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Hire cars

Charltonparklane
Charltonparklane Posts: 5,786
edited May 2012 in Not Sports Related
Going away for the weekend withies us and kids on 15th June. Want to hire a bigger car, anybody know any cheap hire places or recommend anybody??? Cheers

Comments

  • Charltonparklane
    Charltonparklane Posts: 5,786
    'With missus and kids'

    Frickin fat fingers and I phone.
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    I read the money pages of the papers a lot, and hire car companies have loads of scams and angles. from what I can see it seems best to pay in cash, so they can't raid your credit/debit card later for 'problems' that have magically appeared.
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,388
    I read the money pages of the papers a lot, and hire car companies have loads of scams and angles. from what I can see it seems best to pay in cash, so they can't raid your credit/debit card later for 'problems' that have magically appeared.
    Good luck trying to find a car hire firm that takes cash! No credit card - no car seems to be standard.
    From their point of view they do like people to bring the cars back and a credit card pre-authorisation goes a long way towards achieving that.

    I've used these on-line firms:
    vroomvroomvroom.co.uk/
    auto-europe.co.uk/
    and carhireagency.com/index.php

    The last one is very good for the USA but I've never used them for the UK.

    Vroom Vroom Vroom was very competitive for UK hire last time I tried them but things change.

    In the main, try to get a deal which includes no excess in the event of damage. (or buy seperate insurance elsewhere maybe).
    If you are happy taking a lower hire rate in exchange for taking the risk of paying the excess in the event of damage (which I do a lot) make sure you check out the car very, very carefully indeed when you collect it.
    On the outside search for every single little dent and scratch (don't forget to look at alloy wheels and the roof in particular).
    On the inside look particularly for damage to seats (especially fag burns).
    Get everything that's not perfect, however small, recorded on the documentation.
    Oh, do check the spare - if it's missing or flat - reject the car.
    When you return it, if the staff haven't got time/can't be bothered to check it in properly and sign it off as undamaged, make sure you take good quality, dated and timed photos of every wing, front and back and the interior.
    In addition they will try to charge you a lot of money for a deep clean if you smoke in the vehicle.

    It may be useful to the CL community to report back on how you got on.
  • DA9
    DA9 Posts: 11,185
    edited May 2012
    Go to Dartford Motors, ask for Brad or Pam, tell them their ex colleague Charlton fan sent you, they take cash but require a card for security, used to work there for 5 years, local, friendly and no scams.

    www.dartfordmotors.com
  • stilladdicted
    stilladdicted Posts: 4,307
    We have used car hire quite a bit over the years and have been subjected to 3 attempted scams, including one by Hertz in Turkey and another following a no fault car accident and being supplied with a 'free car' by an insurance nominated car hire company in London ( Enterprise). They said we had broken the bumper, I had photos to prove otherwise. But it's still a lot of hassle getting it all sorted, so we now find it easiest to have a little needed 'spare' credit card so that we can report the card as 'missing' the moment the undamaged, full of petrol car, is returned. Cafc has given you the low down on what to do and s/he's spot on with the advice.
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    Sheesh CAFC, make you wonder if it's all worth it, and it looks as if all those stories of hire company scams are true too. I realise some people abuse the car, and the companies need to deal with that, but it seems that in going after the bad customers the hire companies have found a good way to scam and squeeze the ordinary person.
    Like the idea of the one off credit card to head off the companies that would drain your account and rack up all the extras.
  • ChicagoAddick
    ChicagoAddick Posts: 4,466
    I have spend literally thousands on hire cars since I moved away from the UK. Try http://www.carhire3000.com/
    They are my recent find.

    Read small print always though.
  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,388
    A single use credit card might not help you. The car hire company will swipe the card and get pre-authorisation for the rental charge (if not pre-paid by voucher if using an on-line site) AND the total for the excess amount together with any other charges like petrol or child seat. This amount - or at least the actual amount due - will not actually be taken from the card until the rental is over but will reduce the available credit balance on the card. The card company will therefore be able to see when the pre-authorisation was made and would be highly suspicious of any later claims that the card had been lost/stolen, particularly if the card had little previous use. A quick cross check with the hire company on details of your driver's licence and, well you get the picture - you're buggered - the card company will pursue you for the money, your credit rating will have gone straight down the toilet and you might even get a visit from your friendly neighbourhood plod.
  • seth plum
    seth plum Posts: 53,448
    Bollocks lets walk instead.
  • mickc
    mickc Posts: 577
    Donkeys are cheap, no insurance, petrol or flat tyres and in some countries you could px the wife.

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  • Charltonparklane
    Charltonparklane Posts: 5,786
    Not far, only Sussex but the focus ain't gonna cut it with two teenagers and a four month old, pram, car seat etc.

