DJE

Beware of "JeepRent" can rental company in Namibia. Their website states that they are a very reputable organization with the following quote "COMFORT, STYLE AND SAFETY are written big at JeepRent"

We recently found from firsthand experience that this is a blatant lie as we had a contract to rent a Land Rover Discovery 4x4 vehicle for a period of approx. 3 weeks in June of this year. When the vehicle was delivered to our hotel in Windhoek in the late afternoon ( the day before our journey was to begin ) it was in very poor condition as it was very dirty on the inside but more importantly the car was delivered with 4 seriously bald tires including the spare.

This was totally unacceptable as driving this vehicle would have been very dangerous considering the road conditions throughout the country. We told the rental delivery person that we would accept the vehicle only if all the tires including the spare were replaced and his response was that this was not possible as no tires were available for this model in Namibia at that time. After speaking to someone at this office, a second spare was offered in lieu of new tires ( a lot of good that would have done us!! ) We again stated that this was not acceptable as the car was still unsafe for the road.

We subsequently had to quickly try and find a replacement vehicle for our morning departure the following day as we were heading to our accommodation in Etosha. Fortunately we were able to get a replacement from another rental agency but low and behold when our agent confronted the owner of JeepRent the next morning, he was advised that they all of a sudden had some new tires for the Discovery, but naturally this was well after the fact. Interesting how these new tires became available after being told that none could be found in the entire country!!

All the charges were paid in advance to this so-called reputable company and to date our agents have been unsuccessful in obtaining any refund of the rental fees even though the owner of JeepRent indicated to our Namibian agent that a credit would be forthcoming. We however have received a credit from our agents to cover the difference in cost between the vehicle we did use and JeepRents.

It should be noted that we are not the exception in our experience as we met a Belgium couple in Etosha who also rented from this company and were very unhappy with their situation and the vehicle they were provided with. They were intending to lodge a complaint with the Namibian consulate in Belgium after returning home.

In closing I would suggest that all travelers do themselves a big favor and avoid and dealings with this outfit.

kimburu

Sorry for your experience and glad you had a great time despite it. You say your agent is partially compensating you with credit - so your agent was presumably responsible for the choice of this company? Thanks for the warning... that is a seriously bad thing to do to someone and the menatality of offering a second spare beggars belief.

I'm not sure I could trust a company with a slogan like that (although perhaps it sounds better in German?);-) However, I have to admit their Web site looks pretty good - if rather "gushing" for a car rental firm.

kimburu

I'm taking a look at their terms and conditions, trying to spot any red flags that I should be looking out for when hiring a vehicle in Namibia. Are the following terms normal - they could end up being very expensive! Under their normal terms:
"The vehicle is not covered for sandstorm damage, damage to the windscreen, headlights or tyres."
Under "SUPER EXCESS COVER" terms:

"The Excess of the applicable car group will however be payable if the accident occurs on a gravel road or where no other vehicle or an animal is involved."

I note that bald tires are not included as a reason.

Another company states the following:

"When renting a car you will be required to put down an excess deposit (deductible). This is your maximum liability in the event of anything happening to the car while you are hiring it. You will be required to pay for any damage, including tyre and windscreen, that occurs to the rental vehicle up to the excess amount (renting with zero excess negates the need to pay for damages)"

Perhaps I have found my red flags.

DJE

No our agent did not suggest this company to us. We found it ourselves when trying to see which company offered AWD land rovers for rent. They did however make the arrangements for the car hire and probably should have checked out their vehicles before going ahead with the rental contract on our behalf.

Those terms you found are pretty standard with rental outfits in Namibia. We took the super excess but also had additional coverage for all circumstances through our credit card.

dalboths

Also be warned of Asco Car Hire, a 4x4 camping vehicle rental company in Windhoek. We travelled around Namibia in a 4x4 self-drive vehicle hired from this company in September 2005. Namibia was heaven, but no thanks to Asco. The choice of Asco came through our operator, OutinAfrica, a company run by a local Namibian, so we trusted the recommendation. However in practice we were given a vehicle that was filthy, with beaten-up equipment, and by day 3 the fridge had broken - tough on a 3 week camping trip - most of the repair toolbox was missing tools so twice we had to stop and ask mechanics for help with basic repairs - and by the end of the trip the fuel tank was leaking. It was a mess. We paid for repairs ourselves at a garage which took a whole day, and when we dropped the vehicle back at the end of the trip Asco refused to refund us any of the costs of the repairs we had had to make, never mind compensation for time lost etc (we didn't fare any better from our agent either, who has since gone out of business.) They were a bunch of cowboys and treated us very badly and were incredibly rude to us. The vehicles we saw out on the road that looked good on the other hand, with new equipment and looked well looked-after, was Britz. This is purely from what we observed though, we've never actually used them.

Patty

"We took the super excess but also had additional coverage for all circumstances through our credit card."

Which credit card did you use and what country do you reside in?

My understanding is that in order for your credit card company's rental coverage to be effective, you need to decline whatever coverage the car rental company offers. You wouldn't be covered through both. At least that's what I believe most US cardholder policies state.

I booked a car through Hertz and if I want to use Amex's coverage, I need to decline all of Hertz's optional coverage. If I accept and pay for Hertz's CDW or Super CDW, that invalidates any coverage from Amex.

If I decide to go with Hertz's CDW or even Super CDW instead, their terms still list many types of damage which aren't covered regardless:

"Notwithstanding the above, you are liable in full for:

Damage caused by negligence.
Damage where the vehicle is taken beyond the borders of Namibia without written permission.
Damage to tyres, undercarriage, wheel rims, windows and windscreens.
Damage where no other vehicle, person, animal or object is involved.
Damage caused by driving on an untarred road or a road not suitable for the vehicle.
Damage caused when vehicle is driven by unauthorised drivers.
Damage caused by water.
Accidents not reported within 6 hours to the nearest Police station and without the accident case number."

It seems ridiculous to me to pay so much for optional coverage and have all those exclusions anyway. Or have I missed something?

Has anyone else simply used their credit card's rental coverage alone?

Patty

Of course, none of this coverage insures against getting a dirty, broken down car with bald tires in the first place