and keep your deposit. Affordable car hire are an independently owned company. As such any payments made to a travel agent or third party that are not forwarded on to affordable car hire will result in the booking being cancelled if unpaid within 14 days prior to departure. Notification to the 3rd party will be sent in writing during this period.
Your booking is confirmed and a contract between us exists when we issue our confirmation invoice, provided that you have made the booking payment due to us or your travel agent on our account. Please check your invoice carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. You must ensure:
Payments must be made by debit card or credit card. Payments by credit card will incur a credit card fee of 2% based on the total cost of your car rental price and any optional extras you have booked. Payments for bookings online are made via our secure payment site.
Your car rental voucher will be issued within a reasonable time prior to your pick up date.
4. Your responsibility for your booking
Authority
When you make a booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. This means that you are responsible for making all payments due, notifying us if any changes or cancellations are required, and for receiving the confirmation and keeping your party informed.
Eligibility
You must advise us of your age and the ages of any additional drivers when making your booking. Minimum and maximum age limits vary according to the terms of the local car rental supplier. Usually drivers must be 21 years or over with at least 12 months' minimum driving experience and in some countries there is an additional surcharge payable locally for drivers under 25 years. Please check with us for age limits and surcharges when booking.
Drivers must hold and produce on the collection of their rental car an original full and clean national driving licence from their country of residence for at least one year (some car rental companies may require up to 3 years depending on the vehicle type). No photocopies or fax copies are accepted. In some cases an international driving permit may be required. Drivers holding a photocard British driving licence must also present the paper endorsement sheet that was issued with the licence. You must inform our reservations agent of any endorsements on the driver's licence, as we may not be able to take your booking. A car rental supplier may refuse to rent a car to a person with endorsements on their licence or who, in their opinion, is unfit to drive or does not meet eligibility requirements. No refunds will be given for rentals rejected due to non-production of a driving licence or non-disclosed endorsements. See clause 11 for further details of your responsibilities.
5. Insurance
When you arrange your car rental with Affordable Car Hire, the car rental supplier will include collision damage waiver, third party insurance cover and theft protection insurance cover as part of the car rental price. Click here for a general summary of what these insurances typically cover. Note that most car rental suppliers require a deposit to be paid by credit card on collection of your rental car to cover your liability for any excess due on your collision damage waiver. You may wish to take the additional insurance to cover any excess that may be due in the event of damage to or theft of your rental car, for example, our SuperMax insurance cover.
THE MINIMUM REQUIRED INSURANCE FOR YOUR RENTAL IS INCLUDED. SHOULD YOU SIGN FOR OR PURCHASE ANY ADDITIONAL INSURANCES FROM YOUR CAR RENTAL SUPPLIER. AFFORDABLE CAR HIRE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
Your car rental contract does not include any insurance to cover personal injury or accident to you and we strongly recommend that you purchase additional insurance to cover this, as well as the cost of cancelling your car rental contract and any repatriation that you need. If you are hiring your car as part of a holiday abroad, your travel insurance policy may cover these.
In common with most car rental companies, the insurance cover included in the contract price does not cover damage to or theft of tyres (including punctures), wheels, windscreens, the interior of the vehicle, contents of the car in the event of theft, undercarriage, roof damage (if roof rack is fitted), wing mirrors and coded keys (whether lost or locked in vehicle).
Rental cars are not covered under insurance when driving on unmade roads or taken into another country without prior notification/permission, or if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The renter may therefore be liable for the cost of any damage.
See the terms of the insurances and the suppliers' terms and conditions.
6. Your rental car
All rental cars that we arrange with our suppliers are subject to availability. Cars are classified in groups based on the specifications of the car (e.g. "Ford Fiesta or similar") and so when you make a booking with us, we may arrange the supply of a different make, model or fuel type to the car shown on your booking, as long as the vehicle has a similar size and specification.
At the time of collection the renter (lead driver) is required to sign a contract/rental agreement with the local car rental company. Please ensure you have read this contract fully and have checked with the supplier if you are unsure of any details. Once signed, the renter accepts the terms and conditions of the company and Affordable Car Hire have no liability under that agreement.
The rental vehicle has been booked based on the information given by you or your travel agent at the time of booking. If you decide to upgrade locally you are liable for all upgrade charges. Please ensure that you read all documentation thoroughly before signing.
Additional items such as baby/child seats, roof racks, ski racks, snow chains, satellite navigation and consoles, as advertised on our website, must be specifically requested at the time of booking. They are also subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed at any time. In most cases a small charge will be made and may be subject to local taxes and surcharges. This is payable to the supplier on collection of the car.
