[srinivasan.iyer]

My two bits on car rental agencies:

1. Not all Zoomcars have a speed limiter of 80Kmph (Speed limiter may or may not be there in some cars)
2. As per their policy, 125Kmph should not be exceeded else it will attract a penalty and may also lead to expulsion from Zoomcar.
3. Mychoize on the other hand has a speed limit of 80Kmph and will attract a penalty for the first instance and would lead to expulsion if it happens again
4. Car quality of both the companies is average at best. I have faced problems with Tyres, Hand Brake, Tight Clutch & Air Conditioners in my trips. I make it a point to ensure that I do a careful check before I take delivery of the car. Also its very important to photograph the car from all the angles and upload it in the application so that we are not wrongly charged when we return the car. There have been instances where I have refused to take the delivery of the car owing to some critical problem like faulty brakes. Usually they are quick to provide a replacement.
5. I have mostly used Zoomcar as a preferred car rental provider owing to its maximum liability clause of Rs 10000/- (Unlike other companies who have a lot of room in their terms and conditions to wriggle out of this clause)

To conclude, These cars cannot give us the same level of Safety, driving pleasure and comfort as our owned cars but have been helpful to me in my various trips.

[bhappyharsha]

Hello all,

I am planning a trip from Pune to Mahabaleshwar and back this christmas. Can someone who used self drive in Pune before suggest the best service provider in terms of cost and reliability. I don't want to be stuck waiting on them. I have never drive a self drive car before.

Thanks in advance.

[srikanthmadhava]

Hi All,

This is my first post in the forum. Thanks for accepting my application.

I am sharing my experience of using Drivezy self drive rental. I rented a Honda Jazz Automatic for 3 days and 20 hours. Since this was my first booking, I got a discount of 30 percent. Paid a total of 9941 ruppes for 900 Kms including fuel. It was a trip from Bangalore to Kerala. We needed around 800 Kms for our round trip, added an additional 100 Kms for local movements.

The booking process was hassle free. I could not see an option for home delivery in their website when I booked, but saw it in the first screen when I opened the app. Missed home delivery which would have costed me just Rs 150 more.

This was our first long trip in a rented car. Me and my wife excitedly checked the registration number of the car allotted in Vahan website and found that it was just a year old model.
All that excitement went down the drain when we went to pick up the car. Car was covered with dirt all around and, to my wife's utter horror, a drop of sauce (per me) or paan spit (per her) was seen inside of passenger side door. When we asked them to clean the car, the staff present there took a cloth and hit the car couple of times and said 'dirt is not going' and that he cant do anything. We took the car, started the trip and while moving slowly the car first time within their gate, we noticed sounds coming from right hand back side, possibly from suspension. It was a 38K Km run car. I brought it to the staff's notice and he said its not a problem and I can continue the trip. I never thought this sound will nag me throughout the trip. I was in for a 'not so happy' surprise and this sound hunted us throughout.

We got the car washed and cleaned inside out by our apartment security by paying him Rs 300 and it was well worth it. A good amount of room freshener was sprayed for my wife's satisfaction as well. We started the journey 2 hours late. We had my mother in law as well with us. Honda Jazz is extremely spacious and my MIL enjoyed the back seat (at least whenever the suspension sound did not bite her).
I used the 'D' mode throughout the first part of our journey and had a very tough time executing overtaking manoeuvres. I was quite disappointed with engine/gear box combo by the time I reached my destination. I got a FE of 18 Kmpl as per MID. At my hometown, I searched through the forum on what is the 'S' mode that's seen in the gear box of Jazz and I came to know that its the 'sport' mode. Decided it is going to be sport mode on the way back.

