Practical Car and Van Rental Ltd Anmeldelser 

I hired a van a large low base van from this company and while I was honest and immediately reported a low-speed incident involving minor damage (a dent and scrap from a height restriction while working), the aftermath has been an outright nightmare and demonstrates a complete lack of professionalism in their claims process.

The Problem:
Excessive and Unjustified Charges: The company has issued a claim for over £4,000 for a single dent. The invoice provided is highly questionable, listing approximately £3,000 for labour and including line items (e.g., checking sound pads, windscreen) that are completely irrelevant to the damage incurred. It appears to be an attempt at unjust enrichment.

Failure to Provide Evidence: Despite multiple requests, the company has failed to provide the core documentation required to validate this claim:

Original signed contract and Terms & Conditions.

Dated, original photographs of the damage.

A verified, independent, itemised repair quote.

Non-existent Communication: My questions regarding the excessive charges and requests for supporting evidence in previous emails have been completely ignored. They have simply issued threats of payment deadlines without attempting to offer a constructive resolution.

Conclusion:
This is a case of poor claims handling, opaque invoicing, and aggressive, non-responsive customer service. A £4,000+ demand for two dents, backed by zero documentation, is unacceptable. I formally reject the charges as unsubstantiated and urge others to be extremely cautious when hiring from a company with such a dishonest and non-compliant claims procedure.

I am disputing this claim and seeking independent quotes, as the current charges appear grossly inflated.

We hired a van from the Gloucester branch. The guy behind the desk has always been polite helpful and done his best to supply what we need.
I've used them multiple times and will again.

Very helpful and so clean van..price it was responsible …. Will rent again…

The pricing was good, the van was spotlessly clean, and lesley was really friendly and explained everything perfectly. Would definitely recommend.

We've booked this Gloucester company a few times and I can't fault them. Efficient, courteous and economical. I wouldn't go to anyone else now. Highly recommend.

Excellent service and vehicle was in good clean condition. Straight forward prices no additional costs or misleading advertisements
Had hired 3times in a month and will always use this company again

IMPractical Van Hire: Avoid!
Do not use this company; they are fundamentally unreliable. I have used them several times (even through they denied this when I complained after the most recent last-minute cancellation). They have cancelled last minute and changed what I booked to something wholly unsuitable. Do yourself a favour. Go elsewhere.

Booked a Luton Van for a house move via the Soham Cambridgeshire branch. On arrival at 9.00am I signed paperwork and paid while the vehicle was brought round to the forecourt for me.
The vehicle was 8 years old and tatty but this was not a concern since it would do the job required.
On driving away the steering felt overly light. I stopped to check and found that both front tyres were bald.
I took it back and the mechanic agreed that it needed a new tyre. He suggested fitting the spare but that turned out to be flat with a puncture. Said they could fit a new tyre but it wouldn't be ready until 3.00pm.
I declined and went elsewhere. Had to make do with a smaller van but at least it was safe.
Very poor show from Practical.

Excellent service from start to finish at the Washington branch! Renting the van was quick and hassle-free – the booking process was simple, and all the information was clear. The vehicle was spotless and in perfect condition. The staff were friendly, helpful, and truly professional. A special mention to John, who turned out to be an absolutely fantastic guy – he really went above and beyond. By far the best rental company I’ve used – highly recommended!

Hired from Practical before and couldn't be happier with the service ,
starting with the lovely Olivia at front of house .
Ending with the lovely Olivia when returning the van .
The merc van was a dream to drive and very practical .
Olivia is a credit to the firm with a lovely smile as soon as I went in ..thank you so much .

“Women don’t read paperwork”
If you do a google search for car hire in Tonbridge, you’ll see there’s a Practical location shown. (There isn’t, they’ve moved). But when my colleague booked a car for me, and the paperwork came from Tunbridge Wells this is what she was told when she queried it.
Unacceptably sexist, nasty attitude - would never use them for our business again.

Both Cath & John at Washington were very helpful, informative and friendly. Excellent service and well maintained vehicle. Would certainly use again and recommend them

Needed a van for a house move so went to Dukinfield branch, had an issue getting a code off gov website but Alex and Jordan persevered with it for us and were so helpful and really pleasant to deal with. Definitely go back when I need a van again.

wanted to hire a van went to redcar branch at warrenby sorted me a very nice peugeot expert at a very good price when i picked it up very clean van full of fuel cost me £46 to go to glasgow and back i would reccomend you try them very easy to deal with

First class in every way, polite and informative staff, car was immaculate, what more can you ask. Musbury garage, Axminster.

Tried to rent a van and was refused due…
Tried to rent a van and was refused due to apparently not refueling the van and arguing with staff which is utter rubbish. My partner wouldn't say boo to a goose! Utterly useless staff. My partner just phoned to ask when the event supposedly happened to get a very rude man, who tried to tell my partner that we live next to the police station (we don't, we live next to the butcher), clearly a case of mistaken identity but the man wouldn't listen, got very rude and aggressive, silly thing is it was marked as u refuelled, but we refilled in there petrol station. Absolute joke of a company, can't even have a rational conversation with the rude person behind the phone.

Great service from John and Cath wouldn't go anywhere else. Rates are excellent. Fully recommend the Washington branch

Practical Car and Van Rental Ltd Washington Tyne and Wear. What an amazing team of helpful, friendly and knowledgeable staff! I would highly recommend Practical if you’re looking to rent a car or van, the whole process from beginning to end was hassle free, the vehicle was immaculate, an up to date model, and the unlimited mileage was a bonus!

Being a large school uniform supplier in the north east, this is our busiest time of year and we often need to hire extra vans to facilitate the heightened demand. Practical van hire are always extremely reliable, even at short notice. Cath and John at Washington are always super accommodating and go above and beyond to help us out and make sure we get the service we need. Can’t recommend these enough.

I hired a van from Practical Van and Car Hire in Windsor for a trip to France, and the experience was faultless. Many other companies were either unsure about the international documentation or gave incorrect advice about the requirements. Pedro, however, was knowledgeable and made everything clear from the start, including providing the essential VE103B form.

The van itself was in excellent condition, clean and modern, and well equipped with cruise control and Apple CarPlay, which made the long journey far more comfortable. Collection was smooth, with a clear handover, and returning the vehicle was just as easy. Pedro handled everything professionally and efficiently.

I wouldn’t hesitate to use them again for overseas travel. Great customer service, great vehicle, and total peace of mind. Thanks again, Pedro!