Car Rental at Heathrow SUCKS!

Why is there such a terrible disconnect between
car rentals in the US vs those in the UK?
There seems to be a complete failure in efficiency
and service levels. The prices are way up on what
we might expect to pay in the US too.

I have had appalling service and problems for about
5 years running from various major rental chains,
including one in which the woman running the branch
didn't want to accept the price I had gotten from
her own company on the internet and kept us waiting
for 2 hours while she phoned everyone in London to
see if she could get out of giving us the car at
the price we booked it at. Only threats of the Better
Business Bureau and FTC finally made her comply, but the entire experience
sucked as well as my latest wherein
I had a prepaid receipt and the rental agency couldn't
supply me with a car, and kept us in a long queue in
terminal 4 with loads of passengers barging into us
and swearing at us using obscenities. Great way to start
a holiday!!!

Errol

On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 19:50:34 -0500, "Errol Back-Cunningham"
wrote:

The prices are way up on what
we might expect to pay in the US too.


That is because we are in the UK and the prices here are what is the
excepted rate for this country. If you want US prices hire in the US.

--
Lansbury
www.uk-air.net
FAQs for the alt.travel.uk.air newsgroup

"Errol Back-Cunningham" wrote in message
...

There seems to be a complete failure in efficiency
and service levels. The prices are way up on what
we might expect to pay in the US too.

Cars are much more expensive in the UK. And rental is much less common.
I've found rental prices in the USA to be far higher than when compared like
to like with the UK. Remember by law all car hire in the UK must include
insurance. In the USA it is usually not included and it's a very expensive
extra.
As ever, you need to compare like with like.



I have had appalling service and problems for about
5 years running from various major rental chains,
including one in which the woman running the branch
didn't want to accept the price I had gotten from
her own company on the internet and kept us waiting
for 2 hours while she phoned everyone in London to
see if she could get out of giving us the car at
the price we booked it at. Only threats of the Better
Business Bureau and FTC finally made her comply, but the entire experience
sucked as well as my latest wherein

If she was in London why would she care about some American agency that has
zero power over her company and she probably hasn't even heard of anyway!

"Lansbury" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 2 Jan 2004 19:50:34 -0500, "Errol Back-Cunningham"
wrote:

The prices are way up on what
we might expect to pay in the US too.


That is because we are in the UK and the prices here are what is the
excepted rate for this country. If you want US prices hire in the US.

You're plainly used to rip-off Britain but there's
no need to be proud of that aspect of it. Besides,
what about the appalling service by these agencies?

Errol

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
...

"Errol Back-Cunningham" wrote in message
...

There seems to be a complete failure in efficiency
and service levels. The prices are way up on what
we might expect to pay in the US too.

Cars are much more expensive in the UK. And rental is much less common.
I've found rental prices in the USA to be far higher than when compared
like
to like with the UK. Remember by law all car hire in the UK must include
insurance. In the USA it is usually not included and it's a very expensive
extra.
As ever, you need to compare like with like.

You're wrong. Our base prices are way down, and the insurance is not that
bad either. For example, a recent weekend rate for car rental (obviously
a special deal) from a branch near me, for their bottom of the range
car was $9 a day. Reason being that the branch was normally used
by business people so, lots of cars idle on weekends.

I have had appalling service and problems for about
5 years running from various major rental chains,
including one in which the woman running the branch
didn't want to accept the price I had gotten from
her own company on the internet and kept us waiting
for 2 hours while she phoned everyone in London to
see if she could get out of giving us the car at
the price we booked it at. Only threats of the Better
Business Bureau and FTC finally made her comply, but the entire
experience
sucked as well as my latest wherein

If she was in London why would she care about some American agency that
has
zero power over her company and she probably hasn't even heard of anyway!

What are you talking about? It was the same company? I booked it off her
company's
own website and she was trying to renege on the deal when we appeared to
collect.
Well-known chain too!

Errol

"Errol" wrote in message
...

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
...

You're wrong. Our base prices are way down, and the insurance is not that
bad either. For example, a recent weekend rate for car rental (obviously
a special deal) from a branch near me, for their bottom of the range
car was $9 a day. Reason being that the branch was normally used
by business people so, lots of cars idle on weekends.

I haven't found your base prices to be "way down". They are slightly down,
and then go up massively when you add in all the insurance. Again, compare
like with like! It's useless comparing special offers with real prices. We
have reduced rates for weekend rental in the UK too.

If she was in London why would she care about some American agency that
has
zero power over her company and she probably hasn't even heard of
anyway!

What are you talking about? It was the same company? I booked it off her
company's
own website and she was trying to renege on the deal when we appeared to
collect.
Well-known chain too!

Many rental companies are not the same company at all. But an entirely
seperate company that uses the name of chain under a franchise agreement. My
point is that quoting a regulatory authority which has power only over USA
companies is useless in the UK. It's been my experience Americans don't seem
to release that American authorities don't have any jurisdiction here. For
future reference try Trading Standards if you want to make a threat ;-)

Your complaint of not getting the correct price is valid however. Did you
force them into giving you the car at the agreed rate?

On Sat, 3 Jan 2004 06:23:12 -0500, "Errol" wrote:

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
to like with the UK. Remember by law all car hire in the UK must include
insurance. In the USA it is usually not included and it's a very expensive
extra.
As ever, you need to compare like with like.

You're wrong. Our base prices are way down, and the insurance is not that
bad either.

