Holiday Autos to help 1car1 customers left high and dry

Following the recent announcement that the UK operation of 1car1 has gone into administration, leading car hire broker Holiday Autos is to offer an exclusive 10% discount to customers rebooking vehicles.

To secure the 10% discount, all 1car1 customers need to do is call Holiday Autos on 0871 472 5229 quoting their booking reference and xHA1car1. This offer is valid for all bookings rebooked until 30 April 2009 for any future departure date.

Stuart Nassos, Holiday Autos Managing Director says “Once again, we can see the effect these challenging financial times are taking on the car hire industry. Despite 1car1 claiming that its business has been profitable and enjoyed a rapid growth over the last 5 years, its reliance on securing and sustaining funding in the current credit climate has led to its demise. Ultimately, firms such as Holiday Autos are well established and long standing in the market and more importantly well funded, so we can comfortably continue to operate within this climate. All our customers can expect to receive a high quality service at competitive prices all year round.”

With over 21 years experience, Holiday Autos is a leading car hire broker with long standing relationships with the best known global and local suppliers. With its award winning service including Best Online Car Hire Website 2008 as voted by Which? Holiday magazine and voted as Top 3 car hire company by Telegraph readers, Holiday Autos prides itself on offering a quality service at competitive prices as well as offering complete peace of mind to its customers.

For further information, call Holiday Autos on 0871 472 5229 quoting their booking reference and xHA1car1.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_yorkshire/7950713.stm

Car rental firm in administration

One of Britain's top car and van hire firms has gone into administration, putting 800 jobs at risk.

About 200 staff at Leeds-based 1car1 have already been made redundant, said administrators Pricewaterhouse Coopers.

The company employs 800 people at 87 sites in England, Scotland and Wales, with 108 at its head office in Leeds.

Joint administrator Steve Ellis said: "It has sadly become reliant on levels of funding which are unsustainable in the current credit climate."

The administrators said they hoped to find a buyer for the business and its 15,000-vehicle fleet, which was likely to be wound down over the next five weeks.

Mr Ellis said: "1car1 has grown very rapidly over the last five years but since the onset of the downturn the company has experienced a tightening of its available credit.

"This has meant that the replenishment of the vehicle fleet has been difficult to fulfil.

"Clearly it is disappointing to have to make a big number of redundancies. My team and I will be doing all we can to help these employees at this difficult time."

'I'm in shock'

Worker Gary Shields said: "We were told we were going into administration and they might not be able to pay us."

He went on: "We are all just waiting to see what happens, but obviously it doesn't look good.

Apparently two banks had a change in lending policy and that has affected the business.

"I'm in shock as are my colleagues. The company was a profitable business and doing well. It is a real shame.

"With two million unemployed and about 10 people going for every job it doesn't look good."

Jack Elkin, 20, who joined the firm eight months ago, said: "It is a real shame, business was good and was up on last year. It is a good business to work for. It was a profitable business."