Malaga Airport Car Hire

[telboy]

Malagacar wont allow us to hire a car from Malaga Airport, we are already in Spain, they want a flight arrival number when trying to book online.

Whats that about!

[Beachcomber]

Tell them that if they don't want to allow you to hire a car you will go to Helle-Hollis.

[swerve]

Don't know if you know but malagacar.com are now charging for additional drivers this used to be free.

[telboy]

Nice one Beach! - I would have hired from Helli Hollis only their prices are twice as much.

I managed to find a Car Hire that has the option to click a box on their online booking which says 'walk in customer'. Why other Car Hire Companies don't have this 'Tick Box' option I dont know, maybe their offers only apply to Plane, Boat, or Train travellers.

Swerve - Malagacar have also added an extra euro to their price for the daily insurance 'top-up' in the last 3 mnoths.

Anyhow they've lost my business.

Terry

[scotty]

I would have hired from Helli Hollis only their prices are twice as much.Terry

Did you take into account the "homeowner discount" ? I have to be honest and say that all of my HH rentals have been a complete pleasure. I arrive in their office and doing the contract and leaving the office never takes more than five minutes. No long ques... no delays. As my 92 year old mother says "You pay for the bouqet" So I'm willing to pay extra for the convenience and speed of service they give me.

[ashtondav]

I'm a homeowner club member but for my 8 week trip they wanted over €800 for the smallest pocket rocket.

Centauro was €400 for the next car up the range.

Was the experience as good as Helle?

Not in a million years!

Was it €400 worse?

Not in a million years.

For €400 i'd rather have a dandelion than a bouquet, thanks.

[oliveview01]

We had to hire a car a couple of times this year, we used ´doyouspain.com´ part of the Hertz group, very pleased with them, car and price.

[ashtondav]

If using doyouspain and they allocate Goldcar or Record ask them to change supplier. Both firms have customer service problems that can be googled including extra insurance and, in peak times, horrendous queues - caused by arguments over that very issue.

[swerve]

I don't even want to get into a debate on doyouspain. As much to say as we won't be using there services again. If you have had a problem don't even bother trying to contact them as your wasting your time.

[Mowser]

they want a flight arrival number when trying to book online.

Go to the Malaga airport page and look for a flight number and tell them that's what flight you are on.
How will they ever know?

[teralin]

I have just booked a car with economycarhire who offered me a car rental company with a fair fuel policy ie return full. I think the company they have booked me with is Cargest Autos opposite the airport. So I will see how i get on with them and report back.

[IreneD]

We've used doyouspain with no problems, they've put us with Advantage car hire, which I believe are part of the Hertz group. You could go direct to Advantage if you don't want to go through a broker.

[jogger]

Last week I used Record Go, they were cheap, had the largest queues and the cars were fine, I had a Nissan Juke, not one I would rent again though, although it was nice and new.

[swerve]

Glad you've had no trouble upto now irene. We had used them a few times with no problems but the last time we got blatantly ripped off by Europecar and have not had a single reply to our emails.

Teralin keep us informed as to how you get on with economycarhire
I've just done a quote and the fuel was full to empty.

[IreneD]

Swerve, perhaps we've been lucky that doyouspain have never put us with europcar. We have our own car now but family will still be hiring cars when they come out, they've used SixT quite a bit, mostly in Seville though. It's a minefield, isn't it? Nice not to have to hire cars any more.

[swerve]

IreneD what was advantages fuel policy when you booked.

[IreneD]

Full/full unfortunately but they didn't overcharge us for the fuel, we didn't think. And when we first moved here, in March, we hired a car for 90 days with them, total cost with all possible insurances etc was under 500 euros,about 490 I think. Which we thought was pretty good. Also, one day, we couldn't start the car and their assistance was brilliant, they got someone to us in 25 minutes! I don't know whether we'd done something wrong, but the battery was dead. (It only happened the once) We are in Canillas de Aceituno so they must have immediately contacted a garage in Velez, for us to get sorted that quickly.

This is our experience, but of course, maybe we just struck lucky with the humans we dealt with.

[Nimrod]

I always book a car through doyouspain in the hope I end up with a car from Advantage (part of Hertz)
and not Record.
I've had cars from Record that didn't have a wheelbrace,on another occasion a spare wheel,another time no jack,never ever had a reflective jacket and never had a car with a radio aerial.I've had cars that had flaps of rubber missing from the sidewall that have been superglued back.
And then DYS started using Advantage.The first time I used them we were delayed at Gatwick for hours which meant getting into Malaga in the early hours of the morning.
I phoned Advantage from Gatwick,they said they would be closed when we arrived (from memory about 1.30am) but that they would stay until I turned up.True to their word a member of staff stayed behind and I got my car complete with jack,wheel brace,spare wheel,reflective jacket and aerial.
You never know which company you will end up with at DYS so I keep cancelling until I get a voucher from Advantage.It's no use e mailing DYS customer service or even phoning them,I've never got through and they've certainly never replied to numerous e mails.
I always book early with DYS and the game is to keep checking their prices as at the times of year we go the price drops the nearer we get to collection.Cancellation is free ,so you cancel and rebook.
I remember some years ago when we always seem to get Record I turned up at their desk and I had 4 cars reserved in my name where DYS hadn't bothered to cancel with them.Keep copies of cancellation e mails and no one can moan at you.
I came back to UK yesterday,I had an Advantage car for 3 weeks( 4 door AStra),it cost less than 10e per day,it was clean and had all the tools.After 2 days it developed a fault,it would go into limp mode..pretty dangerous on the coast road...but would be ok again if you switched it off and restarted.
I phoned Advantage,they offered to pick it up,I said I'd drive it back,they replaced it instantly with a 4 door Focus and off I went.
There was no clucking of teeth,accusations that it was my fault just good ,polite customer service.
Advantage are OK.

[jogger]

Just a quick question, do any of the companies charge you per mile as well? Also now you mention it, I noticed I din't have a spare wheel in the car I hired with Record, I won't be using them again.

[IreneD]

Nimrod, why not book direct with Advantage? That's what we did for our long term car hire. Is it cheaper to book through doyouspain? Is that why you go through them?