Terms & Conditions

We will naturally make every effort to supply the vehicle that you have requested. There are however, occasions where unforeseen circumstances do occur, resulting in a car becoming unavailable, e.g. poor weather conditions, in this unfortunate situation a suitable alternative will be provided or a full refund given. We accept no responsibility for any cancellation, alteration or delay caused by circumstances beyond our control. The deposit is to be paid upon booking and is non-refundable. The balance of the hire charge must be paid at least four weeks prior to the event.  Should you wish to cancel your booking, please email info@ucchire.com. If you have booked a three hour or above time slot; hire time exceeding the contracted hours will be charged at £60.00 per hour or part thereof.

Terms & Conditions of Self-Drive hire

Our Contract

When you book with us you are confirming acceptance of the conditions defined in the agreement.

Rental period

Our hire period begins at 5pm and finishes at 5pm, unless otherwise agreed.  The length of your rental period will be confirmed on your booking form.  Rental periods may be extended, up to a maximum of 30 days, subject to availability.

Late return of a vehicle is breaking the conditions of this agreement. If you arrive late or return the car late up to one hour over the agreed rental time you will incur a £25 fee. Over an hour late returning the car to us will constitute another hire period.  We will charge the published day rate for each 24 hour period (or part thereof) you retain the car, after the initial rental period.

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 devices fitted to it 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 must not exceed a daily allowance of 150 miles.

  • You are responsible for any damage to the vehicle caused by hitting low-level objects, such as bridges, low branches, speed humps or kerbs or use of incorrect fuel

  • 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.

  • You must not let anyone, including you or any other drivers, 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.

  • You must let us know as soon as you become aware of a fault on the vehicle. If you continue to drive the vehicle after it develops a fault then you may be liable for the cost of the consequential damage.

  • You must bring the vehicle back to the location at the time agreed. One of our staff must see the vehicle to check that it is the same condition as at the commencement of hire. 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

  • You will have to pay for reasonable costs of repair if:

    • Damage occurs to the interior of the car as this is not covered by
      the insurance; or

    • You have damaged the outside of the vehicle not covered by
      insurance, e.g. an alloy wheel rim

  • Before you bring back the vehicle you must check that you have not left any personal belongings in the vehicle.

  • You must abide by any specific instructions relating to each car as explained during the familiarisation process

  • If you damage our vehicle through driving that we consider reckless, dangerous or inappropriate you will be liable for the full cost of repair irrespective of the insurance excess in place

  • You must bring your driving licence with you when you collect the car, if you fail to do this we will have to carry out a DVLA check and you will be charged £25

Driving licence

We no longer check the penalty points on your driving licence prior to hiring the car. When you hire a car from us you accept our terms and conditions. It is your responsibility to ensure that you tell us of any points you have on your licence before you take one of vehicles. If you fail to notify us of any points you have and you are involved in an accident you may not be covered by our insurance. In that instance you would be liable for the repairs and associated costs yourself. You still need to bring your licence with you when you hire the car and provide a copy of your licence beforehand.

You can check the status of your licence by clicking on the link below:
Check your licence status

Please make sure you save the pdf copy of your licence status and either send it to us by email or print it off and send it.

Our Responsibilities/Reliability

Whatever the purpose of the hire we will always do whatever we can to ensure the hire runs smoothly and easily. However, it is a condition of hire that old vehicles are less reliable than modern cars and both parties accept this risk when entering into this contract.

We assure you that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for renting at the start of the rental period. We will not hire a vehicle with known safety or reliability faults and therefore this may result in cancellation. Given the nature of the vehicle and its age, it is a condition of hire that you accept that it inevitably will have some defects. Such defects are acceptable under our agreement provided they do not compromise safety and reliability.

It is in the nature of classic cars that they are less reliable than modern cars. For this reason we offer a generous service in the event of breakdown. If the car fails before or during hire we will provide an alternative car where possible or the opportunity to choose different dates. If this happens three times within 12 months you will be eligible for a full refund.

It is the nature of classic cars that they are less reliable and require more maintenance than other forms of hire vehicle. Similarly, parts supply for such vehicles is not the same as it is for modern vehicles. It is therefore a condition of this agreement that you accept the increased risk of non-availability or breakdown before or on hire as an inherent element of hiring one of our vehicles.

In the event that we cannot provide the vehicle you have booked for your chosen hire dates our responsibilities are as set out below.

We are not responsible for any consequential loss in any circumstances arising from breakdown or non-availability.

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 the contract.

Conditions for using the vehicle

The vehicle must only be driven by you and any other named driver, or by anyone else we authorise in writing. Anyone driving the vehicle must have a full valid driving licence and meet the following criteria:

  • be aged between 30 and 75 on the final day of hire

  • has not been convicted of a motoring offence or had their licence suspended or had their licence endorsed with more than 6 fixed penalty points within the last five years

  • has not been convicted of a non-motoring offence

  • has not been refused motor insurance

  • does not have a mental or physical defect or infirmity that affects their ability to drive an un-adapted vehicle (if in doubt, please contact us)

If the number of points on your licence changes between sending us a copy of your licence and the hire day you must notify us immediately.

