Features of car rental and what we decided to change in them in Montenegro
Renting cars in practice in different countries and working with numerous car rental brokers, we decided to write such a comparison.
Basically, clients make a reservation through intermediary websites. Such aggregators that collect offers from different companies and post them on their platform. Promoting themselves on the Internet and taking a % commission from the total rental amount for this. (We are also posted on many of these brokerage platforms)
Disadvantages for clients:
Lack of flexibility, i.e. you cannot return the car later than the pick-up time.
Example: having received a car at 10 am on 7.04 with a 1-day rental, the return must also be at 10 am on 8.04. The system will automatically count one day of rent for you if you set the return time later. (We give clients a free opportunity to return the car later or agree on a correct formal amount of surcharge for the time difference)
Pick-up and drop-off are tied to a specific address. Example: cars are only issued in 3 places in Budva. Often, at these points, there is no possibility even for parking during the peak season. And if you live somewhere not in the center, then it is not very convenient to go specially across the whole city to this place and wait for receipt/return. And the main difficulty is to find free parking there. (We deliver cars to your address, provide our own parking for clients in Budva for the night for free)
Additional equipment. Such as navigators, child seats, Internet modules .... In all broker sites, these services will be paid. Sometimes the prices for extra payment for them are simply astronomical. (We provide child seats and navigation for free, the minimum price for the service is for the Wi-Fi Internet module)
The same thing is with the ability to add additional drivers to the contract. This service will be paid for by brokers. (We add additional drivers to contracts for free)
If you need to make changes, you need to call them or write a letter. after which they will write to us and then answer you. Therefore, it takes more time. (Call us directly at +38269414243 or via email at budva2010@gmail.com and we will promptly discuss all the necessary changes/additions)
When returning, the need and cost of washing is calculated differently for everyone. The receiving employee may say that the car requires cleaning/washing and ask for payment as a tip or write off a significant amount from your card for this service (We included the wash in the final rental price)
The same situation is with the difference in fuel when receiving and returning. Some companies may impose a fine on you or calculate the difference in fuel at an inflated price. (You can return the car to us with empty tanks. We calculate the cost of fuel at the actual price of gas stations)
The question is in the price. Bargaining and agreeing on any favorable conditions and discounts for yourself through brokers will not work. (We are always open to discussing terms and prices)
The main issue that I had to deal with during the peak season when ordering cars through the most famous Bukinsky platforms (Booking, Expedia, Kayak, Avtoarenda, etc.) is that in fact, when arriving at the airport at the appointed time in the booking voucher, your car is not available.
And you will have to wait for the first return of the car or agree to take what is currently available. As a rule, a car of a different class, with an additional payment with or without a discount. Why does this happen?
It's very simple.
1. Brokerage platforms - intermediaries, the more bookings, the higher their income. They give you the opportunity to book a car that is guaranteed to not be available at this time. Leaving the solution to this issue to the rent a car manager on the spot. Russian-speaking brokers are all call centers mainly in the Baltics.
2. Many of them (95%) do not have prompt notification, i.e. if our car is booked at this time through the A* website or through our website, etc., we need to send them a notification by email!!! that this car will already be booked at such and such a time. After which, having reviewed it, they will respond in 2-3 days and add it to their reservation.
The same ridiculous situation is with price changes, each price change on a car is a separate! letter and correspondence with their managers. At the peak of the season, the situation changes every minute. At the same time, you can get a reservation from different sites for the same car with overlapping rental times.
We repeatedly encounter a situation when we simply do not have time to block the car with all the aggregators with which we work online, not to mention those where there is endless email correspondence. (taking these points into account, we will find a replacement/solution and offer options in advance, not on the day of car delivery)
Have a nice holiday and good luck on the roads in Montenegro!
