Malaga car hire.

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oliveview01
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Malaga car hire.

Postby oliveview01 » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:14 pm

Sorry, this is a subject covered many times I know! Our son is visiting beginning of April, with year old son and older daughter, they normally share our car, but baby now makes it impossible. Looking at car hire from Malaga, who should be avoided like the plague? Thanks :thumbup: :thumbup:

ashtondav
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:42 pm

Avoid Goldcar, record, delpaso and possibly firefly (some reports indicate improvement). However you should know the reasons: mainly queueing and heated arguments about accepting damage insurance. If they don't mind paying up for the insurance and queueing ( and this is a real PROBLEM) at peak times then dont worry. Delpaso has some serious issues according to some and I wouldn't touch with a very long barge pole.

For the budget operators I have never had a problem with Centauro. And that ncludes scratching their cars. Malagacar.com used to be good but seem to have lost their way with popularity - i.e. Long queues and poor customer service. Prepared to pay a premium? Hellehollis are the best.

oliveview01
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby oliveview01 » Tue Feb 14, 2017 12:53 pm

Another question, if they use a car hire that is based at the airport, we will have to meet with the baby seat and husband is being added as 2nd driver, it is possible to get to car hire place from 'outside' the arrivals area?

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chrissiehope
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby chrissiehope » Tue Feb 14, 2017 2:25 pm

If I may briefly slightly hijack your thread oliveview1, I did ask about car hire a while ago, but got no reply to 2 of my questions ! One has now been answered above, but the other was:

any comments about Marbesol ?
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ashtondav
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Tue Feb 14, 2017 6:50 pm

Yes, you can meet them in the car park. It will involve phoning and maybe a few location games but you will be able to meet and handover the babyseat.

Never had or heard of any experience of Marbesol over the last 14 years - and 'ive used most operators by now.

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby Nimrod » Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:17 pm

Google marbesol complaints and marbesol reviews.
Like all Es car hire cos there are good and bad reviews.
You expect good but some of the bad are horrific.

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chrissiehope
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby chrissiehope » Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:00 am

Thanks guys - I guess "you makes your choice & pays the money" (or words to that effect ;-) )
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby Tom W » Wed Feb 15, 2017 9:40 am

100% agree - "you makes your choice & pays the money"
Last week we gave Goldcar a go despite the piles of grumbles you can read but thought it was worth a go at a Juke for 5 days for €24 in total, not per day! Needless to say they wanted €100+ for the extra insurance cover but took €1400 deposit from card which I must say was returned to my card within 3 hours of returning the car. I have to say I do not like the unattended drop-off bit but I've a lovely video of the car on my phone to show all was intact.
In my opinion it's all a gamble but, like everything, all the bad reviews are not the true picture as it's only when you get stung that most of us make the effort of leaving a review.

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Wed Feb 15, 2017 12:56 pm

TBH my only problem with Goldcar (and now sadly malagacar.com) is the queues at PEAK times at PEAK times of year - its a freaking nightmare. One hour is not unheard of and one and a half hours have been reported.

I'm out again on the 27th and will give Goldcar a chance and report back on queue length and insurance argument time.

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gus
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby gus » Wed Feb 15, 2017 2:50 pm

I'm also out on 27th Feb using Firefly through DoYouSpain. I'll also feed back when I get back to the UK.

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby baynigg » Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:04 pm

I have used several companies over the years and travel five or six times per year. Helle Hollis are the best in my experience, but not the cheapest, although if you need an extra driver this is included in the price whereas other companies (such as Goldcar) add on quite a bit extra.

I have used Goldcar a lot and actually found them to be OK generally. They know us now so we don't get the hard sell on the extra insurance (I have a separate annual policy to cover it). A firm but polite 'no' usually does the trick. The queues can be terrible in peak times but if you book direct through their website you can pay an extra 20 euros to go 'fast lane' which is well worth it. We went straight to the front even in August. An extra driver costs you another 45 euros which is silly I think, only one person can drive at a time. They also have a refuelling charge of 20 euros even if you take it back full. In all though, with the very low initial rental costs, even with these extras theirs are good prices. The cars are clean and good condition and service is OK. With regards to the deposit, I have never had it actually charged to my card, they just block that amount from your credit limit and unblock it when you return the car. Helle Hollis actually take the money and refund it but with volatile exchange rates this means I have lost out (never seems to work in my favour).

The ones I would avoid are Recordgo and Firefly - I had a couple of stressful experiences with them.

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Thu Feb 16, 2017 10:45 am

Gus, I seem to recall you had a good experience with firefly las time . Please do report back as not only are they cheap, but they are also on-airport.

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gus
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby gus » Thu Feb 16, 2017 11:52 am

Dav,
I must say I have never had a problem with them in the past and with them being on-airport I can usually walk straight down and sort out the car while the OH collects any hold luggage. I'm often "sorted" and waiting before she arrives.
Fingers crossed for our next outing which will be the day after I get back from a trip to Edinburgh to see Scotland beat the Welsh at rugby - fingers crossed!

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firsttango
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby firsttango » Fri Feb 17, 2017 11:42 am

"after I get back from a trip to Edinburgh to see Scotland beat the Welsh at rugby"

Gus you have a great sense of humour :lolno:

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Wed Feb 22, 2017 6:55 pm

Well, I've just booked Marbesol, 26 March to 6th April, 11 days for 12€ :crazy: for a Focus, or equivalent.

I hope its a Focus because i need the space and cant manage with a Fiesta size motor for this trip.

I have annual insurance so the only extra I guess will be the fuel surcharges, and extra driver.

I will report back early April. Watch this space, and for Gus' review of Firefly, another budget player ay Malaga.

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peteroldracer
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby peteroldracer » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:21 pm

"11 days for 12€ :crazy: "
Please tell me that is per day...not 12€ for all 11 days?!
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ashtondav
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby ashtondav » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:39 pm

No, the whole 11 days!

I'll get extra'd for another driver and a fuel surcharge but even so....

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peteroldracer
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby peteroldracer » Wed Feb 22, 2017 7:52 pm

Sorry, but I would not risk my life hiring from them....what standard of maintenance can they possibly carry out, and how coukd they afford any customer service if (or when) things go wrong?
If you pay too much for something all its costs you is money - pay too little and it can give you real grief!
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gus
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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby gus » Thu Feb 23, 2017 12:12 am

That is an option you have Peter ......I prefer to believe that they are working on the basis that some income is better then none.
I have been renting cars on a regular 4 or 5 times a year at Malaga for the last 18 years or so and have only had one problem over that time - and that was covered by my Insurance4carhire policy.
I am renting on 27th Feb for 11 days at the exorbitant rate of €33.04 in total - all because I booked a little early.
I'll feed back on my experience with Firefly after the event.

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Re: Malaga car hire.

Postby MartinBeard » Sat Feb 25, 2017 2:19 am

Are there any additional charges or complications with getting cars that have an automatic transmission?

I can drive manual, but I would also like the people I am traveling with to be able to take over.

Not sure if this is even a thing. But I hear it is a problem most places in Europe.


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