The situations in which it is possible to rent a carcar are numerous: holidays with family or friends, business trips, moving, work requiring a utility vehicle, special occasions, etc. At present, it is no longer mandatory to go to the counter of a rental agency to reserve a car, everything can be done via the Internet, in particular on your smartphone. Thus, many companies offer applicationsapplications making it possible to have a vehicle in a simple, fast and economical way. Futura has analyzed the main market players and presents the solutions that seem the most interesting.
Carngo: the best offers from traditional agencies
Carngo is a service offering to compare car rental offers available from 1,600 suppliers in 150 countries and speaking 40 different languages.
The application interface is sober and uncluttered, everything is done so that the user can find a vehicle that suits him as easily as possible. Thus, the latter must first of all inform the place of pick-up of the rental and the place where he wishes to return the vehicle (if it is different from the place of pick-up). Then, it indicates the date and time of withdrawal, then the date and time of return. Finally, he must specify the age of the driver before launching his search.
This takes a few seconds and then the results are displayed. By default, they are classified by “recommendations”, without it being known exactly what this corresponds to. The user can then decide to make them appear by increasing price or by proximity to where the vehicle can be picked up.
For each offer, the following information is available:
- Number of passengers ;
- number of bags;
- fuel tank to be returned full or not;
- distance from the pick-up location;
- price per day and total price;
- supplier’s name and satisfaction rating given by users.
The user can fill in additional filters to refine his search:
- car size;
- provider ;
- type of transmission (manual or automatic);
- vehicle specifications (air conditionerair conditionerdiesel or petrol);
- mileage;
- special offers in order to view only good deals.
When he clicks on an offer, he then has access to a more detailed sheet, indicating for example the insurance cover included, which he can integrate into an email or share on social networkssocial networks et messagingmessaging. He can also choose additional options at this time, such as the possibility of adding an additional driver, GPS, child seat, booster seat, snow chains, ski rack, etc.
The user can place the offers that interest him in his favorites to be able to access them quickly later. When he has finally chosen, all he has to do is indicate his contact details and pay all or part of the rental, after which he will only have to go directly to the rental agency on the day of collection. .
Interesting detail: cancellation is possible and free of charge up to 24 hours before the date of withdrawal. Customer service is open 24 hours a day in several languages.
Virtuo: the most technologically advanced service
Virtuo is a car rental service that stands out from the competition, because it does away with the need to go through an agency which was previously systematic.
Virtuo is therefore ideal for people who hate administrative paperwork and wish to avoid queues in agencies. Indeed, all the cars are made available in underground car parks and the user uses his smartphone as a key, thanks to a connection BluetoothBluetooth.
When he starts the application, the user must first create an account, by entering his identity, his email and providing the necessary documents (driver’s license, identity document and selfie). We regret a little that this phase is obligatory even before being able to consult the offers, but it is the only defect that we have spotted.
Once the registration is complete, it is then time to define the type of car you wish to reserve. Four models are available, they result from partnerships with manufacturers to be able to integrate the technology necessary for locking by smartphone in vehicles: Mercedes GLA, Mercedes New Class A, Mercedes Class A and Fiat 500X. Conventional equipment is not forgotten since the cars can have CarPlay, an automatic gearbox, a reversing camera, a regulatorregulator of vitessevitessea speed limiter, etc.
You must then enter the point of collection and return of the vehicle. Virtuo is still a relatively recent service, which explains why collection and return points are only located in major French cities and a few foreign cities (Brussels, London, Barcelona, Edinburgh, Manchester).
In a classic way, you must then select the departure date and the return date, then launch the search. If vehicles corresponding to the criteria are available, the user must then fill in his options: mileage package, valet service at the airport, additional driver, baby/child seat, etc. He can then take out insurance with better coverage than that included in the initial price.
Then all that remains is to pay. The reservation is then accessible in the “key” section of the application. This is where he will have to download a virtual key a few hours before the start of his rental.
OuiCar: rental from person to person
OuiCar is a vehicle rental service bringing together individuals, owners and people wishing to rent a vehicle. The rates offered by individuals are normally much more advantageous than those of professionals, even if, of course, the quality of service is not the same.
When he arrives on the home page of the application, the user must enter the location of the rental, the date and time of departure, the date and time of return, then the distance he will browse. Logically, the starting and return points must be the same. Thus people wishing to rent a vehicle at point A and return it to point B will have to go through more traditional services.
Once the search has been launched, the results will be able to be filtered by defining a price range, specifying a type of vehicle (from coupé to utility vehicle under 3.5 tonnes) and a transmission mode (manual, automatic or sequential).
We regret a little that the results appear pell-mell, we would have liked to be able to classify them by increasing price or by distance from the starting point. Apart from this point, there is nothing to complain about, just click on the ad of your choice to consult a detailed sheet of the vehicle: type of fuel, type of transmission, number of seats, vehicle notes, notes of the owner, estimated response time, description of the vehicle, options, accessories included and rental conditions (age of the driver, number of years of licence, etc.).
If the user is interested, then he only has to send a request to the owner. Do not hesitate to multiply them, especially when you are a newcomer, the owners of vehicles very logically preferring to rent in priority to people who have received positive evaluations. If the request is accepted and then confirmed, then the owner and the user have the possibility of contacting each other directly, the telephone details are revealed.
For those who do not wish to rent a vehicle in this way, but who would be interested in renting their car, it is necessary to complete a vehicle information form, which must meet certain conditions (for example, mileage cannot exceed 200,000 kilometres). An estimate of the rental price is given to the owner for information purposes only. The vehicles made available are fully covered by Axa insurance.
Two clarifications seem important to us. First, as for the cost of the service, OuiCar takes 30% of the total amount paid by the user. Despite this, the prices are much more competitive than a classic rental agency. It should nevertheless be kept in mind that in the event of a problem, the efficiency of OuiCar’s customer service will be less than that of a traditional agency, simply because it does not offer a replacement vehicle, only a refund of the sums paid. . Then, users who do not read the general conditions of the contract will be surprised that a security deposit of 400 euros is required. This sum must be present on the account at the time of the rental, it is not debited, but is blocked until the return of the vehicle in good condition (or at least in its condition during the inventory).