Elly Brown
North Island ▷ Auckland Region ▷ Auckland ▷
Their fleet is older, I received a vehicle with a sliding door that only sometimes worked.
The vehicle otherwise ran fine until the day before I was supposed to fly out when I used the key to unlock the vehicle and the key broke off inside the front door. After a miserable night with the windows down because I could not raise them and trying to call for help with poor service I was informed that the assistance service they use will not send a locksmith 30min outside Christchurch and I must pay AT LEAST $700 to tow the vehicle and pay for a new key and to fish out the broken piece. They refused to help with any of it.
Now I like to learn from bad situations, but on reflection I had no fault in this situation other than using the vehicle as intended to camp at freedom camping sites. There was no way I could avoid this and it was not my fault. I tried to work with them to share the payment or ask if they have a spare key I could have driven to me (30min outside of Christchurch!) BUT THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY SPARE KEYS FOR THEIR VEHICLES. Like at all. Anywhere. Who owns a vehicle without a spare key?
I DO NOT recommend this service at all. It was mediocre from the beginning, then it was a truly AWFUL ending. Save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else.
PS: I read on CamperMate that if your self contained vehicle does not have the toilet available while you are in bed that you can be fined $400 at self contained sites. The Tandem does not pass that test, be careful what vehicle you rent.