- To make the booking: a 15% deposit of the trip value is payable 24 hours after the quotation. The deposit is non refundable. This is not the insurance deposit which is payable separately.
- If the booking is made with less than 4 weeks to the hire date, a full payment must be made within 48 hours.
- The full amount of the booking is to be paid no later than 28 days after the quotation unless the booking is made within four weeks or less of the hire date, upon which time it is immediately due.
- Booking charges may apply as levied by the financial institutions, for which you are accountable. You can pay directly into our bank account by transfer, which is the most cost effective way of paying. We also have a partnership with PayPal, which offers secure payments. They charge 3.4% per transaction, which the customer is liable for. Please note that you are accountable for any additional bank charges, for example, if you are transferring funds from abroad.
Cancellation Policy
- Up to 12 weeks ahead of scheduled booking a 50% refund is made, not including the deposit value.*
- For cancellations made less than 6 weeks ahead of scheduled booking, no refund will be made. If you want to change your dates, we will make every effort to move your booking , however this is not guaranteed.
*This excludes early bird bookings which are non-refundable
If you do not let the Free Wheeler Camper team know that you are cancelling your hire, you will not be eligible for any refunds.
Hire terms and conditions
Please be advised if you do not adhere to the Terms & Conditions regarding Driver Age, Payment, Driving Licenses & history, Identification required and Rental Payment Terms when collecting your vehicle our Cancellation Policy will be enforced.
Price
Rates include insurance for one driver, breakdown cover & unlimited miles (unless otherwise stated). VAT is not included. Free Wheeler Campers Ltd offer optional additional items to hire, for example and not limited to, outdoor furniture and Satellite Navigation systems. If customers are travelling outside the UK, they will need to pay a European surcharge of £35. For the pick up and drop off days, the congestion charge is £10 per day.
Driver Age
All drivers must be aged between 21 and 75 inclusive. Drivers aged 21-24 may only rent the two berth camper vans and must have held a full licence for a minimum of 24 months. Drivers over 25 must have held a licence for at least 12 months. If the driver holds a licence issued outside of the UK, they must be over 25 years old and have held their licence for a minimum of 24 months. An additional £400 will be added to the insurance excess for drivers with non-UK licences.
Fuel Policy
All vehicles are supplied with a level of fuel at the start of the hire. Customers must return the vehicle at the same level at the end of the rental. If the fuel tank is under this level on returning the vehicle, customers will be charged at the current rate for fuel + an administration charge of £30.
Overseas hires
Prices quoted are for use in mainland UK and the rest of Europe. A charge of £35 will apply for overseas use, which is for the additional insurance cover.
Driving Licences & history
Anyone who will be driving the Free Wheeler Camper van must present a valid driving licence with their current address (having a current address on your driving licence is a legal requirement), in person, at the time of collection. No copies of licences will be accepted.
- IMPORTANT: On collection of vehicle, renter must produce: valid driving licence (both parts of UK licence) – we cannot accept an expired photo card
- Drivers aged between 25-75 must have held a full driving licence for at least 12 months.
- No cover in any circumstances on the following endorsements: UT, CD40 – CD71, DD40 – DD80. Please check with the Free Wheeler Team for allowances on other driving penalties.
- Drivers aged 21-24 must have held a licence for at least 24 months and be free of endorsements.
Identification required when collecting the camper van
When collecting the vehicle, the main driver must present in addition to their driving licence:
- 2 forms of ID (passport and utilities bill – at least one confirming home address and one with a signature. Please note that we cannot accept mobile telephone bills or credit card statements as proof of address) plus
- a credit or debit card in their own name
- a valid driving licence (both parts of the new UK Licence are required)- we cannot accept an expired photo card
- Additional drivers must present a valid driving licence (both parts of new UK Licence are required) – we cannot accept an expired photo card.
Office opening hours
Pick up/drop off times are to be pre booked by email and can be organized between 9.00 and 19:00 from Monday through Friday. We can open the office for weekend pick up/drop off, but this may incur a surcharge – please check with a member of the Free Wheeler Camper team. We do deliver to airports at a charge of £60 each way. Please note that the customer is responsible for covering the congestion charge of £10 for each drop off and pick up day, therefore a charge of £20 will be added to the booking.
