Up in the air . . .

THE UK Civil Aviation Authority has published its initial review of how airlines allocate seats to passengers.

CAA research concluded that, for most people, having to pay in advance to sit together was one of their biggest concerns. The findings were further reinforced by the number of consumers who contacted the CAA directly for advice.

Seating policies varied between airlines operating in the UK, which meant those flying with some airlines were more likely to report being separated from their group than those flying with others.

The CAA report revealed consumers were most likely to spend £5-£30 per seat, per journey, but seats could cost up to £100.00.  Collectively, consumers may be paying between £160 million to £390 million per year for allocated seating.

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UK holiday makers set to opt for all-inclusive

A new research study highlighting the key consumer trends in the UK holiday market has been added to the vast repository of Market Research Hub (MRH). The report offers holistic analysis on major factors that are shaping the holiday market in the UK.

On account of the growing inflationary pressures, UK consumers are likely to opt for those deals that offer all-inclusive packages. The preference for all-inclusive deals is likely to increase during the summers, as a high percentage of consumers are expected to focus on reducing expenditure on foreign travel. The pressures on consumer spending are also likely to result into a preference for those destinations that are cheaper to visit.


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Brexit? We’ll still travel, say Brits

MOST of the major companies and organizations in Britain’s tourism industries want the country to remain a member of the European Union (EU). They claim that leaving would hit the travel trade by making people think twice before booking holidays abroad. But a survey* by HolidayExtras.com suggests that their fears might be unfounded. The survey found that a British vote to leave the EU would not deter holidaymakers from travelling. Regardless of a potential increase in flight costs, the majority of Brits would not be discouraged from going on holiday abroad, with 37 percent stating they would travel to destinations within the EU whatever the costs, and a further 31 per cent claiming that if flight costs increased as a result of a Brexit, they would choose to venture to non-EU destinations. 

When asked about the potential rise in plane ticket costs as a result of a vote to leave the EU, the survey revealed that 46 percent of Brits don’t see why it would make a difference, with a further four percent claiming they could afford any increase, and three percent convinced that it would affect businesses more than consumers.

When questioned on other factors that might be affected by a British exit, 72 percent of travellers explained that they would not be concerned if their European Health Insurance Card was deemed invalid. Almost half of Brits (49 percent) said they take out travel insurance anyway, so it would make no difference to them, four percent have never understood what the EHIC is for, and 19 percent said they’ve never needed it anyway. It seems that changes to mobile phone roaming charges aren’t a concern for Brits either, as almost half of travellers are not concerned with the potential hike in costs.

Communications Director at Holiday Extras, Ant Clarke-Cowell explains: “Despite all the headlines regarding the implications that a Brexit would have, it appears that British holidaymakers have no concerns about how it might impact their travel plans. Many seem to believe that it’s businesses that would pay the price if we left the EU, and our poll implies that Brits are prepared to holiday whatever the cost. Over half claimed they had no concerns that a Brexit could increase flight prices, and almost three quarters have no qualms about the prospect of their EHIC being rendered invalid.;

*Holiday Extras polled more than 2,000 holidaymakers from across the UK in March 2016.

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Majority of travellers now book online

RESEARCH from MarkMonitor reveals that 68% of consumers globally exclusively book their #travel online. However, seven out of every 100 respondents surveyed ended up with plans not in line with their expectations, highlighting a need for increased education when booking online. 

The research, conducted by a market research company Opinium, analysed the online behaviour of consumers around booking travel online, including bargain hunting for seasonal goods and attitudes towards piracy. Opinium surveyed 3,257 consumers across eight countries, including the UK, US, Germany, France, Italy, Denmark, Spain, and the Netherlands.

With its focus on booking travel online, the survey results also reveal that of those consumers who booked a holiday that fell short of their expectations, posting a negative review was their first reaction (42%), above trying to get a refund (40%) and complaining to a licensing body (35%) — demonstrating the power of online word of mouth”. Alarmingly, following this bad experience, 37% of respondents reported that their debit or credit card details were misused or stolen, showing the requirement for increased vigilance when shopping or booking online.

Said Mark Frost, CEO of MarkMonitor: ‘With the growth of social media and a culture where consumers have the power to make their displeasure widely known through social networking sites, online brand protection has never been more important. This is especially evident in the fact that when asked how they vetted a travel site, almost half (47%) of consumers said they read the reviews.’

