Australian 4WD Hire
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223 reviews · Statistics
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- Yes (58)
- No, I received a worse vehicle (10)
- No, I received a better vehicle (10)
Made to pay for a new tire and car missing promised equipment
Hired a car and equipment from this company and was very disappointed.
One hour down the highway our car had a punctured tire and when we went to get it fixed we were advised that it looked like it was due to a poorly repaired previous puncture. The tread was also already worn down to a bee’s member.
When we called to ask about getting a new tire from the company, we were told we’d have to fork out for a new one and they didn’t care how it was replaced. If we didn’t replace it then we’d be charged for it at the end.
They also threatened th
... Read moreat we weren’t able to go to Fraser Island with the car due to our “experience”. The whole reason we got the car was to go to Fraser Island and no mention of necessary experience had been mentioned up until that point. So we gave in and forked our for it. When we got to Fraser Island and unrolled our supplied tent, they were missing all the poles. Since we were out of reception range we had to spend two nights in the car, before we gave up and got a motel.- Received Booked Vehicle: No, I received a worse vehicle
Probably not again!
The booking process and the follow-up before we arrived at location in Perth was ok. However, we had booked a one-way, and although we knew that we would have to take some extra stuff on behalf of the company because of that, we were absolutely not prepared for what we met. The car was completely full, without any room for our luggage! When pointing this out to the guy at the scene, he only shrugged and did not lift a finger to help. We had to drive to a separate store to buy load ties and extra equipment to secure luggage on the roof of the ca
... Read morer and then back to the company to load our two bags. The car itself was seriously worn down, and this was also the case for the equipment we had rented (gas oven; cooler box etc). We had a few incidents during the trip, and they were handled acceptably by the company. We had a second rental from the same company from Cairns a couple of weeks later, and that was a completely different story. The service was way above expectations, and it just reminded us how bad our first encounter had been. I will probably look closely for another company the next time we plan a road trip in Australia.Collected in partnership with Australian 4WD Hire
Unethical Company, Avoid at All Costs
I rented a vehicle from this company in Broome. Upon return I was charged for speeding and damage to the front suspension. Checking the report the company sent me when they seized my security bond, I found the vast majority of the speeding violations were barely a few KM over the limit, often within what could be judged instrumentation error. In Australia, only the police have the right to legally extract fines for speed violations.
The photo of the damage was of fatigue wear rather than impact damage and I have reason to believe it existe
... Read mored when I took possession of the vehicle. The first night out, unpacking the tent, found it to be a jumble of bits and pieces, looking like leftovers from a war surplus store of the 1950s. Stopping for food shopping the first day after taking the vehicle in Broome, we opened the refrigerator and it spelled like rotten food inside, making it unusable for anything other than sealed water and drinks. Interesting to note that all the very positive five star reviews sound as if they were written by a PR firm. I cannot recommend renting from this company under any circumstances. If anyone has no choice to rent from this company or any other, I highly recommend photographing carefully using a selfie stick and phone camera, the entire under carriage and suspension assemblies, the exterior and interior of the vehicle. Then email the images with a date and time code to a third person, such as your personal attorney, as well as yourself. On return of the vehicle demand to have it inspected while you wait. I would suggest you have someone video you while you make this request in the event they refuse.
The worst ever
Some of the reviews here are true and some are fake. Make your own judgment. We were purely ripped off. They make you pay a very high bond and then retain it under bogus pretence while you are back home on the other side of the world. Do not get near them if you care for your money!!!!
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Very Good car but with a few risks
It was very easy to make the booking.
The customer service from Broome car hire center was very bad, we didnt got any copies from all the documents I had to sign.
There was a risk because it was not possible to insure tyres windscreens or axles.
We were very Happy about the quality of the car.
But we had still a very good time in the Kimberleys, thank you 4WD Hire!
Collected in partnership with Australian 4WD Hire
Unprofessional and extra charges
The guy who checked out the car for us didn't explain basic things like where the jack was stored which would have come in handy when we got a puncture.
They also charged hundreds of dollars when we returned the car because it "wasn't clean". This despite it being full of red dust to begin with. It's a totally ridiculous policy for an outback vehicle hire company but they trust that people (like us) don't read the small print, basically guaranteeing themselves a fee from every customer.
Don't use them, you get what you pay for.
Do not use this company
Australian 4WD, now trading as "Explore 4WD Hire" stole all of our money without providing the vehicle. We had paid in full for $3,200 as we were leaving in two weeks time. COVID-19 then closed all borders and we were unable to proceed with the trip. Instead of negotiating a change of date or credit, this company refused to answer any communication via email or phone and we were forced to lodge a Fair Trading complaint which was unsuccessful as they also could not contact the company. We lost the full amount of money. Do not go near this company.
