Sundrive Hire (Camper Van / Motorhome Hire) Anyone Used Them?

[Morse Code]

My loan of a camper van has fallen through so it looks like I'll need to hire one. (I would be happy to avoid the cost and camp but we'll be bringing our 6 month old baby this year)

I found this company on line http://www.sundrivehire.co.uk/index.php and have booked but I'm getting nervous now as it seems a little too good to be true! I've received a booking confirmation from what looks like a legitimate e-mail address but that obviously wouldn't be the most difficult thing in the world to set up.

Has anybody used this company before or even has experience of hiring a camper or motorhome and can give any advice / suggestions.

Thanks in anticipation!

Edited April 4, 2011 by Morse Code

[deanotrevino]

Hi,

My girlfriend also booked a motorhome for Glastonbury with this company this morning, but like you we are wondering if the deal sounds too good to be true?

We also have a little one (she will be 5 months) so need to ensure we have somewhere suitable to sleep & wash!

It's very cheap compared to other quotes we've had... and they deliver to our home for this cost too?

I'm very sceptical... you know what they say, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is...

We have a back up plan of a VW Camperan, but a motorhome would be better for our daughter...

Anyone with experience of this company?

Cheers

[Dan Uturns]

Hello!

I had almost booked with them as well and am still thinking about it but yes it does sound too good to be true. There is no reviews anywhere on the web. I have just asked Sundrive Hire to point me in the right direction to check their credentials.

Did you guys pay upfront all of the amount? Did you pay over the phone?

[deanotrevino]

Hi,

Yeah I think my girlfriend gave them her credit card details for the full amount, and they have told her there is a 7 day cooling off period whereby she will be given a full refund if she changes her mind, and hopefully if things were to go bad the credit card company would foot the bill too...

Let us know what they reply to you with, regarding references etc...

Cheers!

[loosechange]

There is no reviews anywhere on the web.

[Morse Code]

Again, I paid the full amount but I used my credit card (as opposed to a debit card) as it would give some protection if it is a scam.

I'm just hoping the excitement hasn't lowered my defences! Got a funny feeling though

[Morse Code]

The domain was only registered on 21st February this year, so I'm not surprised.

This might be of interest.

[loosechange]

Oh dear

[h4rvey]

Hi my name is Harvey Cracknell from Abacus Motorhome Hire, the website you are talking about Sundrivehire is quite obviously a complete take from ours, we have researced this website and offices, it has a vitual office, we have contacted them asking them to remove this website we can't talk to anybody from the company only a call centre, the site was started by a Gary McFadden in late Feb, please note this is in no way part of our company, I have received calls from people asking if we are as the websites are so simular. Be very carefull dealing with this company, impossible to deliver anywhere in the country for such a cheap rate.

[daveyJ]

Hi used sundrive for V last year and service was ok, had a bit of problem finding them at the actual site but motorhome its self was really good, we hired the Bolero 2 birth which infact had 2 double beds! Treid to hire a larger motorhome this year as we have a larger group going but no one going has a C1 licence so could not use them! Gutted as this year they are even delivering free over the summer and def best prices...

[h4rvey]

Hi used sundrive for V last year and service was ok, had a bit of problem finding them at the actual site but motorhome its self was really good, we hired the Bolero 2 birth which infact had 2 double beds! Treid to hire a larger motorhome this year as we have a larger group going but no one going has a C1 licence so could not use them! Gutted as this year they are even delivering free over the summer and def best prices...

[redmosquito]

Hi used sundrive for V last year and service was ok, had a bit of problem finding them at the actual site but motorhome its self was really good, we hired the Bolero 2 birth which infact had 2 double beds! Treid to hire a larger motorhome this year as we have a larger group going but no one going has a C1 licence so could not use them! Gutted as this year they are even delivering free over the summer and def best prices...

[jpearce]

Have just come across this forum and am really worried as i am meant to be having a van delivered at the end of the week and i have paid for it and really hope it turns up! I have contacted them and they assure me i will have the van no problem! this is the first holiday i have been on in about three years so hope it turns up!

[Daveb75]

Also, booked a 6 berth with this company last month and paid in full by credit card - probably not my best move....

I know that the company name is not registered with Companies House but I will see if I can do some further digging.

[DeadAmos]

Have just come across this forum and am really worried as i am meant to be having a van delivered at the end of the week and i have paid for it and really hope it turns up! I have contacted them and they assure me i will have the van no problem! this is the first holiday i have been on in about three years so hope it turns up!

Edited April 5, 2011 by DeadAmos

[Sundrivehire]

Press Release April 2011 – Sundrivehire Is Not A Scam!

Dear Readers,

We have became aware of a small number of posts on the Internet in connection to Sundrivehire, it is with great regret that we see a small number of critics have taken it upon themselves to pass negative judgment on the business, without even using our services. It has also come to light that one particular forum user is passing themselves off as a disgruntled customer, but in fact, is a private detective with links to a competitor. We are also currently investigating the authenticity of some other forum users of whom we believe are direct competitors also passing themselves off to be genuine forum users.

