We are likely going to live in Taichung for 6 months starting this fall and I am wondering what kind of car arrangement will work out better for us. We don’t need anything fancy, just a sedan that seats 4.
Should we buy a used car in Taiwan and sell it at the end of our stay? or should we go with a major rental agency (if so, what are good reputable agencies there?) and rent something for 6 months?
It seems like a lot of money either way, so I am hoping some of you have experience with this and can give me pointers on our situation (i.e. staying for only 6 months)… it seems many of you live in Taiwan, so you are there for a much longer term than we are planning. If we were staying for years we would just buy a car. But for 6 months, not sure that’s the best idea.
[quote=“hether2”]We are likely going to live in Taichung for 6 months starting this fall and I am wondering what kind of car arrangement will work out better for us. We don’t need anything fancy, just a sedan that seats 4.
Should we buy a used car in Taiwan and sell it at the end of our stay? or should we go with a major rental agency (if so, what are good reputable agencies there?) and rent something for 6 months?
It seems like a lot of money either way, so I am hoping some of you have experience with this and can give me pointers on our situation (i.e. staying for only 6 months)… it seems many of you live in Taiwan, so you are there for a much longer term than we are planning. If we were staying for years we would just buy a car. But for 6 months, not sure that’s the best idea.[/quote]Hi!
Central Auto Rental have nice vehicles and do long-term rentals. I have found them to be a reputable and efficient company. I posted about them here:
forumosa.com/taiwan/viewtopi … 886#496886
After having read that particular post, you might want to go back to the first page of that discussion thread and look at the concerns I raised about insurance. It seems that ALL rental companies in Taiwan offer insurance that might be considered inadequate by Western standards. Central Auto Rental are a good company, but even after having paid for the maximum level of insurance that they offer I still had my qualms. If you are a fairly happy-go-lucky person it may not bother you!
Hertz used to have branches here but I don’t think they do any more.
Thanks for the reply! I’m glad you had a positive experience with this place. I don’t see anything on his website that mentions the 25% responsibility in case of theft/write-off. I guess this is information that you got through the contract you signed?
Availability-wise… How far in advance did you contact them regarding a car before they had one ready for you?
I totally hear you on the whole insurance thing. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about rental cars in Taiwan, not sure how much is urban legend. Did you actually meet this guy Gordon? Also, looks like this guy caters to “foreigners”, so you were able to communicate to the staff in English?
[quote=“hether2”]Thanks for the reply! I’m glad you had a positive experience with this place. I don’t see anything on his website that mentions the 25% responsibility in case of theft/write-off. I guess this is information that you got through the contract you signed?
Availability-wise… How far in advance did you contact them regarding a car before they had one ready for you?
I totally hear you on the whole insurance thing. I’ve heard a lot of horror stories about rental cars in Taiwan, not sure how much is urban legend. Did you actually meet this guy Gordon? Also, looks like this guy caters to “foreigners”, so you were able to communicate to the staff in English?[/quote]Hi Hether, I’m in Taichung and I had no problem communicating with the staff at the branch here in English. I also exchanged emails with the staff in Taipei. Again, no problem.
I’m not sure about availability for long-term rentals. Contact them and ask. They really are very friendly and helpful.
Yes, the 25 percent thing is in the contract (they’ll email you a copy to browse through). I suppose that what you could do is discuss this with them and ask them what they actually do in the case of theft or a write-off. Perhaps they’ll be able to reassure you.
This is a GOOD insurance contract by Taiwanese standards. Many small rental companies just say you have to pay the whole cost of the car if it’s stolen or written off.
Ok, we seem to have found a place that will rent us a Toyota Vios for $20,000/month. That price includes insurance. We would be responsible for 20% of the cost if the car were to be stolen. Our deductible in case of a collision would be $10,000. SEEMS like a decent deal. The car rental agency is called Ge2 Shang4, if anyone has used them before.