Good Bye to Hertz and Thrifty etc - Avis & Budget Only for QFF

[markis10]

Due to the slightly hazardous nature of the work I do I already have a custom travel insurance policy so that it is something that I can look at adding in at renewal time - thanks for the tip!

With the blessing of Admin I might see if we can get an AFF CDP setup for AFF members with a 4k excess as most of those here are likely to have that covered so they can get cheaper rates, will look into it!

 

[AdMEL]

As for upgrades, I used to get lots of upgrades from Hertz (I've only ever been Gold, not 5* or PC) when I booked lower category cars (usually compact manual, which they never seemed to have) - nothing special though - compact Auto (there was a reason I booked compact manual!) and occasionally standard (Camry, which I hate).

Now that I book larger/premium cars, I very rarely get upgraded - occasionally a G6E or Calais when Falcon booked - not much you can upgrade from a Merc!

Avis have often upgraded from Falcon to XR6, Calais and once a Statesman (I didn't use Avis much when I was hiring smaller cars).

Through a combination of CDP's and other offers, I now often pay less for a Falcon/Commodore (which I prefer to drive because of space, power, handling) or Merc, or at worst slightly more, than I was paying for compacts, despite significant general hire car price rises!

 

[AdMEL]

With the blessing of Admin I might see if we can get an AFF CDP setup for AFF members with a 4k excess as most of those here are likely to have that covered so they can get cheaper rates, will look into it!

See my previous post, one minute before yours!

 

[Major]

Not sure why you would need to negotiate a $4,000 excess CDP when many standard excesses are lower than that!

Non-airport locations (higher at airports):
Europcar: $3,850 ($5,500 for Audis)
Avis: $2,915 ($5,500 for 4WD and Caprice)
Budget: $2,750 ($5,500 for 4WD and convertible)
Hertz & Thrifty: $3,300 + $2,200 if no other vehicle involved

And, as has been mentioned on this forum, many credit cards will cover excess.



According to the Velocity Rewards website, Europcar earns 3 points per $1.

5 points for Velocity Gold

 

[straitman]

I need to hire a car in NZ late March for about 2 weeks. Do you know of any deals going at the moment ?

How new or old a vehicle do you want? There are several second level operators that are quite good. i have used Car Hire New Zealand a couple of times. We had one little problem on one occasion and it was fixed very easily.

 

[markis10]

Not sure why you would need to negotiate a $4,000 excess CDP when many standard excesses are lower than that!


According to the Velocity Rewards website, Europcar earns 3 points per $1.

Having a higher excess means a lower daily rate, for instance my corporate rate is $10 a day cheaper than the RACQ/NRMA/AAA rates all the time because it has a higher excess than the 2k which is what the auto club rates have. That corporate rate was negotiated on the basis of that excess and thirty days a year rental, so its hardly a huge company deal . Too often people are paying rates for rentals at public rates that have too low an excess when you look at the cover they already have, so they are paying for something they don't need!

 

[AdMEL]

Having a higher excess means a lower daily rate, for instance my corporate rate is $10 a day cheaper than the RACQ/NRMA/AAA rates all the time because it has a higher excess than the 2k which is what the auto club rates have. That corporate rate was negotiated on the basis of that excess and thirty days a year rental, so its hardly a huge company deal . Too often people are paying rates for rentals at public rates that have too low an excess when you look at the cover they already have, so they are paying for something they don't need!

I see where you're coming from now! And I agree wholeheartedly. I had not factored in the lower daily rate. Given I have a Westpac Platinum card which covers up to $5,500, I'd happily pay $10 less for a $4K excess! Or less for a $5K excess!

With regard to your last comment, I think a number of factors are at play there:

- most people are generally very risk averse (just look at the negative and sometimes uninformed comments made on this forum about credit card travel insurance, for example);
- rental car companies don't help the situation by claiming that people are not covered unless they pay extra for excess reduction;
- horror stories about rental car companies ripping people off that are sensationalised by the media (I'm not saying it doesn't happen, just that the incidence is small and I've never had an issue, even when I've missed damage on the car, so I don't worry about it - comes back to most people being very risk averse);
- people generally don't know what cover they have because they don't read the PDS or do any other research!
- general perception is that the 'free' insurance that comes with most gold/platinum credit cards is rubbish because it's 'free' and you don't don't get anything worthwhile free, when in fact you are paying for the insurance through the annual fee and other fees charges and in many cases it's as good, or better than normal paid travel insurance!

I could go on ...

I know people that have credit card excess cover but pay the excess reduction, just to be sure!

 

[TonyHancock]

Do you have any 'status'?

Beware the fuel tricks.......the Prius was good,could drive 100 km without the fuel gauge moving!!

I was Hertz Gold Club 5* in 2008 and 2009 and lost the 5* for 2010. The way rental car companies operate their loyalty schemes seems odd to me. The year I lost 5* (Not that it was worth anything!!!) was my biggest spend year with Hertz. I rented for 72 days, but only over 8 rentals.

I am now Avis preferred and have switched our corporate account from Hertz to Avis. So far I have been pleased with the service and of course the free upgrades.

 

[beardoc]

With the blessing of Admin I might see if we can get an AFF CDP setup for AFF members with a 4k excess as most of those here are likely to have that covered so they can get cheaper rates, will look into it!

Make it even bigger for those that have the Amex Platinum and have the automatic excess cover up to $70,000!

 

[Major]

How new or old a vehicle do you want? There are several second level operators that are quite good. i have used Car Hire New Zealand a couple of times. We had one little problem on one occasion and it was fixed very easily.

I normally use one of the big 3 but will get a quote from Car hire NZ.
Thanks for the "heads up"

 

[serfty]

I normally use one of the big 3 but will get a quote from Car hire NZ.
Thanks for the "heads up"

Interestingly, I have a three day car rental coming up from AKL (over a weekend).

The cheapest quote I could get was actually with Thrifty directly (on a weekend special); also earns Airline Points and is post paid with this one.

It always pay to check. (I obtained quotes from Thrify, Hertz, Europcar, AirNZ, Qantas, driveaway, Argus)