7. Amendments to your booking
After our confirmation has been issued, any requests for changes must be sent to us in writing by email, fax or post by the person who made the booking. We will do our best to try to arrange your requested changes with the supplier; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make the changes requested. Amendment fees will be charged in accordance with the table below to cover our administration costs, plus any charges made by the car rental supplier.
Amendment fees (Per Booking)
Note that our prices may have increased between the date of your original booking and the date you request any amendments and if there is a material change to your booking such that it is effectively a new booking, you will have to pay the price that applies on the date of the amendment.
All booking amendments inside 14 days will be charged at £5.00 regardless of the change.
8. Cancellations by you
If you want to cancel your booking at any time before the car hire commencement date, the person that made the booking must send an email to cancellations@affordablecarhire.com quoting your booking reference. Your cancellation will take effect from the date we receive your communication between the hours of 9.00 a.m and 5.30 p.m. Because we incur costs in cancelling confirmed bookings, particularly if cancellations occur close to the collection date, you will be charged a cancellation fee in accordance with the table below.
Cancellation fees (Per Booking)
Please Note: Cancellations are ONLY accepted when received in writing from the lead driver by Affordable Car Hire
Charges are shown as a percentage of your total car rental cost (excluding amendment fees, if any, which are non-refundable in the event of a cancellation).
Original rental vouchers must be presented to us before any payments can be refunded. We will have no liability to provide a refund if the supplier does not provide the rental car to because you fail to produce the necessary documents on collection (Please refer to clause 11.Your responsibilities) or if you return the car before the agreed drop-off date.
9. Changes or cancellations by us
We reserve the right to change or cancel your booking.
If we make a change to your booking, other than as a result of circumstances beyond our control (as defined below), and you don't want to accept it, you can take any alternative car rental we are able to offer you (in which case you will pay the increase in cost if the replacement is advertised at a higher price than your original booking, or receive a refund of the difference if it is less expensive) or you can take a refund of the money you've paid to us. This does not apply where the change is not material.
Examples of non-material changes include, but are not limited to, change of car to a similar size or specification. We will not be liable for any change that results from circumstances beyond our control.
If we have to cancel your booking, other than as a result of circumstances beyond our control (as defined below) again, we may be able to offer you an alternative. If you accept it, you would pay the difference if it was advertised at a higher price than your original car rental, or receive a refund if it was advertised at a lower price. Or we will simply refund the monies you have paid us for your car rental.
We will not be responsible to pay any compensation following a change or cancellation by us. Any amendment or cancellation fees you incur in terms of other arrangements you have made with other providers under separate contracts or the cost of securing alternative car hire are not claimable from us.
"Circumstances beyond our control" include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, actual or threatened terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, flood, epidemic or pandemic illness and all similar situations.
10. Our responsibility for your booking
Affordable Car Hire has a duty to use reasonable skill and care in selecting car rental suppliers to provide your car hire and in making your car rental arrangements with those suppliers. We will be liable to you if we have breached those duties. Therefore, provided we have selected your car rental supplier with reasonable skill and care, we have no liability to you arising out of the car rental itself or any acts or omissions of the supplier or others.
Without limitation to the above, Affordable Car Hire also has no liability in the following situations:
If we are found liable to you on any basis, we limit the amount we have to pay to you to a maximum of three times the total price of your car rental. This limit does not apply to cases involving personal injury or death.
All employees, agents, contractors and their sub-contractors (including suppliers) as well as insurers of both Affordable Car Hire and its suppliers shall have the benefit of the same rights, defences, immunities and limitations available to Affordable Car Hire under these conditions, and it is agreed for this purpose the Affordable Car Hire contracts with the customer as agent or trustee for all such persons.
11. Your responsibilities
Without limiting any of your responsibilities under any other section of these booking conditions, the following are your responsibilities under your contract with us:
If you are collecting your car at the airport, you must provide us with the correct outbound flight number and estimated arrival time when making your booking. If not possible at the time of booking, please ensure this information is provided to our Reservations team more than 7 days before your car collection date. If we are not supplied with the correct flight information in good time and as a result, the car rental supplier does not have a car for your collection at the time specified in your booking, neither we nor the supplier has any liability to you. Note that if your flight is delayed you may incur additional charges to the supplier for waiting time.
When picking up your rental car, you must present your original rental voucher and your full valid driving licence (as detailed under Eligibility). Failure to present the correct documentation may result in the supplier refusing to supply the vehicle to you. No refund will be given in these circumstances.
You must pay the car rental supplier any charges and taxes not included in the car rental price on collection of your vehicle (see Our Prices, What is excluded above), as well as any deposit for fuel or excess required. We advise that ALL named drivers carry a valid credit card.
