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A car rental story

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A car rental story

Postby Robert » 20 Sep 2019, 14:12

We flew BA to Kalamata Greece and went through BA to book a car for the duration. I don't like the tiny cars that struggle up the hills so went for a VW Polo or similar so it would be slightly better.

At the Avis rental desk in the airport they couldn't find the key for the vehicle reserved for us so gave me a free upgrade to a Volvo V40. So far so good. Never driven a Volvo before and never seen myself as a Volvo driver. Nice central info display in the dash telling me helpful things in Greek. Kind of keyless system - insert the key body into a slot then press a start button. Driving more auto than manual now I had my foot on the brake pedal took a while to work out it wanted the clutch pressed to start.

Anyway off and away no problem. Phone nav to first accommodation. Next time I start the car some message in Greek showing a P with a spike next to it. Google translate just showing random words. Check tyres press OK button message goes until next stop.

Drive to next location with same irritant message. Last few days didn't use the car at all. Last day leaving 2 hours for a one hour journey OVER THE MOUNTAINS back to the airport I start the engine and get a barrage of warning lights and a new Greek message. Google translate says Brake systems failure stop safely.

I took it round the block and the brakes worked but there was a continuous chime that got faster with speed. Stopped the engine then restarted hoping the fault might clear and of course it didn't. Got the hotel English speaking guy to look at message and he said the same as google.

Phoned the breakdown number on the rental paperwork and got pre recorded Greek. Phoned the rental office and spoke to an Avis guy and explained the problem. He claimed Volvos were fussy about brake changes so it was just complaining. He said do the brakes work? I had proved they did work on the short test ride so said yes. he then suggested I drive it back and if it broke down call a taxi and they would pay for it!

Faced with the time constraints i drove it. Constant bing bing bing the whole time. As i drove it became obvious to me it was an electrical problem. The indicators didn't work (like most Greek drivers cars) the rev counter and vacuum gauge ECO thing also didn't function and pretty much every warning light was on.

Once I realised it was electrical not mechanical the downhills through the mountains with the dash saying brake systems failure stop safely was a little easier to ignore even if the chime wasn't.

Relief at arriving at the airport was a good feeling. As i paid BA for the car BA will be getting the complaint. The avis guy just said I write brake failure on the form goodbye.

I don't like Volvo V40s. Something was weird about the rear view mirrors and judging distance was a nightmare. Rear visibility was generally awful and I hated having to reverse it. So no Volvos in my future.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2019, 14:27

I sympathise with you Robert.

The mechanic who used to service our Disco '04 swore that he'd never buy a car older than 2004 as that was when all the unnecessary electronic gizmos started to come in. I think he's right.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby TrimTheKing » 20 Sep 2019, 14:34

RogerS wrote:...swore that he'd never buy a car older than 2004 as that was when all the unnecessary electronic gizmos started to come in. I think he's right.


Older? You mean newer?
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Re: A car rental story

Postby Woodster » 20 Sep 2019, 15:57

Depends on where it comes from. The Germans have a history of unnecessary complexity involving

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VK_4501_(P)

Japanese and South Korean cars seem to be the most reliable.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2019, 16:00

TrimTheKing wrote:
RogerS wrote:...swore that he'd never buy a car older than 2004 as that was when all the unnecessary electronic gizmos started to come in. I think he's right.


Older? You mean newer?


OK...newer....I knew what I meant LOL
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Re: A car rental story

Postby marineboy » 20 Sep 2019, 17:24

It's reasonably easy to select different languages on any modern car so you get messages in English.

Good luck with complaining to BA. I have had several encounters with what they humorously call their customer service department. I once waited 3 days in Lucca waiting to be reunited with my checked luggage. Luckily we had packed my wife's essential medication in our hand luggage. I had to return to Pisa airport every day as the BA phone line was constantly engaged, and the person behind the desk there clearly couldn't give a t*ss. We eventually got it back, no apology, no goodwill offer of compensation, niente. I would rather fly strapped to the wing of a Ryanair 737 than go with BA again.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby Robert » 20 Sep 2019, 17:44

marineboy wrote:It's reasonably easy to select different languages on any modern car so you get messages in English.



Not on a Volvo it isn't :)

There seemed to be two systems. The screen for radio info and various unimportant stuff was already in English and getting to the language setting showed it was, as seen, set to English. The driving info display in the middle of the speedo was in Greek and there was no menu item that even looked vaguely like a language setting so I'd guess it was pre programmed.

Nothing to lose by complaining.. you never know.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby Andyp » 20 Sep 2019, 17:49

Robert I have had more success with large multinationals by using Twitter, both public and a Private message.
I do not think therefore I do not am.

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Re: A car rental story

Postby Robert » 20 Sep 2019, 18:04

Yes. My wife is a twitter user and has used it to complain before successfully. She booked the flights and car and the rest of the holiday (I just CBA with all that stuff) so I'll set her at them :)
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Re: A car rental story

Postby RogerS » 20 Sep 2019, 19:23

Robert wrote:
marineboy wrote:It's reasonably easy to select different languages on any modern car so you get messages in English.



Not on a Volvo it isn't :)

.


If cars are anything like cameras then I can fully understand why some models in some countries are effectively neutered and the language can't be changed.
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Re: A car rental story

Postby selectortone » 20 Sep 2019, 20:12

The best holiday I ever had with my young family was on the island of Rhodes in the mid 80s.

We stayed in a small village in the south of the island called Gennadi, which, unlike contemporary google earth images, was very under-devoloped for tourism back then.

We were there for two weeks and had an absolutely fabulous time snorkelling from the beach in the crystal clear sea just a few hundred yards from our apartment and enjoying the wonderful, and ridiculously cheap cuisine in the local restaurants each evening.

After about ten days I though the family could do with a change, so I booked a rental car from a guy who was the village 'fixer'. We arrived at the cafe that was his base at eight in the morning the next day, I paid the (again ridiculously cheap) rental price and was given the keys to a Fiat Panda that had very obviously seen better days. I quickly discovered that the brakes needed several pumps to arrive at any kind of retardation, and the steering had a mind of its own. But the kids were really up for their day exploring the island so....

We set off southwards, armed with a map of the island that showed a road that appeared to circuit the entire island coastline. Having reached the southern tip of the island I turned west and set off up the western coast of the island only to discover that the tarmac road ran out after 5 miles or so.

Not to be deterred we continued on our (very bumpy) way for ten or so VERY hot and dusty miles (with me thinking all kinds of "oh my God, what have I done..." kind of thoughts), until we arrived once again on terra firma, in the shape of a very roughly tarmac'd road. Five more miles and there was a very welcome taverna where we had the most delicious seafood meal (we were starving!).

And from there we carried on round the island (with me anticipating every possible braking eventuality) until we arrived back at our starting point 12 hours later. A proper adventure.
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