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

[DeadAmos]

Considering you're really just here to tout your van,

[DeadAmos]

PS Aussie@Glasto I may be able to sort a 2 berth diesel high top, £550 for the week if you pm.

[Superscally]

It's called an Oxford comma, best look it up on the internets, Stonecircle can show you how if you like, she has her Oscar Wilde search on refresh.

Considering you're really just here to tout your van, I don't think you can take the moral (nor clearly grammatical) high ground.

Ever heard the term 'ambulance-chaser'?

[mimes]

These guys created the website -

http://www.scarboroughwebdesign.co.uk/scarborough_website_design_portfolio.html

[GlastoBill]

Anyone had any further dealings with Sundrive today?

[bringonthetrumpet]

hmmmmmmmmmm ok

i've booked with them (foolishly or unfoolishly, who knows)

i've been declined the chance to view a van as theyre all out on the road for the next 2 weeks apparently, yet for Glasto they seem to have no end to availability where most companies are booked up months in advance.....

i spoke to a tim a few days ago who said they were insured with Liverpool Victoria, ive phoned liverpool victoria and am expecting a call back tomorrow so shall try and keep everyone posted.

[mimes]

I spoke with Liverpool Victoria and they stated they have a legitimate policy however it was only created recently.

I have cancelled my booking and cancelled cards etc

The company is run by a sole trader - this would indicate you can have no employees - if you do (which they do) then I believe you are dodging the taxman. (I may be wrong but thats how I would see this)

Finally, this only links to one identity, too shady in my eyes

[GlastoHoliday]

P.S. Don't use a comma before "and"...

Edited April 19, 2011 by GlastoHoliday

[loosechange]

Well this thread has taken an interesting turn. Let's be careful it doesn't become distracted from the original question.

So back to the matter in hand. This thread was started two weeks ago, has had almost 4000 views, 70 posts, numerous new members posting (all of whom are obviously entitled and very welcome to contribute) and even a couple of 'official' announcements from Sundrivehire themselves however............ we haven't yet found anyone who has actually used, or even seen, a Sundrivehire Motor Home.

Given this forum has an international reach and thousands of users, surely if Sundrivehire have been in existence for 18 months in the UK and many years in Ireland, someone somewhere will have an experience (good or bad) they can report on?

[billmcben]

Hi,

Many times Glasto attendee, first time caller! (apologies if I'm upsetting the apple-cart here, me being a newbie and all that. Grammar aint dat good either!)

I have unfortunately booked with sundrive also. A mate of mine put me on to this thread when he became aware of it. I've been going to Glasto since 2005 and I've rented campervans the last 3 years. The sundrive price was half what it was most years.

Cut a long story short - I rang sundrive yesterday and quoted this and the many other threads (along with the pertinent points on each one). I asked to speak to someone who could allay all my fears and answer a number of questions for me. I was informed that the person I was speaking to was only a sales member, and that he'd get a member of customer service to call me back. That didn't happen yesterday, so I'm going to ring them now in the next few minutes and get answers. If I don't like them, Im cutting up my card and going back to searching "motorhome for hire"

Will let y'all know how it goes.

[billmcben]

Hi,

Many times Glasto attendee, first time caller! (apologies if I'm upsetting the apple-cart here, me being a newbie and all that. Grammar aint dat good either!)

I have unfortunately booked with sundrive also. A mate of mine put me on to this thread when he became aware of it. I've been going to Glasto since 2005 and I've rented campervans the last 3 years. The sundrive price was half what it was most years.

Cut a long story short - I rang sundrive yesterday and quoted this and the many other threads (along with the pertinent points on each one). I asked to speak to someone who could allay all my fears and answer a number of questions for me. I was informed that the person I was speaking to was only a sales member, and that he'd get a member of customer service to call me back. That didn't happen yesterday, so I'm going to ring them now in the next few minutes and get answers. If I don't like them, Im cutting up my card and going back to searching "motorhome for hire"

Will let y'all know how it goes.

[Morse Code]

And so...............................................

Just off the phone there now to sundrive.

I've asked them about the virtual office and the fact that there is no evidence of fleet storage?

They said that 99.9% of the time the vans are out on the road, and with particular relevance to Glasto, they hire from private motor home owners.

I asked them where the fleet was stored when not in use (0.01% of the time!), and if he could give me an address?

They first replied that there are a number of yards they use, but was unable to give me particulars, as I may be a competitor! When I assured him I was a customer with a booking he gave me an address in london - 282 union street, London, SE! OLH.

I asked them for the name of the insurance company they used, and again he was not able to give me particulars (citing privacy, data protection etc)

Same thing when I asked him for the name of the solicitors who they say are handling the slandering that is going on on this and other forums.

I asked them about the companies origins in Ireland and if he could give me more details. At first he claimed he knew fairly little about it, but then explained that the company director had left the previous company in Ireland, signed a contract to say he wouldn't use the company name, and wouldn't even be working in the industry.