With one of the main reasons for using the internet to book travel being that it’s cheaper, 75% of consumers also go on to search for discounted goods online prior to their holidays, including sunglasses, clothing and shoes, event tickets, guide books, and luggage. But looking for bargains doesn’t mean buying cheap counterfeit goods or knock-offs as, overwhelmingly, the desire for genuine goods remains with 83% saying they wouldn’t willingly buy fake products to keep up with seasonal trends.

But of those 75% seeking discounted products online, almost 10% reported that they had bought something online that turned out to be fake — with clothing and shoes (33%) and sunglasses (28%) cited most often.

Says Mr Frost: ‘In an increasingly digital world, consumers are exposed to more and more online fraud, counterfeiting, and piracy. While the desire is still to buy genuine goods, fraudsters are becoming more sophisticated in their approaches, making it even riskier for consumers. For brands with an online presence, protecting themselves and their customers through a solid online brand protection plan is absolutely key.’

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Hands off staff tips, UK government tells restaurants

RESTAURANTS in Britain could be stopped from adding a ‘discretionary’ service charge to bills under government plans to remind consumers that they do not have to tip when eating out, the Daily Telegraph reports. 

Sajid Javid, the Business Secretary, has launched a consultation on tipping amid concerns that restaurants are confusing customers by not being transparent about the charges and who actually gets the tips left by diners.

One option under consideration is to prevent restaurants ‘from suggesting any specific discretionary payments’, to make it an ‘opt-in decision’ for customers. Many restaurants add a 10 or 15 percent service charge to their bills. Ministers are concerned that this often leads to double tipping because customers do not notice that they have already paid a service charge before leaving cash for their waiter.

Card machines also often ask customers if they would like to leave an extra tip even if a service charge has been added to the bill.

Under the proposals in the consultation, restaurants could be forced to make it clear that customers do not have to pay the discretionary service charge. But one plan being considered is abolishing the service charge entirely.

Mr Javid’s consultation says: ‘The alternative would be to prevent businesses from suggesting any specific discretionary payments for service, e.g. 5, 10, 15 percent. In other words, there would be no mention on the consumer’s bill of a suggested specific amount for a discretionary payment for service, other than that a discretionary service has not been added.

‘The consumer may still decide to leave a discretionary payment for service without any prompt of a specific amount from the employer. Under this option, discretionary payments for service would become an opt-indecision for a better informed consumer, who would hold complete discretion towards making any such payment.’

As part of the government’s plans, restaurants would be forced by law to give tips paid by customers to their staff. The government will force restaurants to say on bills exactly where tips go following concerns that employers were keeping the money themselves.

Research has found that one-in-five restaurants did not pass tips to their staff.

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Travel fraud cost UK holidaymakers £11.5 million in 2015

THE ASSOCIATION OF BRITISH TRAVEL AGENTS (ABTA), the City of London Police, and Get Safe Online have joined forces to warn consumers about the dangers posed by holiday booking fraud. #Scams are more frequent due to the rise of online bookings 

Findings in a report by the City of London Police’s National Fraud Intelligence Bureau reveal the scale of reported crime and expose tactics used by fraudsters who stole £11.5 million from holidaymakers and other travellers in 2015.

According to the report, there has been a rise of 425% in the amount reported lost to travel fraudsters – up to £11.5 million in 2015 from £2.2 million in 2014 – although part of the increase is likely to be due to crime previously going unreported.

The most common fraud type relates to the sale of airline tickets, but there has also been a large increase in the number of owner accounts being hacked into on popular sharing accommodation websites.

Losses for individuals can be substantial, with the average loss being almost £3,000. Almost half of victims (44%) said the fraud had also had a significant adverse impact on their health.

There are distinct spikes of reported fraud in the summer months and in December, indicating fraudsters are targeting holidaymakers and people booking last-minute flights home for Christmas. The majority of those who are defrauded pay by methods such as bank transfer or cash with no means of getting their money back.

The most common types are:

Holiday accommodation – Fraudsters are making full use of the internet to con holidaymakers by setting up fake websites, hacking into legitimate accounts and posting fake adverts on websites and social media.

Airline tickets – where a customer believes they are booking a flight and receives a fake ticket or pays for a ticket that never turns up. In 2015, flights to Nigeria, India, and Pakistan were particularly targeted.

Sports and religious trips – a popular target for fraud due to limited availability of tickets and consequently higher prices. It is anticipated that in 2016, both the European Football Championships in France and the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will attract fraudsters.

