Irish Car Rentals drops Over 75s Ban

Christian Brother Anthony White has won a settlement from Irish Car Rentals forcing the removal of the additional insurance charges on elderly drivers. The settlement has been warmly welcomed by both the Equality Tribunal and Age Action.

Brother White was forced to pay an ‘age surcharge’ of €25 per day when he picked his car up in 2006, an increase of 33% of the normal rental cost. It was also the policy of Irish Car Rentals to not rent to drivers over the age of 75, which would mean Brother White would not have been able to rent a car on his next visit to Ireland.

“Brother White, who had held a Heavy Vehicle Licence in Australia for over 50 years, objected and raised the issue firstly with the hire company, Irish Car Rentals Limited, and then with the Equality Authority.” – Irish Times

Following this development, Irish Car Rentals has abolished the surcharge placed on older drivers and the ban on renting to drivers over the age of 75. In place of these measures, Irish Car Rentals has introduced a safety assessment form which takes into account the particulars of each driver in terms of health, existing insurance coverage and driving experience.

“The use of lower and upper age limits to govern access to insurance products and financial and other services is a widespread problem. Age limits exclude people without any consideration of their individual circumstances. This settlement represents another step in eradicating the exclusion of older people by means of age limits. All car hire companies should urgently review their current policies and practices and remove any remaining age limits to ensure that they comply with the Equal Status Acts”.” – Niall Crowley, Equality Authority

Age Action commented that the case highlighted the unfair nature of a blanket ban on drivers over 75.

“It is unacceptable that a person who can legally drive their own car in Ireland or is legally allowed to drive in their own country should be refused rental of a vehicle based on their age, or should face an increased charge as a result of their age,” Eamon Timmins, Age Action

It still waits to be seen how the other car rental companies react but I think it is safe to say that change is on the cards for most if not all car rental companies and it won’t be long before the Car Rental Council comments.

Related Stories
- Elderly driver forces car hire firm to change ageist policies
- Car-hire company drops over-75s ban

Bookmark This:

Hertz Car Rental Site Review

Hertz car rental are one of the largest providers of car rentals in the Irish market. Hertz have many locations throughout Ireland: Cork Airport, Donegal Airport, Dublin Airport, Dublin City, Galway Airport, Kerry Airport, Knock Airport, Shannon Airport, Sligo Airport, Waterford Airport and Rosslare Ferryport. While the website is nicely laid out, there are a number of interesting features including the online check in and the rent a green collection car.

The online check in feature allows you to check in for your car online which in turn would allow you to pick up the car quicker. This option is restricted to #1 Club members. The ‘Rent a Green Collection Car‘ feature is a nice touch. Car rental companies traditionally struggle to minimize their effect on the environment due to the nature of the business they are in, but giving people the option to book environmentally responsible cars is a nice feature. Cars offered within the green collection are decided based on a formula and weighted CO2 output levels.

The Hertz website, while feature rich is a carbon copy of the Hertz.com website and as such can be hard to navigate. In essence the website is an Irish version of the hertz.com website, but this brings about several issues. For example, if you wanted to select a location from the many Hertz have in Ireland, you would have to know the address, airport code, or have to pick Ireland from a list of countries. For me, this just makes the process of getting information overly complicated. Three steps could be removed from this process and it would be easier to use.

This issue is replicated over and over throughout the website. One would think if you were on Hertz.ie, the car rental booking engine would be set up for Ireland. As we know from above, Hertz have locations in Rosslare Ferryport, but the input allowed is for areas with an airport code only. If I search for Rosslare Ferryport, the website is unable to find a location. If I navigate through the locations list under Ireland and select Rosslare Ferryport, and select that particular location for a rental, I’m and told to refer to “Rental Qualifications & requirements for After Hours.”

As Hertz is one of largest car rental companies in Ireland, other people must not find the same issues as I do with their website. I however, would of long ago moved on to another service provider at my chosen location.

Bookmark This:

Five Tips for Renting a Car in Ireland

With so much beautiful and unique countryside to be explored in Ireland, the choice over and actual booking of a rental car can be a major decision. If you make the right decision, the car rental can enhance your trip while a poor decision can have the opposite effect. All of the car rental Ireland firms offer a wide range of vehicles and configurations in both manual and automatic. While there is no point booking something that is too big for your needs, there is nothing as bad as booking something that is too small. The process of renting a car in Ireland is the same as in all other major destinations.

1 – Book in Advance for Better Deals

The car rental market in Ireland is an active market with many competing firms. While there may be unlimited availability during the winter, the availability of car rentals at last minute during the peak months in Ireland will either be very limited or nonexistent. It goes without saying that the earlier you book the better deal you will get. Generally speaking as availability goes down prices will go up.

2 – Shop Around

There is no shortage of suppliers in the Irish market with the entire major international car rental companies represented. For the best deal shop around the major players and pick a car rental company who offers you the best deal. Avis, Hertz, Budget and Thrifty are all represented at the three biggest International airports in Ireland. The last thing you will want to have to do is book your car rental on the ground at any of the airports where prices can be very expensive.

3 – Ask what’s included in The Rate

The rates that are offered on Irish Car Rental websites are fully inclusive of your basic insurance (CDW). All of the Irish car rental firms have an excess with each car rental. This excess can be removed by purchasing additional insurance. If you choose to stick with the CDW the excess will be blocked off on your credit card until you return the vehicle. Additional charges such as one way fees and the Airport surcharge can make a big difference to your rate.

4 – Plan Your Trip in Advance

Before you book your car rental, you should plan your trip to Ireland in sufficient detail. Mistakes such as booking a car that is too small for the amount of passengers or people are often made by people. You will want to travel around Ireland in relevant comfort.

5 – Upon Arrival Check for Special Offers or Upgrades

Once you arrive to pick up your car, there could be some fantastic offers of upgrades. For a small additional cost you may be able to change your mid sized vehicle to a luxury vehicle and have the chance to drive something a little bit special. If you are willing to invest a small amount more into the cost of your car rental, you may be able to rent a luxury car such as a Mercedes or something more fun like a Mini.

Bookmark This: