Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) has launched its first sites for car hire firm Rent-a-Car in the UK, with three Volkswagen retailers and two ŠKODA retailers operate the new service from their existing showrooms.
Customers will be able to book online by firstly choosing the retailer they want to collect from, booking the vehicle that they want from a selection of the two brands’ most popular models, specifying the dates they want to hire it for and then finally paying online.
Research shows that a significant number of short-term car rental customers dislike collection locations, “hidden costs” such as unclear damage, fuel and excess mileage charges and high-pressure sales techniques at the collection desk. This new service intends to address all those concerns.
The Rent-a-Car service will provide their customers with simple, clear pricing of hire costs, a low excess as standard and paperless vehicle check-in and out. This includes six-point photography of the vehicle to alleviate potential concerns regarding vehicle damage charges.
Key areas of the service include:
- Vehicle of choice: customers pick the make and model of vehicle they want at the time of booking from participating Volkswagen Group brands, with live availability, with the confidence that it will not be substituted with another make and model. All vehicles will be under eight months old.
- Transparent pricing: clear pricing provided at the time the customer orders online, include the cost of rental, collision damage waiver and VAT. There will be no hidden costs. Vehicle photos at collection and hand-back for customer peace of mind around any potential damage charges.
- Ease of Use: paperless check-in and out of the vehicle.
The service currently live in Germany and Spain and is performing successfully in both markets. Mark Forton, Director of Mobility Services at VWFS UK said “As we see customers moving from ownership to usership we are very excited to launch our first mobility offering to the UK market.”
Throughout 2018, the service will continue to grow with more Volkswagen Group locations offering the Rent-a-Car service.