In today's world of car hire, it can get very complicated with not only private car hire companies running their own websites, but all manner of aggregators, car sharing and peer to peer car rental UK schemes trying desperately to come on top when we search for car hire. There are also new websites offering much more imaginative and cheaper options to traditional rentals. One such site is uk.getaround.com.
There are some commonsense tips, however, to help not only weed out the less reputable players, but actually walk away with a very good deal.
Look at Websites For The Main Players
Private car hire essentially boils down to a few large companies that we all know of, operating both share their own websites and through intermediaries who often promise to get you private car rental at an even lower rate than the hire company themselves. When we perform an online search, we will probably get around 10 companies all desperate to give us what we need. However, these intermediaries are often not privy to the many promotions and deals that private car rental UK companies run directly. What may look like a good deal then ends up being about two to three times the price of just going direct! Remember that comparison sites only have private car rental UK deals that they have been given; those hire companies want to deal direct.
Peer to Peer Car Rental is Often Cheaper
Car sharing and peer to peer car rental UK platforms are often a much cheaper and more plentiful source of cars. Cars are often sat on peoples' driveways costing them money, so the chance for someone to earn a passive income means they'll take less than the major car rental companies as its better than the car sitting there doing nothing. The good news is that these schemes are popping up across the UK more and more, with providers connecting cars to drivers on sometimes more of a regular basis than traditional car hire! Peer to peer car rental is now complemented, thanks to these companies, by competitive insurance policies, breakdown recovery and referral bonuses all as standard parts of using the service. Cutting out the middleman and earning our neighbours some money also feels pretty good in itself.
Try Car Sharing
Car sharing UK is now also a big thing. People are realising that their commute often involves taking three empty seats with them, and that this could easily be a few extra pounds in the pocket. Again, like peer rental schemes, this often comes at a fraction of the cost of traditional private car rental. It's also a great way to make friends, help the environment and, for the driver, earn a decent passive income. uk getaround, for example, has been operating this model for some time.
Look for Online Car Clubs
An even newer alternative to car sharing UK, peer-to-peer and traditional renting, car clubs allow buyers to find a cheap, modern way to get about four only a few hours or a few days. In major cities, car clubs often have dedicated spaces in prime locations, with a simple card style entry or pin being all that is needed. This can get a little bit more expensive in the longer term, but for two or three hours, it is so much cheaper. What's more, many companies have fully electric cars in their fleets.
As we can see, there really is no reason to stick with traditional methods just because they are there. There are so many more options that are more convenient and more affordable.