Do anyone you run a car/van hire along side?

[D7neo 5]

Just wondering if any of you guys do any vehicle hire along side the sales? I currently sell LCVs part and hoping to go full time this year. I have been considering weather to open a vehicle rental from the same premises. It seems it is difficult to start off in this game insurance wise with not many companies offering the insurance, and the ones that do are in the region of £25k p.a for 5 vehicles. 

Is it worth it? The local companies seem to be busy every time I've had any involvement in trying to rent a van...

[trade vet 704]

I know a family who ran a car and van hire business for over 50 years.They were always busy with a big customer base.Three years ago they closed down and sold up.I think it was the insurance that did it.....

[D7neo 5]

Thanks for the detailed reply mate, gave me something to think about. I've also inquired about camper van hire, insurance is a fraction of the cost of traditional van hire. Dane

[D7neo 5]

Just now, twerp said:

Food for though:

 

A friend paid £500 for 48 one way LHD van hire from Barcelona to Birmingham

Sorry mate I'm not quite sure I follow what you mean?

[metcars 397]

My ex wife used to run a small hire company with her first husband. It was a nightmare from what I've heard

[D7neo 5]

5 hours ago, twerp said:

There is a lucrative market for one way European van hire 

I think it would cost the majority of that to bring it back. Obviously unless you drop on a customer wanting going back the other way which would be few and far between

[metcars 397]

5 hours ago, twerp said:

There is a lucrative market for one way European van hire 

I had a guy from Romania but a car off me to take back home. I wonder if he made it?

[Ek cars 17]

Whore of a game hire drive is 

[have a word with the wife 299]

the only way to make it pay is to rip decent people off , i have spent many many hours investigating this line of business, and gone down every line, the most obvious thought is i have a perfectly good car out there on the lot that would easily take been hired out for a few month, and still worth the same when i put it back on the lot, thats called rent a wreck, not a new car but a perfectly honest used car, cheaper than new hire car, if you do your research you will get daily hire car insurance no problem, but it aint cheap, and read the small print, yes sounds simple you just phone ins company, name of driver, reg of car, then pay em, job done jo soap drives off, but then youve found out hes done a thousand miles in it in the week, n/s front tyres got a big chunk out of it and hes swapped battery, but it doesnt matter because its rent a wreck ?! the lets say "smaller companies" get away and make money [ not all by the way] by overcharging for cars returned damaged [ customers fault, if he had inspected at collection he would have seen that scratch or chipped windscreen] dropping car off at night and posting keys, no ! no ! no ! tyre was flat when we moved it this morning mate thats £75 off your depo ! proove otherwise !

the only way to make it pay is to rip decent people off, so i dont do car hire 

[It's me 615]

most customers aren't even interested in being shown under the bonnet at handeover time so why would i want to hire in this day and age unless i wanted an  aneurysm

im well out and i dabbled 30 years ago