BOB THE NAVIGATOR

I have been a big fan of Autoeurope for many years, and have rented perhaps 15 cars from them over the past dozen years. Well, there is a new kid on the block and he is changing the bar. Easycar.com--a subsidiary of Easyjet--is changing everything. Their locations are limited--primarily England and France--but the prices are unbelievable. I got a recent qoute on a Mercedes A car in Madrid that was $200 cheaper than Autoeurope. I went back to have them match and they refused--saying it was not comparable since the location was " off airport". The location is a $12 taxi ride from the airport--I can handle that. Check it out--a new alternative to save $$. Be aware, it only includes 100km per day. But, I can handle that as well.

Diane

hey...I knew there was a reason I didn't reserve that Autoeurope car for Provence in May just yet...Thank you, Bob, I'll check it out too!

Alec

easyCar certainly offers terrific rates and is certainly worth considering. But if you want to use easyCar you need to bear in mind the following:<BR>1. They don't offer one-way rentals. All cars must be returned to the original rental station.<BR>2. As stated there's a mileage limit, 100 km/day in continental Europe and 75 miles in UK. Excess is charged at a stiff rate. So if you want to drive long distances, you may not save much if any compared to other companies.<BR>3. They are very strict about timing. Late pick-up or return carries a penalty charge.<BR>4. There's a cleaning charge if you don't WASH your car before returning.<BR>5. High deductible for damage to rental car. Well, they have changed their policy recently and now levy a fixed insurance supplement per day in exchange for nil deductible (excess). But check the website carefully for conditions.<BR>6. There is hardly any choice of cars. Most locations only rent out Mercedes A-series, which is a fine car but small, with luggage space adequate for 3 adults maximum.<BR>7. You cannot cancel or amend your booking without forfeiting the rental charge paid in advance. If your flight is late, they don't offer to keep the car for you or stay open beyond their nomal closing time, though some locations are open 24/7.

BOB THE NAVIGATOR

Good points and all true !<BR>But, it meets my scenario for this trip and saves me 50%--it is just another good option to consider.

Maribel

Hi BOB,<BR>We saw the easycar rentals in Madrid this Nov. also recently in Paris. Yes, very cheap but do be aware that they have the easycar logo all over them (company policy) identifying them clearly as a rental car. This gives me real, true pause, as I don't like my rental car to be easily identified by everyone on the road, particularly when I leave it parked on the street or in an underground lot-just seems to set me up as a target for theft. Maybe it's fine, but I'm leary. Like to hear how others feel about on this point.

Maribel

Meant to copy their explanation for the logo advertising on their cars:<BR><BR>&quot;By displaying our name on our cars we increase our marketing exposure allowing us to reduce the amount we spend on advertising&quot;.<BR><BR>

Ann

I have recommended Easycar ever since we rented two Mercedes for a family get-together in Scotland in 2001. Were very happy with both the service and the cars. The rate was an amazing 7 GBP per day, but we reserved WAY early, and the sooner you do so, the cheaper the rate. I liked the insurance being included in the flat rate and we had no problems whatsoever with the logo across the bottom of the car during our travels all around Scotland (including Glasgow &amp; Edinburgh). But maybe it depends on the country, as I was a bit leery about that, myself. Location is always off-airport, and everything is done on-line. You can add extra drivers for no cost. I would caution to get everything in writing, as we had been promised we could extend the contract at the same rate, but when we tried, were told no dice... rate was increased as for a last-minute reservation. The only hiccup. They do only have the A-class Mercedes except for a few locations, but also offer the Smart car in London and Paris... another fun ride! The little Benz is as roomy as any sedan, just less cargo area.

xxx

We were a little nervous about driving a rental car in Europe, where the license plate was different, marking us as tourists. I can't imagine driving around in a car that had that giant logo of EASYCAR all over it. I saw some of those cars -- I thought they were company cars and never realized they all look like that. How tacky!

janis

The new company policy re insurance is an improvement. But Easy Car has had some REALLY bad press in the UK. One of the consumer watchdog programs dragged the chairman on and grilled him about all the complaints received. They in fact changed their insurance requirements that very week -- in response to the TV program.<BR><BR>It seems they were charging almost all renters really high fees for scuffed wheel covers, chipped windscreens (which is easy to do if you drive anywhere they have recently paved the roads), even scuffed tires. As many people know - scuffed wheel covers/mirrors/tires are VERY common on narrow UK/European roads. Many callers to the program told of the minor damage costs were more than the entire rental contract.<BR><BR>So if the new insurance takes care of this adequately - fine. But do beware. There is a definite downside.