Car hire - again!

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ashtondav
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Car hire - again!

Postby ashtondav » Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:14 pm

Right.

A few years ago, when all the rental companies started the "full/empty" fuel surcharge and theft scam, and when Goldcar and Record started having queues back to passport control I made the following decision:

1. If using a "budget" option (usually through doyouspain), I use Centauro.
2. If using an up market option I use Hellehollis (using an ownersclub card)

In both cases I never buy the extra insurance but use insurance4carhire, so they put a few hundred euros on my creditcard and then refund it at the end.

For trips of less than ten days Hellehollis work out quite competitive because when you add the extra cost of fuel, and the fact you don't use 75% of it and add the cost of an extra driver, Centauro become quite expensive. For longer trips (and we're out 6 to 8 weeks sometimes) Hellehollis become nosebleedingly expensive, even though i love their fast-track service and overall quality.

For a good five years now I haven't really used anyone else. Tried Firefly(?) once and not particularly impressed, but now i'm thinking of trying someone new.

So here's the challenge. What do regular renters think is the best "budget" option and the best up market option?

In particular, have the rogues at Goldcar and RecordGo improved the diabolical customer service I encountered 4 or 5 years ago. And equally important have those queues shortened?

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Roz
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Roz » Tue Apr 22, 2014 5:31 pm

Check out malagacar.com

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Trigger
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Trigger » Tue Apr 22, 2014 6:53 pm

Just had a Fiat 500 (reasonably new) from Goldcar, booked through Doyouspain, for 10 days at the end of March and beginning of April. It said on the agreement that they would refund any petrol I had left. I took this with a pinch of salt and expected nothing back. To my surprise I have just had my credit card bill, the rental cost worked out at £87.06 and there was a refund for £10.72 for the less than quarter of a tank of petrol. Net cost, less than £77 for ten days. Seems reasonable to me.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Sandramay » Tue Apr 22, 2014 11:39 pm

I use Malagacar.com
From 30th March for eleven days I had a Seat Ibiza 5door, 8,000 on the clock for €47.74 (€4.34 per day) plus half a tank of petrol @ €33.22.
Like wise, I have car hire insurance, so they take €100 deposit but always recredit my card within a day of return. They meet and greet at the airport arrivals. I have used them for few years, they are not an agency, the cars are clean, with viz jacket and I have never had any problems with them, even when I needed to extend the hire because of the Icelandic dust disruption.
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anis
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby anis » Wed Apr 23, 2014 6:06 am

One of my guests had a late night arrival last week. You would have thought little queuing . He had booked a Goldcar and was made to wait one and a half hours so didn't get to us until past midnight with two little tots in tow. Not good impression.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Superplonk » Wed Apr 23, 2014 9:49 am

Two top tips:

1- Book as a walk-in customer. Then you can pick up your car directly from the office in the underground carpark where there is rarely a queue. If you give them flight details you have to queue at the office in the terminal with all the rabble.

2-Use Skyscanner etc to find the cheapest. I've booked (admittedly cheapest possible) a car for 8 days starting next week and the cost is £45 (sic). They will charge me too much for a full tank of petrol, but even so that is absurdly cheap.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby scotty » Thu Apr 24, 2014 3:26 pm

So how do the collective here rate Malagacar.com ? Are they in the airport building in the basement or slightly offsite and collected by bus ? Any personal experiences would be appreciated please.

ashtondav
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby ashtondav » Thu Apr 24, 2014 4:54 pm

Two top tips:

1- Book as a walk-in customer. Then you can pick up your car directly from the office in the underground carpark where there is rarely a queue. If you give them flight details you have to queue at the office in the terminal with all the rabble.

