antyone

Hi Guys,

My name is Anthony and I'm planning a trip with my family to Auckland in early January 2014. I would like to know who you recommend for car rentals in Auckland. I have heard that James Blond (www.jamesblondltd.co.nz) are good, does anyone has an experience with them? The last thing I want is to have our holiday ruined because of a bad experience with a car rental company.

Thanks in advance

Melnq8

We always use APEX in NZ, never had a problem

Thelittlestkiwi

I have never heard of James Blond - I have lived in NZ for most of my life. This isn't necessarily a reason to not use them, but if I was planning on leaving Auckland with the car, I'd be wondering what the support is going to be like once I leave, as it looks like they are Auckland focused (disclaimer: I have only skimmed the website..)
I'd recommend Apex - one of the reasons being that with the cheaper cars they've already got plenty of body knocks and scrapes marked on check out, so they are not going to worry about a small scratch when you return it.
I travel around NZ a lot for work, and normally use Hertz, as they are well represented at all the airports. Never had any problems.
Another Fyi for anyone that may read this, is to check out Transfercar.co.nz - there are always lots of cars needing to be relocated and they will often include some fuel, the ferry and insurance. A good deal if it fits in your schedule.

KayF

I don't know about NZ specifically but we have used Hertz all over the world and would recommend them. Smooth systems and (so far) no problems. Certainly had issues with other companies. Have not heard of James Blond, that doesn't mean they aren't any good. Do some more searching and see if you can find any feedback from customers. You could try the Lonely Planet forum.

Kay

stormbird

I always use driveaway.com.au - they source lots of deals and I've never had a problem. I've used them to hire cars in France, USA and Australia. The price they quote online is the all up cost - no hidden fees.

antyone

So after taking all you guys said into consideration and doing a bit more research, I decided to give James Blond a go based on some other good reviews I found and their low prices. Turns out that they were great to deal with and I had no issues. The car was clean and in good shape, no complications Maybe they are a new contender in the car rental game?

annhig

gosh, the OP joins fodors for the sole purpose of asking about a car rental co no-one has ever heard of and despite the advice s/he gets here, decides to go with them anyway.

call me an old cynic but.....