Sep 2010 Update: Avis has some good schemes and offers on Self drive currently. I could rent a Ford Endeavour [review & pics] for under 3k from them. Hertz in Chennai n Pune has very few cars on self drive, car club Bangalore also has stopped offering most of the cars on self drive. Budget cars is another good agency to deal with. They've a good weekend package which is attractive.
Original post:
The concept of self drive is still in a nascent stage in India. Unlike west, manpower is pretty cheap here and coupled with the facts that driving in India is best left to professional drivers, the idea of self drive car rentals doesn’t seem to have really taken off. While in every street you’ll find couple of travel agencies offering Sumos, Qualis and Indicas for rent, the number of car rental agencies who dare to give their machines on self drive is very very few. Also, driving is not considered a respectable job and drivers are treated at par with watchmen, cleaner and such other unskilled or semi skilled jobs. Many of us do not have an idea what self drive is and if that option is really available in India.
Recently I took a Skoda Octavia on self drive rental for 3 days from Hertz India franchisee, Carzonrent. (My trip experience). Based on this experience and general observation and knowledge, I am listing some notes which will be useful to travelers considering self drive options in India.
Quick Navigation: Advantages of Self Drive* Risks involved in self drive (in India) * Suggestions to those planning to take cars on self drive rentals in India * My feedback on Hertz India (Carzonrent)* Eligibility for taking cars on Self drive * Companies renting cars on self drive in India
Advantages of Self drive:
1. You get an extra seat
2. If you enjoy driving, it will be better experience driving yourself
3. Some intercity highways are pretty good-one can enjoy driving.
4. It gives privacy
5. For long drives (3 days and more, for unlimited kms advantage), self drive (with daily rental + fuel expense) will be economical than chauffeur driven rental (Per km billing + daily driver fees) [I drove 1300 kms in 3 days and it did cost me around Rs 16100 including rental and fuel-if I had taken Skoda on regular chauffeur driven rental, it would have costed nearly twice that amount.]
1. Liabilities: If anything goes wrong you’ll be answerable, and there're lot of things which can go wrong (vehicle break down, flat tyre, accidents, road blocks, getting lost and so on). In a chauffeur driven rental, you can enjoy the ride while the driver will be responsible for both driving and overall care taking of the vehicle. If the vehicle breaks down you can leave the driver and his vehicle and continue journey in another vehicle. (if possible) With self drive, a small incident can ruin all the fun.
2. Rental companies usually buy the cheapest available variant of a car and the vehicle may not have basic facilities. And unlike a passionate owner, not a single rupee will be spent on optional enhancements/accessories which would add to safety/comfort/beauty of the vehicle (The skoda Octavia I rented had an outdated cassette player, while mp3 player is a standard these days. The vehicle was 4-5 years old with lots of minor dents and scratches. Except front left, all 3 tyres were in almost worn out condition and hardly had any threads-all these spoiled my fun to some extent)
3. As per RTO norms vehicle given on self drive will have yellow numbers on black background. With Hertz sticker and this yellow number plate, rest of the road users take it as a taxi and the driver is taken for granted as an experienced taxi driver. So you may not get the respect of a car owner and since your expertise as driver is taken for granted you won’t get much consideration on the road either.
4. Driving in India is an art. Besides knowing how to drive you also need a strong mouth. When two vehicles touch each other, irrespective of whos fault it is, one driving the expensive vehicle is held guilty by default. You'll need a strong mouth (and muscle too, sometimes!) to survive an argument.
5. Not economical for short trips (2 days or less and for just a few hundred kms) (this one is a disadvantage-not a risk)
Is it advisable to take cars on self drive in India?
Unless otherwise you’re tempted by the advantages of self drive listed above, and are comfortable with few risks listed, it is advisable Not to prefer self drive.
If you plan to take cars on self drive in India:
1. Take a car made by either Maruti/Tata or Mahindra. These manufacturers have dealers all over India and if something goes wrong finding help will be easy. Other makers like Skoda, Chevy etc are yet to spread their dealership network and service centers.
