Spain- Car Hire prices Gone Crazy

Teahfc

sal-ad_daze wrote: »

Ooh reading this thread has me really worried!
How do you know who are brokers and who aren't?
We are helping my daughter plan her wedding next year and are researching costs, my OH is disabled and we were planning to book a Vauxhall Zafira for two weeks next August. The car hire websites just show a 'size' band so I don't even know how to find out if I can guarantee a particular car (ie Zafira) and now don't even know if I'm just looking at broker sites!
Help!
When would you reccommend booking for next summer and can you book a particular model?
Who would you reccommend for a pick up at Gibraltar Airport?
Thanks
Sal

economycarhire.com but call them first :beer:

chachiluz

Just been on the phone to Auriga in Murcia and hire a car much cheaper than online. I am Spanish so it was easy for me, but they also speak good English. HTH

melb

I thought it was Auriga pulling out which had caused the car shortage in the first place?

easylivin

There are some very reputable brokers out there. We use Auto Europe. They have websites in just about every language and currency available. We have used them for years, their prices are always extremely competitive and we have had very good experience with the customer service even after the car hire has been completed. They also seem to only work with big reputable car rental companies, if the price you see online with some of the pirates out there seems to good to be true, then in all likelihood it probably is, either they won't actually get you a car for the price or it will be from some dodgy outfit. You have to pay them when you make the booking but they guarantee that you will get a car at the rate you paid. We had a problem once in Italy - when we arrived, Budget did not have a car for us even though it was confirmed in their system by Auto Europe. There are toll free numbers from most countries on their vouchers, we called, spoke to a person who said they would find a solution and call us back. They called in less than 10 minutes and sent us to Europcar who gave us a car. Fantastic service and I know for a fact that the car they arrnaged for us with Europcar cost them a lot more than we paid them, they lost a lot of money to help us. It seems to them that the client really does come first. We will not use anyone else. There are some companies around that still understand the importance of loyalty and service.

Teahfc

easylivin wrote: »

There are some very reputable brokers out there. We use Auto Europe. They have websites in just about every language and currency available. We have used them for years, their prices are always extremely competitive and we have had very good experience with the customer service even after the car hire has been completed. They also seem to only work with big reputable car rental companies, if the price you see online with some of the pirates out there seems to good to be true, then in all likelihood it probably is, either they won't actually get you a car for the price or it will be from some dodgy outfit. You have to pay them when you make the booking but they guarantee that you will get a car at the rate you paid. We had a problem once in Italy - when we arrived, Budget did not have a car for us even though it was confirmed in their system by Auto Europe. There are toll free numbers from most countries on their vouchers, we called, spoke to a person who said they would find a solution and call us back. They called in less than 10 minutes and sent us to Europcar who gave us a car. Fantastic service and I know for a fact that the car they arrnaged for us with Europcar cost them a lot more than we paid them, they lost a lot of money to help us. It seems to them that the client really does come first. We will not use anyone else. There are some companies around that still understand the importance of loyalty and service.

Some very hit and miss reviews on this outfit :eek:

http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews-all-76712.html

MiM

We've been trying to book four days in northern Spain for the end of the month.

I'd written down some prices a couple of weeks ago but when I've gone back to look again they've zipped up.

In the end we went on Europcar site (11% Quidco at the mo!) and to cut a long story short, I changed my country of residence to Spain and it quoted half the price that it did if you were from the UK.

It's about £160. We used my aunt's Spanish address and booked.

Do you think there will be any problems when we pick up the car and show a UK driving licence?

I can't see it but a nervous friend thinks we'll have to pay the rest!

fedserelli

mervyn11 wrote: »

Now thats a little bit naughty......
In my opinion Carjet should honour that booking......I think they are pulling a fast one here.....cancelling your booking because they can now get double that for the hire car in todays market.
I would insist that they provide you the car at that price.......but I am sure that there is loadsa small print to cover their backs !!!!!
And I always had them down as a reputable company.

I also booked with Carjet, back in December 2008, for 17 days car hire commencing 16/07/2009, at a cost of 340 euros. I confirmed this booking immediately, and over the intervening months felt quite smug, as I noticed that the costs of car hire were creeping up.

On the afternoon of 15/07/2009, I checked my emails and to my horror found an email from Carjet cancelling my booking - the afternoon before I was due to fly. The email stated that they had no confidnec that auriga crown could fulfil the booking. However, due to the costs of replacement car hire, they offered no alternative !! In the email it also stated that they would try and refund the difference in the cost of replacement car hire, as long as the rental was on a ' like for like' basis.

This left me deep in the mire ! - I had to find an alternative provider very quickly, most quotes were over £1,000 for 17 days, however, I located one with Sixt for £823.

I sent the invoices directly by email to carjet. They have now replied and said the maximum they are now wiiling to refund is 340 euros !

This is some way short of my incurred costs - and has had an impact on 'holiday spends' for my family unfortunately.

My questions are :-
1. Are any other members in the same position ?
2. What is the position legally ?
3. How should I pursue this? Trading standards ? Credit card legal team ?
4. I notice others were informed in June of the difficulties of carjet/auriga crown - should this be mentioned in my claim ?

All help and advice would be hugely appreciated

Many thanks

Martin

greyteam1959

There is another thread on here about this subject.....cant just locate it.
I think that the outcome was you have a legally enforceable contract with Carjet ( no matter what they say ) and you should insist on them sorting you out the car or the difference in the price.

Wallhart

God I have got a car for €260 with baby seat for 14days. And this isnt a mini economy car it's a clio/207 size car too.:beer:

fedserelli

mervyn11 wrote: »

There is another thread on here about this subject.....cant just locate it.
I think that the outcome was you have a legally enforceable contract with Carjet ( no matter what they say ) and you should insist on them sorting you out the car or the difference in the price.

Thanks Mervyn.

If anyone can help locating the thread it would be a massive help.

I am finding Carjet really unhelpful - refusing to return phone calls etc.

I will never use them again.