Car Hire Dublin - Fuel Policy

str8y

Hi guys,

My first post, so go easy on me!

Want to hire a car in Dublin just for ONE day. However, the last time I booked I had NO CHOICE but to pay for a full tank of fuel (which was something like 85 euro)... and brought the car back with over half a tank left. (No Refund)

Are there car hire companies in Dublin ( city centre) who will let me fill my tank back up before I return the car?

HELP!

Esel

I thought the standard scenario is that you get the car with a full tank, and leave it back the same, otherwise you get charged?

Berty

str8y wrote: »

Are there car hire companies in Dublin ( city centre) who will let me fill my tank back up before I return the car?

Every single one of them. That's the whole point of it so they don't have to fill it up. Just clean it and send it back out.

Drummerboy08

Try Merlin.

They're usual policy is give the car back with the same amount of fuel you got in it.

str8y

Thanks for the quick response!
Last time I booked thru the net and ended up with a place near Heuston and they told me I HAD to pre-pay for a tank of fuel and return it empty.

I'll have a ring around and see if all the other companies force this upon their customers too....

Max Power1

esel wrote: »

I thought the standard scenario is that you get the car with a full tank, and leave it back the same, otherwise you get charged?

any car hire companies ive ever dealt with operate on this basis

-Chris-

str8y wrote: »

Last time I booked thru the net and ended up with a place near Heuston and they told me I HAD to pre-pay for a tank of fuel and return it empty.

That sounds like a scam tbh - how the hell are you supposed to return a car with an empty tank? Are you supposed to drive around with the fuel light on all the time, filling the tank with a fiver every time you visit the petrol station?

str8y

Well, I rang Argus car hire and they don't seem to want to answer the phone.
I thought business would be falling over each other to provide a service in the current economic climate.
Guess I was wrong!

Think I'll just book online and if any company tells me the same story again, I'll tell them to go and jump for it!

I know from getting car hire abroad, that you fill the tank up with fuel upon return, but whenever you get a car from them, it's never quite full .. usually 3/4 or 7/8 but never completely full.
(But I'd rather that than pay for a full-tank that I won't use... at the price of 1.33 or whatever a litre of petrol is right now!)

Berty

They don't charge you whatever the price at the pump to refill the car if you neglect to return it. Usually the deposit on the fuel is around €80 on a Ford Focus and they know the tank wont take that much.

They charge around 15% more than the cost of refilling it. It has to account for the time spent going to get the fuel to put it back in the car. They know that nobody would bring a car back unless its full to get their deposit back.

Argus car hire not answering fast enough. Ah well, it is a Sunday. Just book online. You're not going to get a better deal over the phone. I have been down that road with them before.

PurplePrincess

try thrifty, i used them there recently when i needed a car just for 24hours. The tank was full when i got it and i filled it up before i returned it so i only paid for the petrol i used.

try http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/ -usually good deals to be had

str8y

Thanks for the advice guys!

Will book online and make sure nobody pulls a fast one like that again!

Any problems and I'll let you know.
Cheers!

str8y

Have just booked thru Argus online and ended with a car from Thrifty (Lombard St)

In the terms and conditions about fuel policy (after you book) it quotes:
"Fuel Policy
Pick up full, return empty.
Fuel charges are payable at the rental counter.
Your vehicle will be supplied with a full tank of fuel and must be returned empty. No refunds will be given for unused fuel. (Suppliers fuel policies change from time to time, please confirm at rental counter)
Fuel charges are payable at the rental desk unless otherwise stated in the top section of rate details."

This is exactly what I DIDN'T want!

Should I contact Argus or Thrify about this?

Berty

I would contact Argus and say that you find those terms unfair and you didn't agree to them prior to selecting the booking and through the Distance Selling Agreement you are obliged to be able to cancel your policy with a full refund within the first 7 days

They may suggest you book with another one of the hire companies with different rental terms but the price may go up or the location will most likely change.

biko

They're being cute hoors. They know full well car won't be empty when you return it.
This way they don't have to pay for a full tank before the next customer comes in.
I'll stay away from those people.

The only good option is pick up full and return full.

inforfun

Did a lot of renting with Enterprise.
They had decent prices (friday afternoon till monday afternoon for €50) and were most convenient for me as they were on walking distance from home.
They expect the car back with the same amount of fuel as you took it. Most of the time it is a 25% full tank you are leaving with.

str8y

Okay! RESULT!!

I rang Argus, who in return rang Thrifty on Lombard St.
The lady on the phone helped greatly, sorted it out and gave me a contact name for a person in Thrifty at Lombard St in case I wanted to contact them directly about it.

I rang the person in Thrifty and he was very helpful, and agreed to let me bring the car back with the same amount of fuel.

Thanks for your responses, much appreciated!

keithclancy

str8y wrote: »

Hi guys,

My first post, so go easy on me!