Timeshares and holiday clubs – The sums involved with this form of fraud are particularly high, with victims losing between £9,000 and £35,000 each.

The City of London Police, ABTA, and Get Safe Online have published advice on how to avoid becoming a victim of holiday booking fraud – and on how victims should go about reporting it. This advice includes:

Stay safe online:  Check that the web address is legitimate and has not been altered by slight changes to a domain name – such as going from .co.uk to .org

Do your research: Don’t rely on one review – do a thorough online search to check the company’s credentials. If a company is defrauding people there is a good chance that consumers will post details of their experiences, and warnings about the company.

Look for the logo: Check whether the company is a member of a recognized trade body such as ABTA. If you have any doubts, you can verify membership of ABTA online, at www.abta.com.

Pay safe: Never pay directly into an owner’s bank account. Paying by direct bank transfer is like paying by cash – the money is very difficult to trace and is not refundable. Wherever possible, pay by credit card (or a debit card that offers protection).

Check paperwork: Study receipts, invoices, and terms and conditions, and be very wary of any companies that don’t provide any at all. When booking through a holiday club or timeshare, get the contract vetted by a solicitor before signing up.

Use your instincts: If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Report it: Victims should contact Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040 or register via www.actionfraud.police.uk.


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Personal injury claims set to fall

UK TRAVEL companies will face fewer claims for personal injury and reduced costs after a clampdown on ‘compensation culture’.

Chancellor George Osborne has announced a rise from £1,000 to £5,000 in the limit on small claims for personal injury. The change will mean more cases will be handled by small claims courts, where most claimants cannot expect to claim legal fees, even if they win.

Industry lawyer Stephen Mason, senior partner at Travlaw, said: ‘Life-changing injuries will continue to go to a full court process, but the vast majority of injury claims, such as for a broken wrist or food poisoning, will be dealt with in the small-claims court.

‘The loser won’t pay the legal costs of the winner. It’s unlikely to be economic for claimants to instruct a lawyer. Many claims will not be brought at all, as it is quite daunting and quite technical to bring an injury or illness claim without a lawyer. So the industry will face fewer claims.’

Mr Mason added: ‘Even where a claim is successful, there will be no consumer’s legal costs to pay. It is quite common currently for a claim to be settled for, say, £3,000 and for a claimant to seek legal costs in excess of £20,000. This should help to reduce insurance premiums. Any of us could be the victim of an accident and find our access to justice weakened. But for the travel industry, this sounds good news.’

The Forum of Insurance Lawyers noted the new limit was ‘aimed at tackling the so-called compensation culture’ related to traffic accidents. It could be introduced as early as next spring.

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Post-Christmas campaign to boost consumer protection

The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) will run its annual ‘Pack Peace of Mind’ advertising campaign to promote Atol (Air Travel Organizer’s Licence) consumer protection to holidaymakers in January. 

The campaign will run for at least the first six months of 2016, with a focus on the peak-booking periods in January and at Easter.

The authority is urging the travel industry to back the campaign to ensure holidaymakers understand the importance of ATOL protection and look out for the ATOL certificate when booking.

CAA head of Atol Andy Cohen said: ‘We’ve been really pleased with the impact the Pack Peace of Mind campaign has had, with our research showing people feel more informed about Atol. But the risk of holidaymakers booking an unprotected trip and then losing out financially or being left stranded abroad is still very real. We want to make sure consumers fully understand why Atol is so important and how simple it is to check for protection.’

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Being 'green' is paying off, claims ABTA study

TRAVEL companies with a good environmental record are increasingly gaining a commercial advantage, according to a study by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

Almost a third of consumers (29%) would be likely to choose one company over another based on their environmental record, up from one in five (19%) in 2011.

There is growing sentiment amongst consumers that it is the travel company's responsibility to be environmentally responsible. The majority (62%) believe that travel companies should ensure that their holidays help the environment, with only 5% disagreeing. One in four consumers believe that holidays should have an environmental and social rating.

ABTA’s head of destinations and sustainability, Nikki White, said: ‘This research shows that there is a growing appetite for holidays that are provided responsibly. The fact that younger consumers, aged 25-34, are the most likely to value companies with a good environmental record suggests that we will see demand for environmental credentials further increase in the future. 