Whilst we take on board negative and constructive criticism there are genuinely no instances here where we have failed to deliver the service offered and no breaches whatsoever of our terms and conditions. We are currently able to cancel bookings at no charge provided we are given 7 days prior notice for bookings made before 1st January 2012. However this will change to 28 days for bookings made after 1st January 2012 and we may well change of price range in the future. Our aim is to always remain competitive for our market share and position targets. This is despite the fact that some critics have quoted that “we are too cheap”.

At present we can confirm that our policy is not to take holding deposits of £150.00 in advance, where as in the past it has been to do so. All relevant staff had received notification of this and further training meetings and mystery shops will also identify this issue. I hope this clarifies our position on this point.

I can also confirm that we will write to a number of random customers to obtain their authority to publish their contact details on our website for the purposes of providing would be customers with feedback on our service. No concessions or payments are on offer to these customers! We expect the random selection process to produce a majority of responses from customers who will have more bad than good things to say.

We aim to achieve a non pre- selected and non biased range of opinions about our service from genuine customers and not, those which are easily pre selected. Testimonials from clients paid for by way of concessions and free riding critics are not what we are looking for. After all, people are always willing to write about the bad things, but it takes a higher level of motivation for a person to write about the good things. I am confident the right balance will be achieved from our unbiased approach.

In this day and age, we are well aware of the effect that rumours have on businesses as Businesses, savings and economies rise and fall based on speculation alone. As a result we too have sadly felt the impact of such rumours and accepted a number of unnecessary cancelations. We now have no alternative but to take legal action, so that those responsible will soon be contacted by our Solicitors.

We fully support public forums, we welcome criticism and suggestions about our delivery of front end service and after sales care, as well as all other aspects of our business model. We are here to answer questions or queries from new and existing customers with genuine enquires and we would simply ask that further contact be made through the proper channels of communication with Sundrivehire direct and not via internet chat rooms or forums.

Our competitors may find all relevant information on our website and I would ask all competitors to contact our Public Relations Department in future with any other queries before resulting in slanderous practices. Whilst an updated version of our website is currently being developed with an online quote engine, we refute any claims that our existing web site is intended to be similar to any of our competitors.

We can categorically confirm that no complaints, concerns or correspondence has ever been received from the Trading Standards or Police Authority in connection with our practices.

Finally I would like to thank you all for your interest in Sundrivehire and particularly to the Mediator of this forum for allowing this message to be published.

Yours Faithfully

Philip Haynes

Public Relations Manager

Sundrivehire

[matt2007]

I love these topics........Bitch fighting at its best!

[eFestivals]

While I can't vouch for or prove anything about any of the above posts, I am able to say that the following users all had very similar IP addresses - which makes the likelihood of them all being the same person more likely than the other posters in this thread.

Those IP addresses are from the 3 Mobile network, which is of course much like a dial-up internet connection of old, where the same user is very likely to get a different IP address each time they connect.

Make of those facts what you will.

daveyJ

jpearce

Sundrivehire

Edited April 6, 2011 by eFestivals

[eFestivals]

We are also currently investigating the authenticity of some other forum users of whom we believe are direct competitors also passing themselves off to be genuine forum users.

While I don't know if this comment was made in relation to users on these forums, I can categorically state that no-one from 'Sundrivehire' or anyone else has contacted eFestivals about users who have posted in this thread.

Make of that what you will.

[eFestivals]

I've just spoken to management of the address they operate from, and have discovered that it's merely a "virtual office", where mail is sent to them and then forwarded on to another address.

If they were a genuine motorhome rental company, then I would have thought that they would require large premises for storing and servicing and cleaning those motorhomes.

Make of this what you will.

[DeadAmos]

While I don't know if this comment was made in relation to users on these forums, I can categorically state that no-one from 'Sundrivehire' or anyone else has contacted eFestivals about users who have posted in this thread.

Make of that what you will.

[Paul ™]

[Spindles]

Clearly not sitting on the fence there then mr eFests?

I wondered about the IPs as there is a clear pattern of people appearing for the first time randomly merely to mention how good their experience was elsewhere and the suggestion in that post was that there was some sort of agreement/discussion with the admin of this site regarding it's being posted and such a statement would usually be backed up by a post from said admin.

At present there is no actual breach committed in that the service they have promised has not failed to be provided but the appearance, at the very least, to an interested outsider is that there is something wrong here. The testimony of the random 3 user stating they used them last year when it appears that the company didn't exist last year, the same user never returning to answer any question about how that was yet popped up quick enough when questions were asked about the legitimacy of the business certainly seems, well...convenient.

I shall continue to watch with keen interest.

[Cooter]

Hi my name is Harvey Cracknell from Abacus Motorhome Hire, the website you are talking about Sundrivehire is quite obviously a complete take from ours, we have researced this website and offices, it has a vitual office, we have contacted them asking them to remove this website we can't talk to anybody from the company only a call centre, the site was started by a Gary McFadden in late Feb, please note this is in no way part of our company, I have received calls from people asking if we are as the websites are so simular. Be very carefull dealing with this company, impossible to deliver anywhere in the country for such a cheap rate.

[eFestivals]

Clearly not sitting on the fence there then mr eFests?

Actually, I am.

I do not know that Sundrive Hire is a scam, but like others who've posted here there's aspects about things which raise my suspicions that things might not be all as they first appear. What I have done is supplied a little clarity with a few further facts I've uncovered, that people can chose to interpret however they wish.