Drivalia UK - LIVERPOOL CITY Reviews 

*This query was rectified quickly after this post by Drivalia*

Very poor - should have checked the reviews before booking with this company, they are clearly all false and I can see no reply’s to the lower ratings which says a lot. The van I booked was actually fine albeit it was very dirty but as a commercial vehicle I wasn’t concerned with that, I just brushed out the back and accepted the cleanliness in the front as being a bit scruffy - the problems are with their payments process. When I picked the vehicle up I placed my business issued American Express card down on the vehicle rental as is I’d left my credit card at the house mistakenly / when I returned the vehicle I knew there would be some after charge for a bridge toll fee I had missed and so I told them to use a different credit card - which they accepted in store and I recently got a charge to my American Express (it felt a little bit predictable TBH) only to be told by their payments team that we do not accept phone calls , we are an email only team and when asked to retract the payment or refund it and take my credit card details again I got a computer says no chat GBT type response:

‘Hi Unfortunately this is not something we can do.Once booking the card is retained for any additi8onal fee's incurred during your hire period. I am sorry if you was misinformed by branch upon booking. Kind regards’.

If anyone from Drivalia even reads these reviews as I told your PCM team - you won’t receive this payment as my business will block the payment. So someone get back to me to fix it please. Thanks.

On 21st January 25 I collected the car where I was informed of previous damage to the vehicle. I was wet and cold having been left stood out in the rain for over 35 mins at the pick up location. The member of staff apologised and tried to rush me through the admin to get me on my way.I've used this company since 2016 so trusted them.

On 24th January 25, upon return of the car, the manager, Darren accused me of damaging the front nearside under sill. I disputed this as there was already damage endorsed on the inspection document at point 8. I pointed out that I was an advanced driver and since 2016 using this company I have never returned a car damaged. I also pointed out that if I had hit something I would have heard it, he turned to me and said I could have had my music on too loud so didn't hear. I'm 62 not a teenager!

This damage could not be seen from above and he said I should have got on my hands and knees to check and feel under the car. Again I told him the damage was marked and is not responsibility.

Sadly, I did not have access to my check in photographs at the time and it was obvious he wasn't interested as he was rude to myself and my son in law who also tried to dispute this damage and that informing a 62 year woman to get on her hands and knees to check the underside of the car is totally unrealistic and unacceptable. He refused to listen and I was forced to pay £1575 before leaving..

Later that evening, feeling distressed I was able to check my inspection report issued on collection whereupon it was confirmed that this damage I had been accused of causing by Darren, the manager, and made to pay the penalty of £1575.00 for was in fact previously reported damage outlined on photograph 8 as repairable, existing, not replaced.

I returned to Drivalia to inform a staff member of this who informed I would need to submit a complaint.online.

On Saturday 25th January 26 at 1818hrs I was contacted by the same staff member who confirmed I had not caused this damage and Darren the manager was informed of this. The polite staff member was very sorry for the stress it caused and that Darren was to instruct further training for all staff, for checking the vehicles.

I pointed out that the only person who needs to apologise to me and my son in law was Darren as all the other staff since 2016 have all been professional and polite, Neither of these attributes were demonstrated by Darren, he was rude and totally unprofessional and as a manager appears to be the only one who required training in customer service and how to access driver inspection reports for his own vehicles.

Having confirmed my innocence and being forced to pay this unrealistic penalty for a scratch that I wasn't responsible for, I want to have an apology in person from Darren to both myself and my son in law. Darren has not only damaged the reputation of this branch but also embarrassed me infront of other customers in the office.
It also destroyed plans for a family meal that evening to celebrate a wedding as I felt so upset and humiliated at the way I had been treated.

I had a very frustrating experience with this car hire company and would not recommend them. Our flight was delayed by two hours, and we called them from the departure airport to notify them of the delay and again just before takeoff, so they were fully aware of the situation. Despite this, when we arrived in Liverpool, we had trouble reaching them for the airport pickup. After several calls, we were finally picked up 20 minutes later, along with other passengers from the same flight.

Due to the delay, they claimed they no longer had the car we had reserved, explaining that they only hold cars for 59 minutes past the scheduled pickup time. We were then told we would need to pay an extra £30 per day for an upgraded vehicle. We paid the additional charge and were advised to claim it back from EasyJet, but EasyJet refused the refund.
Upon reviewing the terms, I discovered that the company should have allowed a 2-hour grace period for delays, not 59 minutes. We called for the pickup well within that time frame, but the company still refused to honor the original booking.
To make matters worse, the car had multiple issues. The cruise control was faulty, and the engine management light came on multiple times, putting the car into limp mode while driving on the freeway. This forced us to pull over and restart the car several times.
While I understand that mechanical issues can happen, the poor customer service and lack of transparency were unacceptable. I feel misled and disappointed by the entire experience. I would be happy to discuss this further if anyone from the company wishes to reach out.

