How to Hire

We operate car and van hire slightly differently. Car hire is available in 24 hours periods whereas Van hire is on a day hire basis. We use a third party insurer who specialise in vehicle hire insurance and we include insurance within our prices. We are also able to offer business to business vehicle hire.

Below is what we need from you to be able to hire, along with the terms for cancellation / moving hire and the most frequently asked questions we receive.

We take a £50 deposit on collection, which must be paid by card by the driver. This is refunded if the vehicle is returned with the correct fuel level, has no signs of pets and is reasonably clean.

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What documents/information will you need from me to hire?

We will run through some questions on booking to make sure you are likely to meet the requirements for insurance. Once this is completed we will need your driving licence number, a driving licence check code (or national insurance number and we can get that for you) and a recent valid proof of address.

What is a driving licence check code?

A driving licence check code replaced your paper licence and is your online driving licence. We need to check to ensure there are no endorsements for insurance purposes. You can view your own licence and provide a check code by going to the government website here > View your licence and generate a check code

What documents do you need me to bring before you can hire to me?

We will need to see and copy your original driving licence, which should have your current address on it. Along with your licence we will need a proof of address (that matches your driving licence) and can be one of the following a council tax bill for the current year, a recent (dated in the last 3 months) utility bill, credit card or bank statement. Electronic versions are now accepted.

Do you have any Optional Extras or Additional Charges?

  • Non UK resident or non UK driving licence minimum incurs a £10 charge per day due to increases in the insurance premium
  • Additional drivers can be added for £12 per hire.
  • Safety Package, which includes Breakdown Cover and excess waiver reduction, excess £500, cost is £20 per hire.
  • All car and van hires include up to 200 miles per day. Additional miles are charged at £0.20 per mile over and above the inclusive miles.
  • Late return, under 2 hours and not affecting another hire is £35 for cars and vans / £50 VW camper van.
  • Late return, over 2 hours and/or affecting another hire standard Full Single Day Price.
  • If the vehicle is not fuelled to the same level on return, we charge a refuelling fee of £15 plus the price at the current rate for the amount of fuel to fill the vehicle back to full.
  • We take a £50 deposit on collection, which must be paid by card by the driver. This is refunded if the vehicle is returned with the correct fuel level, has no signs of pets and is reasonably clean.
  • Additional cleaning charges of £50 per hire will be made if vehicles need additional cleaning because;
  • a) the vehicle is returned excessively dirty
  • b) the vehicle has signs of pets being inside the vehicle

Are there any age restrictions for hiring?

Our standard policy covers aged 25-70. In some cases we are able to hire outside of these ages (21-24 & 71-78), but this is subject to insurance approval and it will usually increase the cost of hire slightly. The standard price difference is an additional £15 per day and we may not be able to offer the special deal rates.

Can you hire to me if I have points on my licence?

If you have up to 6 points for SP30 or similar, we are usually able to hire. Hire is always subject to insurance approval. It may increase the cost of hire, we will confirm this before accepting the hire.

Is there anything that will stop me being able to hire?

All hires are subject to insurance approval. Points/endorsements on your licence, accident history and some occupations can prevent us from being able to hire to you. We endeavour to check insurance approval before the date of the hire to iron out any problems and should we not be able to hire we will offer you a full refund.

What is the excess on the policy?

Policy documents are different for every individual, but standard excess is typically around £1000.

Can I reduce the excess?

In most cases excess can be reduced by paying for our safety package, which is small additional charge of £20 per hire.

Do you have Breakdown Cover?

You can opt for UK Breakdown cover as part of our Safety Package, which includes breakdown cover and excess reduction. This can be purchased for £20 inc vat before the hire commences. We don’t offer European hire or breakdown cover.

In the unlikely event that you do suffer a breakdown and you haven’t opted for the Safety Package, we can organise breakdown cover but there is an admin charge of £50 inc vat. You may however be covered on your own breakdown policy depending on the type of policy, which you would need to check.

What is included in the “Safety Package”?

If you pay £20 for our safety package before hire commences, you benefit from UK breakdown cover along with a reduced excess of £500 should the vehicle be damaged while in your possession. Breakdown cover will attend at roadside Nationwide and attempt to repair the vehicle. In the unlikely event of not being able, they will recover the vehicle back to Oldfields Garage.

What is the booking/cancellation policy?

We take payment in full on booking to confirm the booking. If you have to cancel and aren’t able to rebook a new date, our refund policy is as follows.

  • Over 21 days until the booking date – full refund
  • Over 7 days 50% refund
  • Less than 7 days – no refund, unless we are able to re-hire. If we can re-hire some or all of the days you had booked we will refund the based on the rate we are able to rehire at to a maximum of the value of 75% your booking.

What is the policy for changing hire dates?

  • Moving dates is always subject to the van being available to hire on the new dates.
  • Our refund policy for vehicles where the new dates aren’t available is as per the refund policy above.
  • Over 7 days before your first day of hire you can move dates without any costs.
  • Less than 7 days – for cars the cost is £25 per day that is being moved.
  • Less than 7 days – For vans the cost is £50 per day that is being moved.

What happens if I don’t replace the fuel used?

Part of our agreement for hire is that we ask that you return the vehicle fuel at the same level as it goes out. If you don’t replace the fuel used we will retain the £50 deposit and charge for anything above and beyond that amount separately. Please note there is an additional £15 admin fee on top of the refilling amount to cover the time it takes to refuel and the extra administration required. If we are unable to refuel for any reason we will estimate the amount used based on the fuel level and mileage travelled and charge based on the estimated amount plus the £15 fee.

What are your full Terms and Conditions of Hire?

You can view our Hire T&Cs by clicking here.