2. Insist on a relatively new vehicle which is less than 2-3 years old and that vehicle should have relatively newer tyres.
3. Take a vehicle with high ground clearance. Most of the Indian roads will be in bad condition and may have unscientifically designed humps. Vehicle with low ground clearance will make driving tough.
4. Driving in India is not as easy as driving in other countries. Attributes for this are many-bad roads, irresponsible follow road users who might make unpredictable movements, lack of road sense, not having proper navigation facilities.
5. Consider keeping an Indian friend as co passenger (preferably one who knows local language and also knows driving)
6. Take rental from a reputed company. Some operators may resort to unethical practices like charging a huge amount even for a negligible scratch, handing over a vehicle which is in bad condition, refusing to reimburse you if you had to spend money replacing a faulty spare, renting out vehicles without genuine documents etc.
7. If you need to rent a vehicle for months, better to buy a second hand car, use it for few months and sell off again. Check with a used car dealer for this.
My Feedback on Carzonrent (Hertz India licensee)
Over all I am satisfied with their services, but following factors you must keep in mind:
1. My pickup was delayed. I had asked the company to send a cab to pick me up at 10PM (so that I can go to their office, complete the formalities and take the delivery of the vehicle) but the cab reported nearly 40 mins late. Very bad. (Usually cab drivers report in few minutes ahead of requested time)
2. The car was old, didn’t have basic facilities like mp3 player, tyres were worn out.
3. Billing was prompt. Infact they gave a small discount on quoted price. Quite happy on that front.
4. During my email communications, Hertz executives were prompt in responding but gave selective response-Some of my questions like the age of the vehicle, if it will have some physical security devices like wheel locks etc were not answered.
1. You get an extra seat
2. If you enjoy driving, it will be better experience driving yourself
3. Some intercity highways are pretty good-one can enjoy driving.
4. It gives privacy
5. For long drives (3 days and more, for unlimited kms advantage), self drive (with daily rental + fuel expense) will be economical than chauffeur driven rental (Per km billing + daily driver fees) [I drove 1300 kms in 3 days and it did cost me around Rs 16100 including rental and fuel-if I had taken Skoda on regular chauffeur driven rental, it would have costed nearly twice that amount.]
6. Sometimes cab drivers might be extremely stressed, due to several long trips and not enough rest in between. Some drivers also tend to be rash and negligent. If you’re confident of your driving skills, self drive might give you an advantage over these factors.
Risks of taking a vehicle on Self drive:1. Liabilities: If anything goes wrong you’ll be answerable, and there're lot of things which can go wrong (vehicle break down, flat tyre, accidents, road blocks, getting lost and so on). In a chauffeur driven rental, you can enjoy the ride while the driver will be responsible for both driving and overall care taking of the vehicle. If the vehicle breaks down you can leave the driver and his vehicle and continue journey in another vehicle. (if possible) With self drive, a small incident can ruin all the fun.
2. Rental companies usually buy the cheapest available variant of a car and the vehicle may not have basic facilities. And unlike a passionate owner, not a single rupee will be spent on optional enhancements/accessories which would add to safety/comfort/beauty of the vehicle (The skoda Octavia I rented had an outdated cassette player, while mp3 player is a standard these days. The vehicle was 4-5 years old with lots of minor dents and scratches. Except front left, all 3 tyres were in almost worn out condition and hardly had any threads-all these spoiled my fun to some extent)
3. As per RTO norms vehicle given on self drive will have yellow numbers on black background. With Hertz sticker and this yellow number plate, rest of the road users take it as a taxi and the driver is taken for granted as an experienced taxi driver. So you may not get the respect of a car owner and since your expertise as driver is taken for granted you won’t get much consideration on the road either.
4. Driving in India is an art. Besides knowing how to drive you also need a strong mouth. When two vehicles touch each other, irrespective of whos fault it is, one driving the expensive vehicle is held guilty by default. You'll need a strong mouth (and muscle too, sometimes!) to survive an argument.