(Please note Prepaid Credit & Debit Cards are NOT accepted)
If you have taken out SuperMax insurance or any other insurance to waive your excess, it is your responsibility to notify this to the car rental supplier on collection of your vehicle. Affordable Car Hire is not responsible for any deposit or other payment you make to the car rental supplier in relation to the excess.
You must not exceed the permitted maximum of passengers for the car. Insurances may be invalidated if passengers exceed the permitted maximum.
You must check with the car rental supplier on collection, the arrangements regarding fuel. Cars are usually supplied with a full tank of fuel and this is charged for at the time of collection. Affordable Car Hire is not liable for the arrangements regarding fuel.
You must conduct a thorough check of the condition of the car before accepting it and you must note any scratches or dents on the supplier's car rental contract.
Where deposits are required to be made with the car rental supplier, a major credit card is usually required for these purposes. The credit card holder should be the main driver otherwise additional charges may apply. Direct debit cards are not accepted for deposit purposes and cash deposits are seldom accepted (please check when booking).
If driving across different countries, states or provinces please check that this is permitted by the supplier before doing so and note that this may be charged for. Failure to obtain prior permission may result in the renter's insurance policy being void and the renter may then be subject to all charges personally.
(Please check with Reservations).
In the U.S.A. if you drive through an ORT (Open Road Tolling) lane you will not be given the option to pay for the toll but will automatically activate the E Toll pass in your vehicle. You will then be charged $10 a week for the whole rental as well as each toll charge. To avoid this always go through a 'pay lane' and pay cash for your toll. Failure to pay for tolls will incur a police citation and $100 fine.
Upon collection of your vehicle and during the hire, if you are dissatisfied in any way with the standard of the vehicle, you must report this to the rental supplier immediately and to Affordable Car Hire in writing within 28 days of your return. Please refer to clause 12. Complaints
In case of breakdown or mechanical difficulties, you must immediately call the car hire company, whose telephone number will appear on the rental agreement. Authority to obtain repairs or replacement cars must be given by the local car hire company. If you are involved in an accident in the hire car, the local police and the car hire company must be informed, even if there is no damage excess. You must keep copies of any relevant documentation you are asked to complete.
You are responsible for any parking fines, tow away charges or impounding fees incurred by you. Please note that this rule also applies to airport waiting areas and cars must be redelivered to points as instructed at time of collection.
12. Complaints
Any problem that arises during your car rental period should be raised with the car rental supplier or with an Affordable Car Hire representative immediately who will endeavour to put things right.
In the event of a problem with your car hire booking that cannot be resolved locally with the car rental company please contact us on:
You should also try to find a solution before the end of the car rental period. If the problem is not resolved
locally, please follow this up within 28 days after the end of the car hire period by writing to our Customer
Services Department at 7 Meridian House, Nazeing New Road, Nazeing, Essex, EN10 6SU. Please keep your letter concise
and to the point. This will assist us to identify your concerns quickly and speed up our response to you.
If you fail to follow this simple procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint during the car hire period and this may affect your rights under this contract.
Please bear in mind that we are only liable to compensate you in line with these booking conditions - in particular section 10 above makes clear that our obligation is to choose the car hire provider with reasonable skill and care.
Any dispute or claim arising out of this contract that can't be settled between us can be referred by you to the ABTA arbitration scheme (see section 13) or to a court. We agree that the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction and that English law applies (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable).
If a court or tribunal applies any law other than English law, we shall (in respect of all exclusions and limitations of liability) be entitled to the maximum protection allowed by that law including statutory protection of limitation as to the amount of damages recoverable.
13. ABTA
Affordable Car Hire is a member of ABTA, membership number Y1843. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of or in connection with this contract. Further information on the Code and the arbitration scheme can be found on ABTA's website www.abta.com.
The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently by IDRS, part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. It provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you in respect of costs. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from www.abta.com.
The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,000 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element.
The application for arbitration and Statement of Claim must be received by IDRS within nine months of the date of your return from holiday.
14. Data protection
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your booking runs smoothly and meets your requirements we need to use the information you provide such as name and address. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information to our car rental suppliers and also to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as otherwise required by law. You are entitled to a copy of your information held by us. If you would like to see this, please write to Customer Services or email CustomerServices@affordablecarhire.com
We may wish to contact you by post, email and or telephone with news, information and offers and for market research purposes. If you prefer not to be contacted for any of these purposes, please write to Customer Services or email CustomerServices@affordablecarhire.com. You may subscribe and unsubscribe online for our newsletters at any time.
Please read these booking conditions carefully as, together with the specific information about your confirmed car rental booking, they form the basis of your contract with Affordable Car Hire Limited, company number 04532974, with its registered office address at Cambridge House, 27 Cambridge Park, Wansted, London, E11 2PU, ("Affordable Car Hire" or "we" or "us").