We decided to try sport mode and paddle combo and took the car to a short highway spin nearby. This was a revelation for me, I could get sudden boost whenever I wanted in this mode. Downshift using paddle, and the car picks up quickly. We put the paddle shifters to full use on the way back and thoroughly enjoyed the drive. We took an alternative route (since we had Kms left) back to Bangalore. FE took the hit for our 'sporty' ride, showed 14 Kmpl after the full 850 Km trip.
We returned the car without any issues. All our fuel bills (including a hand written bill from a pump which did not have digital fuel meter. 'Terms and conditions' mentions that those are not accepted), Kerala entry permit (make sure its with 1 year validity and not quarterly validity) were promptly accepted and reimbursed.
Concluding from my booking-
Pros:
Booking process and price.
No surprise cancellations/unavailability.
Cheap home delivery.
A point specific to the car - I liked the S mode and paddle shifters, so much so that I am seriously considering the BRV in probables list for my next car.

Cons:
Dirty uncleaned car. Unacceptable since an hour of effort from our side brought the car to absolute clean state. The staffs at the pick up site were happily enjoying their time when we reached and they could have easily taken care of this and given a clean car to the customer.
Car with suspension issue was provided. Created bad sounds at slow speeds and annoyed us through out the trip. Heavy vibrations were also felt in pedals and steering for any speed above 90 Kmph. Servicing and maintenance of fleet is very very important for a rental service.

Happy miles to all.

[amit1agrawal]

I am sharing my experience with the Drivezy car rental service in Bangalore.
I booked a Tata Hexa XE 3 days in advance for 15th Dec 19. I had been thinking of taking a long drive in Hexa as I had read very positive feedback about its ride quality. The plan was to visit a temple near Kolar which is about 70kms from my home. The road to Kolar and beyond is a 4 lane highway with little traffic so it's quite a pleasure to drive and take your car out for a stretch. I booked the car for 7 hours starting from 6.30 am till 1.30 pm. I am not completely new to car rental but not a regular also. I have rented an XUV and Audi Q3 in the past in India and a Chevrolet Cruze in the US.
I reached the pickup station at 6.30 am sharp. The pickup station was essentially an open muddy ground with all the cars & bikes parked under the sky. There was 3 staff who were handling all the customers. After finishing with other customers, one the staff member brought the only Hexa there to me.
I immediately noticed that the car was pretty dirty from outside but I thought that maybe it's because it's parked in open ground with lots of dust flying around. But when I opened the doors I was in for a shock. The car was thoroughly dirty with lots of dust all around, seats & other areas full of spots, and the entire floor area filled with mud. On top of that, the car was smelling horrible possibly due to the dampness. It seems the previous customer(s) took this car for offroading without a care in this world and thoroughly abused it.
I let the pictures do the talking.

Dirty exterior. It can be manageable though if the interiors are clean.







Floor area & mats completely covered with mud.



The middle seat floor area is no different.



Notice the dusty seats. All the seats were in the same bad condition.

Something sticking to the base of the storage area. Who would want to keep one's belonging here?



Even the area between the body and door, which is not exposed, is filled with lots of mud.


I immediately rang the customer care and compliant to them about the condition of the car. They spoke to the staff over there and I heard the staff telling the customer care rep that they don't have any facility and staff to clean the vehicles. After that, the customer care spoke to me and offered to cancel the booking with no deduction. I explained to her that I have already made travel plans and cannot cancel it at the very last moment and asked her to provide me an alternate car. It seems that there was no other car available even for a shorter duration than I originally wanted. The only option for me was to cancel the plan or take the vehicle as is. I took the car as I didn't want to cancel the travel plan and It was already 7 am and I was getting late. However, I repented that decision, not because the car was so dirty, but because it was so smelly. After half an hour or so, I could not bear the foul smell (I get nauseatic in a foul-smelling car) and drove all throughout with Windows partially open. I also brought a Deo midway through the journey and sprayed all it's content out to get rid of the smell. Fortunately that day my family was not traveling with me. They would have never stepped into a car this dirty and foul-smelling. Mechanically, the car was fine except the gear would not slot easily and sometimes make a big sound when slotting. I read reviews that slotting gears are not smooth in Hexa so maybe it's common Hexa problem.