‘The public are also very clear in their views that they see it as the industry’s job to take responsibility for this, and that there should also be certification systems in place such as ABTA’s Travelife scheme to ensure they can quickly and easily identify companies that are taking greater steps in sustainability.’

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The verdict on Thomas Cook: costs before customers

A REVIEW of health and safety practices at Thomas Cook following the deaths of two children in Corfu has found that parts of the business put profit before people. 

In a wide-ranging report, written by former Sainsbury's boss Justin King, the tour operator was accused of having a tendency to ‘protect cost rather than maximise the customer experience’.

Mr King, reports Sky News, painted a picture of #ThomasCook as a dysfunctional business, with in-resort staff not empowered to resolve customer crises and equipped so poorly that they frequently had no access to the company’s own website.

He also urged the company and its rivals to re-think the level of disclosure they provide to their customers in areas such as health and safety risk in the wake of the tragedy. He said the travel industry must provide consumers with better information about ‎their rights and the standards they should expect when they travel abroad.

‘The industry has a collective responsibility to help its customers identify real value for money – not just the lowest price’, he said.

Mr King was asked earlier this year by Peter Fankhauser, Thomas Cook's chief executive, ‎to examine the company's approach to such issues following an outcry over its response to the  deaths of Bobby and Christi Shepherd in Corfu in 2006.

The children died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a faulty boiler. An inquest jury ruled  in May that they were unlawfully killed. The jury said that Thomas Cook had breached its duty of care towards them after the company had been accused of obstructing their family's efforts to uncover the facts surrounding their deaths. Repeated complaints about Thomas Cook's attitude led its chief executive to publicly apologize‎, but only after it emerged that the company had received a larger compensation payout than the family.

Thomas Cook is now working with Sharon Wood, the mother of the Shepherd children, on a carbon monoxide awareness initiative, which it said on Monday would be launched on November 16.

Mr King also questioned whether the Association of British Travel Agents was well-placed to represent a radically changed travel industry.

In its response to Mr King’s report, Thomas Cook said it ‘made for uncomfortable reading in parts’, but added that it had ‘not stood still since the review was commissioned’. The company pledged to immediately increase the number of staff working overseas and to launch this month a 24-hour hotel satisfaction promise that would empower reps to solve issues in resorts, alongside an additional financial commitment to guarantee that hotels live up to the descriptions that the company provides.

Mr Fankhauser said: ‘It took us nine years to correct the mistakes of the past and to do what everyone would have expected of us; treat the family with the respect and empathy they deserve. We had to learn from this tragedy and do things differently, and this remains our commitment.’


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No complaints … we’re British!

ALMOST a third of Brits (31%) believe general holiday standards have dropped in the last 20 years, according to a report published by consumer holiday watchdog, HolidayTravelWatch. But the report also found that despite this alarming trend, more than a fifth of respondents (22%) still do not complain.

The inaugural Holiday Standards Report investigated holiday standards over the last two decades and Brits’ opinions and experiences of travelling abroad.

Survey respondents cited essential factors such as cleanliness (45%), food standards (39%), and customer service (30%) as three main disappointments.

After the terrorist attacks in Tunisia and Turkey, a quarter of respondents said they believed safety standards in resorts had declined.

It might be unsurprising, then, that more than four in ten British families now holiday less than they did two decades ago. Although money problems were given as the most common reason cited (64%), most consumers noted dissatisfaction with cost versus experience. More than four in ten believe value-for-money isn’t what it was two decades ago.

However, more than a fifth of respondents do not complain when faced with below-par standards. Almost a third (30%) say they aren’t confident they will get a satisfactory resolution, while 27% say a lack of confidence stops them complaining. . Almost a fifth (19%) say they have experienced intimidation of one kind or another when they have tried to complain while on holiday.

Frank Brehany, consumer director at HolidayTravelWatch says: ‘We have heard for years about holidaymakers being intimidated when making complaints. Threats have ranged from verbal aggression, rooms being searched for “evidence”, being shadowed by security staff, to physical threats or threats of being arrested. But make that complaint! If you are threatened you should speak to the UK embassy in the country you are visiting; they can advise you on how to deal with any issues.’

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Ryanair, Easyjet, Flybe fail in customer service poll

RYANAIR, EASYJET, AND FLYBE have come near the bottom of a table of 100 top brands ranked for their customer service. The airlines fared poorly in the UK poll commissioned by consumer association, Which?.

