Let's say it up front: long-term rental is a fixed-term contract that binds both parties – we provide the full service until the end of the term, you use it and pay the fee. The fixed fee is built precisely on this predictability. At the same time, we are human, and we like to work that way: if life changes mid-term – the company grows, an employee leaves, times get harder – we look for a joint solution, and we typically find one. We ask one thing in return: let us know in time. And we state one thing clearly: our flexibility is for fair partners – in the case of an attempt to abuse it, the letter of the contract applies.
The starting point: a fixed-term contract
We can commit to a fixed fee for the whole term because we calculate for the whole term: we procure the car, and price in servicing, damage protection, taxes and residual-value risk – years in advance. That calculation only holds if the contract binds on both sides: we commit to the service, you commit to using it and paying the fee until the end of the term. Early termination therefore has a cost fixed in the contract in advance – we do not invent it afterwards; you will see it in the offer. That is not strictness; it is the other side of the fixed fee.
Typical life situations
- The company grows – the simplest case: a new car, on the usual terms, with your existing account contact.
- A different car is needed mid-term – would you switch categories because the job changed? Let's talk: it can often be solved by reshuffling within the fleet or by a swap.
- The employee who had the car leaves – the car belongs to the company, not to a person: it can be handed to another colleague or reallocated – and if that does not work, we look for a solution together.
- Harder times are coming – our most important request: let us know in time. While we are talking, there is almost always a solution; afterwards, with accumulated arrears, much less so.
A real example – no names
A manager hired by one of our clients last year left the company this year – in the first year, when the contractual termination cost would have been at its highest. They had taken that on in the contract and did not dispute it; but we did not want to profit from it either. We sat down, and this became the joint solution: they returned the executive car; from its fee, two of their colleagues who had not had company cars before received two compact cars – the fleet cost did not increase, and two more colleagues were happy; we listed the returned car – and they took on, up to a pre-agreed, capped amount, the possible loss of an early sale if we found no new renter for it. The termination fee did not have to be paid. Nobody gained at the other's expense: the relationship survived, the fleet was rearranged, and the risk landed where we jointly saw it as fair.
Where is the line?
We do not want to live off termination fees – the example above shows that. But our flexibility is for good-faith partners. If we sense that someone may be trying to abuse the system – with the "I'll try it, then exit cheap" logic – then the letter of the contract applies, consistently. That protects our fair clients, because it means we do not have to price the losses of abuse attempts into their fees.
The contract is fixed-term – our attitude is not rigid. If life changes, let us know in time: we look for a joint solution, and we typically find one.
Related:
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost if I have to terminate the rental early?
The termination cost is fixed in the contract in advance, and you will see it in the offer – it is not a later surprise. And in a specific situation we always look for the joint solution first: reshuffling, swap, a new renter.
My company is in a difficult situation. What should I do?
Let us know as soon as the problem appears – not when there are already arrears. Speaking up in time, there is almost always room to manoeuvre: switching to a smaller car, reshuffling within the fleet, passing the car to a new renter.
The employee we rented the car for has left. What happens to the car?
The company rents the car, not the employee: you can hand it to another colleague – you only need to update the primary user with us. If there is no one, let's talk about the options.
Can I switch to a bigger or smaller car mid-term?
Often yes – especially with multi-car fleets, where it can be solved by reshuffling. Contact us and we will answer for your specific situation.
Can I transfer the rental to another company?
We have found solutions for that too – the new renter is subject to the same partner assessment as all our clients, so we examine it case by case.
