Just back from Alps where I got snowed in. Went to boot of hire car (hired from Grenoble) no chains. Rang the hire car company (a quite major operator, I might add) who said I should have asked for them when I picked up the car. I pointed out that as chains are obligatory in mountain areas and other car hire companies I have used in skiiing areas provide them automatically I shouldn't have to ask in a skiing area in January for equipment that can be expected to be needed to make the car legal to drive nor make a special check to see that they have been provided. I wouldn't expect a hire car to be supplied without a spare tyre or warning triangle for example. The hire car company suggested I go and buy some as they couldn't help. I pointed out that a) I couldn't even move the car due to lack of chains and b) if I could, I would be breaking the law by driving to the the next town to buy the chains and c) I would spending my money to make up for their lack of safety equipment. I suggested very politely that this was not very helpful and despite the entire conversation being held without either party raising their voice, the person from The hire car company hung up on me.
I don't know if other hire cars make you pay extra for safety equipment but I thought others might like to know of one that does.
{Hire car company name removed and generalised. Naming the company itself wasn't so much the issue, but as you've also named the location they're based in, it's fallen foul of the no name / shame policy - DD}
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This seems like naming and shaming to me?
Anyway Speaking from experience.. This company does not supply snow chains as they are NOT considered a standard safety item regardless on where you travel. It is down the hirer to fit items like this to suit local byelaws etc. ( read your terms and conditions ) However if tyres or wheels are damaged by these chains then you are liable to charges.
If you travel to the Alps or indeed hire a car that will need special equipment without doing your homework then you are rather naive my friend.
>I shouldn't have to ask in a skiing area in January for equipment that can be expected to be needed to make the car legal>
C'mon! how do you expect the hire company to know where you are going to in Europe? As you travelled to Europe you where supplied with warning triangle, headlight stickers, insurance document etc in the Hire car company's pack that is mandatory when taking a hire car abroad from this company.
>I don't know if other hire cars make you pay extra for safety equipment >>
None of the other 'big 4' supply snow chains for the reason i have stated.
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Re-reading your post you seem to have misread mine. The car was hired in Grenoble on 30 Dec. It is reasonable to expect that a hire car at an airport serving Europe's biggest ski resorts in peak skiiing season is going to be serving mostly customers going skiing and if their policy is not to supply equipment that is going to be mandatory for most of their customers then they have a duty to at least point this out especially when other companies provide the equipment automatically.
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>>The car was hired in Grenoble on 30 Dec>>
D'oh!...........!
Thought Grenoble was in Scotland!!
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On many cars snow chains will not fit on std. tyres;to avoid fouling the wheel arch narrower tyres are needed.
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When booking a hire car in the winter months, the large rental companies do offer a "ski-enabled car" or something, and chains can be requested by the renter. At the very least the rental company will have fitted snow/winter tyres. I know several people who fly into Gerona or Perpignan each year and rent a car to go ski-ing in the Pyrenees. I recall one year a friend was even upgraded to a 4x4 (OK it was only a Renault Kangoo Trekka....!)
I think you need to request/specify chains etc. at time of booking, that's all.
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On many cars snow chains will not fit on std. tyres;to avoid fouling the wheel arch narrower tyres are needed.
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My Mondeo Ghia X manual says no tyre chains on the standard wheel / tyre combination.
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DD the whole point of naming the company is that this company differs from some others in charging extra for safety kit and expecting you to ask for it when it is reasonable to expect the majority of its users to need it. If you don't know which company it is then you negate any value in others knowing this. I'm not shaming them anyway, I'm pointing out a verifiable fact!
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I'm pointing out a verifiable fact!
Nsar, no offence, but I only have your word for that, hence the edit.
However, nothing in your post was altered that highlights a warning to others to check with the hire car company beforehand as to whether or not certain safety kit is included in the hire price or it's an extra charge.
DD.
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Slightly different line but the hypermarkets in France have snowchains starting at 15 Euros!
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