Terms of Hire

Terms and Conditions of Hiring Our Vehicles

Your Contract with Portman Van Hire

When you sign the form over the page you accept the conditions of the rental agreement listed in the document.

Please read this document carefully. If there is anything you don't agree with, please ask a member of staff at the rental location for clarification.

Rental Period

You will have the vehicle for the rental period shown in the agreement. You must check your rental agreement at checkout stage to confirm the dates and times are correct. If you arrive late to collect your vehicle we cannot guarantee an extension at the end of your hire.

If you do not bring the vehicle back on time you are breaking the conditions of this agreement. If you are more than half an hour late, a minimum 4 hour charge will apply.

Your Responsibilities

You must look after the vehicle and the keys to the vehicle. You must always lock the vehicle when you are not using it and use any security device fitted in or supplied with the vehicle. You must always protect the vehicle against bad weather which can cause damage. You must make sure that you use the correct fuel.
You are responsible for all damage to the roof or upper part of the vehicle caused by hitting low level objects, such as bridges or low branches.
You are responsible for all damage caused to the vehicle while on hire to you. In the event of any damage this must be notified to the office you collect the vehicle from and all damage must be agreed and paid before you leave the vehicle.
You must not sell, rent, loan or dispose of the vehicle or any of its parts. You must not give anyone the legal rights over the vehicle.
You must not let anyone work on the vehicle without our permission.
You must let us know as soon as you become aware of a defect to the vehicle.
You must bring the vehicle back to the agreed place during the opening hours displayed at the rental location. One of our staff must see the vehicle to check that it is in good condition. Where we have agreed that you may return the vehicle outside of business hours, you will remain responsible for the vehicle and its condition until it is re-inspected by a member of staff.

You will have to pay for repairs if:

The vehicle needs more than our standard valeting (cleaning)
If bodily fluids are left in the vehicle.
You have damaged the vehicle inside.
You have damaged and/or lost any part of the vehicle. (SD Cards, GPS or Child seats included)
You have put the wrong fuel in the vehicle.
You damaged tyres and wheels.
Lost keys to the vehicle.
You must check before you bring back the vehicle that you have not left any personal belongings in the vehicle as we cannot accept responsibility.

Our Responsibilities

We have to maintain the vehicle to at least the manufacturer’s recommended standard. We undertake that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for renting at the start of the rental period. In addition to the above, if you are not renting the vehicle for business purposes, we are responsible if we break the conditions of the rental agreement in the following ways: the vehicle does not correspond to our description of it; the vehicle is not of the quality that you would be entitled to expect from a rental vehicle; the vehicle is not fit to drive; we do not have the right legally to rent out the vehicle.

We are responsible if someone is injured or dies as a result of our negligence. We are not Responsible for any indirect or unforeseeable loss or damage (indirect losses are the losses which happen as a side effect of the main loss or damage). Foreseeable losses are the losses arising directly from, for example, the vehicle breaking down (such as the cost of repairing the vehicle or arranging other transport). You or we may not foresee other losses and so, if you want to be able to claim for such losses, we recommend that you arrange insurance.

Conditions for Hiring the Vehicle

The vehicle must only be driven by the person named overleaf, or by anyone we authorise in writing. Anyone driving the vehicle must have a full, valid driving licence and not be prohibited by law from holding or obtaining such licence.

You or any authorised driver must not do any of the following:

Carry passengers for hire or reward
Use the vehicle for any illegal purpose
Use the vehicle for racing, pace making, testing the vehicle's reliability and speed or teaching someone to drive
Use the vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs
Carry a number of passengers and/or baggage which would cause the vehicle to be overloaded or in the case of a commercial vehicle, a payload which exceeds the maximum payload and individual axle plated weights or for a purpose which requires an Operator's Licence where you do not have one.
Drive the vehicle outside Scotland

Charges

We work out our charges using our current price list as shown overleaf; you will pay the following charges:

The rental and any other charges we work out according to this agreement.
All our rental vehicles run on diesel fuel. All vehicles will be supplied with a full tank of fuel. It is the customer's choice whether they want to return the vehicle full or not. Fuel charges or fuel shortage will be charged at £1.95 + VAT (20%).
On demand, all fines and court costs for parking, traffic or other offences (including any costs which arise if the vehicle is clamped or impounded by the police). You must pay the appropriate fines and costs. If you do not, you will be responsible to pay our £25 administration charge for every contact we have to make with authority.
On demand, any charges made by customs and excise as a result of seizure of the vehicle by them, together with a loss of income charge while the vehicle is unavailable for rental.
A 4 hour minimum charge will be applied if late by half an hour
Cleaning charges may apply at the discretion of Portman Van Hire

Drivers

Drivers must be aged 21 years or over.
Further information can be obtained from our Rental Reservations department on 0141 429 6701.

Only UK drivers license are acceptable

UK driving licence and identification

UK drivers are required to bring their valid driving licence (original copies only), National Insurance Number and one proof of address. Acceptable documents include utility bills and bank or credit card statements issued within the last three months.

Drivers must have held a full valid driving licence for a minimum of 2 years to be able to hire from us. Drivers must have a clear insurance record. Certain endorsed licences may or may not be accepted at the discretion of the rental location. All drivers must show a credit or debit card in their own name when collecting their rental vehicle.

Unfortunately we cannot accept EU or international drivers licenses.

Minimum rental period is 4 hours
150 miles allowed per full day free of charge.
20p + vat is charged for every additional mile travelled.

Please note vans are not permitted to be taken outside of the UK mainland.

Payments

For advance bookings payment in full is required. For cancellations, 1 day’s payment will be charged if less than 24 hours notice is given. Most major credit / debit cards are accepted. We do not accept cash payments at our branches. Late payments for extensions may be subject to an administration fee.

Deposits

A deposit of £100 minimum will be required in order to hire the vehicle. This amount is subject to change depending on the vehicle and the length of the hire period.

Excess waiver

There is an insurance excess of £1000 on your vehicle, which can be reduced to £250 by paying an excess waiver of £15 per day. You can opt out of this, but if you do and the vehicle is damaged, the full amount of £1000 must be paid. To find out more, please see here or contact us.

Vehicle availability

To avoid disappointment vehicles should be booked in advance. Models shown and all descriptions are for general guidance only and while every effort is made to comply with requirements we cannot guarantee a specific model.

Portman Motors Ltd reserves the right to refuse rental and to amend terms and conditions without notice.

Offers and promotions

Our van rental offers and promotions are only available for stipulated periods of time and are not available all year round. Each promotion will specify the dates the promotion is valid for and which vehicles are available within the promotion. These promotions are subject to terms and conditions and availability. Portman Motors Ltd reserves the right to amend these terms at any time. Van rentals dates which over run or exceed the valid dates of a promotion, will not be eligible to the stated promotional prices or offers