Enterprise Car Rental - odd questions...

[tomjol]

I use rental cars a fair bit, in the UK and abroad, but never with Enterprise until a few weeks ago. I've never had to answer this type of question with any other rental.

So I've now used Enterprise twice. The first time, I had a car for the day, at an airport location on the south coast. Dealt with the manager (it was 0700). No weird questions. The second time, I had a van for the weekend, at a location in Manchester. Dealt with a junior staff member who seemed fairly inexperienced. Several questions - who's my employer, what's my role, how long have I been there. On both occasions I was (casually) asked why I was hiring the vehicle and where I was going, but that's normal IME.

Wouldn't hesitate to use them again, with the possible exception of their windscreen chip policy, which would apparently trigger the full excess. I've acquired a chip on a rental before and reported this when handing the keys back to Hertz, no charge.

red_slr said:

ex1 said:

I think SLR was suggesting they don't rent from Enterprise rather than them not driving certain cars.

Correct.

They absolutely do rent cars (and vans).

[al29108]

ferrariF50lover said:

So much complete tosh in this thread, it's almost funny.

They won't sell your details, they aren't credit checking you, they aren't looking for bonus payments, they aren't anything.

If you meet certain criteria (it varies by area), you are asked certain extra questions. It's nothing more than risk management.

The sure and certain way to avoid the 'cash-qual' is to pay by credit card.

What he said... Sounds like both we've been there and got the t-shirt.

Applies only to retail rentals (so not insurance replacement/corporate travel), varies fairly significantly by area (particularly Ireland if you're ever over there).

The organisation that books corporate/insurance rentals have generally done some checks to at least know you are who you say you are, and share part of that risk on that rental - a retail customer can walk-in to a branch with the most basic of bank accounts and make a reservation based on a paper driving license - if you owned a car hire company would you set a policy to ask some further questions?

You should only have been asked further questions if you were paying with a debit card rather than credit card (if you are able to get a credit card from a bank you're statistically a number of times less likely to damage/lose the car), can't offer any explanation if it was a CC.

The job thing on vans is slightly different as well, for example you can't hire a van and start up your own courier company or similar as their insurance won't allow it.

[FiF]

Yet each of the times was with a credit card and still had to jump through hoops. So can understand the argument about insurance rentals vs private rentals but still not everything is explained. Though after the first time, when they start with the Spanish inquisition then I start haggling on prices, which for some reason they seem to enjoy. So who knows frankly.

[groomi]

Enterprise wanted my national insurance number last time I hired from them. Very odd.

[AJXX1]

911Ads said:

I had this with enterprise a couple of weeks ago, which I reserved online and upon collecting, I was asked my employers details etc. Also asked me for a second contact number, I said I only have my mobile no land-line but insisted on a second contact number be it a family member or friends number.

It really annoyed me and their response was they are lending me A £30k car (was only £20k Mazda 3) with only a £200 deposit and another member of staff said if it had a recall..I hired the car for 2 days.

To be fair to them... I can sort of see why they'd need basic details. A 2nd contact number isn't really unreasonable if you've only got a mobile number to provide to them (could be a burner for all they know).

Employers details I don't really see an issue with as long as it's basic details - company, position etc... (all fair enough as it's likely just to be able to locate you within said company).

It all just sounds like risk management to me and ensuring they've got information to fall back on should you be up to anything dodgy with their car etc...

[Toaster Pilot]

groomi said:

Enterprise wanted my national insurance number last time I hired from them. Very odd.

Sounds to me like they were incorrectly and potentially illegally accessing your driving record using the self service DVLA tool that is intended only for the licence holder - the part of the system you log in to in order to generate a "check code" - which is what they SHOULD have been using to check whether you have convictions etc

[Who me ?]

FiF said:

Yet each of the times was with a credit card and still had to jump through hoops. So can understand the argument about insurance rentals vs private rentals but still not everything is explained. Though after the first time, when they start with the Spanish inquisition then I start haggling on prices, which for some reason they seem to enjoy. So who knows frankly.

Something not advertised by Enterprise ( perhaps they don't want it known ) is that online prices CAN be a lot lower than in branch prices.

[pmanson]

crazy about cars said:

Data collection, all the franchises are getting into it. Few trips to Halfords recently I've been asked if I want my receipt emailed to me... WTAF!!!

Much cheaper and efficenct to service clients online. A lot of companies are tying online browsing behaviour to offline activity. Best way to link the two is an email address.

[anonymous-user]

pmanson said:

crazy about cars said:

Data collection, all the franchises are getting into it. Few trips to Halfords recently I've been asked if I want my receipt emailed to me... WTAF!!!

Much cheaper and efficenct to service clients online. A lot of companies are tying online browsing behaviour to offline activity. Best way to link the two is an email address.

Was in H&M today and bought a T shirt and belt for one of the kids only a tenner total, ended up at a credit/debit card only "till" which was a kid stood with an Ipad type device who wanted my email address wtf so they can fill my inbox with crap, I declined and had to do without a receipt as they couldn't email it to me ffs.
In America presently it makes any difference as it has happened 3 times over here and aren't enterprise am American company ?

I've never had a problem with then through the work corporate account always been ok apart from when they delivered my car elsewhere and refused to believe it wasn't at my house the muppets.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 24th August 04:22

[Impasse]

Does this mean retired people cannot rent cars from Enterprise?

[Toaster Pilot]

crazy about cars said:

Data collection, all the franchises are getting into it. Few trips to Halfords recently I've been asked if I want my receipt emailed to me... WTAF!!!

Don't underestimate the value of that if you buy Advanced Pro tools - lifetime guarantee needs the receipt

Probably worth a bit of spam

[generationx]

I have rented from Enterprise many times over the last two years and this has never happened to me.

I guess because (A) I usually rent/return from the same location (small UK airport) so am fairly well known to the staff, (B) am a Reward points member and (C) don´t complain or question their motives, don´t damage their property and always pay then they don´t feel the need to check up on me.

Having tried several of the UK car rental providers I have found Enterprise the most consistant and best value for money. The "American Customer Service" thing with their "my name is..." and constant wish to shake my hand can get a bit wearing after long or delayed flights but I can put up with it.

[thainy77]

generationx said:

I have rented from Enterprise many times over the last two years and this has never happened to me.

I guess because (A) I usually rent/return from the same location (small UK airport) so am fairly well known to the staff, (B) am a Reward points member and (C) don´t complain or question their motives, don´t damage their property and always pay then they don´t feel the need to check up on me.

Having tried several of the UK car rental providers I have found Enterprise the most consistant and best value for money. The "American Customer Service" thing with their "my name is..." and constant wish to shake my hand can get a bit wearing after long or delayed flights but I can put up with it.

This is my experience too after renting from them around 10 times in the last 18 months. I'm an expat, we get asked for a second contact number and that is it.