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“OAPs and chewing gum”

Written on: 16/09/2011 by jmfarrow (1 review written)

How wrong could I be?
I need to hire a 7/8 seated minibus / people carrier every other month to take a group of x4 OAPs and wheel chairs on outings and have some bad experience when dealing with hire companies so it was to my delight when a few months ago I turned to Nationwide hire and the first vehicle they delivered was a nice Ford Galaxy, The wheel chairs fitted in the back (after moving the seats) and the OAPs had a wonderful outing. I thought that I had found a hire company that didn’t try to rip you off by saying there is something wrong with the vehicle when it’s returned, how wrong was I? Well my second hire from Nationwide was delivered to my door a day early and the keys handed to my 16 year old daughter for her to inspect?? What 16 year old girl knows what to check for? When I got home from work there it was a virtually new I8OO Hyandi, First thought was I shall have to wash it because it was absolutely filthy there was not a handle you could have opened without having to wash your hands after, never mind, gave it a wash and uncovered some marks to the paint work that was not recorded on their inspection sheet, opened the doors to see how to remove or drop the rear seats to get the wheel chairs in and I’m confronted with coke cans sweet rapper and just general rubbish along with a dry white stain that looked like super glue that had dried on the back seats, I thought, how can all this be missed on the inspection sheets? Never mind they must have been in a rush, never mind bit of a wash clean out the rubbish, won’t take long. I called the hire company and explain that I have had to wash the vehicle and have uncovered some defects that have not been spotted OR RECORDED by the person dropping the vehicle off. All reported, so I thought! (I so say forgot to mention the stain on the seat)
The vehicle was collected and low and behold an invoice for removing chewing gum from the rear seat, the same rear seats that my group didn’t even sit in or use and with an average age of 75 I don’t believe chewing gum falls high on their list of travel sweets, can you imagine the bill I would have had if I had not reported what the incompetent person delivering the vehicle failed to see. I would strongly recommend that you do not use this company or if you do then make sure there is a competent person available to check the vehicle before they leave. Due to the total incompetents or can’t be bothered attitude of the person who delivered my hire vehicle I have been left with a bill for someone else’s mess. On complaining all you get is, someone has to pay for it. After hiring vehicle for many years It seems to be common practise not record defects when delivering vehicles on the hope that you don’t see it and they can charge someone else for it so look out for that little scam. I was thinking of invoicing them for my time spent cleaning the vehicle inside and out prior to use because I’m sure they would have charged me, but I am happy in the thought that if one person reads this review and decides not to use nationwide I have deprived them of an opportunity to rip someone off. My hunt for a half decent hire company continues.