Many people ask themselves: Which is better: a local car rental company or an internet broker? Which is more economical for me, renting a car for my holiday at a local car rental company or through one of the many ‘brokers’ on the internet?
You may have asked yourself this question many times, the answer is quite simple:
A local car rental company that has its own cars. You will always be in better hands with someone local who knows the terrain well and is there ‘on the spot’, as they say, to help you in any eventuality on the road. They will look after you with personal attention before, during and even after the rental.
When you rent a car, safety and peace of mind are paramount. You should know that you are in good hands and that, in the event of any unforeseen event, there is always someone who will attend to you, there will be a more direct treatment, and that you will not be alone.
At SolyMar we have been renting our own cars in Palma de Mallorca for 45 years, and the loyalty of our customers after so many years is proof of a job well done, we strive to take care of you because we know that if we treat you well you will come back to rent with us.
Brokers or Internet companies are simple intermediaries that at first glance may seem cheaper because they advertise very low prices on the net; but beware, there is a lot of misleading advertising and in case of any unforeseen event, things are not as nice as they seemed and the costs skyrocket.
When we look at these websites, we have to ask ourselves several questions, as the prices are very attractive compared to other small companies.
1st question: How is it possible that a broker gives me a lower price than the same company he is offering me?
It is very simple, brokers do not include insurance without excess, because they are intermediaries, they simply sell you an insurance, saying that the excess is insured, but who knows what happens when the client has a problem with the car, how many obstacles they put in your way, how much time they will waste to solve it, how much time they will waste to solve it?
Until you get to the selected company, you won′t know how much you have to pay for the insurance without excess, or you will hardly have found it on the broker′s booking page. That is often the difference in price.
In many companies, if you make a mistake with the day of booking or the schedule, or your flight is cancelled or delayed... watch out!!! they will not refund your money and they will not even give you the vehicle!!!, in a small company it does not happen, there is always a greater attention, in the interest of pleasing the customers.
2nd question: How long will it take to collect and return my vehicle?
In many cases, you have to go to a place where a courtesy minibus is waiting for you, fill the minibus, arrive at the head office of the company where you have booked the vehicle, and wait in long queues until your turn, and the same happens at the return.
So if you come for a short period of time, you are wasting time of your free days or holidays.
3rd question: I leave a large deposit, because I don′t want the full insurance, how long will it take to return it, will they return it all?
You should always bear in mind that you won′t have peace of mind until you see the amount in your bank account, as most companies ask for more than 1000 Euros. Many times they take up to 3 months to return the car, and always be aware of any knocks and how the car was returned, as there can be surprises.
In addition, they are usually companies located in the UK, Germany or the USA, so in case of need, it is very difficult to get help and even more difficult to make a claim, not to mention the ‘small print’. You have to be a real expert to understand it all.