Want to hire a car in Dublin just for ONE day. However, the last time I booked I had NO CHOICE but to pay for a full tank of fuel (which was something like 85 euro)... and brought the car back with over half a tank left. (No Refund)

Are there car hire companies in Dublin ( city centre) who will let me fill my tank back up before I return the car?

HELP!

Majority of car rentals you just return it full.
Some of them require you return it empty (which a much more rare occurence)

All down to the Terms of the contract you sign really.

Normally I just return it full so i know exactly how much i've paid.

Gary ITR

with enterprise if you get a car with half a tank you return it with half a tank.

Berty

Onkle wrote: »

with enterprise if you get a car with half a tank you return it with half a tank.

Nice crowd, they will even pick you up from your house as well.

swe_fi

str8y wrote: »

Hi guys,

My first post, so go easy on me!

Want to hire a car in Dublin just for ONE day. However, the last time I booked I had NO CHOICE but to pay for a full tank of fuel (which was something like 85 euro)... and brought the car back with over half a tank left. (No Refund)

Are there car hire companies in Dublin ( city centre) who will let me fill my tank back up before I return the car?

HELP!

Hi Str8y,

I have used these guys before, not sure if they are that well known here or suits your requirements in terms of pickup location but i got good quotes from them before & good service. I think they are a broker

http://www.carhire3000.ie/

What I would, maybe not say I do not recommend, but be a bit cautious when you compare pricing is Budget. I am basing that on the fact that I was getting a rental from Dub Airport which price-wise looked good on paper but ended up costing 225% of the + some extra charges. I am not putting all blame on them as in fairness the costs were detailed if you read the super duper fine print but to me it was a bit muddy (still think this is bad business practice though).

Also, I have honestly NEVER experienced or even heard of having to pay for a full tank of petrol. Madness. How are they still in business?

Mandy Young

Avis at Old Kilmainham road ask for car to be returned with same amount of fuel as you took the car at also.

langdang

Lads,
Has no-one thought of the obvious way to stop this silly policy?
Siphon every last drop out of the thing and coast in on fumes - they are obviously using this to get "free" petrol/diesel out of people, and don't expect the cars to come back empty... How many times would they have to completely run out of fuel on a modern engine with high pressure pumps and things before it would do damage?

WilliamEgan

I think its definately a mine field T&C's can be like reading latin. What i think is the case is that a pre-payment is taken in the account that you take a full tank and come back empty.

Assumed if you brought it back full then you don't pay anything. Did you follow up with Thrifty in the end?

mambo

PurplePrincess wrote: »

try thrifty, i used them there recently when i needed a car just for 24hours. The tank was full when i got it and i filled it up before i returned it so i only paid for the petrol i used.

try http://www.travelsupermarket.com/c/cheap-car-hire/ -usually good deals to be had

A few tips...


For Thrifty, compare prices on
http://www.thrifty.ie/
and
http://www.carhire3000.com/ (select "Dublin / Lombard St", this is Thrifty's location)
as they can vary a lot.

Note: If booking directly with Thrifty you only have to pay a deposit, whereas I think CarHire3000 require full payment up front(?)

And get insurance coverage for the excess on any damage from the likes of http://www.carhireexcess.ie/ (from €3/day) instead of taking the excess insurance that Thrifty offer (about €15/day).

str8y

Hi guys!

Just reading the latest responses, so I'll let you know the whole scenario from the start.

I normally use travelsupermarket.com to compare the whole list of cars available ( I believe most car hire companies are on this search engine).
When I get the results from there ( they mainly only give airport locations) I check which companies are cheapest.


I do not continue booking thru travelsupermarket because:
a) Price in £ Sterling
b) Only Airport Locations are offered at time of booking thru this site
c) Some car hire companies have a premium location fee . (The cheapest car available had a location fee of €28)

On that day, Argus were nearly the cheapest.
I then go to argus( on this occasion) directly and book the car
When I booked thru Argus they have the insurance excess option for €5.50 per day. ( as opposed to approx €15 per day at the rental counter)

So I booked thru Argus and got a car with Thrifty ( Lombard St).
So, all in all I paid:
€27 for 1 day hire of a Toyota Avensis
€5.50 for full excess coverage insurance
€9.00 for M50 toll (x2) .. (The cost is €2.50 plus €2 admin fee per toll )
€29.08 for petrol.
Total: €70.58

The last time I booked , I ended with a company near Hueston Station ( can't remember who they were)
€23 for 1 day hire of a Ford Focus
€15.50 for full excess coverage insurance
€9.00 for M50 toll (x2) .. (The cost is €2.50 plus €2 admin fee per toll )
€85.00 for petrol.
( of which I only used about €29 worth .... as I have done EXACTLY the same trip as I did the last time)
€23 for extra day hire as I left the garage at 4.45pm and returned next day at 5.50pm.
Total 155.50

I hope this helps!!