I asked them about the claims that the website was plagerised from 2 other well known websites. He assured me that this could not be the case and that the website would have been set up by a reputable web designer etc etc. i assured him that if the company was legitimate, they should refer to this forum and have a look at the links to the relevant parts of the competitors websites.

.........................ssssssssssssssoo

In a nutshell im out. Told him to cancel my booking and I'm gonna talk to my credit card company for advise on new card etc.

Or maybe I'm really a competitor who's set up a brand new efestival login to meddle with with sundrives good campany name?!?! MMMMMMMwwuahh hahahahahahahahahahahaha

By the way, im from Dublin in Ireland. If anyone has any doubts about my (newbie) credentials, them PM me. I'll be more than happy to fabricate an intricate web of lies and deceit to placate your experienced forum ego's!

[billmcben]

Thanks for the info billmcben. Please don't misunderstand the issue re new posters. One of my first posts was to start this thread! There were a couple of new posters that appeared to be stooges and haven't reappeared since, which has probably made people a little suspicious. I know from experience new users are made welcome on any of these forums.

Anyway, that aside, have you Googled that address in London? Very good view of Union Street on streetview.

Good luck with sorting an alternative

[eFestivals]

The company is run by a sole trader - this would indicate you can have no employees - if you do (which they do) then I believe you are dodging the taxman. (I may be wrong but thats how I would see this)

just to correct you on this....

A sole trader is perfectly entitled in law to employ people. Everything operates exactly as it does with a limited company for a sole trader in regard to employing people.

[eFestivals]

he gave me an address in london - 282 union street, London, SE! OLH.

google maps is your friend.

if you or anyone else can even find 282 union street, or anything that looks like it might be a yard for storing motorhomes on union street, you're cleverer than i am.

[loosechange]

google maps is your friend.

if you or anyone else can even find 282 union street, or anything that looks like it might be a yard for storing motorhomes on union street, you're cleverer than i am.

Edited April 20, 2011 by loosechange

[eFestivals]

The Royal Mail's website suggests Union Street only goes up to number 231.

with google maps and google itself I found numbers going into the 240s - but nothing higher.

(There are some lock-ups and yards by the railway arches at the other end of the road - it's reasonable to assume the Streetview photography was done before February this year but even so they don't look like the sort of facilities a company that purports to have a fleet of 90 vehicles, ie an investment somewhere in the region of £4M, would use. You probably wouldn't want to store a Monaco Cayman there, even if you could manoeuvre it in, put it that way)

those lock-ups don't look like they could hold more than a single small van. Plus they're nowhere near number 282, if it exists.

[StoneCircle]

Just to say if anyone needs a VW Campervan, collection from an established company in the West Midlands drop me a PM.

My Oz friends hired from them last year and they were very good. Don't want to post the details on here as they are only a small company who could not cope with a huge call volume!

The campervan is suitable for 2 adults & 2 children, however they will also supply an awning.

[ukmountie]

Interesting walk in Southwark.

First of all I agree, the address is bogus, but I thought benefit of the doubt and all that. If you get down into the 160's there is this sign saying "Private Hire"

Streetview 1

Now come down the road a bit and you can see "Ruskin Private Hire" which actually looks to have vans and camper vans in the yard. The sign says "Ruskin Private Hire" "Specialist Transport" and there is a phone number 020 7708 4444

Streetview 2

Now it strikes me as odd that the address doesn't match, and indeed these vans could easily be buses rather than campers. However if anyone really wants to try they could call that number and see if the person answering knows anything about Sundrive Hire.

[ukmountie]

Never mind. A quick google indicates that they provide "accessible transport" with no mention of "accessible camper vans". Still I suppose Sundrive Hire could use the yard.

I still think too many things just don't add up.

[bringonthetrumpet]

another update,

I've called the glasto festival office and spoke to a nice lady there, and it seems they to have been alerted to this business and have the same gut feeling of it being to good to be true.

lets see how things pan out eh

[jameshunt]

Anyone heard from their solicitor regarding their accusation of slandering on the internet?

[paulo999]

Never mind. A quick google indicates that they provide "accessible transport" with no mention of "accessible camper vans". Still I suppose Sundrive Hire could use the yard.

I still think too many things just don't add up.

[paulo999]

Update: The ex-Ruskin yard is still out of use. Big pile of rubble dumped to prevent access. There's no 282.

[GlastoHoliday]

Purely because (as you may have spotted) I am a bit like the proverbial dog with a bone at times, I spoke to someone who is in the motorhome industry today; perfectly reasonably they are keen not to be identified.

S/he said that they have been speaking to quite a few customers who have used him/her previously, but that customers are now ringing up asking how Sundrive can do the same/comparable motorhomes at half the price.

However s/he also said that they had asked all these customers the same thing - had the customers seen any of the vans, or did they know anyone who had? No one had.

The silence from Sun Drive, who one would think must be monitoring this forum, is absolutely deafening.

S/he also said that they couldn't understand how the offers Sun Drive were making were financially viable for the company (something a number of other people have said on this thread, albeit without the same qualification).

Not sure where others may go from here...

Edited April 20, 2011 by GlastoHoliday