5. Not economical for short trips (2 days or less and for just a few hundred kms) (this one is a disadvantage-not a risk)
6. Besides knowing how to drive, you should also know the roads to take and knowledge of local language will be essential if you wish to take help from localities during the journey. (Navigation assistance on Indian roads are relatively poor-better to have someone on board who knows the road)
7. None of the Indian car rental companies have bigger vehicles like 7 seaters and SUVs (except few which are available exclusive to select corporate). So if you’re more than 5 people, self drive is ruled out, except if you chose to take 2 cars
Is it advisable to take cars on self drive in India?
Unless otherwise you’re tempted by the advantages of self drive listed above, and are comfortable with few risks listed, it is advisable Not to prefer self drive.
If you plan to take cars on self drive in India:
1. Take a car made by either Maruti/Tata or Mahindra. These manufacturers have dealers all over India and if something goes wrong finding help will be easy. Other makers like Skoda, Chevy etc are yet to spread their dealership network and service centers.
2. Insist on a relatively new vehicle which is less than 2-3 years old and that vehicle should have relatively newer tyres.
3. Take a vehicle with high ground clearance. Most of the Indian roads will be in bad condition and may have unscientifically designed humps. Vehicle with low ground clearance will make driving tough.
4. Driving in India is not as easy as driving in other countries. Attributes for this are many-bad roads, irresponsible follow road users who might make unpredictable movements, lack of road sense, not having proper navigation facilities.
5. Consider keeping an Indian friend as co passenger (preferably one who knows local language and also knows driving)
6. Take rental from a reputed company. Some operators may resort to unethical practices like charging a huge amount even for a negligible scratch, handing over a vehicle which is in bad condition, refusing to reimburse you if you had to spend money replacing a faulty spare, renting out vehicles without genuine documents etc.
7. If you need to rent a vehicle for months, better to buy a second hand car, use it for few months and sell off again. Check with a used car dealer for this.
My Feedback on Carzonrent (Hertz India licensee)
Over all I am satisfied with their services, but following factors you must keep in mind:
1. My pickup was delayed. I had asked the company to send a cab to pick me up at 10PM (so that I can go to their office, complete the formalities and take the delivery of the vehicle) but the cab reported nearly 40 mins late. Very bad. (Usually cab drivers report in few minutes ahead of requested time)
2. The car was old, didn’t have basic facilities like mp3 player, tyres were worn out.
3. Billing was prompt. Infact they gave a small discount on quoted price. Quite happy on that front.
4. During my email communications, Hertz executives were prompt in responding but gave selective response-Some of my questions like the age of the vehicle, if it will have some physical security devices like wheel locks etc were not answered.
5. Asked Hertz if they could answer few of my questions related to self drive business in India-they chose to ignore my request.
6. There’re not many companies in India which give cars on self drive-so Hertz seems to be the best of the available options for self drive.
6. There’re not many companies in India which give cars on self drive-so Hertz seems to be the best of the available options for self drive.
7. The car had all India permit. Good. Else interstate permits can be messy affair.
Eligibility to take cars on Self drive rental in India
1. A driver’s license (India or International, LMV) which is min 3 years old and without any endorsements
2. Age 23+ (it was 25+, recently brought down to 23 by Hertz, with some other operators it is still 25+)
3. A credit card with sufficient credit limit (Rs 30k deposit plus anticipated rent amount for the duration you plan to rent)
Terms and Conditions you should be aware of:
1. If you take the car for 3 or more days (2 or more days for some operators) it will be unlimited kms. Else besides rental there’ll be a charge on per km basis also.
2. Car will be delivered full tank and needs to be returned full tank. Else 15% extra on fuel filled by the company.
3. Insurance is provided against theft, accidents and major damages. However renter will have to compensate the car company in case of minor damages (dents, scratches etc) which can’t be claimed under insurance.
