Hiring out your campervan? Be aware of these people
Having arranged self-drive hire insurance for campervans and motorhomes for more than a decade, we’ve seen a thing or two along the way. That’s why we try to give you the benefit of our experience, offering practical advice, so you feel confident when hiring out your pride and joy.
Over the years, we’ve identified one key type of client that should always be treated with caution. We call them the 5-to-5 hirers.
While they won’t always pose a problem, it’s worth being aware that these hires can be troublesome.
These people tend to contact you late in the day looking for a vehicle to hire. They usually have an excuse for their lateness too. For instance, they have been let down by another owner, the campervan they wanted is double-booked, or the motorhome they wanted to hire has broken down.
If you’re not comfortable with the client, trust your gut instincts
You should also be wary of hirers looking to hire the vehicle without having any specifications. If they don’t know what model, berth or size they want, alarm bells should start ringing.
Read more: Safeguard your motorhome overseas
In these instances, probe your potential client to find out more. You want to know the details about why they want the vehicle, why it’s so late in the day and check their ID. It’s important to know exactly who you’re hiring to. It’s worth taking the extra ten minutes to dig deeper because it may help you avoid a claim. They may be hoping that you won’t make the appropriate checks because it’s late in the day, or you may have targets to hit, so agree to the hire without carrying out thorough background checks.
If, after all this, you’re not comfortable with the client, trust your gut instincts. Don’t feel like you have to take every hire and that you can’t say no.
You may also be interested in: Hiring out your motorhome: Keep your keys safe