We arrange car rental for our customers ("you") with independent car rental suppliers, so when you make a booking with us, either via our website, our Reservations department or through your travel agent, you enter into a contract with Affordable Car Hire acting as principal in relation to the arrangement of your car hire. We arrange car hire as a single component (with certain car insurances provided by the supplier included as part of the total price) and not as part of a package. Accordingly The Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 do not apply to your contract with Affordable Car Hire. Please also refer to clause 6. Your rental car
When you collect your car, you will also be required to enter into a contract with the individual car rental supplier which contains your responsibilities in relation to the rental vehicle. You should satisfy yourself that you understand and agree to those terms and conditions before you accept your car, as you will be legally bound to the supplier under that contract. *A copy of the standard Rental Agreement used by the supplier in the country where you are hiring your vehicle can be supplied to you before you make your booking if you should request it.
2. Our Prices
Our car rental prices are correct at the time of publishing on our website. Prices shown are for the group of car (see below) and requested rental period. We reserve the right to alter any of our advertised prices at any time before your contract is confirmed. You will be advised of the current rental price for the group of car you wish to hire (Note each day of a rental is calculated as a 24hr period), together with the cost of each optional extra that you choose, before your contract is confirmed. (Note that where seasonal rates apply, the rate will be the rate applicable on the date of collection, even if the period of hire extends into another season, unless otherwise advised.)
What is included
Our prices include unlimited mileage (excluding certain types of vehicles in some locations advised at the time of booking as per our website), collision damage waiver, third party insurance cover (including supplementary liability insurance in the USA, unless requested otherwise), theft protection insurance, any airport surcharges and all applicable government and/or state imposed taxes (plus bail bond in Spain). Click here for further details of the insurances that are included in your car rental price.
What is excluded
(a) all charges and taxes payable directly to the car rental supplier on collection of your vehicle and which include, without limitation, fuel, special request items (such as roof racks and child/baby seats), any additional drivers and/or young driver surcharges, and any local charges for delivery and collection out of hours or one way airport fees, as these vary according to the location of the collection point. We will advise you of additional charges and taxes when you make your booking;
(b) our optional extras, such as Maxi Control, Maxi Fun and Where2 GPS Navigation which are priced separately at a daily or weekly rate on our website; and
(c) any insurance not included above.
Price Watch Promise:
If you find the same car from the same collection point for the same period offered by any other independent car rental company at a cheaper rate, we will do our very best to find, but do not guarantee, a price match to ensure that you receive the best prices available. You may use our price watch promise up until the day of departure. Our price watch promise does not apply to promotional offers.
Tesco Token Vouchers & Limited Availability:
On occasions due to limited availability on a Tesco Reward Token reservation the maximum token voucher allowance will be as stated in the price brackets. Please check an alternative date and for the full terms and conditions please see the Tesco Rewards website.
3. Making a booking and payment
Bookings may be made online or by calling our Reservations department on 0845 9000 420 or through your travel agent. You must pay us or your travel agent a deposit of £25 (or such other amount advised at the time of booking) upon making your booking, with the balance of the total price for your car rental, including any optional extras, being due to us six weeks before the scheduled vehicle collection date. Bookings made six weeks or less before the collection date must be paid in full at the time of booking. If we do not receive your balance by the due date, we may cancel your booking and keep your deposit. Affordable car hire are an independently owned company. As such any payments made to a travel agent or third party that are not forwarded on to affordable car hire will result in the booking being cancelled if unpaid within 14 days prior to departure. Notification to the 3rd party will be sent in writing during this period.
Your booking is confirmed and a contract between us exists when we issue our confirmation invoice, provided that you have made the booking payment due to us or your travel agent on our account. Please check your invoice carefully and report any incorrect or incomplete information to us immediately. You must ensure:
- that the lead driver name is the same as shown on your driving licence
- that the age is correct at time of vehicle pick up
Payments must be made by debit card or credit card. Payments by credit card will incur a credit card fee of 2% based on the total cost of your car rental price and any optional extras you have booked. Payments for bookings online are made via our secure payment site.
Your car rental voucher will be issued within a reasonable time prior to your pick up date.
4. Your responsibility for your booking
Authority
When you make a booking you guarantee that you have the authority to accept and do accept on behalf of your party the terms of these booking conditions. This means that you are responsible for making all payments due, notifying us if any changes or cancellations are required, and for receiving the confirmation and keeping your party informed.
