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SUMMERS DRIVEAUTO
 Pre-launch preview

For customers

How the app works

Booking a car shouldn't require a phone call, a counter, or a folder of paperwork. Roughly 95% of renting from us happens in the app — and this page shows exactly what happens at each step, what we check, and how long each part takes, so nothing about the process is a surprise.

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The whole journey, end to end

A rental moves through seven stages. Five of them are you, on your phone, at whatever hour suits you. One is us reading your request. The last is meeting to hand over the keys.

IN THE APP — YOU A PERSON — US IN PERSON 1 · Choose Vehicle + dates 1 day minimum No maximum 2 · Verify Licence photo Proof of insurance Stored once 3 · Pay Any method except cheque Held, not taken 4 · We read it A person, not a rules engine Approve · ask · or decline 5 · Sign Agreement on screen, in app 6 · Walkaround Guided photo set before you drive then, on the day 7 · Keys Agreed handoff spot, or delivery in area Return Second photo set, then we close it out Deposit released once the return review is complete.
The seven stages of a rental. Everything left of stage 4 you can do at 2am; stage 4 is the deliberate human gate, and it is the reason a booking is reviewed rather than auto-approved.

Why a car goes "unavailable" while you're deciding

When you start a checkout, the app puts a short hold on that vehicle so nobody can book the same dates out from under you. Holds expire on their own — you never have to cancel anything to release a car you decided against.

Soft hold · 30 min While you finish checkout You start Pending hold · up to 24 hrs While a person reviews it Request submitted Approved → Reserved Agreement sent to sign Expired → released Car back on the calendar You get a message You get a message Solid = you completed the step · dashed = the clock ran out
Two holds, both automatic. Neither takes your money, and an abandoned checkout frees the vehicle without anyone having to chase it.

The walkaround, and why we insist on it

Before you drive away, the app walks you through a photo set of the vehicle — and the same set again when you bring it back. It takes a couple of minutes and it is the single best protection you have.

Every photo is timestamped. If a mark is already on the car, it's on record before you leave. If it isn't, that's on record too. Condition stops being one person's memory against another's.

FRONT SEATS REAR SEATS 1 2 3 4 1–4 · the four corners 5 6 7 8 5–8 · front, rear, both sides 9 10 11 12 9–12 · wheels and tyres 13 · Windscreen 14 · Interior, front 15 · Interior, rear 16 · Dash: odometer and fuel or charge level + close-ups of any existing damage The app won't let you finish the step until every angle is captured. Same set on return.
Sixteen required angles, plus close-ups of anything already marked. Gold rings are exterior shots taken walking around the car; the rest are wheels and interior.

Paying, and which cars need a credit card

You can pay almost any way you actually pay. The one rule that changes by vehicle is whether a credit card is required — and every listing states its own requirement before you start.

Pick a vehicle Its listing states the rule Everyday range No credit card needed Card · debit · Apple Pay · Google Pay bank transfer · Cash App · Zelle · cash Luxury range Credit card required Luxury cars, and luxury trucks and SUVs. Card must be in the renter's own name. Cheques are not accepted on any vehicle. Cash bookings carry extra checks and a hand-off arranged in advance.
The only payment rule that varies by vehicle. Premium units carry more exposure, so they require a credit card; the Everyday range does not.

What we're actually checking

Stage 4 is a person reading your request. Here's what they're looking at — none of it is a credit score, and none of it is automated.

A valid licence

In date, readable, and matching the name on the booking. Drivers must be 21 or over.

Proof of insurance

Active for the rental dates. We check the carrier, the policyholder and the expiry.

Names that line up

Booking, payment method and licence should be the same person. A mismatch isn't a refusal — it's a question.

The vehicle is truly free

Not double-booked, not in service, registration and inspection current.

Payment in an accepted state

Submitted and clear. Submitting payment does not approve a booking — approval is a separate decision.

Anything unusual

Same-day bookings, long rentals and added drivers get a closer look rather than an automatic no.

If we can't fulfil it

If we decline, or a vehicle becomes unavailable through no fault of yours, you're refunded in full and there is no charge for the attempt.

If something goes wrong on the road

Open the booking in the app and tap Report. It gives you the steps in order, records what happened, and alerts us straight away.

An accident

Call 911 first if anyone is hurt. Get somewhere safe, then report it in the app with photos when it's safe to do so. Don't admit fault or settle privately at the roadside.

A breakdown or warning light

Report it in the app. Don't keep driving a vehicle showing a red warning light — we'd rather recover it than have you risk it.

Running late

Message us before the return time. A heads-up is almost always workable; silence is what causes problems.

A dispute about damage

Both photo sets are attached to your booking and you can see them. Evidence first, conversation second.

Changing or cancelling

Plans move. Cancelling is done in the app, and what happens next depends on how close to pickup you are — the earlier you tell us, the cleaner it is.

pickup time → More than 72 hrs before Cleanest window 72 hrs 24 – 72 hrs before A small admin charge applies 24 hrs Under 24 hrs Deposit is retained No-show Treated separately If we cancel — service, damage, or a vehicle we can't release — you are refunded in full, in every window above.
The cancellation ladder. Exact amounts are itemised at checkout and repeated in your agreement before you pay.
On the numbers

Deposits, fees and charges are shown in full at checkout and written into your rental agreement — never discovered afterwards. We've deliberately kept exact figures off this page while our final terms are with a lawyer, so that what you read here and what you sign can't disagree.

Opening soon

The fleet isn't live yet. Leave an email on the home page and we'll tell you the day it opens — the list gets first pick of the calendar.

Get notified at launch See the fleet