Do not trust this company
We rented a 4wd in Perth in 2018 for 3 weeks. Had no problems. Returned the car freshly cleaned, they inspected the car and ticked off the form.
A week or two later we received an email saying that there was damage to the car door and they actually accused us of breaking into the car at some point on our holiday - "It appears as though there was an attempt to unlock the vehicle using a foreign object, such as a metal wire or hanger." (direct quote from email).
Conveniently for them, their mechanic's quote was roughly the same amount as our $2
- Vehicle Type: Toyota HiLux
- Received Booked Vehicle: Yes
Don't even think about...
Don't even think about renting a vehicle from this company or its successor. After two bankruptcies, the third company (registration number ACN 638 025 911 Pty Ltd.) is now running the business under the slightly changed name "explore4wdhire". Between the time when the press reported the bankruptcy of the former company and the information of the new company that the lease agreement would be maintained, a month passed. During this time neither the website nor office was available. As a customer, you had to assume that the company would no longe
... Read morer exit. Reason why you had to rent a car elsewhere. The company finally cancelled the rental contract, but without refunding the deposit. The promise to credit the deposit with the next booking under these circumstances seems outrageous.Find out how Australian 4WD Hire compares to other Car Rental Services
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Got $5000 bond back
At first we were a little sceptical about our recent Darwin trip with this vehicle company. We rang the office to express these concerns about all the reviews on this page and on another. I was quite worried about giving the $5000 straight up, not a pending payment.
Once we returned from our trip. The vehicle was looked over, then was lifted up to see internally. 2 days later an email was received. Then the next day the $5000 came up into our account.
Happy with this outcome as I was very worried going into this.
- Vehicle Type: Toyota HiLux
- Received Booked Vehicle: Yes
Scam - refusing to return $2500 bond
Do not use this company or the new owners "Explore 4WD Hire" - explore4wdhire.com.au - they took our $2500 bond and keep giving us the run around saying that it is with their accounts and it will be refunded but it never is. Now they are not responding to our emails or our calls. Extremely unprofessional stealing money from people! Especially at a time like this!
- Received Booked Vehicle: No, I received a worse vehicle
SCAM and SHONKY - I hope others read this email before renting. Bond not returned
The car had pretty much bald tyres, drove 175 Klm in then Fridge was US and the drive back to Darwin paid $100 for a nights accommodation so we could have a fridge, to keep our $150 of cold stuff from going off. The battery was faulty and replaced. drove 300Klm to Kakadu, only to find they had not put the tent poles in so sleeping in this was like an oven. decided to stay in a hotel for the second night as was too hot after first night. Took the car back another 300KLM and told them the vehicle was unusable and returned early. I was happy
... Read more to pay the 3 days and get another car form a reputable company. Car was checked and all OK. The manager [name removed] pretty much said, too bad you signed the paperwork to say you had everything and no credit for unused days.. Rude and no idea about customer satisfaction. Now they not answering calls and no sign of My BOND - email bouncing back. $6120 down the darwin for 3 days in a poorly maintained car.- Vehicle Type: Izuzu MUX
- Received Booked Vehicle: No, I received a worse vehicle
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Consider other options
We had an issue where the vehicle we booked could not be provided due to circumstances outside their control. The request to cancel based on this information was not well received and we were made to feel like we were committing some gross injustice with the request for a refund. Although their actions are defendable within consumer law, their conduct was not becoming. We felt harassed and told our decision to seek further counsel on the matter was taken as a threat. Furthermore, some quick research demonstrated a string of previous unscrupulou
... Read mores behaviors logged with the Office of Fair Trade Queensland, ACCC, as well as the media. Recently Tim Nicholls MP added to the discourse. Now we are out of pocket an one thousand dollars. Although there have been plenty of happy customers, our experience dealing with this issue would suggest that if things go wrong you will receive little sympathy from this company. It is also worth paying attention to the terms and conditions on their website, as some clauses raise the eyebrows. We know there are plenty of other vendors in the area with competitive pricing that can provide an excellent experience with a smile. We know this because one of them made an excellent holiday possible at very short notice. Anticipating an rambunctious, resentful response i will add that this review is not designed to slander or defame this company. There will be no conversation about who was right or wrong. It is simply to provide what i hope is a measured retelling of my experience.- Received Booked Vehicle: No, I received a better vehicle
Security bond problem > solved
Update:
We tried to reach the company via the old website and phone number which seem not to exist anymore. Thanks to this website here I got I. Contact with another actual customer and got the new website.
Today I got my bond back in our account.
