best value / reliable hire car company

[Cherry]

Hello

I'm looking at hire car companies for the first time (in several years). We are flying from La Rochelle to Stansted and looking to hire a car over christmas/new year. There are so many companies, does anyone who uses hire car on a regular basis have a 'best value & reliable' one?

We both still hold uk driving licences does this matter?

Thanks

sweetpeas

[PeterG]

You can compare all the different companies here.

 

http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/

 

Car Hire 3000 have a price match, if you see the same car somwhere else at a lowe price they will match it.

 

 

[Renaud]

I once hired a car from a leading car hire company and when the car developed a minor fault, the company took responsibility and got a mechanic to me swiftly. He sorted the problem out.

This year a friend staying with us hired a car from a cheapest car website company. When she picked the car up it was from the same leading company. When this car had a problem, nobody wanted to know. They were stranded for a while.

Moral - if you want money off, you might get other things off too.

[PaulT]

On two occassions I hired a car from an Interational company picking it up at Toulouse at about 23:00. Each time just a couple of scratches were indicated on the documentation. Each time it was too dark to check. However, next morning revealed extensive damage. Then the fun of getting it accepted that it was like it when hired. So even the big ones need to be approachd with caution.

Paul

[darnsarf]

The Sunday Times recently ran a story about the bad practices of car rental firms. The main problems seem to be about fuel bill, damage costs and the need to thoroughtly check and photograph the car inside and out, lest very large sums are added for fixing. ST now charges for content but the reader response can be seen free here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/your_say/article707160.ece

Advice seems to be to purchase the damage excess insurance from an online specialist other company, not via the rental firms.

[Clarkkent]

[quote user="Renaud"]I once hired a car from a leading car hire company and when the car developed a minor fault, the company took responsibility and got a mechanic to me swiftly. He sorted the problem out. This year a friend staying with us hired a car from a cheapest car website company. When she picked the car up it was from the same leading company. When this car had a problem, nobody wanted to know. They were stranded for a while. Moral - if you want money off, you might get other things off too.[/quote]

Are not car rental operations run by local franchise? Within the same brand you may get significantly different quality of service depending on the attitude of the local franchise operator.