The survey of 3,500 consumers ranked Ryanair in joint 95th position alongside Vodafone, with a customer service score of 66%.

EasyJet and Flybe were joint 89th place with a score of 69%.

First Choice was in 51st position alongside the likes of Asda, Morrisons, and Ikea, scoring 74%. Sister Tui Group operator Thomson and rival Thomas Cook fared marginally better in joint 35th place with Tesco, Boots, Game Retail, Wickes, and HSBC with a score of 76%.

British Airways was the top-ranked travel business, in 27th position.

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Up in the air …

easyJet faces overbooking accusations – easyJet faces accusations of ruining holidays by over-selling thousands of peak season flights, forcing family groups to fly separately. Some passengers were even sent to airports across the country to board a different aircraft. 

Figures from the complaints handling website Resolver showed that more customers complained about being bumped off easyJet flights than all the other airlines put together, The Times reports. The budget carrier accounted for more than three quarters of complaints.

A spokesman for the airline said that it received the most complaints because it was the UK’s biggest airline. He added that denied boarding caused by overbooking was extremely rare. He told The Independent that 2.6 million easyJet passengers a year fail to show up for booked flights.

Air passenger numbers near pre-recession levels –UK airports handled 50.2 million passengers between January and March this year, according to the Civil Aviation Authority’s quarterly Aviation Trends report. It was the highest recorded quarterly figure since before the start of the 2008 global financial crisis.

While passenger numbers rose, airline punctuality dropped at London airports from 84% last year to 80% and from 86% to 81% at regional airports compared with the same quarter in 2014. The overall on-time performance at all UK airports dropped from 85% to 80%.

Increase in families crossing England-Scotland border for flights – The
Barrhead Travel group says it has seen an 18% increase in the number of holidaymakers from England choosing to depart from Scottish airports for their summer holidays. The company attributes the rise in numbers to the difference in the price of trips during Scottish and English school holiday periods. As children in Scotland go back to school two weeks before English children, Barrhead believes English families are booking cheaper flights from Scotland after that country’s school holidays have ended. 


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Luxury villa firm collapses

A HOLIDAY firm specializing in #luxuryvillarentals in #Ibiza, Majorca, and Formentera has collapsed at the start of the peak summer season. Families arrived on Ibiza to find their holiday plans ruined after Essex-based International Villas stopped trading and went into voluntary liquidation.

The company’s website confirmed that #InternationalVillas had ceased trading and that a rescue package was being worked on.

Roberto San Esteban, president of an Ibiza-based holiday lets' association, told the Daily Mail that three British families were among five groups which contacted members on Saturday after flying to the island to find they had nowhere to stay.

‘Some of the home-owners who co-operate with us say they've received only 30% of their full payment, or a week instead of two, and they're not prepared to let holidaymakers in unless they receive what they're owed.

‘We're helping out where we can, but in cases where International Villas were managing a property on an exclusive basis it's impossible sometimes to track down the home-owner so we can attempt to reach a solution.’

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UK travel spend at highest level for two years

CONSUMER spending on travel grew by 8.4% in the last quarter, the highest level since the second quarter of 2013.

Spending on hotels rose by 6.9% and on airlines by 4.1%, according to the Barclaycard Spend Report for the second quarter of the year.

Growth looks set to continue as 43% of UK consumers say that they are more likely to holiday in Europe this year to take advantage of the weaker euro.

But there is some evidence that the ongoing question mark around Greece’s future in the eurozone is having an impact on travel plans. As a result of this uncertainty, and doubts around the security of holidaying abroad, a quarter of holidaymakers are opting for a UK domestic break this summer.

Among those who still plan to head overseas, Spain, the US, and Italy are the leading choices.

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EU’s package travel directive will ‘disadvantage’ consumers

THE head of a UK government advisory committee has warned that the European Union’s Package Travel Directive threatens ‘real disadvantage’ to consumers.

John Cox, chairman of the Air Travel Insolvency Protection Advisory Committee (ATIPAC), said: ‘How does a customer unfortunate enough to have their travel company go bankrupt navigate a situation where the company may not be established in the UK? How do you ensure the customer is adequately protected?’

The directive, due to come into force in 2017, will move responsibility for regulation from the country where a holiday is sold to the jurisdiction in which the holiday company is ‘established’.

Mr Cox said: ‘You could have a UK customer of a tour operator based in any member state. We have to take it on trust that the regulator in that state has been as rigorous as it should be.’