If the gates of hell opened up before me with a giant pushing at my back and a sheer drop into a chasm of fire in front of me, I would not take a ticket out of there if it meant hiring a car from Drivalia at Liverpool airport again. They are morally bankrupt, charging eye-watering and gouging fees that are hidden deep in the undergrowth of their terms and conditions. That’s enough for me to advise against using them, of course, but they also appear to enjoy having aggressive and confrontational phone conversations with their unsuspecting customers at their counters, while standing directly in front of other one-time-only clients. If you choose to dismiss this review and give them a go anyway, then buckle up – it’ll be a memorable ride.

Online booking was clear and easy. Documentation required to complete booking was a little less clear (I took my passport but as a local hirer it wasn’t necessary) but not overly complicated or onerous.

Friendly and professional staff provided pick up service from airport car park which required a short walk that may be difficult for those with restricted mobility but is designed to avoid the ever ridiculous pick up charges. Perhaps the offer to pick up closer should be made with advice that an additional charge applies for this service.

The staff provided clear information and no hard sell to take extras such as additional insurance at the pick up office. I was aware that as I didn’t need extra insurance that my credit card would be ‘charged’ £1,500 as a security deposit (I’d covered damage through a separate excess insurance policy) so be aware of this if you also choose not to take it out through the hire.
Car was in good condition with a full tank - always a good sign in my view as you don’t have to try to match partially full tanks on returning.

Return was quick and easy.

Recommend for good quality service and cars at a great price.

Really straightforward

Thanks for the lift made the connections simple and straightforward

Tony did everything he could to make a bad situation better. Broker wasn’t clear on the cut off of 8pm and no flexibility on this. But Tony made the whole experience better. Very understanding and personable which is what you need. Topman.

The team are very good here. They care. Tony was on to help with all. Speedy return back to the airport and a lovely chat.

Amazing experiencie with Drivalia staff, special regrats to Tony (Liverpool airport). He was attentive and helpful with us. The car was perfect.

Hey dear I’m happy to get my car from your company and thanks Tony nice person and help me

Friendly and professional service from Tony, good vehicles at reasonable prices.

Straightforward, quick service. Tony did pickup and hire. Drove away within 20 mins of flight landing. Friendly team.

Excellent service from Tony smooth easy and super quick really impressed thanks

After waiting under bold rain more than 45 mins to pick up the phone waiting to collect us, once we were at the office we had to wait almost 2 hours
Since I didn't have a return ticket from the UK, they asked me for all kind of invoices (phone, gas, whatever) to prove my residence in my country. They kept repeating, if not, you wont take the car. stressful!
I've been renting cars in the UK for years, Avis, Sixt, Hetrz... renting a car has never been so difficult. Unpleasant experience.i

However, just as the pick-up was awful, the return team was wonderful, helpful and lovely ( Lancaster)

Straightforward process friendly staff ( Peter) was very helpful

Tony was greatttt

This sad saga continues. I spoke to CS and here is their reply Dear Ms Murphy, Thank you for getting in contact with us in regards to your recent hire. I can see from your booking that a credit card was not present and we offered the option of a credit check and taking out our excess protection package at an extra charge. The booking was a pre-paid reservation which you agreed to the Terms of Rental at the time of booking, on this occasion we will not be looking to issue a refund on this matter. I understand that this is not the response that you wanted. However, it is our final response and the case is closed. If you continue to dispute the charge, then you are at liberty to raise your case with the Alternate Dispute Resolution Service Kind regards, Dan Roberts Liverpool City Branch Manager. THEY DID NOT OFFER ME THE OPTION OF A CREDIT CHECK THIS IS A DOWNRIGHT LIE and did they forget that on the 'phone recently they told me that they had carried out a credit check ?????????

i was about to rent a car from Drivalia but thought i would check the reviews, it seems people are being hit with extra charges because their credit cards dont have embossed numbers!! for this reason i am going elsewhere, its a shame because this company is closer but i would rather travel further and not be ripped off.

I have used Drivalia at Liverpool airport a number of times. Always friendly and efficient. I dealt with Tony Repoion this time who was so helpful as there had been a mix up with the pick up time.