Brisbane Car Rentals

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#883680 23-Aug-2013 22:45

i used these guys last i was there http://www.bargainrentacar.com.au/
a friend has also used them a few times. good value for money.

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#883697 23-Aug-2013 22:55

We used Apex when we were over in July. They were excellent and very cheap. It was about AU$40 a day for an Mitsubishi Outlander (2013 model 3500kms on the clock) with 100km per day. They also provide car seats for free which was great with our little girl.

The downside is they aren't on airport - you call them when you arrive and they pick you up in a shuttle, then drop you off when you drop the car back.

Definitely recommended.

NzBeagle

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#884574 26-Aug-2013 11:39

nitrotech: I always go to these guys http://www.eastcoastcarrentals.com.au/car-hire/brisbane-airport

Also use these guys, found them great value and decent cars.

ScuL

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#893113 11-Sep-2013 10:17

One super important thing when you hire a vehicle in Australia

READ THE SMALL PRINT & CONFIRM EXCESS INSURANCE.

I have learnt this the hard way.
When I was in Brisbane I hired a vehicle for 2 days through Hertz.
Whilst picking it up nobody told me what the insurance excess was, they just shoved a small booklet with tiny print across the desk and demanded my drivers license, credit card and signature. As you do, you put down a signature and don't think anything else of it.
Got the keys, went to the vehicle drove away had 2 fantastic days, until I was on my way back to the airport on day 2.

Somewhere near the Glasshouse Mountains I was behind a sluggish HGV. I should have paid more attention to the big stickers on the back "do not overtake whilst turning".
When the single carriageway expanded into 2 lanes I pulled alongside it to pass it. All of a sudden the driver decides to turn into a dirt road on the left.
Aussie trucks are designed slightly differently in the sense that the back side may stick out a reasonable distance beyond the last set of wheels.

Result: his back-end veered into my lane and I ripped the car open front to tail-light.

Second note for driving in Australia: STAY AWAY FROM TRUCKS WITH THAT STICKER

Obviously I wasn't in the wrong as I could not have expected the truck to turn into my lane. The right thing for the driver to do would have probably been to slow down and allow me to clear before taking the turn.

Now comes the drama, I phoned up Hertz and they asked me if the car was in drivable condition upon which I answered yes, so I drove it back to Brisbane airport and caused a lot consternation in the return lot.

Then they demanded I paid the sum of $8000 AUD on my credit card immediately.
When I said that I didn't have that kind of money (exceeded my limit) they said they would contact airport staff to prevent me from boarding my flight.

Eventually (I had no choice) I used 2 cards to make the payment and spent the remaining 2 weeks in Australia in poverty.

Luckily, because of the nice folks at both the Hertz Amsterdam (Netherlands HQ) as well as Hertz Dublin (European HQ) offices, I sent in a 14-page document describing the incident and I managed to get every single penny back.. this was a mission of 4 months of calls, mails and pestering people, but I did succeed..

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#893121 11-Sep-2013 10:25

I always take the max excess reduction ...

ScuL

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#893124 11-Sep-2013 10:28

joker97: I always take the max excess reduction ...

In Europe, the standard excess is usually around the $500~$700 NZD mark not too bad at all, never having been that side of the world before back then I suspected it would have been similar. Never expected $8000 :/

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#894136 11-Sep-2013 11:07

ScuL:

READ THE SMALL PRINT & CONFIRM EXCESS INSURANCE.

...
Then they demanded I paid the sum of $8000 AUD on my credit card immediately.

These are some of the reasons I always suggest travel insurance - the non-reduced excess with Europcar for the vehicles I've rented has typically been around $4k NZ, and most decent travel insurance policies (I use Southern Cross TI) cover around $5k NZ rental excess. To me, this is a better option than paying an extra $50/day or thereabouts just to reduce the excess, compared to $70 for a week of full insurance to cover rental excess, baggage loss etc that may occur.

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