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

[dannym]

Hi all, i booked up with Sundrivehire towards the end of April and they told me that the money would come out of my account 14 days before delivery. Did they say that to anyone else?

Having read this thread I think I am going to (try!) cancel.

DODGE!

[eFestivals]

Almost everyone hates them on this forum but I've decided to give them the benefit of the doubt as no one has managed to prove any clear deceit or crime by them.

I've always maintained that they could be genuine - but then again if all of the posts made in this thread by people who claim to have had contact with them are genuine then they're not, as the address they gave for London doesn't exist, and the insurance details someone claims they were given say (according to that same person) that they only have 5 motorhomes insured and not the 90 they claim to operate.

That aside, it's not that people here 'hates them', it's that people here have genuine concerns about whether they're genuine or not, due to a variety of reasons (which I listed in an earlier post) that come directly from Sundrive themselves.

Sundrive could put those concerns to rest in an instant if they wished (and if they're genuine), but haven't done so - so the question needs to be asked: why not?

When I consider 'why not?', there's only one answer that seems to make any sense.

Any deceit or crime is only likely to become obvious when the expected motorhome fails to arrive, and for some people at least they'd rather cancel their booking with Sundrive and book with someone else than be let down.

Edited May 18, 2011 by eFestivals

[jameshunt]

Sundrive have tried to keep me happy and did show me a vehicle, though not the one I ordered. That's not their fault as I missed the one previous opportunity. Almost everyone hates them on this forum but I've decided to give them the benefit of the doubt as no one has managed to prove any clear deceit or crime by them. They could use a good PR agent though. I await my camper in mid-July.

[dodgied]

To anyone who has given their card details, address etc I would still be worried about the fraud I outlined in an earlier post which I have quoted again below.

I would recommend you cancel your card and advise the issuer you have used the card with a company you now have financial concerns about.

Fraudulent transactions can appear straight away or take a matter of months, it is not worth the risk by waiting to see what happens, just cancel the card and avoid any repercussions.

[dodgied]

Hi all, i booked up with Sundrivehire towards the end of April and they told me that the money would come out of my account 14 days before delivery. Did they say that to anyone else?

Having read this thread I think I am going to (try!) cancel.

DODGE!

[jameshunt]

I booked Monday 16th may 2011 I asked for a VAT receipt they said they are waiting for a VAT reg number and companies house number my receipt was average but they put the booking down as 11th may so i only had 1 day left of the cooling off period but they said money to come out 7 days after booking even though motorhome due in 10 weeks if thats any help.

[Newtoit]

Ok, so now I am confused. Having had a very quick look at their website, they do not appear to trading as a limited company, so presumably they are either creating a ltd company from which to trade from now on, or they are talk rubbish.

If a company is issued with it's company number when it is incorporated, they should either know this or it is not a limited company and won't have anything to do with companies house?!?

Either way, surely this wouldn't affect the bookings already made with the sole trader entity or receipts issued by them VAT I can understand.

I do look forward to their next updates / abuse! I am rather missing happy camperjill's tirades.

I apologise if I have missed some basic info and am myself talking rubbish, I would hate to upset anyone!!!!!!!!!!

[Docopod]

Hi Guys

I have been watching this thread with some interest since it started, I run a modest motorhome hire / sales company in Shropshire we run a fleet of Bessacarr motorhomes manufactured by the Swift group,because of my concerns as to the validity of sundrive I have spoken to The Swift Group and they are not aware of any UK dealers that have supplied Sundrive with any Swift based motorhomes as advertised on their website, although they may be acting as a brokerage and renting out privately owned vans on behalf of the customer . I can also shed some light on the authenticity of HappyCamper Jills photo of her Sundrive motorhome it is not a photograph of the Voyager motorhome she apparently hired the Voyager uses Thetford appliances in the kitchen not smev see the photo bellow of the voyager kitchen taken directly from the swift leisure website.

We have no evidence of any customers loosing money but have hired out vans to people that have apparently been let down at the last minute by this company. We like everybody else on this forum would love to see some concrete proof that sundrive hire do exist and heres hopping anybody that has booked with them is not let down last minute as finding an available camper at the 11th hour can be nigh on impossible.

PS: we have been fully booked for Glastonbury since October last year.

[dannym]

I just spoke to Companies House and the Office of Fair Trading and niether are aware of them as a limited company. However as mentioned above they could be operating as a sole trader or a partnership.

Was then transfered to consumer direct who told me that because they have not taken money out of my account there is no breach of contract and therefore there is nothing they can do step in.

I spoke to Sundrive before and questioned them regarding the issues online. The guy said it was an attack by a competitor and that he has a fleet of depots accross the country. I am going to call again for some more information.

[sundrivehirearebrilliant]

I can also shed some light on the authenticity of HappyCamper Jills photo of her Sundrive motorhome it is not a photograph of the Voyager motorhome she apparently hired the Voyager uses Thetford appliances in the kitchen not smev see the photo bellow of the voyager kitchen taken directly from the swift leisure website.

