Car Rentals for Christmas; Are dealership rentals an option?

Frank_Leach

Hey folks...
First Christmas as an emigrant, and I've left it late to look into having a for the week I'll get home. Horror then, when I typed the details into the various main rental companies. Horrendous prices...
So, is there a possibility of approaching dealerships to rent a middle of the road diesel saloon for 8 days over the Christmas period? My logic says they aint going to be doing a lot of trade on second hand motors during Christmas week.
Has anyone else got any experience other than the main rental companies? I am looking for a car from 20th to 28th of December, pick up and return in Dublin.
Gracias amigos...

colm_mcm

What kind of prices are you getting? Do you need a big car or is it just a preference?

Edit, Jaysus argus want €400 for an aygo for the week

Frank_Leach

colm_mcm wrote: »

What kind of prices are you getting? Do you need a big car or is it just a preference?

Edit, Jaysus argus want €400 for an aygo for the week

I was quoted 360 for a Ford Ka for 8 days...Ouch!
With prices like these I can't afford to be fussy. I'd take a commercial at this stage. Anything with 4 wheels that'll get me around. I am going to email a few dealerships and see if there is any joy.

colm_mcm

Insurance might be a problem.

Frank_Leach

colm_mcm wrote: »

Insurance might be a problem.

Aye...might be alright.
Still, if you crash a car and they give you a rental, its their insurance isnt it?

colm_mcm

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Aye...might be alright.
Still, if you crash a car and they give you a rental, its their insurance isnt it?

Don't think so, you usually transfer yours over.

CiniO

colm_mcm wrote: »

Don't think so, you usually transfer yours over.

And if you don't have comprehensive, then you risk paying out the whole value of vehicle (which often might be nearly brand new car) ?

Frank_Leach

Hmm...
Any other options?
Any other experiences?

CiniO

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Hmm...
Any other options?
Any other experiences?

Drive back home maybe?

Frank_Leach

CiniO wrote: »

Drive back home maybe?

Not feasible brother...in my new location, Madrid.....I didn't buy a car, I bought a Moped!

dnme

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Not feasible brother...in my new location, Madrid.....I didn't buy a car, I bought a Moped!

Could you get away with public transport and family / friends giving you lifts ? Its only 8 days. Do you really need a car?

Frank_Leach

dnme wrote: »

Could you get away with public transport and family / friends giving you lifts ? Its only 8 days. Do you really need a car?

At prices like that, Yes.
200-250 but its my limit.

CiniO

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Hmm...
Any other options?
Any other experiences?

Frank_Leach wrote: »

Not feasible brother...in my new location, Madrid.....I didn't buy a car, I bought a Moped!

Allright.
Wouldn't be too convenient to run from Madrid to Dublin on a moped. Not impossible though

hoodie6029

Buy a cheap car in Madrid and drive it back.
Plenty of people did it during the Ash Cloud disaster a few years ago to avoid the extortionate rental prices at the time.

bucketybuck

Having worked in many dealerships, I can say that most will not be interested. Who do you approach for example? None of the salesman will be interested because it won't lead to a sale, and certainly nobody in service will want to know.

This might sound trite, but dealers are not hire companies, and they are not hire companies for a reason. They might have cars sitting in the lot, but that doesn't mean they have the procedures in place to handle car hire. Will their insurance company cover the vehicle? Do they have the printed paperwork to get you to sign to ensure they are covered if you crash the vehicle? Who is responsible for checking the vehicle in and out? What do they do if a week later they realise you swapped the tyres from some scrapper? What if the car breaks down somewhere, who pays for the repairs? The recovery?

And thats without even getting into the fact that most cars on the lot are not taxed. Are they going to tax a car just to get a hundred euro from you?

There might well be some dealer out there happy to take your money and send you out in a car, but I know that if you approached me I would say no, for a myriad of reasons it simply would not be worth the hassle.

CiniO

hoodie6029 wrote: »

Buy a cheap car in Madrid and drive it back.
Plenty of people did it during the Ash Cloud disaster a few years ago to avoid the extortionate rental prices at the time.

Possibly other way.
Fly to Ireland, buy something like that, drive it here for those 8 days, and then drive it back to Spain and sell if not needed.
You might even make few bob on it.
http://cars.donedeal.ie/cars-for-sale/2004-skoda-fabia-diesel-estate-lhd/5501297

cargo

I got 299 for a Ka for those dates from Enterprise or they have vans available fairly cheap 220 for the same period. Something like an astra van or focus wouldn't be too bad. I'm sure there's other van crowds with better prices as well.

For Forks Sake

cargo wrote: »

I got 299 for a Ka for those dates from Enterprise or they have vans available fairly cheap 220 for the same period. Something like an astra van or focus wouldn't be too bad. I'm sure there's other van crowds with better prices as well.

With the commercias, you usually have to provide your own insurance or the price will spike.

cargo

For Forks Sake wrote: »

With the commercias, you usually have to provide your own insurance or the price will spike.

Good point. Might need to start the process of transferring the Spanish moped insurance over now as I've a feeling it could take a while :-)

jimmy2flutes

Loads of cheap cars on done deal, buy one that's taxed for a month. Then leave it at home until the next time you are back.

bucketybuck

jimmy2flutes wrote: »

Loads of cheap cars on done deal, buy one that's taxed for a month. Then leave it at home until the next time you are back.

If you go down this road, don't forget that because of new legislation you will have to declare the vehicle off the road, or you could be liable for all unpaid road tax.

CiniO

bucketybuck wrote: »

If you go down this road, don't forget that because of new legislation you will have to declare the vehicle off the road, or you could be liable for all unpaid road tax.

You don't become liable for any unpaid tax automatically once you don't declare it off the road.
You only become liable for unpaid tax, at the moment you want to tax a vehicle which was neither taxed or declared off the road.

bucketybuck

CiniO wrote: »

You don't become liable for any unpaid tax automatically once you don't declare it off the road.
You only become liable for unpaid tax, at the moment you want to tax a vehicle which was neither taxed or declared off the road.

Thats what I meant.

If he buys a car and drives it for a month, then goes back to Madrid, only to return in a years time hoping to drive the car again, he might well find he is caught for a years road tax.

CiniO

bucketybuck wrote: »

Thats what I meant.

If he buys a car and drives it for a month, then goes back to Madrid, only to return in a years time hoping to drive the car again, he might well find he is caught for a years road tax.

Then he can sell the car and buy something else

colm_mcm

Again, insurance will make this more difficult.

CiniO

colm_mcm wrote: »

Again, insurance will make this more difficult.

Probably even impossible.
OP, as not Irish resident, can't buy insurance in Ireland legally.

zzantara

Do you have a relative/friend that might lend you their Car/ it is possible to be added to their Insurance for a short period, I did it for my son last August ,it cost €60 for two weeks comprehensive cover ??