TOURISTS are flocking to an Irish app to rent vehicles to foreigners as prices continue to soar.
Fleet peer-to-peer car rental app downloads are “through the roof” as enticing quotes keep tourists searching for alternatives for their car vacation.
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And more Irish should consider renting their engines for cash as the cost of living continues to soar, according to Fleet founder Maurice Sheehy.
The 33-year-old, from Rathnew in County Wicklow, said: ‘Tourists come into the country and look at the businesses at the airport and are blown away by the prices. So they come to us instead.
“We have vehicles from €20 per day. This increases with the size of the vehicle, but we are still around five times cheaper than traditional rental companies and you still get a quality car.
“But we need more stock for demand. So if there are people with cars sitting in their driveway and they’re looking to make a little extra money over the next few months, there’s has an opportunity there, as long as their vehicle is in good working order.”
Last week, a woman’s Tweet went viral after she received a quote for €18,700 to hire a seven-seater at Dublin Airport from July 30 to August 6.
But when The Irish Sun visited the Fleet app, we found a 2021 Tesla 3S for €865 for the same dates.
There was also a 2011 BMW 318 available for €772 or a 2015 Mazda CX-3 GT for €745.
A “premium” Mercedes-Benz E220 costs €1,810 for the same seven days.
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Maurice said: “With Covid we didn’t have much traction because things were really slow. It’s completely flipped on its head now. He went through the roof.
Described as the Airbnb of car rentals, the app allows owners in the Irish market to list their personal cars for rent for as little as €20 per day. Global insurance provider AXA provides insurance for any use of the vehicle.
At the moment, only tourists with a European or British passport can rent on the site.
To use the service, you set the dates, request the rental and make an appointment with the owner to collect the keys.
And it’s not just private cars available on the site.
GLOBAL SHORTAGE
Car dealers are also flocking to the platform to lease their fleet as they struggle to find cars to sell due to a global shortage.
Eugene Hogan, owner of Ultimate Cars in Cherry Orchard, Dublin 10, says he has received hundreds of car hire inquiries on the platform.
He regularly drops off vehicles at Dublin Airport for people coming from abroad.
Eugene said it was “satisfying” to offer “good value for money” for those traveling to Ireland for a holiday.
He said: ‘People arriving on holiday, all smiles, everyone happy, and they get in the car, they drive off to the Cliffs of Moher or wherever and it’s a happier day for me. It’s a longer day but definitely a happier day.
SATISFYING
Last week Eugene rented a large family Volvo Xc70 to a client for €1,400 for two weeks. The client was quoted €17,000 for the same car at the airport.
He said, “He showed me the quote. There are times when you think I should raise my prices but I wouldn’t have the nerve. They have a good neck.
Car rental prices have skyrocketed as many rental companies have been forced to sell off large portions of their fleet during the pandemic.
A slowdown in manufacturing, rising fuel prices, the war in Ukraine and inflation are also responsible for the price spike.
Maurice fears that soaring prices will have a detrimental effect on tourism in Ireland.
He added: “But consumers can get a good price from us.”
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