A MARTIN Lewis fan has revealed how he saved over £900 on holiday costs by using a little-known trick.
The jet setter, known only as Paul, said he rescued himself the extra cash by cancelling his car hire then re-booking with a lower quote.
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Generally, booking car hire is cheaper further in advance, but you can sometimes get better prices closer to your departure date.
If you’ve got free cancellation on the policy, it’s worth checking ahead to see if you could save yourself some money.
Paul’s success story was shared in the MoneySavingExpert.com’s latest newsletter.
He said he discovered the trick after watching Martin’s ITV Money Show.
He explained: “In January, we booked for our three-week summer holiday, then discovered the price had dropped dramatically.
“We had free cancellation, so we did that then rebooked, saving £742.
“A couple of weeks later the price dropped further, so we did it again, saving a further £184, a total saving of £926.”
Remember, it’s always worth using price comparison sites to find the best deals on the market when booking car hire abroad.
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Websites like Skyscanner, Kayak, TravelSupermarket and Carrentals are all worthwhile.
How else to save money on car hire
Booking, cancelling and then re-booking is one way you can cut the costs of car hire when abroad. Here’s a few other tips you can use:
Check the small print
You’ll want to check the small print of your contract when it comes to picking up the vehicle.
Sometimes there can be extra insurance, mileage charges or confusing fuel policies in amongst the paperwork that can sting you.
Avoid paying too much for add-ons such as sat-navs when you could save money by using an app on your phone as well.
Bear in mind you might be with a provider that charges you to use your data abroad though.
Meanwhile, some firms charge you if you return the car without a full tank, so make sure you check for that in the contract.
Give the car a once over
Make sure you give any rental car a once over to ensure you’re not charged for any previously-made damage.
Take pictures of the inside of the vehicle and make a note of its condition on the hire company’s form, especially any scratches or dents.
These can be a source of dispute between you and a car hire company so if there’s anything it hasn’t logged, make sure you report it before taking off.
That way you won’t be charged when you return it.
Steer clear of airport desk rip offs
If you’re not booking ahead and waiting until you land at your holiday destination, it might be worth steering clear of companies with kiosks at the airport.
They sometimes charge hundreds of pounds more when you could just book through a branch outside.
Sometimes they offer you a free shuttle from the airport to their branch too.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected].
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