In much of the modern world car hire is a well-established and profitable industry. Most people will eventually use a rental car service sooner or later, for one reason or another. The car hire industry has developed extensively since its beginnings in the early 1900s – nowadays people can not only rent conventional passenger cars but also vans, lorries and motorbikes as well as some examples of exotic vehicles. In this day and age use of car hire services is increasingly popular because for many keeping own vehicle is simply impractical and too expensive, particularly for individuals living in large cities where the principle of ‘live local work local’ applies on a daily basis. Generally, a good car hire company, like WhizzGo Rent a Car for example, would operate a number of branches throughout a given geographic area (city, region etc.) this usually includes branches located in or near major transport hubs like airports, train and bus stations etc.
Quick look at car the rental service itself
Car hire, which is also referred to as car rental, hire car etc. is a service organised and provided by specialised companies (of which there are many examples these days) who essentially rent out motor vehicles to individuals and other businesses for a fixed period of time. The duration of the service e.g. for how long the vehicle is rented out/hired depends on the given company and its policies. Usually the timeframe for hiring a vehicle is between few hours and a month. However, many car rental companies offer long term rental as part of their service list. Long term car hire shares some similarity with leasing but it is definitely not the same thing.
Car rental aims to provide the necessary level of flexibility and convenience to customers. One of the biggest conveniences these days (which mind you wasn’t always there) is that a person can hire the vehicle in one branch/office or city/town and return or drop off the vehicle in a totally different branch or city or town once the rental term has expired. This means that one can travel all over the place with a rental vehicle and not have to return it to its origin but drop it off in a convenient prearranged spot for collection by the company. In simple terms – you land at London’s Heathrow Airport, you hire a rental car for one week, you travel across the UK, and eventually you make your way to Edinburgh a week later, your car hire time is up so the car has to be returned but not back to London but in Edinburgh at the airport for instance – convenience in motion!
Industry statistics gathered and analysed over the years have indicated that the usual type of people who use car hire services are:
- People on full driving license, who aren’t everyday drivers and don’t need to keep a vehicle of their own;
- Tourists and travellers who are from out of town and require a vehicle to get around for touring, sightseeing etc.
- People whose motor vehicles have been damaged or crashed i.e. people who are waiting on repairs to their vehicle or awaiting insurance compensation over accidents, theft or other insurance events.
Extra features & enticements available to car hire users
Obviously the car hire industry is a competitive one, and companies who take part in it compete for customers and their business. There are many different ways a car rental company can entice people into using their service over the competition’s. These could be purely financial incentives or they may be more practical enticements like extra vehicle features for instance.
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AGE | Car hire is not openly available to drivers of all ages. People hiring a car need to have a full license and usually have to be at least 22 or even 25 years of age. People who meet these criteria are likely to receive discounts and preferential pricing. |
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FINANCE & PAYMENT OPTIONS | Many car hire companies offer discounted pricing for certain periods of hire. Drivers may also receive deposit discounts or gratis hire period of day or two. Some companies are also flexible with their payment options in order to make it more convenient for people thus secure their business. |
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TYPE/CLASS OF VEHICLE | In some cases where circumstances allow it, a rental car company may be willing to provide a driver with a higher class or larger vehicle than the one they paid for. This could happen during peak holiday seasons when there a shortage of car hire vehicles. It works both ways though – sometimes the precise type/make/model vehicle that was booked isn’t available so a similar replacement may be offered. |
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VEHICLE FEATURES & EXTRAS | Like any other business out there, car hire companies run special deals. It is not unusual for all or some of the extras and features you need present on/in the vehicle to be ‘thrown in’ for free. Such things may include sat nav, bike and ski racks, additional roof boot, baby/toddler seats etc. |
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MILEAGE & GEOGRAPHICAL RESTRICTIONS | Some car hire companies restrict the mileage one can clock in a rental vehicle. The car won’t clunk out once the set mileage has gone over but drivers will have to pay extra upon returning the vehicle for going over mileage limit. Another restriction which may be used is where the vehicle can and cannot go. For instance some companies would only let their cars be driven within the given country, others may allow for international vehicle use, say within the EU for example. |
Car hire & the self-moving industry
Across the Atlantic where this type of vehicle hire service originated many households and businesses are drawing on the advantageous parallels between the car rental and self-moving industries. Hiring a vehicle in order to complete a home or office removal is also a big thing in the UK these days. Many people who have the necessary licensing and driving experience rent their own vans or lorries and conduct their own home or office relocation. This type of service however is used for more basic removal projects where packing and protection of goods isn’t a priority. Proper moving services are always within the reserved scope of expertise of professional removal companies.