Will have an eye on my credit card if there are any further charges and update my experience here.
We paid a security bond of 1.500 $. 4WDHire has not paid the money back yet. Expect the money as soon as possible, otherwise we will take all possible legal actions.
- Received Booked Vehicle: Yes
Disappeared with our money
They sold business as we were on our vacation. As we returned the car we've been assured, everything was well. After a few days I wrote them a friendly reminder but they just sent me over to the liquidator, telling me they are "a whole new company".
Phoenixing failed, as they completely disappeared. Their website has been taken off and all their email addresses aren't reachable anymore.
- Received Booked Vehicle: No, I received a worse vehicle
Questions & Answers
what is their new email adress or website?
im still owed 1500 in bond..
You'll find all new contact information on www.explore4wdhire.com.au
I really hope this helps you and others, but i may doubt it.
They are off the charts these guys! Trading insolvent !
Hi,
Check out the page Hans mentioned.
Hope it helps. It seems also pending on when you hired / payed bond and to which account.
They have been missing for a month and a half now. Completely disappeared. No answers to multiple emails, calls. They are holding 1800$ which was suppose to be held as a credit because of covid but I don't think we will see them anymore. Absolutely shocking scam service. I don't know how they are still taking customers on board. They removed also their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Is this company still operating, ProductReview appears to think you are not? Your website is offline, your email address doesnt work but you are still posting 5 star reviews but not answering customer questions?
The company changed its website to Explore4wdhire.com.au. As of today the phone number is disconnected. I rang to ask them about my deposit return. The ABN is the same, 638025911. The ASIC website shows the owner as Mahesh Thakur. The registered address is '1605', 530 Little Collins Street, Melbourne which is a mens tailor who knows nothing about the business. Product Review is doing a disservice allowing these 5 star ratings through given the overwhelming evidence that the company is not trading and owes over $300,000 in bond payments to customers.
They have been missing for a month and a half now. Completely disappeared. No answers to multiple emails, calls. They are holding 1800$ which was suppose to be held as a credit because of covid but I don't think we will see them anymore. Absolutely shocking scam service. I don't know how they are still taking customers on board. They removed also their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
Is your company still running as I have booked a car in Broome in May and paid a deposit..
Annie
Have you tried contacting the agent in Broome to see what they say?
I would honestly try to get your money back and rent off a different company.
Don’t pay them a further cent
The new company is corrupt and Probly a family member from previous owner
They have ripped off countless people
They owe us over 8 k
Our car was a lemon and we still paid 3 k for the hire
Also they have not repaid our 5 k in bond
A total ripoff business
Any company that ask for a bond to be paid by direct deposit instead of a credit card, knows it can walk with your deposit easily. A credit card deposit would do the job and would also give you insurance coverage in case there is an issue. They knew they were going to walk away with our money! We are numerous people who have been swindled and lost our deposits and are looking to recuperate our monies without much hope. This company cannot be trusted! Beside they say they have newer vehicle on their website but in fact we got a 5yo Land Cruiser with bad tyres, 300k and rattling worn out equipment...
Get out of this arrangement ASAP... they are complete crooks! Owe us money from stolen bond monies...
They've been ripping our bonds aswell.
Cancel your booking. Until May you'll easily find another, not totally worn down car for the same price and without getting ripped off.
Will they honour the cancellation.
I suppose there's no chance of a refund
There's enough time to at least try. If you've already paid, maybe via creditcard? So hopefully you could cancel your booking following their terms and conditions and if they don't return your money talk to your bank to get your money back to your card with a "chargeback". You got eight weeks since payment for this.
The worst thing that could happen when you try, is that you have to stick with them.
If i just had known about them earlier... As I got aware of the nature of their business I really thought about just selling the car to arriving tourists. I really wish, i had done this :-(
I’ve cancelled card and getting a new one..cancelled the booking but email address is not working....put in a claim with the bank and booked a new camper with Aussie campers..thanks everyone
From the latest 5 star review (3 days ago), it looks like a serious phoenixing operation is going on here.
I flagged that review and productreview saw it for what it is and took it down.
Phoenixing failed, as they completely disappeared. Their website has been taken off and all their email addresses aren't reachable anymore.
Hi everyone,
We are in the same boat with a bond of $5K not returned. Does anyone know what address to use when sending the letter highlighting breach of contract? We will follow with a claim to magistrates. Thanks in advance!
They have been missing for a month and a half now. Completely disappeared. No answers to multiple emails, calls. They are holding 1800$ which was suppose to be held as a credit because of covid but I don't think we will see them anymore. Absolutely shocking scam service. I don't know how they are still taking customers on board. They removed also their Facebook and Instagram accounts.
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