Eligibility
You must advise us of your age and the ages of any additional drivers when making your booking. Minimum and maximum age limits vary according to the terms of the local car rental supplier. Usually drivers must be 21 years or over with at least 12 months' minimum driving experience and in some countries there is an additional surcharge payable locally for drivers under 25 years. Please check with us for age limits and surcharges when booking.
Drivers must hold and produce on the collection of their rental car an original full and clean national driving licence from their country of residence for at least one year (some car rental companies may require up to 3 years depending on the vehicle type). No photocopies or fax copies are accepted. In some cases an international driving permit may be required. Drivers holding a photocard British driving licence must also present the paper endorsement sheet that was issued with the licence. You must inform our reservations agent of any endorsements on the driver's licence, as we may not be able to take your booking. A car rental supplier may refuse to rent a car to a person with endorsements on their licence or who, in their opinion, is unfit to drive or does not meet eligibility requirements. No refunds will be given for rentals rejected due to non-production of a driving licence or non-disclosed endorsements. See clause 11 for further details of your responsibilities.
5. Insurance
When you arrange your car rental with Affordable Car Hire, the car rental supplier will include collision damage waiver, third party insurance cover and theft protection insurance cover as part of the car rental price. Click here for a general summary of what these insurances typically cover. Note that most car rental suppliers require a deposit to be paid by credit card on collection of your rental car to cover your liability for any excess due on your collision damage waiver. You may wish to take the additional insurance to cover any excess that may be due in the event of damage to or theft of your rental car, for example, our SuperMax insurance cover.
THE MINIMUM REQUIRED INSURANCE FOR YOUR RENTAL IS INCLUDED. SHOULD YOU SIGN FOR OR PURCHASE ANY ADDITIONAL INSURANCES FROM YOUR CAR RENTAL SUPPLIER. AFFORDABLE CAR HIRE CANNOT BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE ADDITIONAL CHARGES.
Your car rental contract does not include any insurance to cover personal injury or accident to you and we strongly recommend that you purchase additional insurance to cover this, as well as the cost of cancelling your car rental contract and any repatriation that you need. If you are hiring your car as part of a holiday abroad, your travel insurance policy may cover these.
In common with most car rental companies, the insurance cover included in the contract price does not cover damage to or theft of tyres (including punctures), wheels, windscreens, the interior of the vehicle, contents of the car in the event of theft, undercarriage, roof damage (if roof rack is fitted), wing mirrors and coded keys (whether lost or locked in vehicle).
Rental cars are not covered under insurance when driving on unmade roads or taken into another country without prior notification/permission, or if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The renter may therefore be liable for the cost of any damage.
See the terms of the insurances and the suppliers' terms and conditions.
6. Your rental car
All rental cars that we arrange with our suppliers are subject to availability. Cars are classified in groups based on the specifications of the car (e.g. "Ford Fiesta or similar") and so when you make a booking with us, we may arrange the supply of a different make, model or fuel type to the car shown on your booking, as long as the vehicle has a similar size and specification.
At the time of collection the renter (lead driver) is required to sign a contract/rental agreement with the local car rental company. Please ensure you have read this contract fully and have checked with the supplier if you are unsure of any details. Once signed, the renter accepts the terms and conditions of the company and Affordable Car Hire have no liability under that agreement.
The rental vehicle has been booked based on the information given by you or your travel agent at the time of booking. If you decide to upgrade locally you are liable for all upgrade charges. Please ensure that you read all documentation thoroughly before signing.
Additional items such as baby/child seats, roof racks, ski racks, snow chains, satellite navigation and consoles, as advertised on our website, must be specifically requested at the time of booking. They are also subject to availability and cannot be guaranteed at any time. In most cases a small charge will be made and may be subject to local taxes and surcharges. This is payable to the supplier on collection of the car.
7. Amendments to your booking
After our confirmation has been issued, any requests for changes must be sent to us in writing by email, fax or post by the person who made the booking. We will do our best to try to arrange your requested changes with the supplier; however, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to make the changes requested. Amendment fees will be charged in accordance with the table below to cover our administration costs, plus any charges made by the car rental supplier.
Amendment fees (Per Booking)
| Minor Change: E.g. Name & Time |
£5.00 |
| Major Change: E.g. Car type, Dates & Location |
£10.00 |
| For calls to our emergency phone that constitute an amendment | £25.00 |
Note that our prices may have increased between the date of your original booking and the date you request any amendments and if there is a material change to your booking such that it is effectively a new booking, you will have to pay the price that applies on the date of the amendment.
All booking amendments inside 14 days will be charged at £5.00 regardless of the change.
