Dollar rentals at LAX (part of a VH package)

This is one of the most interesting threads I've read recently.

Nottingham Nick's advice is spot on - ring them and find out EXACTLY what the score is. The WORST WORST WORST situation is being under insured and then finding out too late.

I don't mind paying "a few dollars more" for the all singing all dancing package. To me, peace of mind is PRICELESS.

Regards

John

Dragging this one up again . . . as of yet I've not decided what to do.

I think what is irritating me the most is that I've just quoted from Dollars website an exact replica of what I'd be renting through VH on my fly-drive.

Through dollar, I can rent the same car with full LDW insurance for £250.18. Virgin are quoting £18 per day just for the standard LDW insurance[:(!]! For my full 15 days of hire that works out at £270! Now unless I'm missing something here I'm left feeling like I'm not really getting any sort of benefit from Virgin on this 'fly-drive' holiday.

After all the reading of brouchures and internet site it does say about all the T&C's you all earlier mentioned. I just feel like I'm being done out of more cash here and it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth and this is even before I've travelled.

Originally posted by steg76
Dragging this one up again . . . as of yet I've not decided what to do.

I think what is irritating me the most is that I've just quoted from Dollars website an exact replica of what I'd be renting through VH on my fly-drive.

Through dollar, I can rent the same car with full LDW insurance for £250.18. Virgin are quoting £18 per day just for the standard LDW insurance[:(!]! For my full 15 days of hire that works out at £270! Now unless I'm missing something here I'm left feeling like I'm not really getting any sort of benefit from Virgin on this 'fly-drive' holiday.

After all the reading of brouchures and internet site it does say about all the T&C's you all earlier mentioned. I just feel like I'm being done out of more cash here and it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth and this is even before I've travelled.

Not sure how it works with a std rental via Dollar, but you do get the following few benefits with VH.

1) No drop off charges if you are dropping the car off at a different location from the one where you hired it

2) No maximum mileage

3) Both the Virgin insurance packages INCLUDE the local taxes which have to be paid, check to see if the direct quote you got with Dollar includes this



If VH are asking for more money to try and move you up to the platinum insurance then it should only be around £3 per day - figures from the VH website.

Not sure how old you are, but if you're under 24 then there is a significant premium that Dollar require (this does not apply with the platinum cover), if you are over that age then obviously that doesn't apply and again the diff per day should only be £3 or so to upgrade.

Have VH given you any indication as to why there may be such a difference?

Hope it all works out for you and keep us updated as to how you get along

Jon B

The unlimited mileage thing and pick up/drop off in different locations thing are standard Dollar offerings. In fact they even allow you to drop off in a different state now, eg. pick up in CA and drop off in NV or AZ. In VH's brochure they advertise this as a special VH thing, but it's not.

The issue at stake here centres on the insurance, at the end of the day the "free car" offered by VH and many other fly drive companies is indeed free - but that's not where the cost lies! So whilst VH are within their right to promote the car as included in the price, the average punter doesn't realise that for a two week holiday there's another couple of hundred quid (at least!) to fork out.

IMHO what VH should do is offer up a default price that includes the Fully Inclusive insurance, just as would be the case if you booked on airlinenetwork.co.uk or doillar.co.uk. That way you have all the cover you need but additionally you have the option to upgrade to Platinum is you want a tank of fuel included & extra drivers under 25.

Cheers,

James

Exactly! I just ranted the same down the phone to my mother - where you listening;):D.

You get a brochure price for a 'fly-drive' that says £1100 per person to then get hit for another £250+ insurance is not good business practice imo. If the brochure price had just been say £1225 per person but an all-inclusive package you wouldn't end up feeling pee'd off.

On a seperate issue - The virgin customer service call centre[:(!]! I've just tried talking to them regarding the insurance policies, prices and excesses. I promise you I didn't shout at the poor lady;).

This rant doesn't only apply to Virgin as I've come across many companies who employ the same policy (Orange, most recently).

Foreign based call centres! I asked a simple question such as "What is the excess on the LDW policy?" nobody could understand the question never mind answer the question. I get the impression everyone is reading from a script and if you try and take them away from the script they are stuffed. I'm sure this policy may save old dickie branson a few pounds but the level of customer service and attentiveness certainly suffers. This is before the stigmatism of foreign based call centres is brought into play . . . .

Natwest have had an extremely successful advertising campaign off the back of 'UK based call centres' and have played on peoples negative feeling towards foreign call centres.

Rant over;):D.

[Neil]

I understand that it is annoying and do understand your position, but surely you had the option to check the dollar website for prices before you booked with VH? Whilst it is a lot easier to book everything with VH, i have just found out that booking each bit individually and just taking a couple of hours to do some price checks has saved me over £600 on my next trip compared to booking all with VH.

Again, understand your point about how VH show there prices, but it is clear in both the brochure and on the website that the car only includes basic/no insurance and does give you the option on which insurance package to select before you confirm your car choice (with the defualt on no insurance).

Guess this will have to go down as a leason learned, don't think you would make the same mistake again!

Neil:)

Originally posted by Vegascrazy
We've used VH many times but in recent years I've found it far cheaper to decline the VH included car and book separately through http://www.airline-network.co.uk/ They also partner with Dollar and I find they consistently offer better value than VH or by booking direct through Dollar.

For the dates Steve quotes in his original posting (& taking into account pickup & drop-off times based on his flights) the cost for entire rental including Platinum Upgrade (Platinum is a Dollar thing & other companies partnering with Dollar offer it) is £267 (for an Intermediate 2 door). If you opt to take the basic option which by default includes Fully Inclusive insurance (identical to VH's) the cost is £244 - so the extra £23 buys you Platinum Upgrade (again identical to VH's) >> Car & Unlimited mileage, Additional Drivers over 25yrs, 1 Tank of Fuel, Loss Damage Waiver Supplemental Liability Insurance, Under and Uninsured Motorist Insurance, State & local Taxes, All HSF's & CFC's and Airport tax

Not sure if any of this helps I'm sure I've read other threads whereby people have said Airline Network offers best value for car hire! (No, I don't work for Airline Network - IMHO they're good for car hire & that's about it

I always use Airline Network - You won't go far wrong.

Originally posted by steg76


Foreign based call centres! I get the impression everyone is reading from a script and if you try and take them away from the script they are stuffed. .

Indeed they are as the script is the engine of the call centre enabling the centre to operate with staff who know nowt about the product allowing the centre managers to operate (often for multiple clients) with a lower staff cost base. On at least one occasion when checking something after I'd made a booking I have been convinced that they've just be navigating through the same set of pages that I had.

And I believe (and ISTBC) it doesn't matter where the call centre is, UK or abroad. They'll still use a script.

On a slightly different tack the detail of this thread and Neil's stated cost savings will now have me searching more actively. When we first flew with VH it just wasn't as easy to do price / t&c comparisons as it is in today's internet age and I guess I just got into the habit of saying yes to the fly / drive option.

Paul