A Terrible Experience We arrived at the Christchurch…read morelocation to be given a 10-year year-old hybrid, apparently just delivered Japan, with all the instructions - the screen and various written instructions on the car - only in Japanese. There was no way to change the screen to English or French (our second language). Of course, no one can safely drive a car when you cannot understand neither the safety instructions nor the way to operate the navigation system nor even the simplest things, like how to set the clock or change the brightness level on the dashboard, which was set at dim. The contract states that renters are fully responsible if car instructions are not followed for overheating or oil loss etc. But we could not understand the instructions on the dash, so no way to know what any warning light might mean. The contract (Clause 9b) states that the contract is null and void if a vehicle is unroadworthy. It was. Any vehicle is of you can't read the instructions. We wanted out. The local manager in Christchurch was excellent and put us in touch with headquarters, who argued for 20 minutes that the car was roadworthy and to trust them that the screen instructions were irrelevant, and not part of the contract. That was ridiculous: all parts of a vehicle are part of the vehicle, screen and safety instructions included. On Google a similar car was selling for less than $6,000. Yup it passed roadworthy inspection ...we were told. No proof was offered, and of course the Japanese language navigation screen had Japan and not New Zealand. The manager refused to include a separate English language GPS system. Finally, after much argument, the contract was cancelled. Three hours lost. We did appreciate the goodwill of the local manager: she was understanding and delightful but caught between us and a very unpleasant manager on the phone from HQ. Advice: read the fine print and stand up to the bully tactics. Yes, James Blond is a few dollars cheaper but buyer beware, "Gold Economy" may well get you a secondhand car with no place to charge your phone and with all instructions in a foreign language. The car smelled of cheap perfume, no doubt to cover up that a previous owner was a smoker. We have just rented from Budget, a brand-new SUV with top-notch safety features and excellent insurance coverage and only nominally more expensive. Off we go to hike.

This family run business, headed by John, is a first class operation, and I appreciate how they…read moreconduct their business. Important criteria for me are: price, business ethics and product offering. I researched all the car rental companies for price, as I needed a car for four months. I obviously ended up here, and was glad I did. I rented an "older" car, a 2005 model, at the "winter" rate of $17/day. Though the rental period would encompass the summer, as I was taking possession before the "summer" rate went into effect, John honored the "winter" rate for my entire rental. Since I was renting the car for such a long period, and not having a private vehicle insurance policy, I had to evaluate the company insurance costs. Though his insurance rates are competitive with everyone else in the industry, John advised me not to take out the insurance, or to only take out the basic insurance and add windscreen protection. Considering the four month rental, insurance costs would have driven up the cost substantially, so I declined all coverage (I'm a safe defensive driver). Regrettably, in the last 10 days of the 4 month rental, I received a severe chip in the windscreen, courtesy of a passing truck, which turned into a big crack, necessitating the replacement of the windscreen. Though the national windscreen replacement company quoted me $450, and John initially quoted me $390, when I brought the car in, he had it re-quoted and it was only $320. Obviously, John could have maintained the price at $390, and I never would have known. But, his ethics prevailed. The car was mechanically perfect, and dealing with him, and his staff during the entire rental period was painless, efficient, and friendly. I would rent from James Blond again, and heartily recommend them!

Pick-up was a nightmare. There was only one person working the desk, so it took a full HOUR for me…read moreto pick up my car, as there were 4 groups of people in front of me. Not only was she checking people in, but she was also going outside to vacuum/clean the cars and take photos of them. It really put me behind in my activities for the day. After I got the car, things were easy-breezy! Practically a brand new Hyundi Accent, very clean on the inside, and worked just fine. The engine was essentially that of a lawn mower, but that's to be expected in a rental car. Drop-off was easy as well - we ended up returning to the lot after hours and dropping the key off in the box. Got a receipt in my email the next morning. Would use this company again, but will give myself extra time for pick-up.

I rent a lot of cars but this was easiest rental. The staff were efficient and accommodating. No…read morefunny business. They even added a driver over the phone for free and let us drop off the car at the airport.

Rented a car from Auckland Airport, the people there were wonderful. Was driving in downtown…read moreAuckland and hit a tall curb while trying to turn right at a stop light from a dead stop which punctured both drivers side tires. I pulled over and called Budget help line. After giving them the address where I had pulled over they realized I was a 10 minute walk to the Central Business District Budget office which is part of the Apex rental location and managed by Sue Eustace employee number 021522725. We walked over and informed the person behind the desk that we had 2 blown tires and needed a tow. Sue interrupted the conversation saying "So, you were driving on the wrong side of the road and blew both tires!?" I explained that I was not on the wrong side of the road, I was in fact stopped at a light before taking a right and going over the curb. She flat out refused to believe I was anything but reckless and refused the replacement I was told over the phone was the solution. She made up her mind before asking a single question about where or how the accident occurred. She then called the airport location and the option to rent from that location evaporated as well. Only after informing me that she was refusing any replacement for reckless driving did she give me an accident report to fill out. After I gave it to her filled out and signed she added notes to my section without input from me. The Auckland airport team was great but under no circumstance should you attempt to utilize the CBD location until some kind of corrective measures are taken. I have added photos of the curb I hit to explain how it accident occurred. While continuing from a one lane red light right before the pedestrian hump I turned to sharply and hit the curb with both driver side tires. Pulled over immediately but both were punctured. No other damage to the car, though I had the extra insurance so that won't matter.