    Thanks for all comments
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 16,437
    have used Brentons of Blackheath a few times and never had any problems, always got a nice motor at a very reasonable price, used to collect and drop off from their depot in Greenwich
  • Charltonparklane
    Charltonparklane Posts: 5,786
    D Brentons don't do self drive hire no more.
  • Elthamaddick
    Elthamaddick Posts: 16,437
    it's been a few years since I used them admittedly mate!
  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 30,632
    edited July 9
    Returned from Ireland yesterday. Had a hire car, upon return I was informed of damage to the car. I have used Europcar 4 times in since last September at Knock airport.


    I don’t think I did it, however I didn’t spot it when I picked up the car. They’ve charged me €290 for the “damage”. T cut would probably remove it.

    I’ve emailed them and basically told them they taking the piss & they won’t be getting my business again.

    i have hire car excess insurance, but that’s not the point. 

  • MuttleyCAFC
    MuttleyCAFC Posts: 48,313
    edited July 9
    What annoys me is when you are given the car they are often annoyed when you check it meticulously. I have found on occasions marks and bumps not shown on the exsisting damage sheet and have been usually told, oh don't worry about that. I always get them to list it. Bastards! You have to be anal about it sadly.
  • hoof_it_up_to_benty
    hoof_it_up_to_benty Posts: 23,094
    Always use Enterprise.
  • guinnessaddick
    guinnessaddick Posts: 30,632
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    What annoys me is when you are given the car they are often annoyed when you check it meticulously. I have found on occasions marks and bumps not shown on the exsisting damage sheet and have been usually told, oh don't worry about that. I always get them to list it. Bastards! You have to be anal about it sadly.
    I did take photos, but didn’t notice  anything on the mirror, would have to had a magnifying glass.  

    When I started the car, it said service was due, I went back into the office and told them, they replied go on ahead. 

    Awaiting their response to my email.
  • MuttleyCAFC
    MuttleyCAFC Posts: 48,313
    guinnessaddick said:
    MuttleyCAFC said:
    What annoys me is when you are given the car they are often annoyed when you check it meticulously. I have found on occasions marks and bumps not shown on the exsisting damage sheet and have been usually told, oh don't worry about that. I always get them to list it. Bastards! You have to be anal about it sadly.
    I did take photos, but didn’t notice  anything on the mirror, would have to had a magnifying glass.  

    When I started the car, it said service was due, I went back into the office and told them, they replied go on ahead. 

    Awaiting their response to my email.
    Yes, you shouldn't have to. One thing about the modern day is that normal companies now behave like crooks in many cases.
  • Carter
    Carter Posts: 14,669
    They know 90% of people don't properly check the cars when they pick them up and if they do they make it, at best, seem an inconvenience, mostly say its fine then try and gubb you like that. 

    Don't get me wrong, I hate pisstakers, the ones who ruin it for everyone by trashing things they do not own however £290 for that regardless of whether you did it or not is an outrageous liberty 

    Enterprise, who are usually excellent with me tried to claim a massive chunk missing out of an alloy was down to me thankfully I'd done a video round the car when I picked it up as I was getting it in the early hours during darkness so thought something would get missed. 

    Vans are the worst, I got one back in 2021 and fair play to them I asked if they wanted to go over the vehicle their response "mate if you drove that into a ditch you would probably improve it, don't worry about anything unless you have a crash". I'll use them again just for that

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  • jonseventyfive
    jonseventyfive Posts: 3,525
    Nothing handles like a hire car 🚗 
  • gringo
    gringo Posts: 1,211
    jonseventyfive said:
    Nothing handles like a hire car 🚗 
    or revs as high!
  • cafcnick1992
    cafcnick1992 Posts: 7,814
    Always take out the optional collion waiver insurance. One day you'll crash a hire car, and be grateful when a bill for £0 comes through.




  • cafcfan
    cafcfan Posts: 11,388
    cafcnick1992 said:
    Always take out the optional collion waiver insurance. One day you'll crash a hire car, and be grateful when a bill for £0 comes through.




    I would say NEVER take out the optional cwi with the rental company.  It is a massive rip-off. Instead pre-buy an excess policy either for your holiday or an annual policy if you rent a car regularly.

    (When they ask, I always say, no and add that if I damage it, I'll make sure it goes off a cliff so I get my money's worth from the excess charge.)

    It also hacks me off that they insist upon a credit card for the excess. It means you get hit for FX charges in both directions. Whereas I could slap it on a euro card and not get fees.
  • Big William
    Big William Posts: 3,944
    All you need to know

    https://youtu.be/dXSGImnCd3w?si=RjCk2vVxaoY6oHUd

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