Car Hire Fun
Sep. 1st, 2006 03:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rhythmaningTwice in the past few weeks I have needed to hire a car; I used the same firm both times – the first because it worked out cheapest when I was looking around, the second because I was too lazy to look anywhere else.
The first time I booked a petrol-engined car the size of a Focus or Astra; what I got (when I turned down the automatic turbo SAAB they tried to get me to drive) was a four-wheel drive diesel-engined tank. It was huge, sat high in the road and although it handled well, it was a real pain to park. I had never driven a diesel before, so I lived in fear of filling it with petrol by mistake.
The second time I was going away by myself, so I just wanted a small car. I ordered something the size of Corsa; what I got (after I turned the automatic they tried to get me to drive) was a Ka. It was small. It went ok, but it felt small. (Probably because it was.) It also had a cassette player rather than CD, which I found very strange; I had to dig out some old CDs (which meant I was listening to old bootlegs of Elvis Costello and Oasis; fun, but not what I was expecting!).
After both hires, they asked me how satisfied I was with their service. So I said the cars were fine, but I was disappointed because on neither occasion did I get the car I was expecting. I also expressed surprise at them trying to fob me off with an automatic both times.
And both times they gave me a discount voucher – once for an upgrade, once for 15%.
As a result of this, I think I shall try and find something wrong whenever I rent a car from them!
The first time I booked a petrol-engined car the size of a Focus or Astra; what I got (when I turned down the automatic turbo SAAB they tried to get me to drive) was a four-wheel drive diesel-engined tank. It was huge, sat high in the road and although it handled well, it was a real pain to park. I had never driven a diesel before, so I lived in fear of filling it with petrol by mistake.
The second time I was going away by myself, so I just wanted a small car. I ordered something the size of Corsa; what I got (after I turned the automatic they tried to get me to drive) was a Ka. It was small. It went ok, but it felt small. (Probably because it was.) It also had a cassette player rather than CD, which I found very strange; I had to dig out some old CDs (which meant I was listening to old bootlegs of Elvis Costello and Oasis; fun, but not what I was expecting!).
After both hires, they asked me how satisfied I was with their service. So I said the cars were fine, but I was disappointed because on neither occasion did I get the car I was expecting. I also expressed surprise at them trying to fob me off with an automatic both times.
And both times they gave me a discount voucher – once for an upgrade, once for 15%.
As a result of this, I think I shall try and find something wrong whenever I rent a car from them!