Posts Tagged ‘comparison’

• Video Clip Competition Under Way by Carrentals.co.uk

  Submitted by asap_press on 13.07.2010 12:52:49

  travel / tourism

  The ever-successful car hire price comparison gurus are offering a new iPad to the winner of a new competition in which they will find the best ever car video clip
  
  13 July 2010 – The new competition from Carrentals.co.uk has been named as The Carrentals.co.uk Video Challenge and the aim is to find the best car-orientated video. The prize is an Apple iPad and it is free to take part in.

  The 16GB Apple iPad is the number one prize on offer for the very best video clip and it is simple to upload a car-themed video clip. First of all entrants must make sure that the video is not longer than 90 seconds then all that is left to do is upload the clip to the Carrentals.co.uk YouTube page to enter. The competition closes on the last day of September 2010 and all of the videos will be available to look through on the website. The winning one will be announced on the 14th of October; two weeks after the closing date.

  The Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk Gareth Robinson spoke about the new video-based competition and said: “This competition is likely to be a lot of fun for everyone involved and we will be giving away a free iPad for the best video. We will be looking for a clip that is funny as well as clever and we are hoping that there will be many great entries to choose between.”

  The 16GB Apple iPad is the first prize but second and third-rated videos will also receive prizes. A total of £50 of vouchers to spend in John Lewis stores around the UK will be given to the second rated video clip while the third rated one will receive £25 of vouchers.

  For in-depth information on all of the terms and conditions of The Carrentals.co.uk Video Challenge visit the www.carrentals.co.uk/video-comp website.

  Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

  To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.
  /ends.

  About Carrentals.co.uk
  Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK’s leading online car hire companies by 2006.

  In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

  Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

  The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

  In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

  Media Contact
  Debbie Williams and Jenny White
  Context
  T: 01625 511966
  F: 01625 511967
  carrentals@contextpr.co.uk
  www.contextpr.co.uk

  

• Hire Website Carrentals.co.uk Serves Up Hints and Tips for Keeping Rental Costs Lower

  Submitted by asap_press on 28.06.2010 09:23:40

  travel / tourism

  Online comparator website recommends more transparency in car hire and offers tips and advice for car hire value

  15 June 2010 – With car rental prices rising for the summer season, award-winning car hire price comparator Carrentals.co.uk is handing out tips to help people find the best value on car hire.

  Carrentals.co.uk recently surveyed 1,500 people about car hire and discovered that more than a quarter has had to pay unexpected high fees for car hire, and many of them attributed this to a lack of transparency on the part of hire providers.

  Gareth Robinson, Managing Director of Carrentals.co.uk, says: “The poll we carried out shows that there is a need for increased clarity in car hire, with many respondents saying that they felt they paid expensive charges on top of the rental fee. We want everyone to be able to relax when renting a car without worrying about how to keep charges like insurance and fuel surcharges down.”

  Carrentals.co.uk has handed out some advice on car hire to help people keep costs down:

  •    Credit Card Requirement – Always have a credit card with the driver’s name on it to pay for the vehicle hire, that of a passenger in the car will not be sufficient.
  
  •    Excess Insurance – Keep an eye out for expensive excess charges on the policy. Buying an excess charge insurance policy in advance from a third party is an excellent way to save money. Keep a copy of your Collision Damage Excess Waiver insurance with you. Carrentals.co.uk offers Collision Damage Excess Waiver policies from Questor Insurance for only £3.99 a day.

  •    Border Charges – Check with your hire company to see whether you have to pay a charge for driving the rental car into another country.

  •    One Way Rentals – Anybody who wants to hire a car one way should remember that suppliers often charges as much as £300 for this, so check in advance what the costs are before booking your hire car.

  •    Out of Hours – Some rental companies in smaller destinations will charge the hirer for picking up a car ‘out of hours’. If they have to open their office at unusual hours then they can charge a fee.

  •    Fuel Policies – These typically vary by the company that hires the car, and there are three types – returning the car with a full tank, paying for that fuel you have used and picking it up with a full tank and taking it back empty. This last policy can be expensive because car hire firms charge up to 40% more than pump prices to refill themselves.

  •    Child Seats – Simple enough to hire but prices and availability can vary. Can be charged out at up to £60 a week for rental, so if your baggage restrictions allow it, you might want to take one with you from home.

  Carrentals.co.uk’s car hire tips and hints form part of its ‘Raising the Standard’ campaign, in which the company calls for more fairness and transparency in the travel sector. For further information on Raising the Standard or to use the forum, read the blog or to get travel advice papers, visit Raising the Standard.

  Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

  To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.
  /ends.

  About Carrentals.co.uk
  Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK’s leading online car hire companies by 2006.

