Rental cars need to be transported between offices. And travellers love freebies. Combine the two, and you get free rental cars, organized by Transfercar. The New Zealand startup works with major car rental companies including Europcar, Apollo and Ace. Each rental company has a host of ‘relocation cars’ that need to transported to different branches. These are listed on Transfercar’s website, along with the dates they’re available, and interested customers can book online after registering with Transfercar. Drivers can also request to be notified by text message when cars are available for routes they’d like to travel. Most vehicles include basic insurance as well as ferry tickets between the North and South island, so no hidden fees. Rental companies often throw in a full tank of gas, too. Although some rental companies already offer transfer cars at little or no cost, they rarely publicize the fact, and Transfercar is the first venture we’ve spotted that aggregates vehicles from a range of agencies, making the process far easier for consumers. Everybody wins: travellers with flexible schedules can drive for free, and rental agencies reduce their transfer costs. One to set up elsewhere? (Related: Car swapping for the holidays — Hertz subsidiary cuts frills and prices.) Spotted by: P.J. Heta

27th July 2009

Website: www.transfercar.co.nz

Contact: www.transfercar.co.nz/contact