Frequently Asked Questions

1. If I have forgotten my driving licence, can I nevertheless take the vehicle?

The driving licence is mandatory for renting a vehicle and must be presented at pick up time.

2. Do I have to pay a deposit / excess when I hire a vehicle with Duncan's?

A Pre-Authorisation deposit of £500.00 for all Cars, Van, Minibus and Crew Cabs will be set against a credit/debit card on the day of hire. This will be released by your bank within 7, 14, 21 0r 30 days (dependant on you bank/building society Ts & Cs) of returning the vehicle without incident.

3. Can the deposit / excess be reduced to zero?

No, the minimum deposit / excess is as per question number 2.

4. Is there a mileage limit for my rental?

The rental rate includes mileage up to 1000 miles within a 7-day period.
A rate of 10p per mile will be charged for mileage above 1001 miles within a 7-day period. 

5. Can I drive into Europe or further?

Duncan Self Drive does not permit European and or further travel - GB travel only!

6. Are rental vehicles non-smoking or non-vaping?

All Duncan vehicles are non-smoking or non-vaping. If you breach this policy, a cleaning fee will be applied by Duncan Self Drive.

7. What is the fuel / cleaning policy of Duncan Self Drive?

Full – Full. All vehicles commence the hire period with a full tank of fuel and presented in a clean condition.  The hirer must return the vehicle with a full tank of fuel and present a corresponding fuel receipt.  Please note, a charge of £25.00 will be applied for any vehicle that has not been refuelled an additional charge of £25.00 may also be applied if cleaning is required on the vehicle's return.

A full tank will incur no extra fees.

8. What payments methods do you accept?

We accept most credit/debit cards including, MasterCard and Visa Card.

We do not accept American Express.

9. Can someone else pay for the hire?

Duncan's do accept payment from a third party wishing to make payment for the hire of one of Duncan's vehicles, however, for security reasons the owner of the card must call Duncan's reception to make the payment.

10. Once I pay the deposit/pre-authorisation, why do I need to wait 7, 14, 21 or 30 days until I receive my money back on my account?

This time is based on individual bank/building society Ts & C. It also safeguards the renter by ensuring there are funds available should, any hirer be unlucky to receive a penalty or parking charge etc with the vehicle during the hire period that must be paid for.

11. How old do I have to be to hire a Duncan's Vehicle?

The hirer has to be between the ages of 21 to 74 years (Vans & Cars) & 25 to 70 years (Minibuses).

12. Why do I have to have the print off from the DVLA?

DVLA abolished the counterpart of the licence on 8th June 2015 and moved to an electronic version of the information held on your licence including points and endorsements. It is a requirement in our terms and conditions for us to know if you are able to drive a Duncan's van.

13. What documents do I need in order to rent a vehicle?

Drivers licence (as Issued by the DVLA) showing your current address and must be held for at least 1 year.

A recent utility bill or bank statement with your current address. This must correspond with the address on your driving licence. Note: Please do not provide a mobile phone bill as we cannot accept them as proof of address.

Please visit https://www.gov.uk/view-driving-licence in order to view or share driving information for the purpose of self-drive hire and insurance. You have to enter your licence number, your National Insurance number and your Postcode. Click I agree, then go to tab 4 (share your licence information) click Get Code. It will give you a code in a green box, under the 8 digit code click Print or Share Driving, it will download a PDF file, click on this and open the file and choose the print option.

14. Is it possible to drop off the rental vehicle outside the regular opening hours?

No, all vehicles must be returned to a member of staff. The rental vehicle remains the responsibility of the hirer until a handover has taken place.

15. What are the requirements for the UK registered driver's licence, if you want to hire a vehicle from Duncan's?

Your licence needs to be valid for at least one year and penalty points of no more than 6 is at the discretion of Duncan Hire Team.

16. How old are the rental vehicles?

Duncan Self Drive fleet is normally not older than 3 years. We often update our fleet in order to provide you with the best quality vehicles.

17. How many hours is one rental day?

At Duncan's, the calculation of a rental day is based on 24 hours. A full day is normally charged for, when the vehicle is used for any portion of a day - however please discuss this with a member of the Team.

18. What is included in the rental fee?

In the majority of cases the rental amount includes:

• Insurance
• Collision damage waiver (CDW).
• 24 hours Roadside assistance from Duncan's Team.
• 1000 miles allotted within a 7-day hire period.

19. Is there on-site parking?

Yes, at both Duncan's Melksham and Duncan's Swindon we have customer parking for the period of the hire at owner's own risk.

20. If the dates change to my house move, will I lose my booking?

As soon as you know of any changes please contact the team at Duncan's and we will work with you to ensure you don't lose your booking or any money.

21. Can I use my own insurance?

At Duncan's we cannot authorise the use of your own insurance as it will void our fleet insurance.

22. If I am running late or need to extend the booking/hire period what should I do?

Call the team in the office as soon as you know there is an issue, we can agree an extension or agree a solution.

Always make sure to check the rental conditions at the time of booking or ask a member of the Duncan's Team.

23. Can I return my vehicle early?

Customers may return their vehicle early - however it is Duncan SeIf Drive Hire Ltd policy that, should a Rental Vehicle be returned before the return date and time stated on the Rental Agreement, no refunds will be paid in lieu of unused days.