4. If there’s a fault with the vehicle and if you replace the spare, car rental company will reimburse the expense (Condition: Not when damage is due to reasons like driver’s negligence, driving on bad roads etc.)
Disclaimer: Above feedback in based on my one time experience for a particular model at particular Hertz office. These factors may change w.r.t time, city, vehicle etc.
My suggestions to Hertz
1. Pls keep some basic entertainment gear and accessories as standard in all cars (cd players, mobile chargers etc)
2. Keep a quick reference manual in each car explaining key features and controls of the vehicle. (For example Skoda has reverse gear in an odd position-some other controls which will be unique to each vehicle, customer would otherwise need to spend time understanding and exploring them.)
3. Right now, a customer needs to physically visit their office-atleast for second time customer, relax rules that vehicle will be delivered and picked up at/from their residence without they having to come to office.
4. Promote the idea of self drive through some advertising etc. Right now many people do not know what self drive is or have no idea that it is available in India. This will also help bring down the cost, which might make self drive more attractive.
My suggestions to Hertz
1. Pls keep some basic entertainment gear and accessories as standard in all cars (cd players, mobile chargers etc)
2. Keep a quick reference manual in each car explaining key features and controls of the vehicle. (For example Skoda has reverse gear in an odd position-some other controls which will be unique to each vehicle, customer would otherwise need to spend time understanding and exploring them.)
3. Right now, a customer needs to physically visit their office-atleast for second time customer, relax rules that vehicle will be delivered and picked up at/from their residence without they having to come to office.
4. Promote the idea of self drive through some advertising etc. Right now many people do not know what self drive is or have no idea that it is available in India. This will also help bring down the cost, which might make self drive more attractive.
Eligibility to take cars on Self drive rental in India
1. A driver’s license (India or International, LMV) which is min 3 years old and without any endorsements
2. Age 23+ (it was 25+, recently brought down to 23 by Hertz, with some other operators it is still 25+)
3. A credit card with sufficient credit limit (Rs 30k deposit plus anticipated rent amount for the duration you plan to rent)
Terms and Conditions you should be aware of:
1. If you take the car for 3 or more days (2 or more days for some operators) it will be unlimited kms. Else besides rental there’ll be a charge on per km basis also.
2. Car will be delivered full tank and needs to be returned full tank. Else 15% extra on fuel filled by the company.
3. Insurance is provided against theft, accidents and major damages. However renter will have to compensate the car company in case of minor damages (dents, scratches etc) which can’t be claimed under insurance.
4. If there’s a fault with the vehicle and if you replace the spare, car rental company will reimburse the expense (Condition: Not when damage is due to reasons like driver’s negligence, driving on bad roads etc.)
Check with respective rental agencies for complete list of terms and conditions.
Whom to contact for self drive car rentals in India?
There’re very few companies which give cars on self drive in India. So your choices are fairly limited. Only if the awareness about self drive increases, we can expect more players to come in, bringing in more options and cutting down prices.
Option 1. Carzonrent (Hertz India franchisee) is the leading one. Their rates are a bit expensive, but have slightly better collection of cars and are backed by Hertz International reputation. Carzonrent website says they have SUVs (Tata Safari, Ford Endeavor, Honda CR-V Hyundai Tuscan etc) on self drive but their Chennai office said they don’t have any SUV for Self drive. Their Chennai office has over 200 cars (though not all of them are for self drive-as per RTO norms self drive cars will have yellow numbers on a black background)
Option 2. Autoriders: Their rates are slightly cheaper than Hertz, but do not have much options. Ford Ikon is the best car they have on self drive, as per their website. They haven't responded to my enquiry since weeks.
Option 3. Eco Rent a car -In and around Delhi
Option 4. Avis -Another popular player,operational in many Indian cities, slightly cheaper than Hertz, but limited options (Honda city or similar-is the best option you get, as per their website)
Update: I saw their Ford Endeavor, Toyota Corolla and Innova self drive vehicles on the roads of Chennai and asked them if they are available for rent. Got a reply that these vehicles were for exclusive use of some corporates and can't be rented to individuals. Also they have mostly petrol vehicles-meaning, though rent is same or slightly cheaper that Hertz, one will spend more on fuel. Chevy Optra 1.6 Elite Petrol is the best vehicle they have in Chennai for self drive.