  In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

  Websites searched include Alamo, Auto Europe, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

  The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

  In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk
  
  Media Contact
  Debbie Williams and Jenny White
  Context
  T: 01625 511966
  F: 01625 511967
  carrentals@contextpr.co.uk
  www.contextpr.co.uk

  

• Nasty Holiday Experiences are Revealed in New Survey

  Submitted by asap_press on 10.06.2010 15:58:39

  travel / tourism

  Holiday nightmares are highlighted by Brits in a new survey that shows bugs and animal infestations as well as dirty rooms are all common occurrences

  •    One third of the participants said they had to deal with animal infestations as well as dirty accommodation
  •    Nearly half said that unexpected costs drove up their holiday budget with car rentals being the main problem
  •    Worst holiday experiences happened in the UK and Ireland yet they remain popular places to holiday this year
  
  7 June 2010 – Brits across the country are gearing up for their annual holiday and a new survey has just released its shocking results that show almost three quarters of those who took part had experienced a horrible surprise during their vacation.

  Leading car rental price comparator Carrentals.co.uk said that out of the 1,500 people who took part in the survey, one in three arrived at their holiday accommodation to find a range of n\animals already there! Cockroaches, snakes, ants, possums, spiders and worms were the most common along with termites and lizards.

  The dismal standard of holiday accommodation was also a big problem for many and used condoms have been found under beds along with urine soaked sheets and bed linen with vomit in. One third said that appliances didn’t work in their rooms and 25% had rooms with broken furniture.

  Additional costs during a break were also a big problem as many dealt with car hire problems as well as excess baggage fees and medical bills that were all unforeseen. A total of 27% of the 40% who said they paid out more than they expected blamed the excess costs on car rental.

  The Managing Director at Carentals.co.uk is Gareth Robinson and he recently said: “We all know about the usual holiday horror stories but some of the stories we heard were appalling. We strongly advise people to thoroughly research places before making a booking to avoid problematic experiences.”

  He adds: “The additional cost is an easy fixable problem for many. When you rent a car it is essential that you check it over for damage yourself before you sign anything and you must fill up with petrol before you give it back. The freedom that a hire car offers is a great part of being on a holiday and as long as you read the terms of the contract in full; you should have no problems.”

  Responses for the worst nasty surprise experienced include:
  •    One holiday goer booked a holiday that was advertised at £110 and had their credit card charged at £3,400
  •    A boy was left with a swollen face after sending a night in a hotel bed infested with bed bugs
  •    After hitting a cyclist, a coach driver carrying tourists to the airport ran off leaving the tourists to handle the accident and make their own way to the airport
  •    One couple had a cup of tea in their hotel room before looking in the kettle to find a dead lizard

  Some of the nicer things about holidays were also revealed by the survey including the fact that Spain is still the most popular place to holiday for Brits with 22% making it their primary choice. The Republic of Ireland and the UK were second place and Scottish people were revealed as being the most likely to holiday in Great Britain.

  Gareth went on to comment: “The hard economic climate hasn’t deterred Brits from enjoying their holiday this year and the UK and Ireland should get ready to welcome many new visitors this year.”

  Using the internet to make a holiday booking is far more popular now than ever before as over 80% of people now use the internet to make their reservations. In comparison only 10% went to a travel agent and 6% used the phone.

  Raising the Standard is a campaign that was initiated by Carrentals.co.uk in a bid to work towards improved holiday standards. More information on the campaign can be found on the car hire website; Carrentals.co.uk.
  Carrentals.co.uk compares car hire deals from up to 50 rental companies, including Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Holiday Autos and Sixt, in over 9,000 locations worldwide.

  To compare the latest car hire deals visit www.carrentals.co.uk.
  /ends.

  About Carrentals.co.uk
  Carrentals.co.uk was launched in February 2003 and grew to become one of the UK’s leading online car hire companies by 2006.

  In 2007 the company re-launched its site to create the first major online price comparator in the travel industry. Using the latest technology the Carrentals.co.uk site now searches up to 50 different car hire websites, providing an impartial comparison of the best prices available in over 9,000 locations.

  Websites searched include Alamo, Budget, easyCar, Ebookers, Hertz, Holiday Autos, Opodo, Sixt and Thrifty, with the Carrentals.co.uk site quickly comparing prices and allowing customers to refine their search by car type.

  The Carrentals.co.uk site also features over 5,000 pages of travel information in a mini-guide format.

  In 2008 Carrentals.co.uk was voted Best Car Hire Website in the Travolution Awards. To book or for further information visit www.carrentals.co.uk

  
  Media Contact
  Debbie Williams and Jenny White
  Context
  T: 01625 511966
  F: 01625 511967
  carrentals@contextpr.co.uk
  www.contextpr.co.uk