8. Cancellations by you
If you want to cancel your booking at any time before the car hire commencement date, the person that made the booking must send an email to cancellations@affordablecarhire.com quoting your booking reference. Your cancellation will take effect from the date we receive your communication between the hours of 9.00 a.m and 5.30 p.m. Because we incur costs in cancelling confirmed bookings, particularly if cancellations occur close to the collection date, you will be charged a cancellation fee in accordance with the table below.
Cancellation fees (Per Booking)
| 7 or more days before the rental commencement date | £15 |
| 6 to 3 days before the rental commencement date |
50% of total car rental price |
| 2 days or less before the rental commencement date |
75% of total car rental price |
| Failure to collect on the rental commencement date ("no-show") |
100% of total car rental price |
Please Note: Cancellations are ONLY accepted when received in writing from the lead driver by Affordable Car Hire
Charges are shown as a percentage of your total car rental cost (excluding amendment fees, if any, which are non-refundable in the event of a cancellation).
Original rental vouchers must be presented to us before any payments can be refunded. We will have no liability to provide a refund if the supplier does not provide the rental car to because you fail to produce the necessary documents on collection (Please refer to clause 11.Your responsibilities) or if you return the car before the agreed drop-off date.
9. Changes or cancellations by us
We reserve the right to change or cancel your booking.
If we make a change to your booking, other than as a result of circumstances beyond our control (as defined below), and you don't want to accept it, you can take any alternative car rental we are able to offer you (in which case you will pay the increase in cost if the replacement is advertised at a higher price than your original booking, or receive a refund of the difference if it is less expensive) or you can take a refund of the money you've paid to us. This does not apply where the change is not material.
Examples of non-material changes include, but are not limited to, change of car to a similar size or specification. We will not be liable for any change that results from circumstances beyond our control.
If we have to cancel your booking, other than as a result of circumstances beyond our control (as defined below) again, we may be able to offer you an alternative. If you accept it, you would pay the difference if it was advertised at a higher price than your original car rental, or receive a refund if it was advertised at a lower price. Or we will simply refund the monies you have paid us for your car rental.
We will not be responsible to pay any compensation following a change or cancellation by us. Any amendment or cancellation fees you incur in terms of other arrangements you have made with other providers under separate contracts or the cost of securing alternative car hire are not claimable from us.
"Circumstances beyond our control" include, for example, war, riot, industrial dispute, actual or threatened terrorist activity and its consequences, natural or nuclear disaster, fire, adverse weather conditions, flood, epidemic or pandemic illness and all similar situations.
10. Our responsibility for your booking
Affordable Car Hire has a duty to use reasonable skill and care in selecting car rental suppliers to provide your car hire and in making your car rental arrangements with those suppliers. We will be liable to you if we have breached those duties. Therefore, provided we have selected your car rental supplier with reasonable skill and care, we have no liability to you arising out of the car rental itself or any acts or omissions of the supplier or others.
Without limitation to the above, Affordable Car Hire also has no liability in the following situations:
- where the car rental cannot be provided as booked due to circumstances outside our control (as defined in section 9 above);
- where you incur any loss or damage that could not have been foreseen at the time of your booking, based on the information provided by you;
- where you incur any loss or damage that relates to any business activity; and
- where any loss or damage relates to any services that do not form part of our contract with you.
If we are found liable to you on any basis, we limit the amount we have to pay to you to a maximum of three times the total price of your car rental. This limit does not apply to cases involving personal injury or death.
All employees, agents, contractors and their sub-contractors (including suppliers) as well as insurers of both Affordable Car Hire and its suppliers shall have the benefit of the same rights, defences, immunities and limitations available to Affordable Car Hire under these conditions, and it is agreed for this purpose the Affordable Car Hire contracts with the customer as agent or trustee for all such persons.
11. Your responsibilities
Without limiting any of your responsibilities under any other section of these booking conditions, the following are your responsibilities under your contract with us:
If you are collecting your car at the airport, you must provide us with the correct outbound flight number and estimated arrival time when making your booking. If not possible at the time of booking, please ensure this information is provided to our Reservations team more than 7 days before your car collection date. If we are not supplied with the correct flight information in good time and as a result, the car rental supplier does not have a car for your collection at the time specified in your booking, neither we nor the supplier has any liability to you. Note that if your flight is delayed you may incur additional charges to the supplier for waiting time.
When picking up your rental car, you must present your original rental voucher and your full valid driving licence (as detailed under Eligibility). Failure to present the correct documentation may result in the supplier refusing to supply the vehicle to you. No refund will be given in these circumstances.
You must pay the car rental supplier any charges and taxes not included in the car rental price on collection of your vehicle (see Our Prices, What is excluded above), as well as any deposit for fuel or excess required. We advise that ALL named drivers carry a valid credit card.
