Press Room

Everywhere you look on the web there are new outfits with catchy names such as www.drivenow.com.au. They have come from nowhere and are providing a dynamic new distribution channel for suppliers such as Hertz, Avis and Europcar, who inadvertently find themselves in a win-win situation.

Not only are they getting extra business without doing much, but they also have a great chance of keeping it.

That's because many of the new Australian sites simply display rates from all the leading car hire companies on a matrix that takes them back to the chosen suppliers booking engine, allowing the big boys to own that customer.

Others have a direct XML feed in to the supplier databases, offering real-time availability and dynamic pricing. Improvements in supplier technology over the past 12 months have played a large role in making this possible. "I think the car companies are astounded - like 'where are these bookings coming from'," said one website owner.

The key thing it's all happened so quickly. For example, when the progressive www.drivenow.com.au started in September, 2003, competitors were few and far between - now you can't Google "car hire" without getting deluged with options.

Sunday Herald Sun Sunday 19th December 2004
Siteseeing FOCUS ON . . . Year's top 10
By Scott Podmore

THIS comprehensive site is stacked with great deals and has a simple booking process. With its excellent, user-friendly design, DriveNow is the king of the road when it comes to car hire. At a glance, users can source a range of vehicles, prices and dates from several suppliers. Importantly, the site is quicker than most. DriveNow also has forged a reputation with its ripper one-way specials, too.

DriveNow™ - King of the Road

THIS comprehensive site is stacked with great deals and has a simple booking process. With its excellent, user-friendly design, DriveNow is the king of the road when it comes to car hire.

At a glance, users can source a range of vehicles, prices and dates from several suppliers. Importantly, the site is quicker than most. DriveNow has forged a reputation with one-way specials, too. These one-way specials can be found from $5 a day and sometimes include bonus fuel to sweeten the deal.

DriveNow will always be hard to top for many other reasons; super rates at the last minute; ease of comparison; all-inclusive pricing; quick, easy, secure and immediately confirmed bookings.

"DriveNow offers walk-up rates without the queues," DriveNow's managing director Russell Matters points out. "The site allows travellers to access last-minute rates and the ability to compare availability across the major hire brands and book and pay online."

All-inclusive prices and vehicle availability can be compared by selecting a location and searching. "We compare apples with apples at true drive-away prices," Mr Matters says. "It's a great time saver for anyone looking for the best deal in the shortest time."

DriveNow suppliers service a growing list of airport and off-airport locations throughout Australia, including Avis, Hertz, Thrifty, Budget, Europcar, Red Spot, Apollo, Network Rentals and more.

New Car Rental Website Launched in Australia
Monday, February 16 2004
Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/article/20040216100549414

If you've ever needed to book a hire car at the last minute, you're going to www.DriveNow.com.au See all available vehicles for rent on one page. The easy to navigate format does the shopping around for you!

Acting as a simple way for all the big car renters, including the well-known brands such as Europcar, Thrifty, Hertz, Avis and Budget, to shift unsold rental, the arrival of DriveNow.com.au is overdue.

DriveNow™ has an extensive range of vehicles, from a wide selection of late model vehicles; compacts and sedans to four wheel drives and campervans and even light commercials and minibuses, and they're all available at heavily discounted rental rates.

Tangelix, the Brisbane based design team behind DriveNow™, have chosen to create a one page format that even the internet novice will understand. No clicking from page to page to shop around for the cheapest car hire options. You can search for the perfect vehicle for you based on category of vehicle, daily hire price, and the city in which it's located. DriveNow™ then provides you with options from Australia's premier vehicle hire companies, including: Budget, Hertz, Apollo, Europcar, Thrifty, Avis, Britz, Backpacker, Network Rentals, and Hawk. Details of inclusions and exclusions are clearly listed, so there are no hidden costs - and every booking includes compulsory insurance and taxes. You'll receive instant confirmation of your booking and you can then collect your vehicle from nominated rental depots at over 30 locations throughout Australia. It's good business sense when you're spontaneously planning. Nobody wants to pay top dollar for car rental, and now the stress of organising a cheap rental car at the last minute can be avoided.

Online in top gear - Year Book 2003/2004

Technology continues to change the shape of the car hire industry. As Allan Leibowits reports, while the Internet reshapes distribution channels, technology is also impacting on the way hirers transact with providers.

You know the Internet is becoming an important distribution medium when distressed inventory consolidators step in. And that's what's happening in car hire, with the launch in 2003 of DriveNow.com.au, a website specialising in vehicle rentals in Australia.

Just like its accommodation forerunners, the site offers a wide selection of late model vehicles from well-known suppliers, including the five biggest car hire firms.

"Online travel bookings have become common practice," says DriveNow™ managing director Russell Matters, "and through DriveNow™, we are extending the same opportunity to vehicle renters in Australia by offering spare capacity at reduced rates".

The site is based on the increasingly popular trend towards online sales of "distressed inventory" - perishable products and services which otherwise are unlikely to be rented or sold within a certain period, he explains.

The market Matters describes is congruent with the picture presented in the latest industry review by leading US analyst, Abrams Travel Data Services.

"Car rental companies may be dealing with a new type of environment - one where Internet booking is becoming more the norm, where customers are locking in the car rental decision closer to the date of departure, a value-conscious consumer is considering total rental cost data more intently when making purchase decisions (and) corporations are taking alternatives to travel more seriously," according to Jon LeSage, director of research at ATDS.

New Discount Car Rental Website
Source: http://www.eyefortravel.com/index.asp?news=40456

DriveNow.com.au has been created as a simple way for all the big car renters to shift their unsold rental cars. (2/10/2004)

DriveNow™ has an extensive range of vehicles, from a wide selection of late model vehicles; compacts and sedans to four wheel drives and campervans and even light commercials and minibuses, and they're all available at heavily discounted rental rates.

Tangelix has created a one page format where you can search for the perfect vehicle based on category, the daily hire price and the city in which it's located.

Brisbane News
Wednesday 8th October 2003
By Liz Johnston

The Web site www.drivenow.com.au has late-model vehicles, from compacts and sedans to four-wheel-drives and campervans, at discounted rental rates from several companies. It's for domestic travellers booking within 14 days of travel and all vehicles are from reputable rental companies, which continuously load new offers on to the site for collection at 30 locations throughout Australia. Visit drivenow.com.au.

September 2003 Launch
Vehicle rental has evolved. Welcome to DriveNow.com.au