After the ride was over, I decided to raise an issue with Drivezy on Twitter. They responded back with a usual apology and a 10% discount on the next ride (within 30 days). IMO it's too little too late and it doesn't address the root cause of the problem. Not convinced with their response, I responded the same to them. After this, I was blocked by Drivezy!! I just now realized that now they have unblocked me. So it seems I was blocked temporarily so that I cannot do any further damage to them.

I have not heard from them after my posts below. It seems as per them the case is closed on offering a customary apology and a 10% discount for the next ride.


I was trying to convince myself to not buy a new car and instead use car rental services for outstation travel. However, after this experience, I have nearly decided to buy a new one, no matter how big or small I can afford, rather than going for rentals. Though It's not a fair comparison but still. In the US the rental cars are very well maintained, spotlessly clean and you get hundreds of cars to choose from (at airports) and still, rentals work out to be pretty cheap.
I have rented an XUV and an Audi Q3 from Zoomcar. Q3 was excellently maintained spotlessly clean and low run while XUV was decent enough and run about 50k+.

One thing is for sure; I will NEVER opt for Drivezy again.

[iamnarayang]

Originally Posted by amit1agrawal

I am sharing my experience with the Drivezy car rental service in Bangalore.

One thing is for sure; I will NEVER opt for Drivezy again.

The problem is not just with Drivezy. I had a similar bad experience with Zoomcar, in June 2019. I was travelling to Cherai beach resort with my family. In order to save time, we decided to travel overnight by KSRTC sleeper coach, which was excellent.
I had booked a Ford hatchback through Zoomcar, well in advance. As it was my first time booking with them, I had also uploaded my Driving License and Aadhar card. I paid additional 150 rupees to have the car dropped to at Erenakulam bus stand and to be picked up from the same place after two days.
Two days prior to my travel, i got a message from Zoomcar that the car that was allotted to me had an accident and they had decided to give me a different car, upgraded sedan for no extra cost. I was happy.
On the day of the travel, just as i reached Ernakulam bus stand by KSRTC, I got a call from Zoomcar saying that they couldn’t deliver the vehicle as promised to me and also I would get the Ford hatchback, as I had originally booked. They were not even apologetic about not delivering the vehicle to the place I had booked. I had to leave my wife and daughters on the road with luggage and reach the zoomcar office by auto. The office was an old house with nobody inside, but all the cars were parked inside house compound. I had to wait for more than half an hour to get some attention. The chap was clad in Lungi and said he couldn't give the car and asked me to call Zoomcar, which in itself was a challenge. After literally waiting for half an hour on the phone to speak to a Zoomcar representative, the call center said i had to send the license copy once again, which I did. Over all, after two hours of waiting, the Zoom car chap he was going to clean the car and give it to me. The cleaning involved just pouring few buckets of water on the outside the car. The inside was dirty and was not cleaned.
Over all a bad Zoomcar experience. At that time I thought that I should go with Drivezy next time.

[amit1agrawal]

Originally Posted by iamnarayang

Over all a bad Zoomcar experience. At that time I thought that I should go with Drivezy next time.

The organized car rental business is not reliable and very immature here. Planning an outstation trip with friends/family via a rented car is risky IMO. If they are not able to deliver you the promised car at the last moment you risk canceling the hotel & other bookings which would incur significant cancellation charges. Not to speak of disappointment to all involved to cancel a vacation at the last moment.
I suppose it's better to find couple of good reliable taxi drivers and book chauffeur driven car through them. It might be slightly more expensive than rented car but you get peace of mind.

[speedmiester]

All the self drive rental agencies are having issues in terms of cleanliness, reliability and the general mechanical health of their cars.
I can never really trust these services for longer journeys especially with family.

I recently used Avis self drive car, it was a XUV500 with about 60K + Kms on the Odo.
Car was in good condition, not much dust on the outside, but the interiors could have been better. But still was in much better condition than some of the rental cars I had hired with other agencies.
Though they are expensive compared to others, they offer free drop and pickup facility.