Details, that's not generally the experience I see.

For example, a recent weekend rate for car rental (obviously
a special deal) from a branch near me, for their bottom of the range
car was $9 a day. Reason being that the branch was normally used
by business people so, lots of cars idle on weekends.

Yes, but that business rental market doesn't exist in the UK, if you
for some reason need a car for a meeting you take your own car or a
company car, you don't hire one. Equally there aren't people flying
and need a car at the destination, if you need a car at your
destination you drive (everywhere other than Scotland within mainland
UK is a reasonable drive away from everywhere else compared to the
time+cost+inconvenience involved in flying. Rental market is much
more to do with tourists, and they aren't much of a market.

What are you talking about? It was the same company? I booked it off her
company's
own website and she was trying to renege on the deal when we appeared to
collect.

I believe the problem was your threatened complaint to the FTC and the
"Better .. whatever" two things wholly irrelevant to a UK customer.

Jim.

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
...

"Errol" wrote in message
...

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
...

You're wrong. Our base prices are way down, and the insurance is not
that
bad either. For example, a recent weekend rate for car rental (obviously
a special deal) from a branch near me, for their bottom of the range
car was $9 a day. Reason being that the branch was normally used
by business people so, lots of cars idle on weekends.

I haven't found your base prices to be "way down". They are slightly
down,
and then go up massively when you add in all the insurance. Again, compare
like with like! It's useless comparing special offers with real prices. We
have reduced rates for weekend rental in the UK too.

So here's an example for January 10-11 Avis at Philly base rate is
$31.98 while for LHR it's 40 quid or $71. That's a significant difference to
start with.
Also, remember that a lot of US people have insurance for their own vehicles
which automatically covers them so they don't need the addtional.

If she was in London why would she care about some American agency
that
has
zero power over her company and she probably hasn't even heard of
anyway!

What are you talking about? It was the same company? I booked it off her
company's
own website and she was trying to renege on the deal when we appeared to
collect.
Well-known chain too!

Many rental companies are not the same company at all. But an entirely
seperate company that uses the name of chain under a franchise agreement.
My
point is that quoting a regulatory authority which has power only over USA
companies is useless in the UK.

If they are a franchise then they have to obey the rules or lose the
franchise.
Ever seen operational franchise manuals? They are 3 ft thick and have LOTS
of penalties for non-compliance or for actions and behaviour which damage
the
good name of the corporation.

It's been my experience Americans don't seem
to release that American authorities don't have any jurisdiction here. For
future reference try Trading Standards if you want to make a threat ;-)

As I said, a report to the FTC and Better Business Bureau in the US will
make any corporate headquarters drop their coffee and run for the phones.
Once you have a franchise or agency you can also expect spot checks
of a covert nature. I know this because I was in franchise management.
I did spot checks on petrol/service stations as well.



Your complaint of not getting the correct price is valid however. Did you
force them into giving you the car at the agreed rate?

I merely mentioned the options open to me while she phoned everyone.
The truly idiotic thing was that she seemed to have plenty of cars that
would have been idle for the weekend, but didn't want to part with one
of them for less than what she thought she should get. In the end she
folded,
but it illustrates a good point $9 a day to get idle stock rolling vs a
manager
who would prefer to have idle stock than charge a lower rate. Clearly she
didn't
understand capitalism.

Errol

"Jim Ley" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 3 Jan 2004 06:23:12 -0500, "Errol" wrote:

"Mark Hewitt" wrote in message
to like with the UK. Remember by law all car hire in the UK must
include
insurance. In the USA it is usually not included and it's a very
expensive
extra.
As ever, you need to compare like with like.

You're wrong. Our base prices are way down, and the insurance is not that
bad either.

Details, that's not generally the experience I see.

See my previous post - $31 vs $71 base rate at Philly airport
vs LHR next weekend for Avis.


For example, a recent weekend rate for car rental (obviously
a special deal) from a branch near me, for their bottom of the range
car was $9 a day. Reason being that the branch was normally used
by business people so, lots of cars idle on weekends.

Yes, but that business rental market doesn't exist in the UK, if you
for some reason need a car for a meeting you take your own car or a
company car, you don't hire one. Equally there aren't people flying
and need a car at the destination, if you need a car at your
destination you drive (everywhere other than Scotland within mainland
UK is a reasonable drive away from everywhere else compared to the
time+cost+inconvenience involved in flying. Rental market is much
more to do with tourists, and they aren't much of a market.

What are you talking about? It was the same company? I booked it off her
company's
own website and she was trying to renege on the deal when we appeared to
collect.

I believe the problem was your threatened complaint to the FTC and the
"Better .. whatever" two things wholly irrelevant to a UK customer.

She didn't understand the impact that would have in the US. If her rental
operation was a franchise or agency then they would be under the gun from
her US head office. As I said, she phoned around to get support for not
giving me the car, but her management seemed to pass when she said "he's got
paperwork", until a senior manager told her to comply.

Errol

"Errol" wrote

She didn't understand the impact that would have in the US. If her rental
operation was a franchise or agency then they would be under the gun from
her US head office. As I said, she phoned around to get support for not
giving me the car, but her management seemed to pass when she said "he's got
paperwork", until a senior manager told her to comply. Errol

What was the company?
How much was the rate?
Had you managed to bppl some sort of special deal which
is not generally available and with which the operating
staff were not familiar?