We rented a car in Wellington and returned it in Auckland with no issues. Very organized…read morestreamlined process. The roads are very narrow in New Zealand making parking and driving a little challenging for foreigners- would think about getting the insurance for peace of mind.

It was a nice car This happened in the Year 2009 - where i…read morewas not sure about Yelp otherwise i should have taken pictures and done a lot at that time this is how it appears about them : OOKING DETAILS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Booking Number: 60244 Pick Up Location: AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Pick Up Date: 30-Oct-2009 Pick Up Time: 08:15 Drop Off Location: AUCKLAND INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Drop Off Date: 04-Nov-2009 Drop Off Time: 10:00 Group: 1, Zippy, Hyundai Getz Transmission: Auto Engine Size: 1300 cc Passengers: 5 aily Rate: $36.00 Inclusive: Tax, Standard Insurance, AA Roadside Assistance & Unlimited Kilometers Duration: 5 Day(s) 1 Hour(s) 45 Minutes, rounded to 5.4 Day(s) Hire Estimated Rental Fee: $194.40 Plus Airport Recovery Fee: $35.00 Total Amount: $229.40 Less Deposit: $0.00 already paid Balance Owing: $229.40 at time of pick up OTHER CHARGES ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Airport Drop Offs at any location attract an airport recovery fee of $35 After Hours Airport Pick Ups will be subject to the relevant airport car parking fees Extra Drivers on the contract incur a one off $10 surcharge per driver Vehicles not refueled on return will pay $3 per litre for fuel Vehicles are not to be driven on any beaches or through water, Minimum penalty $2000 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ CANCELLATION POLICY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ If cancelled 28 days prior to pick-up, No Fee If cancelled from 27 to 4 days prior to pick-up,10% of Gross Rental If cancelled after 72 hours prior to pick-up, 50% of Gross Rental If cancelled on day of pick up or No-Show, 100% of Gross Rental If vehicle is returned early for any reason whatsoever, No refund available Please note: Deposits made for bookings on the internet are always non refundable. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ GO RENTALS - CONTACT DETAILS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ North Island Reservations (from within NZ)

We searched virtually every car agency in Auckland for a last minute car rental and finally found…read morean available booking at Go Rental in Auckland City. The online booking process was relatively easy and the pick up was a breeze. The staff at the office was extremely courteous and thoroughly explained Go rentals policies, re-fueling requirements, and even had a short video showing New Zealand's driving laws and tips. The car itself was a nearly new, Toyota Rav 4 that was immaculate and drove great. When dropping off the car in Wellington, staff was equally friendly and courteous, and even made sure we had a way back to our hotel before they left for the day. If you need a vehicle if you're in New Zealand, Go Rentals is a great option for your car hire needs. Highly recommended!!

If you are coming to New Zealand for a vacation you need a car, especially if you plan to see more…read morethan one city. We picked this Hertz and got a Toyota Corolla. It all worked out and the price was fair. Only complaint is that felt cardboard shelf thing in the trunk. That thing is totally useless and gets in the way. We took it off to fit the luggage but had to jam it in the backseat for a week. Wish we could have just thrown it out.

I was impressed with the customer service here and the shuttle bus driver's to/from the airport…read morewere super friendly and engaging. Got some great tips when I arrived about navigating Auckland. The check-in process took a bit, but it was because of the thorough inspection of the vehicle, which I appreciated. I got a great weekly rate on my little car and it had good gas-economy along w/really nice features (included a back-up camera imbedded in the rear-view mirror!). It handled great and was even comfortable for sleeping in (the one time I had to make it my impromptu hotel for the night). The return process was pretty quick as well. This location is off-airport and can be a bit of toughie to find if you don't have GPS.

Great experience, very helpful people. Enterprise, National…read moreand Alamo are all run by Redspot New Zealand, which is apparently a subsidiary of Enterprise. We rented our car through Alamo, but I would expect the same experience for any of the other car rental companies under their umbrella. Check-in took a little while, but the rep was very helpful and did not try to up-sell us on getting a larger vehicle that we didn't need or want. On check-out, we were under the gun to make our flight on time and I accidentally left my cell phone in the car. The rep discovered it and they promptly mailed it back to me at my home in the US. We will definitely rent from them again if we make it back to New Zealand in the future.

Very helpful and friendly rental company. Letz went above and beyond to provide a great rental…read moreexperience - highly recommended and far superior to the big rental companies.

It's a small operation and the staff is nice and friendly and try to be very accommodating but I…read morewould not use them again because: The problem is that it's a SMALL operation and doesn't have the staff that it needs to be efficient. We got in earlier than expected and because the office thought we would be later in the morning there was no one to pick us up at the airport: We had to wait almost four hours from our landing until they could send someone to pick us up. When we departed 2 weeks later there was no one in the office to check back in the car; again we waited over an hour for the staff to get back to the office to get us back to the airport. This problem could get panicky if you were running late to the airport. The vehicles they rent are inexpensive but they are old. Our car was 8 years old. Maybe we should have expected the age of the cars because of the price but it was nowhere in there ad's that they rented OLD cars.