[dsnaveen21]

Hi Guys,

Anyone used https://selfdrives.in site for car rental, planning to get Toyota Fortuner manual from there site for SPITI trip for 9 days from Delhi in month of May.

There are giving for 58K for 9 days, if any other agencies which gives Fortuner or For dendeavour, please let me know,

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks,

[cool_dube]

Originally Posted by speedmiester

All the self drive rental agencies are having issues in terms of cleanliness, reliability and the general mechanical health of their cars. I can never really trust these services for longer journeys especially with family.

Could not agree more! I hired a Scorpio form Zoomcar Chennai, for a trip to Pondicherry with friends last week. Not only was the car dirty and smelly, the music system was kaput as well. Moreover, I was horrified to find that the brakes were almost non-existent and the brake-oil light was on, pointing to low levels of brake oil. I had to go through the trip relying on engine braking - all of my 20+ years of driving skills were put to test in that trip When I dropped the car, I brought this up with the boys there and as expected, I was told that I was worrying unnecessarily as the car had been serviced "recently". A complain to Zoomcar customer care was closed without anyone getting in touch with me! Needless to say, this was my last drive with Zoomcar!

I am NEVER going to rely on these self-drive agencies for family trips!

[saur95]

Service : MyChoize Date & Time : 10/02/2020 0800 - 11/02/2020 1800 Vehicle : Innova Crysta 2.8 G AT Distance : 175 km Total Cost : Rs. 3982 [Lease after discount + Tax] + 745 [Fuel] (Security Deposit - Rs. 6000)

Needed to lease a 7 seater to ferry self and friends to an engagement in Lonavala. I've previously used Zoomcar and Drivezy on multiple occasions in Bangalore, Kochi and Hyderabad and come off unimpressed most of the time due to poor cleanliness and even mechanical issues (Steering vibrations, loud brake squeal, visible major accident repair). Decided to try MyChoize on the assumption that Orix will be more professional than startups in the industry.

Picked the Crysta as I'm familiar with the vehicle and Toyotas withstand abuse and the test of time better than most. AT because the MT was not available (Also thought the extra premium and lower FE would mean that it's leased less often). I booked the car a couple of hours earlier than required in case it needed cleaning.

I had to call up their city vehicle in-charge because they didn't send me the driver's number on time. A silver Crysta (Very happy it wasn't white ) was delivered 30 minutes late but the executive was courteous and professional (unlike Zoom and Drivezy).The car was missing the logo on the grille but otherwise was in very good nick and clean. Only stone chips and minor scratches. Climbed inside and it was a little dusty (Probably because it was driven with the windows down) but there were no stains of any sort. It had done approx 94000 km since May 2018, moderate running for a rental. It was delivered with only 40% fuel and I was asked to fill it up to the same level before drop off, definitely tricky. Checked the tire pressure at a nearby fuel pump and it was as per manufacturer recommendations! They offer a carrier, based on customer requirement, as was evident from the scratches on the roof where it would be installed (Verified by the executive).

It drove well with no brake squeal, vibrations or pull to one side. An uneventful drive, never a given and always a positive when it comes to rentals. There was no speed governor but consistently maintained 85-90 kmph on the expressway so as not to violate the 80 kmph rule (Speedos always indicate higher than GPS speed). Returned 16.2 kmpl (in ECO mode) as per MID at the end of the trip. Filled 11L of diesel before returning the vehicle, based on the FE achieved. Decided not to opt for a pickup as the drop off point is just 15 minutes from my house (The basement parking at IL & FS Centre in BKC).

Had a chance to meet the city vehicle in-charge and again, he was well trained. He informed me that I'd have to contest the FastTag charges over email as I paid toll charges in cash (I wasn't informed that the FastTag is functional and can be used). It was a simple one email process and the refund of the security deposit took 3 business days, which is acceptable but less swift than ZoomCar. Also glad they didn't bother about the 5 km excess (170 km cap).