The hirer will not:

  • use the vehicle for hire or reward;

  • use the vehicle for any illegal purposes;

  • use the vehicle for racing, pace-making, reliability testing and speed or teaching someone to drive;

  • use the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs;

  • drive the vehicle outside England, Scotland, Wales, unless we have given you written permission;

  • load the vehicle beyond the manufacturer’s maximum weight recommendations and make sure that the load is secured safely;

We would recommend a test drive, to ensure that you have a comfortable experience, if you are over 6ft and/or in excess of 20 stone.

Towing

You or any other authorised driver must not use the vehicle for towing.

Charges

We work out our charges using our current published price list. In the event of vehicle damage you immediately forfeit your insurance deposit. In the event that the damage is less than the value of the deposit we will refund the difference once the vehicle is repaired.

You will pay the following charges:

  • The rental and any other charge we work out according to this agreement;

  • Any charge for loss or damage resulting from you not keeping to condition 3.

  • A refuelling service charge if you have used, and not replaced, the quantity of fuel that we supplied at the start of the original rental. The charge will be based on the rates printed on this rental agreement or at the place where you rented the vehicle from.

  • All fines and court costs 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. If you do not, you will be responsible to pay our reasonable administration charges which arise when we deal with these matters.

  • The reasonable cost of repairing any extra damage which was not noted on our Condition Form at the start of the agreement, whether you were at fault or not (depending on 4). And the reasonable cost of replacing this vehicle if it is stolen, depending on any insurance you have (as set out in 9), if any when we demand this payment.

  • The full cost of any mechanical damage to the vehicle arising from misuse or failure to stop in the event of a fault developing. This cost to be applied only following independent assessment of the vehicle

  • Any costs or charges arising from the use of incorrect fuel

  • Any charges arising from Customs and Excise seizing the vehicle, together with a loss-of-income charge while we cannot rent out the vehicle, if and when we demand this payment.

  • Any published rates for delivering and collecting the vehicle.

  • Interest which we will add every day to an amount you do not pay us on time, at the rate of 4% a year above the base lending rate of Barclays Bank from time to time.

  • Valued added tax and all other taxes on any of the charges listed above, as appropriate.

You are responsible for all charges, even if you have asked someone else to be responsible for them.

Insurance

Our vehicles are supplied with fully comprehensive insurance and full UK breakdown cover. There is an insurance excess on all our cars of £750.00

Your excess payment is at risk if you damage the bodywork or mechanicals of the vehicle.  In the event of bodywork damage to our vehicle or a third party, we will automatically retain the full insurance excess.  If the repair cost for bodywork is less than the excess you will be refunded the difference after repair.

In the event of mechanical damage caused by improper use or mis-fuelling you will be liable for the full cost of repair, even where this exceeds the insurance excess.  Improper use is defined as driving the vehicle without due care or sympathy or failing to operate the car in line with our advice and guidance.  This does not include mechanical breakdown and repair due to component failure caused by general wear and tear.  In the event of dispute the nature and cause of the damage will be assessed by an independent arbitrator.

No Smoking and Pets

Please do not smoke or allow pets into our vehicles. Failure to comply will result in hire being cancelled and a charge of £25 being levied.

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:

  • ensure the safety of all occupants of the vehicle;

  • make sure the vehicle is secure;

  • call our office straight away. You must then fill in our accident report form and send it to us immediately.

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 Agency (DVLA), debt collectors and any other relevant organisations.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

Upon booking we will collect a 25% deposit which is non-refundable.  The non-refundable balance is due 4 weeks prior to the hire period commencing. Classic cars are by their nature old and inevitably on occasion they break down or are involved in collisions making it impossible for us to supply the exact car that you booked. In these unlikely events we will either;

  • offer you an alternative that is a close match to the car you have booked and arrange for you to have the original car at no extra cost at a later date when the car is back on the road

  • issue you with a voucher valid for 12 months for the same value that can be redeemed against a car

  • postpone your booking until the car is available again

We cannot be held responsible for hotel bookings, travel expenditure or any other expenses incurred. If your car is for a wedding or other special occasion please consider the consequences if the car were to become unavailable due to breakdown, repairs or accident.

We are always disappointed if we cannot fulfil a booking to the customer’s specification but breakdowns do happen and we feel it is only fair that you understand the risks.

Governing Law

This agreement is governed by the laws of the country in which the agreement is made. Any dispute may be settled in the courts of that country.

Customer Complaints/Feedback

We welcome your feedback, please address your comments to:

Fifties Fun
Unit 2,
Hampton Court Estate
Summer Road
Thames Ditton
Surrey
KT7 0RG

If you have a problem or complaint on the day, you must bring it to the attention of the staff at Fifties Fun as soon as possible so they have a chance to put matters right (please make a note of the member of staff you dealt with).

Fifties Fun will endeavour to respond to any complaint within 48 hours of receiving it.

Please ensure before any complaint is made that you have read and understand fully our terms and conditions.

Your statutory rights are not affected.

Our terms and conditions comprise the agreement between us. Please ensure you read these terms carefully as failure to read them is not a defence in law.