Car Hire - Booking cancelled by Auriga Crown

AurigaCrown have ended up with a much smaller fleet than they expected to have, so have far more bookings than cars. They have cancelled bookings with ourselves and with other agencies too.

Customers of DoYouSpain who were affected were notified as soon as we found out and advised that a replacement booking had been made and that the difference in price (if any) was to be refunded. We didn't want any of our customers arriving to find that their booking had been cancelled and that there was no alternative vehicle.

Hope this helps

Claire Davis

DoYouSpain

Claire

           Thanks for taking the time to respond, one further query from us, if you are saying DYS will refund the difference should the new booking be more expensive, surely DYS should be paying the difference rather than people being out of pocket and having to claim the money back. Can you confirm what exactly happens with any refund i.e. when would we receive a refund or will DYS in fact pay the difference.

Please let us know.

Thanks

Graham

Has anyone used Dickman's, I've got my booking through and it says there is a bus in the car park.  Does this mean we have to get a bus to collect our car or is that just to complete paperwork?

With regard to queue's at Murcia, each time I've been out the queue seems to be longer at different companies each time, I suppose its something to do with who has the cheapest cars at the time.

Hi All, I am just back from a few wonderful days at Condado.  I mentioned earlier in the thread that I had booked a car through fcrentals, and would provide feedback.  In my earlier comment I also mentioned the Camosol office and how that could be useful if there were any issues - well it certainly was as I will explain later!

Firstly collection - they do not have a desk in the airport, you walk out to the car park and up to the top floor, and they meet and greet in the far right-hand corner of the car park.  This was a bit worrying at first, but I saw the guy waving at me from the desk as I looked around a bit lost, and sure enough they were there with my car ready to go - no queue!

The car - I was on my own, so just booked a small car - Kia Picanto - it was clean, but a few scratches, not a great car (but it was what I booked), could just about get to 150kmh if you could stand the screaming of the engine!  It was fine for one, maybe ok for 2, but I wouldn't want to try 4 and luggage even though it was a 4 door car.

The breakdown  - Yes 2 days in, I take a beach trip - 4km down a small road from the nearest town (without my mobile!!), and it dies on me!   I had to walk to back to the town, found a BP garage and they let me use their phone.  To me this is where you find out whether you are dealing with a good or bad company, things go wrong in life, it is how people react when they do that really matters.  On this score, I cannot speak highly enough about this company, I was directed to the Camosol office, where Lisa could do enough or apologise enough.  Despite me not even knowing what town I was in, when I explained it she was onto it, and with me in less than half an hour.  She took me back down to the beach and the car, and of course it started first time!!  That didn't matter, Lisa was still great (didn't once complain that I had wasted her time), and followed me back to the office.  I kept the car, but the manager gave me her mobile number and Lisa's in case of any further problem - the car broke down again - at Condado, and Lisa was there within 20 minutes, with a replacement car and documents (she brought someone along to check the car and he diagnosed a problem with the battery).  The replacement car was fine and no further issues.

Overall, yes the car was not perfect, but I can't fault the service, especially from the two Ladies at the Camposol office, I will definately check fcrentals in future, and if their price is good have no hesitation in using them again.

Ted

4km in the Spanish sun - at least you would have gone home with a nice wee tan!!!!

Just back from condado, I stuck with my booking via doyouspain with Auriga.  At San Javier walked straight up to the Auriga desk, not one person at the desk and within 5 mins was walking out with the keys to a brand new Peugeot 207..... easy peasy

To be very selfish all those that cancelled their booking made it very easy for me...... but it just shows the power of forums like this in that the panic created had a devastating effect on Auriga Crown...

I  also collected my car from Auriga Crown last Friday with no problems. Car wasn't in particularly good nick and hadn't been cleaned but it did the job.

I asked the guy on the desk about the cancellations .He said there had been delays by the manufacturers in replacing their stock hence the recent cancellations,but should be getting more cars in time for the summer.With the glut of unsold cars around the world at the moment not sure whether I believe this. I did suggest they post an EMail on here or the Do you Spain site to alleviate people's concerns otherwise they would lose a lot of business over the summer.

Jon

Good to hear that people have had their bookings honoured by Auriga Crown and that hopefully they are getting their act together. 

I have to say that I have very little sympathy with Auriga Crown if their business has been affected by the bad publicity.  Not only did they cancel bookings, but for people who had booked directly with them (not through Doyouspain etc) they were downright rude, difficult and completely unwilling to try and assist in sorting anything else out for the customers that they had let down.  Not sure I believe their story about delays in manufacturers providing vehicles but I guess they have to attempt to offer some kind of explanation for the recent problems.

All that said, we have used Auriga Crown on many occasions and have always been very pleased with them.  Let's hope we see a return to the excellent service that they have previously offered and that people no longer have to suffer increased expense and inconvenience from cancelled bookings.

Debbie

Just out of interest for those who have booked through Do You Spain, did you still have to pay the €3 per day additional insurance/or €300 deposit ?

It was suggested on another thread that those booking through Do You Spain didnt have to pay this

yes they are still asking for the deposit if you don't take the additional insurance.  My Husband flew to Alicante last night and collected his vehicle from Auriga Crown with no problems but yes they are still asking for the 300 euros!!!! 

Hopefully doyouspain will still be watching this thread and take it up with Auriga direct....

does somebody have contact details for fcrentals murcia

asillisa1

Hi

We are out next week and have a car with Goldcar through DYS. I hear that they are notorious for charging over the odds for fuel. Has anyone got any idea how much they charge for a full tank on a basic car?

Thanks

Phil

81 euro for a bellingo,and i filled it up again for 42 euro, to say they are robbing b!!"£$%^&ds is quite polite.

cheers ant

PS. i could get the TOON for that

Phil,

are you  flying into Murcia ?  Your problem is more likely to be the length of the queue at the Goldcar desk.  We've cancelled bookings with DYS when the voucher comes through and we find out it's with Goldcar.  Best you know in advance.

Chris & Alison

asillisa1

www.fcrentacar.com.

Jon

81euros for a fill up..!!!! they're having a laugh.........I suppose I'm stuffed now because I've just looked at a new quote and it's gone up 100 euros.

Ah well, I'll know better when I come back out later in the year.

Regards,

Phil & Debbie

Jon

thanks, I will be over for three weeks and wont need a car all the time and cappasol is a handy drop off point

asillisa1

Hi  Viv,

Just got off booking car with F & C. Only booked for a week as we hope to buy a second hand car this time. We are going for 11 weeks this time and the cheapest quote we got was over 1400 euro. With what we paid already for the 10 weeks we were already out this year, it would have been well over 2200. As we hope to spend about 26 weeks a year out their, we decided to buy a car. Used Goldcar a lot in the past and found them to be very good, but this time just for the 1 week they were 40 euro more than F.  & C. We are  in  J 7.                                                                                                                                                                                                Bernie & Fred

This is a good idea buying a second hand car the thought struck us.  We know someone who bought in Majorca and this is what they did. They get a taxi from the airport and use their car parked at their premises.  I suppose it gets expensive if you are unable to go over to Spain a lot if you work full time and can only go on your annual leave.

Maybe everyone on Condado should go into business together and have our own hire car company. 

Jane

 Di here, from Malaga.

Friends of ours left high & dry today. Heard Auriga went into "Suspension de Pago" (creditor protection), they got 4 mths to put their house in order or it goes to full bankruptcy proceedings.

Anytbody with a cheap online-broker booking stands a good chance to find themselves standing in the airport without a car or any recourse, like our friends today !