Pros :
1. Clean and mechanically fit vehicle.
2. Courteous staff.
3. Reasonable prices for the quality of service (vs Avis?)
4. Easy to reach customer care (No call waiting whatsoever, over 3 calls).

Cons :
1. Poor app interface (Zoom still the best here). No vehicle or delivery executive data.
2. Late delivery and no full tank (Maybe a one off?)
3. Minimum 24 hour lease period.

Overall, it was a very good experience and I'd probably pick them next time around as well. Too early to recommend since I've only used their service this one time. Hopefully more people can shed light on their experiences. Don't think I'll be giving up my own car anytime soon.

[saintofinternet]

my personal experience with DRIVEZY is a nightmare.


it was not just horrible but the "Useless & Arrogant" attitude by Drivezy staff was even more appalling. Their staff is completely ill informed about the laws of the country and totally unprofessional in their behavior.



apart from the fees i paid for the vehicle use to Drivezy I had to shell out Rs. 21000 as State Tax when crossing from Maharashtra to Karnataka just for 6 days. that amount of tax was for the whole year and Drivezy never informed that you have to pay yearly tax inspite of asking them atleast thrice before booking the vehicle.



they had said that the tax won't be more than Rs. 1000/- approximately. all this calls are recorded at my end.



Drivezy completely ignored my messages and mails to discuss the issue and that is now giving me thoughts of going to the "Consumer Court" against Drivezy.



I have retained the original Tax Receipt with me and it should help me build a real strong case against Drivezy in the court of law.



So mind you all... just stay away from Drivezy no matter what, else you will land in real trouble.



---> is what happens when you go with a company like Drivezy

[sbalagru6]

Looks like drivezy is winding down it's operations in Bangalore. I came across multiple Whatsapp forwards, claiming drivezy used cars/scooters for sale.

Out of curiosity visited one of their advertised sale location & indeed the news is true. There are 100's of cars/scooters on sale & at mouth watering price too. Only thing to consider is condition of the vehicle.

Attaching some pics,
























They have listed the vehicles in their website as well. The price is inclusive of RC transfer.

https://drivezy.com/buy-vehicle

@Mods.. If this news deserves separate discussion, please start a dedicated thread.

[akhil994]

Hi Guys,

Any experiences with Selfdrives.in? I am looking for a booking in December end and had zeroed in on Revv, but came across Selfdrives and the prices are like too good to be true.

Anyone who has first hand experience of their service recently?

[prateekm]

I'm renting a car for ~7 days in a couple of weeks to go to Uttarakhand from Delhi. I need an AT sedan, and have two options:

• Ciaz P AT from MyChoize at 10k
• Verna D AT from Revv at 15k

Does it make sense to pay 50% more for a Verna and for using Revv which has better reviews on TBHP?

[dreamseller]

Originally Posted by sbalagru6

Looks like drivezy is winding down it's operations in Bangalore.

So, Drivezy has moved from a ownership model to a franchise model. Wherever they can sell their inventory to individuals, they have. Otherwise they've also offered others to take up their center specific operations, with Drivezy just acting as an aggregator.

I rented out a Grand i10 for last week of Dec (including new year 2021) and got an absolutely junk of a car. It had:

• Windscreen cracked at multiple places
• Non-working AC. Interestingly, the AC would work for the first 5-6 minutes after a morning cold start, and then go kaput.
• CEL on, with a faulty turbo (erratic pickup and a tonne of black smoke from the exhaust)
• Stinky interiors

Interestingly, I had taken this exact same car 10 months back and it was in a brilliant condition. Had highlighted all these problems with the customer care, and the only response they had was it'd be taken care the next time.

I have had good experience with Drivezy until this one. And, looking at other experiences, I see that it's not getting any better from here. Probably my last booking with them.