Rental that went wrong.
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We rented the VW for a trip with my hubbie and family after 2 years since a holiday. On the particulars it says hot and cold water, swivel front seats, it has a lovely VW mat and a netted holder on the back of the chair which looked handy.
We negotiated a cheaper night at £35 as we was picking it up at 7.30pm. That was very good of Hannah.
We booked a deposit. Everything seemed nice and Hannah seemed completely on my level.
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I check the breakdown of costs and cleaning is included, so ask to have the van one less night so we could drop straight back.
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The website wouldn't update the booking even though Hannah had requested it and Hannah asked us to deal directly with Camptoo.
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The website is glitchy, it wouldn't put in the cheaper night, and it wouldn't upload to save our ID.
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I frantically message Hannah, who calmly says that's all ok, i should call Camptoo in the morning and pay the balance and I could whats app or email her my documents.
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I mentioned bringing my daughter and having an additional mattress as other reviews had stressed the top was NOT comfortable by far, and Hannah kindly said she had a little mattress she would include. Perfect.
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The day of the departure I am whizzing around, collecting everything we need for our camping trip, finalising work, organising our three dogs, horse, business and teenagers so the house is ready for our departure. I send my hubbie the postcode to collect for 7.30 as agreed. I pay the balance to Camptoo which was a 5 night hire. Wednesday-Monday. Camptoo did not including the cheaper day. I let it go as we are about to embark on our holiday.
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Hubbie arrives at 7.30pm, they looked stressed as they had 'unbeknown to me' sent me a whats app message asking for it to be at 8.30. In the rush to get ready, i had missed it, but no problem hubbie waited for Ali, Hannahs husband.
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Ali arrives from work, and the talk through was rushed, but to be fair to him, my husband also has no time for this either, so being talked out of being shown stuff is music to my hubbies ears.
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Hubbie drives home with the van... we are excited for our trip.
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The VW is basic in driving mode. So if you need to use Google Maps, or need power to your phone or want to bluetooth, you can't. Something to consider if you are going to do lots of driving or need air conditioning. There isn't any.
Something we overlooked, compared to other VWs we could have hired at the same price. Other than this, the van was basic but drove nicely if basic is all you need.
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The beds are NOT comfy. No additional mattress was provided for the top. If you are going to hire this you need something additional for both the bottom and the top bed. So if you are considering this, you need to bring an additional foam mattress or something else to lay on the bed, also something for upstairs.
Luckily, my brother in law had their caravan so gave us their sofa pads to lay over the hard rock and roll bed.
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The chairs do not swivel. No matter what the advert says. Both my brother in law (a hardened caravan type) and his friend could not get the chairs to turn around. It should not be in the description (SWIVEL) you literally have to unscrew the whole thing, you probably need a monkey wrench (which we did not have) and take the chairs out to turn them around. 3 grown men later they gave up.
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Power... if you have electric hook up you will be fine. We did not. It should list what will NOT work without electric hook up on the advert. We chose the van thinking it had a fridge, hot and cold water and a plug socket. These only work on electric hook up.
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On check out walk through, Hannahs husband Ali, asked my hubbie if we had electric hook up, which he said yes (we didn't), and then Ali said 'that's good as the fridge will drain the battery if not'. So when we were away, with no electric hook up, no jump leeds, my husband said not to use the fridge in fear of getting a flat battery.
Talking about the fridge. It is small. so anything other than milk butter bacon and eggs 2 beers, it will be full.
So perfect for two people, not for any more.
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The van itself has nice lights and is very clean, modern and has ample space for storing your additionals, with space under the back seat. We didn't get shown the front window covers so we were a little exposed changing and in the morning, on return we were told they were under the front seat!
Wish we had known this.
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The curtains in the actual van were great and also the upstairs too had zipped pockets to block out the sun.
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Away, we didn't use the water as Hannahs husband talked my husband out of using it. Saying it always tasted funny and they never used it. We drink bottle water anyway which is what my hubbie said, so he didn't get talked through 'water' on the check out walk through.
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Away, it would have been nice to have a bit of water to wash up with! Not sure how it would have been hot without electric hook up so something to ask if you are looking to hire this van.
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The gas stove was great. We didn't use the little oven. But it has one and is super clean.
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The awning has a middle strut missing but works fine if it is not windy. You can't use the van passenger door when it is open. Maybe, with the middle strut it would raise it a little more so you could. Not a massive inconvenience.