In its annual report, ATIPAC warned: ‘It will require strict enforcement from the European Commission to ensure protection is consistently applied. If there is an insolvency, who does the customer contact? This has the potential for real disadvantage. Confusion is almost a certain. History does not inspire me with confidence.’

ATIPAC looked into the Spanish system after Low Cost Holidays re-located to Majorca in November 2013, and found: ‘Responsibility [in Spain] is delegated to regional governments. It would mean consumers having to go through the Spanish court system to establish a claim, and there is no fund to pay for repatriation or refunds.

‘Most tour operators will maintain businesses in different member states to take advantage of re-assuring customers that the local scheme applies. But where that is not the case, how is the consumer expected to understand how the scheme applies and how to make a claim? What is the process? You can imagine all kinds of claims management companies being established to deal with this. We can see Citizens Advice being inundated as soon as a company fails.’

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Price probe at Disneyland Paris

ALLEGATIONS that Disneyland Paris charges foreign tourists more than its French customers could lead to a European Commission investigation, the Financial Times (FT) reports. 

A commission assessment found that British customers could be paying up to 15% more for one-day tickets, the paper said. 

The FT added that for premium packages UK visitors to the park could be paying €1,870 (£1,327), compared with €1,346 (£955) for French ticketholders and €2,447 (£1,736) for Germans.

European Union rules prohibit price differences based on a customer’s country of residence.

Disneyland Paris said its promotions were based on school holiday periods in local markets, adding that basic packages without promotional discounts were the same across all states.
The EU assessed prices of other theme parks in Europe and did not find the same variation, according to the FT. 

Elzbieta Bienkowska, EU commissioner for the single market, said there had been a number of complaints which were ‘very significant, particularly in one or two instances’.

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Flying with kids?

WITH the school summer holiday period approaching, Airport Parking and Hotels (APH) has compared facilities available for parents travelling with infants and children on major airlines. The research is available in a comprehensive guide that can be found in the Know Before You Go section of the APH website … at www.aph.com/childrensfacilities. 

The research compares the facilities for infants and children across 20 major airlines including Aer Lingus, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, and Virgin Atlantic, highlighting the on-board changing facilities, children's meals, difference in cost for a child's ticket, and the rules for children when travelling unaccompanied.

Of the 20 airlines researched, nine airlines charge an infant fare when sitting on a parent's lap at 10% of an adult fare, whereas the remaining 11 airlines allow infants to travel on an adult's lap at no additional cost. Meanwhile, for a child's fare, the rates differ depending on the airline. For example, for travellers flying with American Airlines, a child's fare is 25% of an adult's fare, but with Atlantic Airways, it’s 50%.

www.aph.com 

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Car hire in Spain? Beware those hidden extra €s

HOLIDAYMAKERS renting cars in #Spain this summer need to be most on their guard for ‘sneaky tactics’ used by suppliers, says car hire broker Economy Car Hire, which has identified six ways in which consumers could be caught out.

They are:

• Admin fees: Some suppliers offer what's known as a ‘full-full' policy, but slap on an admin charge. This means you when you collect the car it has a full tank and you must return it with a full tank. When you return the car, you get a refund for the tank, minus the admin charge which is typically €25-€40 (£18.40-£29.50). 

• Credit card charges: You're told to pay for extras such as a satnav or child car seat in sterling at a very poor exchange rate.

• Pre-existing damage: You're made liable for damage which was already on the car when you collected it.

• Diesel surcharge: You're hit with a €10-€15 (£7.35-£11) surcharge when you're given a diesel car, even though you didn't ask for one.

• Sealed agreements: You sign your rental agreement digitally and the printed copy is handed over in a sealed envelope, so you only spot any nasty surprises when it's too late.

• Insurance hard sell: You're pressured take out local cover, even though you bought it before travelling.

The firm also highlights tactics used in other countries, such as the UK, US, France, Turkey, Italy, and South Africa which range from charging for damage that was already on the car through to ‘out of hours’ vehicle collection fees.

Economy Car Hire managing director, Rory Sexton, said: ‘Dirty tricks are more prevalent in certain countries than others, with customers reporting fewer issues in countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Switzerland. 

If you are going somewhere where sneaky tactics are often used, make sure you scrutinize the terms of their booking in advance, and read the rental contract carefully when collecting the car. It's always a good idea to book through a broker in the UK which will provide the protection of UK consumer law.’

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