2-Use Skyscanner etc to find the cheapest. I've booked (admittedly cheapest possible) a car for 8 days starting next week and the cost is £45 (sic). They will charge me too much for a full tank of petrol, but even so that is absurdly cheap.
Just to be quite clear on this. you have booked Goldcar, thrifty etc and gone through to the car park office and not encountered queues and not encountered a problem processing the booking? I seem to remember that for pick up at the airport the flight number box was a compulsory field

Oh, and I think its carjet.com doyouspain.com and not skyscanner - they're very good, but they only do flights.

Superplonk
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Superplonk » Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:06 pm

Go straight into the underground carpark and pick up the car from the office that usually only handles returns.

I do mean Skyscanner. They do flights, cars and hotels. On this site at least, you can say that you are a walk - in customer.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Grittomum » Thu Apr 24, 2014 5:08 pm

Have used Malagacars.com twice, pick up airport, 5 mins to office, 20 mins most to do paperwork and on your way, even at 9.30 at night, very efficient. half tank of fuel not at rip off price. Now trying to find a cheap option for 35 day rental in summer, prices very high. Any suggestions gratefully received.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby flan_taster » Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:08 pm

I note that if you book Goldcar on their website you can pay a bit more for PRIORITY CHECK IN. You know the kind of thing that Ryanair and EAsyjet offer these days. By paying €21 you avoid all those long queues until that is everybody uses this and the normal queue is empty.
:lol:
There is WEB rate or CLASSIC RATE and worth examining the difference.
http://www.goldcar.es

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Sandramay » Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:33 pm

Scotty, as I said, I use Malagacar.com, probably 20+ times? They meet you in the arrivals hall and they run minibuses to their centre.... near the first roundabout outside the airport....... 5 mins max. Once you are registered on their computer system, check-in is speedy. Obviously, the first time they need to take more details. Often, though not always, on return you stay in the car and they drive you to departures. It's half full/return empty at a fair price. They have started to charge for a second driver........ but I am usually the only driver, so I don't know the cost. Having your own annual carhire insurance saves €3-4 a day for extra insurance, but they do take a €100 bond, re-paid if no damage. Hope this helps :thumbup:
Sandramay

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Nimrod » Thu Apr 24, 2014 6:41 pm

Do Malagacar actually take the 100e and refund it or just record the card no?

ashtondav
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby ashtondav » Thu Apr 24, 2014 8:08 pm

I think you'll find they all deduct it and refund it.

Just compared malagacar to helle 15 sep to 31 oct with Hellehollis and they're about the same once you add their extra driver fee on. I'll just stick with Helle (although it would be more expensive if i wasn't in the HH owners club and get a 10% discount off next year's rentals).

The thing that intrigues me is if you can avoid the Goldcar scrum by going to the car park. If so its a no brainer if you can tolerate their sh*itty reps.

LITTLEMO
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby LITTLEMO » Tue Apr 29, 2014 12:58 pm

malagacar.com
42 euros 10 days Feb
52 euros 10 days April

I use them at least 5 times a year.

ashtondav
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby ashtondav » Wed Apr 30, 2014 10:21 am

Blimey Mo!

Cheaper than chips.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Nimrod » Wed Apr 30, 2014 11:04 am

Malagacar is cheaper for my 3 weeks in Sept at the moment compared with DYS but DYS is dropping weekly.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby Sandramay » Wed Apr 30, 2014 12:40 pm

Don't forget to also factor in the extras Ashton Dave, half tank fuel, €100 deposit or €4 daily insurance I have seen people at the desk taken by surprise but all the T &Cs are on their site. They have just quoted me €305 for 5door for 16 days end of July. They also give discount to previous cutomers.
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ashtondav
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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby ashtondav » Thu May 01, 2014 3:52 pm

I have annual car hire insurance so never buy the rip off stuff.

malagacar also have a fair fuel policy so you don't get ripped off by the "pick it up full drop it off empty" bunch.

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Re: Car hire - again!

Postby katy » Thu May 01, 2014 9:46 pm

What's up with this one from the one you all said wasn't a spammer :mrgreen:

viewtopic.php?f=21&t=32747


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