[eFestivals]

I just spoke to Companies House and the Office of Fair Trading and niether are aware of them as a limited company. However as mentioned above they could be operating as a sole trader or a partnership.

Was then transfered to consumer direct who told me that because they have not taken money out of my account there is no breach of contract and therefore there is nothing they can do step in.

I spoke to Sundrive before and questioned them regarding the issues online. The guy said it was an attack by a competitor and that he has a fleet of depots accross the country. I am going to call again for some more information.

Lots of people have said that Sundrive claim to have "depots accross the country", yet Sundrive won't say where they are.

It seems strange that they want to hide the things which would give potential customers full confidence in their business.

[rischbrit]

Lots of people have said that Sundrive claim to have "depots accross the country", yet Sundrive won't say where they are.

[eFestivals]

Ok we're not asking for full addresses and postcodes of where these depots are (although that would be nice) just towns or even counties would do!!!!

Personally, I had any intention of possibly being their customer, because of the lack of info all-round about them I'd be wanting the full addresses and postcodes.

It's not like the other known-to-be-genuine operators keep details like these hidden.

[bumpy_capers]

I booked Monday 16th may 2011 I asked for a VAT receipt they said they are waiting for a VAT reg number and companies house number my receipt was average but they put the booking down as 11th may so i only had 1 day left of the cooling off period but they said money to come out 7 days after booking even though motorhome due in 10 weeks if thats any help.

[youareagoat]

This thread has got to be the most bizarre and enthralling i have ever read. It is like a surreal efest episode of Scooby Doo!

I can't wait until HappyCamperJill is unmasked and we find out that it was Colonel Gaddafi all along...

"I would have gotten away with it, too, if it hadn't been for you meddling kids!"

Edited May 19, 2011 by youareagoat

[Morse Code]

VAT numbers and "companies house number" (s) are pretty much instant if you set up a business online or via an accountant.

Any normal person or persons setting up a business would want those details in hand before they had their stationary printed.

If you are a sole trader you would want to register for VAT anyway and if you are a limited company you would have an accountant sort out the whole lot.

If you genuinely have been told that "they are waiting for a VAT reg number and companies house number" this late in the game then the person who told you that is probably a liar.

I've seen hundreds of press releases but I've never seen one without at least two phone numbers on it and full contact details.

If I did book, I'd book via credit card as the credit card company is jointly liable for any losses under the consumer credit act.

I'd also have a tent and a well considered back up plan.

[bumpy_capers]

Being VAT registered isn't an option if your annual turnover exceeds £73k, regardless of whether you're a sole trader, a partnership, a Ltd company or a Plc.

With a fleet of 90 vehicles I would have thought that would be no more than a couple of weeks trading? A VAT number should be well in hand by now.

[rischbrit]

So HappyCamperJill et al..... Where are you???

[StoneCircle]

So HappyCamperJill et al..... Where are you???

[rischbrit]

Out looking for a new identity at a guess!

[dodgied]

VAT numbers and "companies house number" (s) are pretty much instant if you set up a business online or via an accountant.

Any normal person or persons setting up a business would want those details in hand before they had their stationary printed.

If you are a sole trader you would want to register for VAT anyway and if you are a limited company you would have an accountant sort out the whole lot.

If you genuinely have been told that "they are waiting for a VAT reg number and companies house number" this late in the game then the person who told you that is probably a liar.

I've seen hundreds of press releases but I've never seen one without at least two phone numbers on it and full contact details.

If I did book, I'd book via credit card as the credit card company is jointly liable for any losses under the consumer credit act.

I'd also have a tent and a well considered back up plan.

[sparkythetortoise]

I think i will find out before Aug though as some people have booked for festivals before me. This is not my main holiday so I won't be losing as much as others who have booked for a week or more.

[ukslim]

I have never come across someone offering home delivery and collection. Living as I do in the wilds of East Anglia, my choice of company is limited by who I can get to. A company that offered to bring the van to me would be an unbeatable offer, but I have never come across it. Apart from the extra cost of transport and the risk of unreliable customers not being in, how on earth does the guy delivering your van get back to his base? They would have to have a second vehicle driven in convoy by a second person to get him home.

[Kyelo]

Well the person I know who has booked with them says they are just going to risk it. Hoping that the van arrives, if not got tents as back up! On the Wednesday I will post an update!

Edited May 23, 2011 by BenchBuddah

[ItsMiiJoe]

I have been reading this thread since start of April, and still there appears to be no final answer on this. The posts from Happycamper were brilliant. However, with the festival coming up, and ash clouds grounding planes, thie company could be about to scam a lot of people, so I sent a link to BBC Watchdog. You never know, they might like the Glastonbury angle? Or the company may be honest, reliable and very trustworthy (Disclaimer, for any lawyers reading).

Can I also suggest a comedy slot for HappyCamper Gill at Glastonbury? I miss her posts, come back soon.

Joe.