Rental car firms treble prices over festive season

CAR-HIRE firms are jacking up their Christmas prices by as much as three times the standard rates, consumer watchdogs revealed last night.

Researchers asked four car-hire firms their prices for the first two weeks in December and then a two-week period covering Christmas and the new year.

They found prices at four hire firms increased by as much as €496 between early December and Christmas for tourists wanting to hire the same model car for a fortnight.

Avis quoted €258 for two weeks in early December but €546 for a fortnight over the Christmas and new year period, a rise of €288 or 112%.

Budget gave a quote of €209 for the first two weeks in December but €705 for the period December 22 to January 5 — a difference of €496 or 237%.

The Consumers’ Association of Ireland (CAI) also compared prices of Hertz and Argus, finding rises of €398 (136%) and €372 (171%) respectively.

Last night, CAI boss Dermott Jewell said: “We appreciate that demand for hire cars is high at this time of year but even the conventional laws of supply and demand are being stretched here.”

The CAI has carried out the same price survey since 2004 and has continually found steep rises in prices charged by car hire firms over Christmas and new year.

“What is it about car hire firms in the Republic of Ireland that they feel they can double or treble prices like this?” said Mr Jewell.

CAI researcher John Cradden also checked prices between the same dates with the four rental firms at Belfast International and at Paris Charles de Gaulle airports.

He found rises of €82 to €178 at Belfast when comparing rental prices over the same period.

But the car hire firms at Paris imposed no increases apart from Argus, which increased rates by 8%.

The CAI obtained the prices from the four car-hire firms for a small car like a Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio or Opel Corsa from their websites.