France has become a no-go area if you hire a car from Firefly in Spain

We have a house in France not far from the Spanish border. In February I booked return flights to Girona in Spain, as Ryanair does not fly to Perpignan in winter.

As usual, I clicked on Ryanair's website to book car hire through Hertz and found myself redirected to Firefly Car Rental. I was suspicious and called Hertz, who told me that Firefly was a subsidiary and that the terms and conditions would be the same.

I went ahead and booked. But when we arrived at Girona, there was a makeshift sign on the desk where Hertz used to be, saying Firefly.

In front of us were another British couple who were being told that Firefly cars were not insured for France and if they chose to drive over the border they would be doing so uninsured.

We were told the same story. The assistant was almost in tears and I got the impression that she had been telling this story to a number of unhappy customers. We cancelled and hired a car through Europcar.

I have been charged very little but I'm concerned that many people holidaying in France will book their car through Firefly, only to discover that their booking is worthless because they cannot drive across the border. SL, Buckinghamshire

Hertz, which used to allow forays into France for no extra charge, has withdrawn from Girona airport and left the field clear for its budget subsidiary, Firefly. The blanket restriction on crossing borders is unusual.

"Generally, rental companies are happy for customers to drive rental vehicles across Europe, though they may charge for this," says a spokesman for the British Vehicle Leasing & Rental Association.

Firefly has finally twigged and tells me that, as of 1 April, it now offers extra insurance at a daily rate for customers who wish to cross to France.

All most promising … except that the terms and conditions on its website still state categorically that travel outside Spain is a breach of contract. According to Firefly this is due to a "delay" in updating the website. The terms and conditions on the Ryanair booking form were unavailable when I tried. Online review sites suggest that this issue is not the company's only deficiency.

Always read the small print before committing (if you can find it!).

If you need help email Anna Tims at your.problems@observer.co.uk or write to Your Problems, The Observer, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU. Include an address and phone number.

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