{"id":22847,"date":"2019-06-17T13:47:05","date_gmt":"2019-06-17T12:47:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/?p=22847"},"modified":"2025-08-20T09:39:03","modified_gmt":"2025-08-20T08:39:03","slug":"the-hard-sell-why-it-happens-and-how-to-say-no","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.zestcarrental.com\/blog\/the-hard-sell-why-it-happens-and-how-to-say-no\/","title":{"rendered":"The hard sell: Why it happens and how to say no"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the hard sell?<\/h2>\n

If you’ve ever hired a car and at the pickup desk had a rep forcibly tell you that you need their extra, super expensive insurance, then you’ve experienced the hard sell.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s a tactic used by some less reputable car hire providers and even encouraged by some brokers, where the car hire provider rep will be pushy about the customer taking out their expensive insurance right there at the desk. Sometimes even going as far as saying that the customer will be charged if they don’t take the insurance. Reps can be rude and relentless when doing this, refusing to give the customer the car until the customer gives up and pays for the extra insurance.<\/p>\n

This hard sell is a problem and it’s something we want to raise awareness of.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Why does the hard sell happen?<\/h2>\n

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To explain why this happens, we have to look at the price of car hire with companies that typically do this. You’re far more likely to experience the hard sell if you were to book with a seriously low priced company. For example, companies who advertise car hire for 2.06 EUR for a full 7 days. It goes without saying that no customer will ever end up just paying 2.06 EUR for that hire. This is where the hard sell comes in. To make up for the absurdly low prices, car hire companies forcibly upsell extra insurance. The company can then try to make up more money with damage charges and extra fees. Car hire companies charge a really low headline price and make up their profits by charging the customer for extras, we also call this the budget airline effect.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

If you’ve not booked stupidly low priced car hire and still experience the hard sell, it could just be a bad habit on the side of the provider. We actively discourage this behaviour, and if we find a company doing it consistently, we are quick to stop working with them.<\/p>\n

How to say no to the hard sell<\/h2>\n

Although it can feel like you’re being pressured to say yes, you can always politely decline the extra products. There are some small caveats to this which we’ll explain below, but for most people, it is ok to just say a firm no to any expensive extras you’re being offered. As long as you’re polite and firm with your answer, you should be ok. If a rep is being persistent, we’re always available to help out if you get in touch.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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The hard sell and Zest<\/span><\/h2>\n

Unlike most car hire brokers, we actively discourage this sort of behaviour. We’re always monitoring the service of the providers we use and we will stop working with any who continue to do it. By default, booking through us ensures that you have everything you need to drive away. Of course, if you feel like you want the extra protection we do offer optional Top-up Insurance<\/a> but you can take out the provider’s local insurance if you so wish. In our experience, our Top-up insurance offers complete protection, but which cover you take out is completely up to you.<\/p>\n

This is sometimes why our prices are not the lowest in the market. We’d rather offer a comprehensive, simple package to our customers, instead of bargain basement prices with hidden charges and hard upsells.<\/p>\n

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Some caveats about the hard sell<\/h2>\n

Sometimes, a rep can be really pushy about extra insurance for a valid reason. Of course, these will always be made clear to you when booking so there are no surprises at the desk.<\/p>\n

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  • Young and old drivers are often required to take out extra insurance.<\/li>\n
  • If a security deposit is required and you don’t have a valid credit card in the driver’s name. The local insurance can sometimes waive the need for a deposit.<\/li>\n
  • Out of choice, some people simply prefer to take out this insurance and not leave a deposit. Which is fine if that’s what you prefer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
    <\/div>\n