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The van was supplied with a basic table and two camper chairs. The kids chairs were not in the van which is stated in the advert it was. Again we went with my brother in law who had additional chairs so not a biggy. But something to check. The additional mattress for the top, wasn't supplied either as per Hannahs communication.
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The last night, Sunday we got to bed relatively early, ready for the drive home the next day. Monday we awoke at 8.30, had coffee with the family, de-rigged and left the camp site at 9.45am to drive home from Dorsett.
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I received a whats app message from Hannah at 10.18 politely asking if we had a great weekend and asking what time we would be back to theirs this morning, so they could ensure they were in.
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I replied at 10.26 stating Google maps said 3.5 hours, but we wanted to stop off to get some breakfast and also stating the things which were missing from the check out itinerary. Dust pan and brush (luckily i brought my own), front blinds and waterproof sheet.
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I received a message back at 10.38 stating their had to be some confusion as my hubbie, had told her hubbie, we would be back between 10-12.
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I messaged back to say 'God knows why he would say that, we would need to be packed up by 5am ready to leave at 6am to meet that... Men!'
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I got a message back saying "It's unfortunate as we made our plans around it being back for 12 at the latest so now have to rearrange the plans with all the other people we are going away with."
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Before we went I had checked all the booking paperwork and this rental DID NOT come with a check back time. Nothing on the paper work OR anywhere on Camptoo. Other van hires did, and knowing UK traffic I did NOT want the stress of hurtling through UK traffic on our last day of holiday or getting up super early either, and this was another key reason we went with this van.
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Unbeknown to me, my hubbie had given Ali a 'through-away' comment when asked about the Monday on walk through check out saying we probably would be back between 10-12 noon, not realising so much weight was attached to it.
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It was totally unfair for them to put this on us in our drive home. Chilled and relaxed became a nightmare from elm street!
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I messaged back stating this was unfair to put on us, that nowhere on any formal communication did it stipulate a check back time or on the terms of contract.
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Ali, Hannahs husband then called, who quite frankly was rude.
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At that point unless i stuck some wings on the van, NOTHING could be done.
It was a pointless, 'pointing the finger at my husband' heated discussion with me stipulating the contract terms.
With Hannah's husband ending the conversation saying; "Is it unreasonable, to take your husband by his word?"
I politely said, this conversation is not going anywhere positive and that i was now going to ring off.
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The drive home was horrendous, UK traffic is horrendous, and the stress they put us under when we could do NOTHING to change the situation was also totally unwarranted.
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We arrived in Epping, the service station was closed STRESS as we needed to return it with a full tank.
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We managed to drive around and find another service station, 35 minutes later and by now my husband totally stressed as it was nearly 4pm.
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We drove into the service station and hubbie looks around the van, only one hub cap, with a lock in it. He fills it up and we drive out..... to realise 7 minutes later the diesel gauge has not moved and he has filled up the water tank!
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The diesel hub cap, unbeknown to us (and not shown to us) is inside the passenger door. My husband had filled up an unmarked water hub.
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We drive back to the service station, refill up and arrive at Hannah & Alis at 4pm, with news that we have just filled up his water tank with diesel.
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£1600 worth of damage. And Thank GOD we paid the additional for the insurance but until know we have lost the whole £350 excess. Not the 1K like it should have been.
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So, much of this was unfortunate but also could have been avoided.
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If a written 'Guide To Our VW' had been offered with the van, it wouldn't have mattered to my hubbie and Ali rushing the walk through. I would have read it whilst chilling in the sun, worked out the van, the water and known this was the water tank and where the petrol gauge was and little things like the front blinds.
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The advert is not totally clear of what works and what doesn't with electric hookup or not.
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Had we not been under so much stress on the drive back, maybe we wouldn't have made the mistake with the water tank. Had a little vinyl graphic been made saying WATER above the cap we also would not have made this mistake. Reading up about it, it apparently is one of the biggest mistakes people make with this type of van. Knowing this now, Ali should have absolutely shown this to to my husband in the walk through.
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Maybe take TWO people to pick up the van then hubbie wouldn't have been talked out of being shown stuff and I would made sure (as a women) things like water and a mattress was included. Or hannah, drop your husband out of it! No matter what he says, he rushed it, talking my husband out of stuff to be shown!
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So in all, not a great first ever renting experience. An expensive one!
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But at least anyone who rents this will have a brand new water tank and tap paid by us which works and the water shouldn't taste 'funny' as it will be brand spanking new!
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Said humbly, Hannah should deal with her rental herself.
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I also have sacked my husband from ever picking up a hire again!
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