Car hire - anyone got any recommendations?

poolieinnottingham · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2007 7:01 pm

I need to hire a car for a week in summer.

Can anyone recommend a firm to use?

Mr Irrelevant · **Joined:** Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:25 pm **Posts:** 22599

Anyone but easycar. I might be able to get you a decent deal, the MD of Beeston Van Hire is an old mate of mine. what are you looking for?

poolieinnottingham · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2007 7:42 pm

Cheers Mr I.

Estate, Focus sized or bigger.

Mr Irrelevant · **Joined:** Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:25 pm **Posts:** 22599

I'll ask but be prepared for a hatchback, car hire companies don't generally do a lot of estates.

poolieinnottingham · **Posted:** Wed May 02, 2007 10:47 pm

Cheers. If estates are a no goer, a people carrier will do (Megane Scenic sized is OK). Basically to cart round four people with loads of luggage.

Mr Irrelevant · **Joined:** Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:25 pm **Posts:** 22599

poolieinnottingham wrote:

Cheers. If estates are a no goer, a people carrier will do (Megane Scenic sized is OK). Basically to cart round four people with loads of luggage.

How about a mondeo? they have a boot the size of a small country.

Mr Irrelevant · **Joined:** Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:25 pm **Posts:** 22599

chip fireball wrote:

enterprise are shiit too. avoid them like the plague.

i work for help-hire. id like to say we are brilliant but.... it depends which of our branches you use. we can get you an ice cream van or a hearse if you want one. theres nothing we dont have. however you would normally have to wreck your own car before you would get one off us.

small local firms are your best bet altough they may not have the exact vehicle you want.

one thing i would say though is do not take out the collision damage waiver they will try and flog you. its a rip-off and its how they make their coin.

Aha Mr Fireball, having been the MD of a vehicle rental company (A Northgate subsidiary) this is something I know a little about and on the CDW, it depends on what we are talking about. Traditional CDW is fair enough £8 - £10 a day to insure a car is fine but the car rental companies introduced and additional waiver at exorbitant prices. This is what I think you're referring to.

From the perspective of the business; all self drive hire cars are insured by law for any driver on the rental agreement however they can't charge extra for insurance otherwise parts of the T&C's would contradict. If you didn't take any CDW you would be driving a car third party only so if it got damaged or stolen then youd better be getting your credit card out.

Anyway its academic, I don't know a single hire company that will rent a car on private hire without standard CDW being taken.

As for the bit about "it depends on which of our branches you use' its the same story industry wide mate. Doesn't matter which company - same old shit just a different name over the door.

Dugoutpaddy · **Joined:** Sat Sep 02, 2006 10:23 am **Posts:** 1772

chip fireball wrote:

enterprise are shiit too. avoid them like the plague.

i work for help-hire. id like to say we are brilliant but.... it depends which of our branches you use. we can get you an ice cream van or a hearse if you want one. theres nothing we dont have. however you would normally have to wreck your own car before you would get one off us.

small local firms are your best bet altough they may not have the exact vehicle you want.

one thing i would say though is do not take out the collision damage waiver they will try and flog you. its a rip-off and its how they make their coin.

I have used Enterprise on a couple of occasions and found them to be spot on to deal with, even gave me a brand new Mondeo for the price of an Astra,
luuuurverly

SLowdown · **Joined:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:33 pm **Posts:** 115

Pricewise I tend to use a consolidator. http://www.holidayautos.co.uk will save you a few££££. You don't know which company you're going to get until you've finished the booking but it will be one of the major names. Use them regularly never had a problem.

poolieinnottingham · **Posted:** Thu May 03, 2007 7:54 am

Thanks for all the advice lads.

Mr I, if you could sort out a discounted Mondeo for me from Beeston Van Hire I would be very grateful. I live literally round the corner from them.

SLowdown · **Joined:** Fri Mar 16, 2007 1:33 pm **Posts:** 115

They do lots of estates too!!

Mr Irrelevant · **Joined:** Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:25 pm **Posts:** 22599

poolieinnottingham wrote:

Thanks for all the advice lads.

Mr I, if you could sort out a discounted Mondeo for me from Beeston Van Hire I would be very grateful. I live literally round the corner from them.

I'll have a word today.

Car hire - anyone got any recommendations?

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