Car rental rates during the pandemic

[DC3]

The LST rental lots were nearly full yesterday when we drove past ...

Rental areas at CNS are full, but all pre-booked. I had been checking on-line out of curiosity. I always pre-book anyway. Walk-ins will be doing it tough.

 

[Chicken]

Well, I went to Ballina Byron, so I booked and got a Kia Cerato from Avis, pick up and drop off at Ballina airport, it was May 8 to 11 which is 4 days as it was over the 24 hours so 1 extra day. Total final invoice was $295.90, translates to $74 per day. On the expensive side, but not nutter rate yet.

 

[Jacques Vert]

These people are at risk of pricing themselves out of consideration.

It is fine to may hay while the sun is shining (no competition from overseas due to travel ban) but when, if ever, we are allowed to travel internationally again people will vote with their wallets and many Australian tourist operators (especially car rental companies) will pay the price for charging excessive rates during this period.

 

[kyle]

Just did some quotes at OOL with Thrifty and Hertz for 4 days in November. Tried both pick up and return at OOL and also pick up at Southport and return at OOL. There's a $200 to $300 price difference with one way fee and full zero excess cover factored in. Think I'll take an Uber at the airport, which costs about $50 to get to Southport. Still save enough money for a nice dinner.

 

[Chicken]

These people are at risk of pricing themselves out of consideration.

many Australian tourist operators (especially car rental companies) will pay the price for charging excessive rates during this period.

They already have with me.

I'm going to Dark mof_, and rental cars are at least $250 per day (everything in Hobart is crazy next week).

So I opened an account with Car Next Door, renting a 2008 Astra hatchback, $25 per day + 21c per km with fuel included in the 21c

Do you think I'll rent from car rental company when Car Next Door is available next time?

 

[kyle]

Just did some quotes at OOL with Thrifty and Hertz for 4 days in November. Tried both pick up and return at OOL and also pick up at Southport and return at OOL. There's a $200 to $300 price difference with one way fee and full zero excess cover factored in. Think I'll take an Uber at the airport, which costs about $50 to get to Southport. Still save enough money for a nice dinner.

Rechecking the prices for November. They've gone up by $500 . Thrifty must have worked out what we're doing or people have been reading what I wrote.

 

[docjames]

Rental areas at CNS are full, but all pre-booked. I had been checking on-line out of curiosity. I always pre-book anyway. Walk-ins will be doing it tough.

Confirming HC counters and carparks were busy and availability, even with NSW going into lockdown, was still challenging, I know of at least one family who tried again on arrival and still couldn’t get a car.

My booking held and was given an almost brand new (~1100km) RAV4 (I think the counter attendant called the carpark to request a newer car than the one originally allocated).

Notably, was quiet for a school holiday period, up until the Sunshine Coast got locked down and all the victorians who would have gone there later in the week switched their holiday plans to go further north!

 

[PLANT]

Overseas I have used carrental.com

Any suggestions for cheap car hire Melbourne?

carrental.com came up more expensive than direct with car hire place....

Don't seem pandemic cheap anymore from airport pickup as other location have no cars supposedly....

 

[Flashback]

Overseas I have used carrental.com

Any suggestions for cheap car hire Melbourne?

carrental.com came up more expensive than direct with car hire place....

Don't seem pandemic cheap anymore from airport pickup as other location have no cars supposedly....

Constantly running into "cars not available here", shift your pickup time hour by hour, that usually will help.

 

[clifford]

Constantly running into "cars not available here", shift your pickup time hour by hour, that usually will help.

And try every day. I wanted to rent a car with Hertz at Plympton SA recently and no cars were available. A couple of days later they were plentiful. They are just adjusting their inventory (slowly).

 

[PLANT]

Anyone used cheapercarrental.com.au???

 

[Saab34]

We still seem to be stuck with excessive pricing and small fleets. $130-$150 a day seems to be the norm at the moment. This Easter places like Cairns and Gold Coast have no cars left.


How long can this go on...

 

[jastel]

If you are looking at BNE or SEQ or Nth NSW another few months at least as all rentals are gone due to the floods...either destroyed or rented out to others who lost their cars.

CNS has a big yard full but suspect some may get repositioned South to help out.

There would be some caution about investing big (even if there was supply) as no one I know trusts the govt to keep the borders open if things get worse again.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

BNE-TSV May 2 to May 9 - mid sized SUV $1,241 - best keep checking weekly to see if we can find cheaper huh?

 

[Saab34]

BNE-TSV May 2 to May 9 - mid sized SUV $1,241 - best keep checking weekly to see if we can find cheaper huh?

I’m checking weekly at the moment and even dummy checking the weeks ahead to see any trends.

Best I have seen is $100-$120 a day the weeks before. I was looking at a 3-4 week rental, have never looked at spending so much in car hire, ever. Feel so guilty paying such outrageous rates for a hatch. The rental price for a month is like 20% of the purchase car price!

 

[Happy Dude]

I usually hire from Hertz in Canberra. No cars available has been common. I thought there was an error so I called direct and they said they're 300 cars short in the ACT and often overbooked (??).

Recently had to hire from Europcar at short notice. Their system immediately cancelled my booking twice -"your car size is not available"- even though it took the booking, before I managed to get a booking to stick. I ended up booking the smallest car at around 115/day but was given a BMW 330i.

Tried to hire from MEL for last week and only Europcar had anything, but prices were around $200/day for an i30 for four days.

These here are crazy times. They've shot themselves in the foot by flogging off cars at the start of Covid and now they can't resupply. We're bearing the brunt of their pretty stupid decisions. I reckon it'll be two more years before things get close to the way things were.

 

[Chicken]

Why don't you people use Car Next Door or GoGet? It was much cheaper than car rental companies when I did last year.

 

[PLANT]

So maybe off topic but if you get a free hire car after accident(law states you are entitled, even if box not ticked on comprehensive policy) that has t&C days max $100 a day, anyone had issues with insurance saying not paying out more than $100 a day???!?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Why don't you people use Car Next Door or GoGet? It was much cheaper than car rental companies when I did last year.

Can collect at BNE and drop off TSV?

 

[Chicken]

Can collect at BNE and drop off TSV?

True, you have to return to original location with both.