Option 5: Individuals: If you can scan local newspapers or web forums, you may come across individuals who have a vehicle or two on offer for self drive. They are usually vehicle owners who may wish to make some extra money out of their cars. Such cars are usually well maintained and really Cheap (Someone in Bangalore was offering Ford Ikon for Rs 3000 for weekend (Friday evening to Monday morning) which is quite cheap- Hertz charges nearly 3 times that amount). Downside here is that the deal is unofficial and often based on mutual trust. Not much clarity exists about insurance, how much you may have to compensate if there's a damage etc. Not much paper work either.
Option 6: Travel House India -Their website says they have cars on self drive, but no further details available. They have been a bit lazy in responding to my mails wherein they told they have only esteem and Ford Ikon on self drive. Rates quoted were slightly expensive than Hertz or Avis.
Option 7: Carclub-rentals.com They currently have self drive rentals only in Bangalore, though their website says otherwise. Rates are cheap, deposit is sensible. Toyota Innova at Rs 3000 a day is a good option for group outing. Had to struggle a lot to find contact information on their website.
Finding a self drive car rental in Bangalore-another detailed account
Whom to contact for self drive car rentals in India?
There’re very few companies which give cars on self drive in India. So your choices are fairly limited. Only if the awareness about self drive increases, we can expect more players to come in, bringing in more options and cutting down prices.
Option 1. Carzonrent (Hertz India franchisee) is the leading one. Their rates are a bit expensive, but have slightly better collection of cars and are backed by Hertz International reputation. Carzonrent website says they have SUVs (Tata Safari, Ford Endeavor, Honda CR-V Hyundai Tuscan etc) on self drive but their Chennai office said they don’t have any SUV for Self drive. Their Chennai office has over 200 cars (though not all of them are for self drive-as per RTO norms self drive cars will have yellow numbers on a black background)
Option 2. Autoriders: Their rates are slightly cheaper than Hertz, but do not have much options. Ford Ikon is the best car they have on self drive, as per their website. They haven't responded to my enquiry since weeks.
Option 3. Eco Rent a car -In and around Delhi
Option 4. Avis -Another popular player,operational in many Indian cities, slightly cheaper than Hertz, but limited options (Honda city or similar-is the best option you get, as per their website)
Update: I saw their Ford Endeavor, Toyota Corolla and Innova self drive vehicles on the roads of Chennai and asked them if they are available for rent. Got a reply that these vehicles were for exclusive use of some corporates and can't be rented to individuals. Also they have mostly petrol vehicles-meaning, though rent is same or slightly cheaper that Hertz, one will spend more on fuel. Chevy Optra 1.6 Elite Petrol is the best vehicle they have in Chennai for self drive.
Option 5: Individuals: If you can scan local newspapers or web forums, you may come across individuals who have a vehicle or two on offer for self drive. They are usually vehicle owners who may wish to make some extra money out of their cars. Such cars are usually well maintained and really Cheap (Someone in Bangalore was offering Ford Ikon for Rs 3000 for weekend (Friday evening to Monday morning) which is quite cheap- Hertz charges nearly 3 times that amount). Downside here is that the deal is unofficial and often based on mutual trust. Not much clarity exists about insurance, how much you may have to compensate if there's a damage etc. Not much paper work either.
Option 6: Travel House India -Their website says they have cars on self drive, but no further details available. They have been a bit lazy in responding to my mails wherein they told they have only esteem and Ford Ikon on self drive. Rates quoted were slightly expensive than Hertz or Avis.
Option 7: Carclub-rentals.com They currently have self drive rentals only in Bangalore, though their website says otherwise. Rates are cheap, deposit is sensible. Toyota Innova at Rs 3000 a day is a good option for group outing. Had to struggle a lot to find contact information on their website.
