The problem with car hire comparison websites I realise there probably isn't anything you can do to help but I would like you to raise this lack of transparency on the Holiday Autos website. Gill Charlton, consumer expert, replies You can put your experience down, in part, to the rise of price-comparison websites. Because customers who use these sites largely buy on price, not quality, car rental brokers must offer attractive headline prices. The only way to do this is to use inferior franchises that will cut rates to the bone. These companies turn a profit only if they sell extra insurances and inflate the cost of a tank of fuel. I checked the relative cost of a week's hire in Malaga through Holiday Autos (using Advantage) in early October. A Vauxhall Corsa costs £58 per week including basic CDW. Opting for full cover (no excess) for damage and theft increases the cost to £91.25. Compare this with Europcar, which charges a basic £112 for a week's rental of a VW Polo, rising to £225 with full damage cover. I agree brokers should give customers a choice of rental companies where possible. Certainly the customer should know the name of the company being used and the precise cost of a tank of fuel before paying. Holiday Autos says it is currently "reviewing the way in which its customers complete and confirm their bookings." Meanwhile, as a goodwill gesture, it has transferred Mr Ashton's reservation to the better-known National Citer franchise at Bordeaux airport free of charge.