Enterprise Rent A Car > Reviews (22)

From time to time over the last few years, it has been necessary for me to hire cars – both privately and on business. I have used a number of different car rental companies, according to availability and location, but I would gladly recommend Enterprise Cars based on my recent rental experiences.

Enterprise rental centres can be found across the UK – the branch that I have used recently is located within the local Vauxhall dealership centre. I would suggest that different branches would carry a very different range of vehicles, according to their location, but my local branch carries a fair stock of all the various Vauxhall models. One of the problems with most car rental centres is that, although they belong to a nationally recognised company, they tend to be individually managed at each location – which effectively means that your experience may differ greatly according to where you take your business.

On both occasions that I have hired from Enterprise I have been advised that the vehicle that I require will be available on the date that I require it. Whilst this may seem like a relatively simple request, you will be amazed at how difficult it can be to locate higher specification rental cars, especially at short notice. On both occasions, I telephoned one day beforehand, and on both occasions the rental centre was able to accommodate my request.

Rates obviously vary considerably according to the size of vehicle that you require, and the period of time that you want to rent the car for. I noticed that Enterprise currently have a special offer that offers a weekend rental on one of the small models (e.g. Corsa) for £29.99. I hired a Vectra 150 2.2 for a period of seven days and was charged just over £40 per day (including VAT). I have hired better vehicles from other rental firms at better rates, but only because the period of rental was considerably longer (more on this later).

Upon arrival at the rental desk, I have always been greeted with the utmost courtesy. The first time that a vehicle is rented from any dealership the paperwork and checking our procedure can be relatively time-consuming, in order to ensure that everything is in order. An advantage of returning to the same dealership is that all details are held on file, so you can complete the transaction much more quickly. Each of the employees with whom I have dealt has clearly been keen to please, offering instructions and advice on the car’s features, and even offering a lift to and from the rental centre if necessary. This is evident in the amount of positive feedback that I noted in the customer comments book (which you are prompted to fill in when you return the vehicle!). Compared to other centres, my experiences at Enterprise have been wholly positive – I have no complaints.

That aside, I would also like to offer some basic advice when renting cars. It can be a relatively complicated, even stressful transaction so you would be well advised to follow some of these tips:

1. Always discuss the availability of excess waiver premiums.

Many people are unaware that an accident in or theft of a hire car will register on the driver’s insurance history as if it were his/her own vehicle. It is therefore paramount that you treat the car as you would your own to avoid any potential claims. Most rental centres will offer an excess waiver premium that is paid daily – this means that in the event that the car is stolen, or someone else is to blame for the damage, you will not be liable for the insurance excess (often around £500) – and the incident will not figure on your insurance history. This premium increases with the grade of vehicle but expect to pay between £7 and £15 more per day.

2. Ensure that you check the vehicle out thoroughly alongside the rental agent. Ensure that all damage to the bodywork (however slight) is noted on the control log. Many rental centres will not show concern over hairline scratches or small stone chips – but don’t take any chances. The dealer is within his rights to withhold the deposit for any damage to the vehicle, however slight. Ensure that you witness any annotations made to damage reports and that you sign a copy with the agent BEFORE you take the vehicle away. It may sound pernicious – but you may be pleased you were so attentive later.

3. Always return the vehicle with the same quantity of petrol that was in the tank when the car was released. This will be checked upon your return – and any deficit will be charged at considerably higher rates than retail.

4. Try and book your vehicle as far in advance of the required dates as possible. Many dealerships carry extremely limited stocks of anything above a basic model. Very often you may only reserve a vehicle by class – not model – so don’t be surprised if the exact model you end up with differs from your expectation.

5. Check all invoicing meticulously. The average invoice will itemise the cost of the rental in full – examine what you are being charged in advance. There may be a number of premiums (e.g. personal effects protection) that you are happy to waiver in favour of reduced costs. Alternatively, you may have requested an additional protection that is not formally acknowledged – which could cause problems later on. Documentation can become a real problem if the rental term is extended (or reduced) and you may be billed in portions. Remember that when you take the vehicle out you will normally be required to pay a deposit, or have a certain amount authorised to your credit card. Make sure you get back anything that is supposed to come back!

6. The terms and conditions of rental are very important according to what you intend to do with the car. Very often there will be a limit on mileage according to the dealership, the car may be restricted to UK driving or only one driver may be permitted to use the vehicle. Seriously consider exactly what it is you plan to do with the car and make sure these are covered at the time of rental.

7. Don’t be frightened to haggle. Dealers will be keen to have vehicles on rent rather than stuck in showrooms so the longer you want the car for, the more discount you should expect to receive.

Most dealers will have a daily rate, a weekend rate and a weekly rate – each lower than the other. I hired a Mercedes E220 CDI and was originally offered a weekly rate of £700. When the term increased to two weeks, the rate dropped to £500 for both weeks. When finally extended to a month the weekly rate dropped to £420 – that’s a massive 40% discount on the original rate.

My experiences of car rental have often left to be a lot to be desired. As a general rule, car hire is expensive for short trips – rates decrease as rentals extend into weeks but then most people would only be interested in a short-term hire. New kids on the block like EasyCar offer reduced rates but availability is often poor, with all vehicles booked out months in advance. Most car rental firms carry very limited stocks – it is often necessary to ring round several branches just to find a basic vehicle – there is a big gap in the market for a big-scale rental firm that could pass on economies of scale.

Furthermore, unless you are a regular customer with a certain dealership, getting a vehicle delivered and collected is difficult, expensive or both. Most dealers will only deliver and collect once the renter has visited the office at least once and even thereafter may still charge for the privilege (Enterprise charge a £30 delivery or collection fee). Surely it stands to reason that people wishing to hire cars don’t have access to one at the time to get to the dealership easily – so why make it difficult for them? Charging and invoicing is often complicated and messy – I would like to see much clearer statements of charges with a full, clear itemisation of exactly what the customer is being charged for.

This opinion has rather strayed from the original category and would probably be best placed in a general car hire category. Nonetheless, I hope it has been of some use to anyone considering hiring a car from Enterprise – or any other dealership.