Finding a self drive car rental in Bangalore-another detailed account
Please feel free to share your ideas/experience/suggestions in this regard.
65 comments:
Hmmm...Those are really good tips you have given. You've covered up everything what had to told...
Thanks for those tips.. :)
Excellent post. You should make it a downloadable PDF, a ready reckoner kind of thing. I can already see another winner-of-a-post from you.
@joel
Thanks
@Rajesh
Thanks. Will think of providing a pdf version.
Excellent summary!
I took a car on self-drive a month ago from Autoriders and I am extremely satisfied with the experience. Their people are very helpful and they let me pick up the car at Pune and drop it off at Mumbai. I got a diesel Indica in good condition which had done around 30K kms.
The booking process (with any provider) is painful, requiring multiple calls, confirmations and follow-up: none of them allow web-based booking.
Dear Srinivas,
Thanks for sharing your experience. So one way rental also available in India...
I could do booking within couple of email exchanges-didn't find it painful.
Thanks.
Nidhi
Thanks for sharing this info.
Hi Nikhil,
Thanks for visiting by and for link in Desipundit...
This is very interesting article.I always had my doubts about"self drive" and wanted to know more about it.Your words in this post clearly state that, you strongly believe in yourself and have complete knowledge self drive car rentals in India.The point"Advantages of self drive" was elaborate enough and well versed.
.....................
Gary Bristow
RateTag - India's World Class Online Shopping Mall - Experience the Magic. Buy Mobile Phones, Computers, Electronics, Gifts, Flowers, Apparel, Shoes, Toys, Video Games, Music, DVD, Software, Digital Cameras, Musical Instruments, Camcorders and thousands of other products.Online Shopping of Gifts to India
Hi Gary,
Just like Diana's comment, me yet to decide what to do with your half spam and half legitimate comment...
It's Maruti not Maruthi
Oops! Corrected. Thanks
I think you have done a fabulously fantastic job of going thru every detail. kudos. very well done indeed.
HI Swami nathan,
Thanks. deleted your repeated comments
Good writeup. Thanks.
Anyone in Mumbai renting a Innova for this monthend (3 days)?
contact me on 9820638705 - Sanjaya
Hi Sanjay,
A comment here may not fetch a reply. Check local newspapers for classifieds...
Very Informative indeed. Thnx.
Thanks Narayan
HI Nidhi,
Excellent peice of information and a lot of help for others to be cautious. You gave a real gud check points.
Thanks,
Sreenath
Thanks Sreenath
Thanks for the post. Extremely useful. I am planning to rent out one for my next drive.
Hi Shrinidhi Anna this is a great post. Very helpful. But I wanted to know which option is best if i want to hire cars like Santro or Indica for one whole month in bangalore.
Adarsh,
Good to see you here. Hertz had quoted 1.1 lakhs for Scorpio 45 days rental. So for Santro/Indica it should cost about 20-25k per month-check and negotiate with the agencies.
For long duration rental-say multiple months- another option will be to buy a used car, use it for few months and sell off- at times depreciation could be less than rental amount.
Srinidhi,
Wonderful post. Actually i have plans to visit places in Karnataka. Since i have moret han 7 guests, going by my own car is ruled out. I was searching for self driving options, found your post as an oasis in the Desert. Awesome. Thanks to such nice helpful post.
Definitely helpful to many like me.
Keep writing such.
Thanks Again!!!
Pratap,
Welcome.
Enjoy your drive and tell us which one you rented, from whom, how it went etc...