Rental Payment Terms
Please read this carefully. If there is anything you do not understand or do not agree with, please ask any member of staff at Free Wheeler Campers.
- In the event that you return the vehicle earlier than the date originally specified, no refund will be made.
- If you wish to return the vehicle after the time originally specified, you should contact the Free Wheeler Camper office to agree this. You will be charged for every day you have the vehicle after the original agreed date and time at the rate specified on the rental agreement when you collect the vehicle.
- If you do not arrive to collect or drop off your vehicle at the time specified in the Reservation Confirmation, you may be liable for a late fee equal to one day’s hire.
Rental agreement
You will be asked to sign a Rental Agreement when you collect your hire vehicle and the terms of this agreement are as follows:
1. Your contract with us
When you sign the form (rear of rental agreement that will be presented to you at the branch) you accept the conditions set out in this document. If you book with us through email, you will also confirm your acceptance of these conditions.
2. Rental period
You will have the vehicle for the rental period shown in the agreement. If you do not bring the vehicle back on time you are breaking the conditions of this agreement.
3. Your responsibilities
a) You must look after the vehicle and the keys to the vehicle. The fee for a lost key is £160, which will be taken from your insurance deposit. We will post you replacement keys but will not be liable for the loss of days incurred whilst waiting for them to arrive. You must always lock the vehicle when you are not using it, and use any security device fitted to or supplied with the vehicle. You must always protect the vehicle against bad weather which can cause damage. You must always make sure that you use the correct fuel.
b) You are responsible for any damage to the vehicle caused by hitting low-level objects, such as bridges or low branches.
c) You must not sell, rent or dispose of the vehicle or any of its parts. You must not give anyone any legal rights over the vehicle.
d) You must not let anyone work on the vehicle without our permission. If we do give you permission, we will only give you a refund if you have a receipt for the work.
e) You must let us know as soon as you become aware of a fault in the vehicle.
f) You must bring the vehicle back to the place we agreed, during the opening hours displayed at that place. One of our staff must see the vehicle to check that it is in good condition. If we have agreed that you may return the vehicle outside business hours, you will remain responsible for the vehicle and its condition until it is re-inspected by a member of staff.
g) You will have to pay for reasonable costs of repair if:
- we have to pay extra costs to return the vehicle to its condition when the pre- rental inspection was carried out (for example, if extra cleaning* time or special material or equipment is needed to restore the vehicle to its pre- rental condition); or
- the vehicle has been damaged internally or externally whilst in your care.
*If the van is returned in an unreasonable condition, the standard charge for cleaning is £50
h) Before you bring back the vehicle you must check that you have not left any personal belongings in the vehicle.
i) You are responsible for any loss or damage to additional equipment hired at the time of rental, including but not limited to satellite navigation equipment and Outdoor furniture. An inventory check will be carried out for missing items, for which you are responsible.
j) Please note that pets are not allowed in the camper vans. If it is obvious that an animal has been inside the vehicle, we will impose a fine of £150.
4. Our responsibilities
We have maintained the vehicle to at least the manufacturer recommended standard. We assure you that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for renting at the start of the rental period.
5. Property
We are only responsible for loss or damage to property left in the vehicle if the loss or damage results from our negligence or a breach of contract.
6. Conditions for using the vehicle
The vehicle must only be driven by you and any other driver named over the page, or by anyone else we authorise in writing. Anyone driving the vehicle must have a full valid driving licence.
You or any other authorised driver must not:
- use the vehicle for hire or reward;
- use the vehicle for any illegal purpose;
- use the vehicle for racing, pace making, testing the vehicle reliability and speed or teaching someone to drive;
- use the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs;
- drive the vehicle outside the agreed countries that you have informed us that you will travel to, unless we have given you written permission;
- load the vehicle beyond the manufacturer maximum weight recommendations and make sure that the load is secured safely;
- you must not use the vehicle or allow it to be used off road or on roads unsuitable for the vehicle;
- you must not drive in restricted areas including, but not limited to, airport service roads and associated areas;
- you must not use the vehicle for driver training activities.