(Please note Prepaid Credit & Debit Cards are NOT accepted)
If you have taken out SuperMax insurance or any other insurance to waive your excess, it is your responsibility to notify this to the car rental supplier on collection of your vehicle. Affordable Car Hire is not responsible for any deposit or other payment you make to the car rental supplier in relation to the excess.
You must not exceed the permitted maximum of passengers for the car. Insurances may be invalidated if passengers exceed the permitted maximum.
You must check with the car rental supplier on collection, the arrangements regarding fuel. Cars are usually supplied with a full tank of fuel and this is charged for at the time of collection. Affordable Car Hire is not liable for the arrangements regarding fuel.
You must conduct a thorough check of the condition of the car before accepting it and you must note any scratches or dents on the supplier's car rental contract.
Where deposits are required to be made with the car rental supplier, a major credit card is usually required for these purposes. The credit card holder should be the main driver otherwise additional charges may apply. Direct debit cards are not accepted for deposit purposes and cash deposits are seldom accepted (please check when booking).
If driving across different countries, states or provinces please check that this is permitted by the supplier before doing so and note that this may be charged for. Failure to obtain prior permission may result in the renter's insurance policy being void and the renter may then be subject to all charges personally.
(Please check with Reservations).
In the U.S.A. if you drive through an ORT (Open Road Tolling) lane you will not be given the option to pay for the toll but will automatically activate the E Toll pass in your vehicle. You will then be charged $10 a week for the whole rental as well as each toll charge. To avoid this always go through a 'pay lane' and pay cash for your toll. Failure to pay for tolls will incur a police citation and $100 fine.
Upon collection of your vehicle and during the hire, if you are dissatisfied in any way with the standard of the vehicle, you must report this to the rental supplier immediately and to Affordable Car Hire in writing within 28 days of your return. Please refer to clause 12. Complaints
In case of breakdown or mechanical difficulties, you must immediately call the car hire company, whose telephone number will appear on the rental agreement. Authority to obtain repairs or replacement cars must be given by the local car hire company. If you are involved in an accident in the hire car, the local police and the car hire company must be informed, even if there is no damage excess. You must keep copies of any relevant documentation you are asked to complete.
You are responsible for any parking fines, tow away charges or impounding fees incurred by you. Please note that this rule also applies to airport waiting areas and cars must be redelivered to points as instructed at time of collection.
12. Complaints
Any problem that arises during your car rental period should be raised with the car rental supplier or with an Affordable Car Hire representative immediately who will endeavour to put things right.
In the event of a problem with your car hire booking that cannot be resolved locally with the car rental company please contact us on:
| Working Hours (UK Time): | Tel +44 (0) 845 9000 420 |
| Out of Office Hours: | Tel: +44 (0) 7876 683 924 |
If you fail to follow this simple procedure, we will have been deprived of the opportunity to investigate and rectify your complaint during the car hire period and this may affect your rights under this contract.
Please bear in mind that we are only liable to compensate you in line with these booking conditions - in particular section 10 above makes clear that our obligation is to choose the car hire provider with reasonable skill and care.
Any dispute or claim arising out of this contract that can't be settled between us can be referred by you to the ABTA arbitration scheme (see section 13) or to a court. We agree that the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction and that English law applies (unless you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland in which case you can bring proceedings in your local court under Scottish or Northern Irish law, as applicable).
If a court or tribunal applies any law other than English law, we shall (in respect of all exclusions and limitations of liability) be entitled to the maximum protection allowed by that law including statutory protection of limitation as to the amount of damages recoverable.
13. ABTA
Affordable Car Hire is a member of ABTA, membership number Y1843. We are obliged to maintain a high standard of service to you by ABTA's Code of Conduct. We can also offer you an arbitration scheme for the resolution of disputes arising out of or in connection with this contract. Further information on the Code and the arbitration scheme can be found on ABTA's website www.abta.com.
The arbitration scheme is arranged by ABTA and administered independently by IDRS, part of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. It provides for a simple and inexpensive method of arbitration on documents alone with restricted liability on you in respect of costs. Full details will be provided on request or can be obtained from www.abta.com.
The scheme does not apply to claims for an amount greater than £5,000 per person. There is also a limit of £25,000 per booking form. Neither does it apply to claims which are solely in respect of physical injury or illness or their consequences. The scheme can however deal with compensation claims which include an element of minor injury or illness subject to a limit of £1,000 on the amount the arbitrator can award per person in respect of this element.
The application for arbitration and Statement of Claim must be received by IDRS within nine months of the date of your return from holiday.
