Car Hire Ups and Downs News

According to Peter McAree of the car hire company Auto Europe, car hire figures for Easter 2009 are more than double what they were at this time last year.

Other good news for the car hire industry is the creation of more than 100 jobs in the state of Colorado in America with Enterprise Rent a Car. The company has set up a claims centre in Fort Colorado which will also deal with claims for its subsidiaries Alamo Rent a Car and National Car Rental.

Jane Hylen, vice president and general manager for Enterprise Rent-A-Car in Colorado, said: "We're very excited to begin conducting business at our claims center here in Fort Collins".

Nevertheless the recession is pushing crime rates up and this is having an effect on car hire.
An increase in insurance scams have been reported recently and in one incident a former employee of Arval (a Wind Hill based car provider) continued to use their hire cars long after he had stopped working for the company.
Daniel Welch, 23, from Birkdale Close in Swindon hacked into Arval’s database to hire vehicles for himself and his friends, charging the car hire bills to actual Arval customers. Those bills eventually came to total more than £40,000.



This week Mr Welch pleaded guilty to charges of unauthorized computer use and deception.
He also admitted a further 81 counts of deception which included hiring a mini van to take a group of children on a trip, as he was a respected scout leader. None of the vehicles would have been covered by valid insurance.
Mr Welch received a year’s sentence in jail but that sentence is suspended for two years.