7. Towing
You or any other authorised driver must not use the vehicle for towing unless we have given you written permission.
8. Charges
You will pay the following charges:
a) The rental and any other charges we work out according to this agreement.
b) Any charge for loss or damage
c) A refuelling charge if you have used, and not replaced, the quantity of fuel that we supplied at the start of the original rental.
d) All fines, court costs and intended prosecutions for parking, traffic or other offences (including any costs which arise if the vehicle is clamped). You must pay the appropriate authority any fines and costs if and when the authority demands this payment. All fines and intended prosecutions incurred will attract reasonable administration charges which arise when we deal with these matters.
e) The reasonable cost of repairing any extra damage which was not noted on our vehicle check form at the start of the agreement, whether you were at fault or not. And the reasonable cost of replacing the vehicle if it is stolen, based on the insurance excess amount, if and when we demand this payment.
9. Insurance
Insurance deposit
A deposit for the insurance excess of £750 will be required prior to hiring a vehicle. This will need to be transferred to Free Wheeler Camper Ltd at least 24 hours before picking up the vehicle. This will be returned within 2 – 4 days providing the van is returned in the same condition. It is the responsibility of the hirer to check the interior and exterior of the van with a member of the FWC team before commencing the hire (this is standard procedure). Free Wheeler Campers will retain £120 of the deposit for a period of 20 days to cover any unknown speeding or congestion penalties, after which time the remainder of the deposit will be returned in full. This arrangement is in place due to the fact we do not take credit card numbers for charging customers after a hire is complete.
Please note that the insurance deposit may increase subject to the driver’s circumstances, for example, if the hirer is between 21 – 24, the excess will increase to £1150. If the driver has a non-UK licence, the excess will increase by £1150. If the driver does not own their own car in the country in which they reside (excluding the UK), the excess will increase to £1500.
Our motor insurance is provided by Rival with a full copy of their Terms and Conditions attached to this document. You must agree to these terms and conditions before you can hire a vehicle.
If the vehicle is stolen, the insurance excess is £1500. By signing this agreement, you agree to cover this cost in the event of vehicle theft during your hire period. If the vehicle is stolen or in a state of disrepair, you will be required to travel to the closest depot that has an available replacement vehicle at your own cost. We will make every effort to provide you with a replacement vehicle, however this is subject to availability. We will also not cover the loss of hire days in this instance. Please ensure that you have appropriate travel insurance to cover any costs that may arise in this situation.
Public Liability
Free Wheeler Campers Ltd has no liability in respect of any injury, loss or damage arising from the use of the vehicle, nor shall Free Wheeler Campers Ltd be liable for any indirect loss or damage, or, in the case of consumers, damage which was not foreseeable by both parties.
Free Wheeler Campers Ltd shall not be liable for damages arising from defects or mechanical failures which are not attributable to any breach of the manufacturer’s warranty implied by law to take reasonable care or exercise reasonable skill.
10. Damage Liability
Insurance is subject to a damage liability which varies according to vehicle size.
Damage liability reduction (reducing the damage liability to £500 for vans) is available for an additional cost but is not available to drivers aged 21-24 or 70-75.
Damage liability waiver may be withdrawn at any time (for example, due to extreme weather conditions) at the discretion of Free Wheeler Campers Ltd.
11. What to do if you have an accident
If you have an accident you must not admit responsibility. You should get the names and addresses of everyone involved, including witnesses. You should also:
- make the vehicle secure;
- tell the police straight away if anyone is injured or there is a disagreement over who is responsible; and
- call the office from which you rented the vehicle immediately.
12. Data Protection
You agree that we may use any information you have given us to carry out our own market research. If you break the agreement we can give this information to credit reference agencies, the Driver and vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA), debt collectors and any other relevant organisation. We can also give this information to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), who can pass it on to any of its members for any purpose shown in the Data Protection Act 1998.
13. Governing law
This agreement is governed by the laws of the country in which it is signed. Any dispute may be settled in the courts of that country.
