Team-BHP - Zoom Car Reviews - Self Drive Rentals in India

Questions:

thinking loud, I am planning to take a scorpio from Chennai to Pondicherry.

These are KA registered scorpios - is the TN entry / permit tax paid and available with the car?
Where should I pay the Pondy entry tax (RTO / checkpost??), assuming I am entering from ECR Side.
How easy or difficult is it to pay this tax (P.S. - I don't mind paying a bribe, I just need fast and straight-forward service and no harassment).

Quote:

Originally Posted by scopriobharath (Post 3793312)

Hi, the check post in Pondy going via the ECR comes on the left just before the welcome arch in Pondy. You have to pay 350 for a 250 rupees permit, plz don't argue for the 100 rupees difference.

Quote:

Originally Posted by scopriobharath (Post 3793425)

thank you - what are the documents if any that I need to carry, Also, would there be a long queue there ?

All the required documents will be there in the car itself, but do let the personnel while picking up that you are going to Pondy. They may give you some pointers. There will be hardly 3 guys there and will take max of 10 minutes. Have a safe trip.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dieseltuned (Post 3793685)

1. What documents are required from the person renting the car apart from DL ? How are the car documents managed like RC, Insurance policy ? Are they given to the person renting the car by the car company ?

Nothing, except for a photo of your license that you upload earlier and the original license at the time of taking the car.
If anyone else other than you has to drive, please ensure that he registers as a user and uploads his/her license also.

Quote:

2. How do we ensure that the car given to us on rent has no serious mechanical flaw ?

You best bet is a physical inspection.

Used Zoomcar for the first time this past Sunday. Registered on their website on 3rd September. Uploaded pictures of my driving license on their site and linked my Citrus Pay account to my Zoomcar account.

Booked a Honda Amaze for 6 hours for Sunday, 6th September from 12 noon to 6 PM. Got a confirmation of my license being approved. Called up Zoomcar on Sunday before the trip to check whether I can park my 2-wheeler at their location when I go to pick up the car. They confirmed that I could.

Got a message at 11:30 AM having the car's registration number. Reached the place at 11:50 AM. The Zoomcar executive at the location was friendly and guided me with the pick up check list. Drove off at 12 noon and returned the car after my work was done at 5 PM. The Zoomcar executive checked the car and guided me in completing the drop off check list. The total run was 88 kms which was 28 kms more than the quota of 60 kms. (10 kms per hour are included in the tariff.)

Here is a breakup of the total expenses.

Booking Fee @ INR 130.00 per hour = INR 780.00
Security Deposit = INR 5000.00

Had paid the above amount of INR 5780.00 at the time of booking.

Excess km fee for 28 kms @ INR 15.00 per km = INR 420.00

Refund amount 5000.00 - 420.00 = INR 4580.00

Total cost of the trip 780.00 + 420.00 = INR 1200.00 that works out to INR 13.65 per km. Pretty decent for a self-drive Honda Amaze. :)

Best part was that the refund amount of INR 4580.00 was refunded to my Citrus Pay account at 8 PM on Sunday itself. I used the withdraw option on Citrus Pay and provided my bank account details. The refund amount was credited to my bank account on Monday evening. :thumbs up

I would rate the overall experience with Zoomcar as very good. Hope they come up with more pick up and drop off points in Hyderabad as the nearest pick up and drop off point is 7 kms from my house.

I am thinking of renting a Figo (no swift available at the pickup point near my house) this wednesday 6AM and return it on 9 or 10PM thursday. Can someone confirm if the Figo's offered by zoom are diesels ? I actually wanted to start by 5 or 5.30 AM but the earliest pickup time is only 6AM. So will a person be available at the pick spot by 5.30 so that i can finish the formalities and then start the journey by 6 AM sharp ?

Quote:

Originally Posted by super.cars (Post 3800951)

Yes it is Figo Diesel. Rented about 2 weeks back in Madras. Got an EXi trim.

Got a May 2015 KA-03 registered Figo 13K on odo, with TN road tax paid. Interestingly the other the Zoom Figo in MPL Teynampet was a KA-03 as well.

Quote:

I actually wanted to start by 5 or 5.30 AM but the earliest pickup time is only 6AM. So will a person be available at the pick spot by 5.30 so that i can finish the formalities and then start the journey by 6 AM sharp ?

You could pickup the previous night, that'll give you more flexibility for an early morning start.

Zoomcar (apparently) in the news again !

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/c...w/48949498.cms

Quote:

BENGALURU: An engineering student was feared drowned and seven of his friends survived after their SUV fell into a canal near Chunchi Falls, 90km from Bengaluru, on Sunday afternoon.
The deceased was identified as Sagar, 19, a resident of Bommasandra.
The eight students from various city colleges - five boys and three girls - were on an offroad trip to Chunchi Falls, one of the many descents the Arkavathy river takes through a terrain full of small valleys and ravines. The team hired a Mahindra XUV 500 from a self-drive car rental service and reached the area around 2pm.

The students drove down the steep and kutcha road to the base of the falls. The students safely reached the waterfalls and spent some time in the water.

While returning around 3.45pm, the vehicle encountered a steep terrain. In an attempt to climb up, the boy at the wheel stepped up the accelerator, resulting in the vehicle skidding and falling into a powerhouse canal down the ravine. Hearing the noise, locals rushed and pulled out seven of the youngsters but couldn't find Sagar.

Brings up the debate, what should be the minimum age set by Zoomcar for drivers ?
19 year old sounds like super high on adrenaline, with a legal drivers license. Yet this doesn't bring any maturity. Hope Zoomcar reviews its minimum driving age.

Saw n number of Zoomcars at Nandi hills with many being driven by very very young people (the no seatbelts/head out of windows kinds) and they were clueless about uphill driving creating major snarls for all involved.
Not that loutish behavior is exclusive to self-driven rentals, but when a person with just a DL and no real world experience gets something as big and powerful as an XUV to live out his fantasies, other on the road better scurry for cover.
I doubt if ZoomCar will take any safeguards. Its a business and its legal. Passing the buck on our sad licensing authorities is more convenient.