Nidhi
Superb!! ultimate post..keep it up
Thanks Pradeep
Carzonrent:-
A pioneer in shaping the personal ground transportation industry in India, Carzonrent (India) Pvt. Ltd. (CIPL) is India’s # 1 personal ground transportation service provider today offering a complete bouquet of end-to-end long and short term car rental solutions through its fleet of 5000 cars across the country. A brainchild of Mr. Rajiv K. Vij, CEO, Carzonrent (India) Pvt. Ltd., was launched in the year 2000 with a short-term objective of offering a safe and reliable medium of travel to customers and a long-term vision of giving form and structure to the unorganized Indian personal ground transportation industry and helping the industry get its due recognition. “COR” the branding of Carzonrent signifies the fact that Personal Ground Transportation is the “Core” business of Carzonrent. Carzonrent is perhaps the first and the only player to offer complete 360 degree solutions to completely transform the Indian personal ground transportation industry into an organized business. Ensuring passenger comfort to the minutest detail, Carzonrent has pulled out all stops, from bringing in the latest technology to setting up 24x7 customer support centers; to bringing uniformity in operations; to introducing customized solutions for all customer segments, the company has focused all efforts towards organizing the largely unorganized Indian personal ground transportation industry. Services Offered:-
Airport Transfer,Chauffeur Drive,Self Drive,Limousine,Operating Lease
Driving Holidays, Corporate Travel,International Booking
For Reservation
Toll Free Number: 1860 500 1212
Single Number: (011) 4184 1212
Email: reserve@carzonrent.com
Dear Shrinidhi,
Hats off to you. After reading your article got a fair picture of self driven car rental procedures in India. Excellent stuff for the time taken for jotting down the line in details. By the way know of anyone providing self driven automatic cars like Honda City in Mumbai. If yes appreciate feedback
Sanjeev,
you're welcome
Hi Nidhi,
Excellent post... Kudos to you:-).
Need some help though.... I am looking out to rent a car (selfdrive option) which can accommodate 8 people, however, ain't able to freeze on 1. I've chked it wit autoriders and they dont have any eight seater.. same is the case with others can u pls help me know where can i find one.... Thanks Hardik :-)
which city?
Few agencies have Scorpio and innovas
Try www.CarOnLease.com wide variety of cars and totally dedicated to self drive cars rental
hey.. very verrryy helpful post. thanks a lot buddy.. just wanted to ask u one last thing...
im goin for the same company for a self drive car.. but they are asking me for a photocopy of both sides of my credit card!!! did u give it too?is this ok? i understand giving the front side copy but giving the back side copy is like giving them cvv number too! please help. fast! :(
WHich company? Hertz? Car club?
Usually they block an amount on the card which is fine
Don't let them have photocopy of both sides. If I give credit card copy, I take the photocopy myself and darken out the CVV part and few other details.
im taking a self drive swift from carzonrent.com which is the dealer for Hertz in delhi. so i can give them with cvv blurred. right?also how much deposit did u give for ur car? theyre asking me for 20,000 for swift.
i am planning to take a self drive swift from carzonrent.com which is a dealer for hertz in delhi.
please telme which details do u darken when giving the credit card copy. any idea as to wat is the minimum requirement for them to block the amount?
also they are not accepting debit cards..
Carzonrent are reliable people. I've rented from them 3 times- twice in Chennai and once in Bangalore- they're good.
Yes they block 20k, which is reasonable, since they;ll be trusting you with a 5 lakh Rs car.
Only credit card and not debit card is accepted-this is because if you own a credit card, it means in all probability bank has verified your address, income, identity etc and their risk is reasonably less.
deposit depends on value of the car, can start with 10k and go upto 30k. Avis people insist on deposits as much as 70k for higher end cars
Yes you can give photocopy with CVV blurred. Its a risky practice if it goes to wrong hands, but lot of airlines also insist on photocopy of credit card used to book tickets. Since most of the cards now have an additional 3Dsecure authentication for online transactions, its ok.
Dear Srinidhi, thank you so much for the detailed article. Its very informative....!
Hey, something is wrong with your site in Opera, you should check into it.
Nice post sir, thanks for sharing. keep posting
I rented car from Autoriders for 7 days, they provided me INNOVA with 7 seater including driver. It was really nice trip and the service and response was excellent.
Srinivas...
thanks a tonne nidhi,
a real all time handy info
keep it up.