14. Data protection
In order to process your booking and to ensure that your booking runs smoothly and meets your requirements we need to use the information you provide such as name and address. We take full responsibility for ensuring that proper security measures are in place to protect your information. We must pass the information to our car rental suppliers and also to security or credit checking companies, public authorities such as customs or immigration if required by them, or as otherwise required by law. You are entitled to a copy of your information held by us. If you would like to see this, please write to Customer Services or email CustomerServices@affordablecarhire.com
We may wish to contact you by post, email and or telephone with news, information and offers and for market research purposes. If you prefer not to be contacted for any of these purposes, please write to Customer Services or email CustomerServices@affordablecarhire.com. You may subscribe and unsubscribe online for our newsletters at any time.
Summary of insurances
The following is a general summary of the insurances typically included in the car rental contract with your car rental supplier. The precise terms of the insurances vary according to the car rental supplier. *A copy of the standard Rental Agreement used by the supplier in the country where you are hiring your vehicle can be supplied to you before you make your booking if you should request it.
Third Party Insurance
Third party insurance covers damage to the property of a third party caused by your vehicle. Please refer to the suppliers Rental Agreements for details on any applicable excesses
Collision Damage Waiver
Collision Damage Waiver waives your liability to pay for any damage caused to the vehicle during the period of hire, subject to the exclusions listed below. Your liability is waived subject to you paying a charge, referred to as an "excess", which limits your liability to the cost of the excess only. In some instances, an excess will not apply and you will be advised of this at the time of making your booking.
Exclusions include:
when damage is caused to windows/windscreen, interior, wheels, tyres, underside or roof of the car;
where any rental vehicle has been driven off-road, on un-tarmacked roads, without due care and attention or negligently;
where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
where the driver(s) is not been named on the rental agreement;
when damage is caused by the rental vehicle being towed away by any unauthorised third party.
Where an exclusion applies, your liability to pay for any damage will not be waived and you may be liable for the full cost up to and exceeding the excess.
Theft Protection insurance
Theft Protection (sometimes known as Theft Waiver) provides coverage for the theft or damage resulting from attempted theft of the vehicle, its parts and accessories up to their full value, and any loss that your car rental supplier may incur. You are responsible for the excess of the claim - this may cover single or multiple parts of the vehicle which are damaged at the same time. Where damage is caused to the vehicle on separate occasions, each incident will be considered as a separate claim, which you will be required to pay as part of the overall excess deposit (unless you are advised that this is not applicable at the time of making your booking).
Once the rental vehicle is in your possession, your loss will be limited provided the keys are returned in accordance with the terms and conditions of your rental contract with the supplier.
Exclusions include:
The following is a general summary of the insurances typically included in the car rental contract with your car rental supplier. The precise terms of the insurances vary according to the car rental supplier. *A copy of the standard Rental Agreement used by the supplier in the country where you are hiring your vehicle can be supplied to you before you make your booking if you should request it.
Third Party Insurance
Third party insurance covers damage to the property of a third party caused by your vehicle. Please refer to the suppliers Rental Agreements for details on any applicable excesses
Collision Damage Waiver
Collision Damage Waiver waives your liability to pay for any damage caused to the vehicle during the period of hire, subject to the exclusions listed below. Your liability is waived subject to you paying a charge, referred to as an "excess", which limits your liability to the cost of the excess only. In some instances, an excess will not apply and you will be advised of this at the time of making your booking.
Exclusions include:
when damage is caused to windows/windscreen, interior, wheels, tyres, underside or roof of the car;
where any rental vehicle has been driven off-road, on un-tarmacked roads, without due care and attention or negligently;
where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
where the driver(s) is not been named on the rental agreement;
when damage is caused by the rental vehicle being towed away by any unauthorised third party.
Where an exclusion applies, your liability to pay for any damage will not be waived and you may be liable for the full cost up to and exceeding the excess.
Theft Protection insurance
Theft Protection (sometimes known as Theft Waiver) provides coverage for the theft or damage resulting from attempted theft of the vehicle, its parts and accessories up to their full value, and any loss that your car rental supplier may incur. You are responsible for the excess of the claim - this may cover single or multiple parts of the vehicle which are damaged at the same time. Where damage is caused to the vehicle on separate occasions, each incident will be considered as a separate claim, which you will be required to pay as part of the overall excess deposit (unless you are advised that this is not applicable at the time of making your booking).
Once the rental vehicle is in your possession, your loss will be limited provided the keys are returned in accordance with the terms and conditions of your rental contract with the supplier.
Exclusions include:
- where the keys are lost, damaged or stolen, you will be liable for the reasonable costs of obtaining replacement keys which will be in addition to any excess deposit paid.
- further costs exceeding the excess will apply if the loss, damage or theft of the keys is directly related to the theft of the vehicle. These costs will be defined by the supplier.