Nghe An: Car rental services 'sold out' during holidays

It has become a tradition that every holiday season, Mr. Nguyen Minh Hung in Nghi Thai commune (Nghi Loc) goes to car rental establishments in Vinh city to rent a car to take his family back to their hometown. However, this year, renting a car is much more difficult than in previous years.

Customers complete procedures to rent a car for the holiday at a facility in Vinh City. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Hung shared: "Yesterday (April 27), I had a day off from work so I took the opportunity to rent a car to take my family home for the holiday, but most of the car rental locations were full. Therefore, this morning (April 28), I had to come back to rent another car in the hope that the customers who rented the car yesterday had returned it."

Not only Mr. Hung but also many other customers have had difficulty renting a car during this year's holiday because there are not enough cars to meet the demand. Many people traveling or going back to their hometowns have had to choose motorbikes because they cannot rent a car.

After customers return their cars, car rental locations rush to refurbish and rewash the cars to serve the next rental customer. Photo: Quang An

Mr. Nguyen Hong Minh - owner of a self-drive car rental shop in Vinh City said: "To prepare for this year's holiday, I increased the number of cars in the garage to 7, but it is still not enough to meet the demand. Many customers came late to rent, so we had to refuse because there were no more cars in the garage."

This year, the number of customers coming to rent cars has increased dramatically, causing the supply to be overloaded, many people who want to have a car have to book early. Furthermore, due to the long holiday, many customers rent cars from 3 days to 1 week, and only return the car when the holiday is over, so there are no cars for the next customer to rent.

Ms. Vuong Thi Van - Sales Manager at a car rental facility in Vinh City

Currently, the mandatory conditions for those renting a car are to have a driver's license, an identity card or a household registration book and valuable collateral. In Vinh City, people who rent a car usually leave their papers and motorbikes behind. If they do not have a motorbike, they will have to deposit about 10 - 20 million VND, depending on the value of the motorbike. After completing the car rental procedures, customers must commit to returning the car in its original condition.

Car rental prices and car models are listed specifically for customers to choose from. Photo: Quang An

At large car rental establishments, the rental price and car model are specifically listed for customers to choose from. At small car rental establishments, households with 2-3 cars, the rental price is negotiated in a "willing buyer, willing seller" manner.

Currently, car rental prices in Vinh City range from 500,000 - 2 million VND/car/day, depending on the car model and number of seats. This price has increased by about 20% compared to normal days. Although the price has increased, most rental locations have been fully booked since the first day of the holiday.

In addition to Vinh City, major towns in the province are all experiencing a "sold out" situation at self-drive car rental locations.