Contact 9405026888 for self driven cars on hire in pune.
hey nidhi, gr8 article. Its a piece of gr8 research.
I am a car enthusiast and love driving cars myself no matter how long the journey is. I also am thinking of starting a business with the same thought in my mind (Self Drive rental) catering to niche market with niche vehicles.
Could you please help me with this regarding the risks involved and profitability of this business.
Kindly reply back on my e-mail
alokdadhich@gmail.com
awaiting your response......
thanks....
Hi Alok
Which city you're targeting and how many cars/how much budget you plan to begin with?
An Informative post.
Thanks
It seems that autorides is the only option that is available in Mumbai for self drive option and the best car available with them is Swift dzire :(
I have called almost everyone who has advertised on internet for car rental on self drive basis but in the end all replied that they dont provide the service anymore :(
btw avis too provide cars in Mumbai, but it was a bit on higher end for me :(
Avis has said they're introducing Etios, Ford and few other cars soon in Delhi and Mumbai
If you are looking for Self Drive cars in Bangalore... Contact below mail id.
selfdrivecar.naresh@gmail.com
Where u will get Brand New Hyundai EON at Affordable price Aprox 1400/- per day.
Bangalore Selfdrive contact
selfdrivecar.naresh@gmail.com
Where u will get Hyundai EON for 1400/- per day.
what if the car company provides us whiteboard car on rent, and it mets with an accident - does the rental agreement still holds true.. as in tamil nadu only taxi no. vehicles can be leagally given for rent ?? please reply urgent and important.
White board cars are not supposed to be rented out for commercial purpose.
Branded car rental agencies do not rent out white board cars. Some individuals do that.
In case of accident the terms are to be discussed between the renter and the owner. Usually owners insist renter pay for entire damage. They take Original passport/DL etc as security
Hi, we have a family owned truck renting business in India. We are planning on extending the business into self drive car rental as well. I see a lot of comments on this article from customers point of view. Do you all have any suggestions for someone who wants to get into this business as a vendor. Especially, legal aspects??
One of my blog reader started a self drive rental business, but eventually sold off the cars and returned to US... He says he faced lot of issues with Goondas
There'll be some rogue customers who may not return the car on time or may not pay for damages etc.. You should have a mechanism to handle that
I need a car this saturday (14th july) for 1-2 days in Pune. Guys plz let me know if u have any authentic source who rents out the car on self driven basis.
sayak biswas
8149791582
Hi Shrinidhi,
Thanks for sharing useful info on renting cars for self drive.
Could you please provide the contact number and website address of Budget cars?
Try this address.. but their website is not operational- not sure if they're still in business
Budget Rent a Car
No 150,Kadabisanahalli,
Opp. J P Morgan Chase,
Behind Unwind Island Hotel,
Marathahalli -Sarjapura outer ring road,
Bangalore-560087.
Phone -080-41126711 Fax:080-41706306
Sayak: try selfdrive.in
Hi Nidhi, very informative article. Recently, I had learnt car driving on Alto (as I'm short person); now, planning to purchase a 2nd hand alto or similar car - in order to improve my car driving skills and to gain better control for 2-3 months. For the last 30 days, I had tried a lot to purchase car as said above. But unable to get the same. After reading your post - thinking of self drive car on Mini lease or long term rental basis. Is it a good idea ? Can I get any 800 cc or 1000 cc for a cheaper rent say 600-800 INR per day (assuming 2-3 months);
Right now, I'm in chennai. If you know any private party also fine. Some insights and contact details of any interested persons?
I'm reachable - lakshminaran@gmail.com;
Regards,
Lnpk.
Lnpk
You'll definitely get under 1000cc car on monthly rental in major cities. Not sure which city you live in, just google for self drive rental in your city.
Instead of directly going for 3 month rental, I suggest take first for 2-3 days, to familiarize yourself with the process and to be sure that rental agency is good. Once you're comfortable, rent long term
Happy riding
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