Rockin Vans Review

Please beware of this company
Please beware of this company. They are liars and crooks. They are due me, and many other people, refunds of deposit money. The company is in a dire financial position and are using deposit money to keep them afloat. I paid them a deposit for a conversion which I cancelled two days after commissioning it. It is now two years on and I am still chasing them for a refund. Despite repeated promises from the Directors of the company (including Fraser Johnston) and legal letters to the firm they have not paid. I was told by Fraser that they are not financially able to pay me back my deposit as the company is struggling. This is despite being promised - repeatedly - for the last two years that it would be returned. PLEASE READ THIS AND THINK LONG AND HARD BEFORE DEALING WITH THIS COMPANY. THEY ARE NOT TO BE TRUSTED!

AVOID THIS COMPANY
We were about to pack our luggage when we received the mail that Rockin Van canceled our booking (8/2019). They did an overbooking and nothing was available for us anymore. What now? The flight was booked. 4 people excited to discover Scotland... after searching for hours we luckily found another company and our trip took place. So far so good, but where was the refund?
Excuses over excuses! It was such a pain with no progress for months! Finally they paid 1/4 and... that’s it! 1400£ still outstanding. We are shocked!!! This mines does not belong to you. Pay it f**king back!

We rented a VW Caddy for 7 days with Rockin Vans in Edinburgh in January 2020, with the intention of going off-grid in the Scottish Highlands.

The vehicle was dirty when we picked it up, and the gentleman who handed the van over to us told us it hadn’t been washed because the cleaning company was closed. The rental agreement states ‘Vehicles are provided in a clean and tidy manner’. The man who gave us the van had no knowledge of the van and how the appliances worked. When he checking the vehicle over for damage, we had to point out major damage under the layers of dirt that he had missed off the paperwork. At this point we began to film his inspection to cover our own backs. He even stated that ‘there’s a hose in there too for some reason.’ It was only later that we realised that this ‘hose’ was in fact the charging cable.

We were not provided with a frying pan, washing up brush and cloth, fire extinguisher or carbon monoxide detector despite it stating in the rental agreement that we would be given these things. Everything that was provided was dirty and unwashed. The lack of fire extinguisher and CO detector was especially concerning in a vehicle that had a gas stove and heater. We also noticed that the lights in the van were dim and flickered constantly. We had to wear head torches to make our dinner, as the sun set at 4pm and the lights were too dim. We called to complain about the lights flickering and for help locating the fire extinguisher and carbon monoxide detector. We were told to wait for a call back and so we stayed in a location where there was signal, changing our plans for the trip, but never received a call back. We even texted the emergency helpline but only started receiving replies on our second to last day.

We called the office again a few days into our trip to give a list of complaints including the lack of equipment in the kitchen box, the lack of response on the emergency helpline, the safety concerns regarding the lack of fire extinguisher and carbon monoxide detector (we were told ‘well the vans have never caught fire before so don’t worry’), and the lighting issues. We were advised in this phone call that the operator would pass this information onto the aftercare team who would likely sort out a partial refund for us.

A plastic strip fell off the underneath of the van during our holiday and we were advised to tie it back on with cable ties. We spent time locating cable ties (in the remote Highlands) and crawling under the van to fit them.

We were left with no heating when it broke and very dim flickering lights for the duration of the trip. When we eventually got a response on the emergency helpline, they advised us repeatedly to charge the vehicle, so we paid for campsites almost every night despite us hiring the vehicle so that we could camp in remote areas. They didn’t seem to believe us when we said something was wrong with the van and no amount of charging would fix the lighting issue as they still flickered when the vehicle was plugged in. On the final night of our trip it was so cold and dark that we had to go home to Edinburgh despite our original plan being to camp on Skye.
When it came to dropping the van off on our final day, we paid to have it washed (as required in the rental agreement) and were at the depot early to avoid any late fines. When we saw nobody was in the office, we called the helpline to ask why the office was locked when our drop off time was 10:30 and the website states that the office is open from 10am. We were put on hold for 10 minutes before we put the phone down out of frustration. Someone from the cleaning service finally turned up at 10:45am. When we told the woman from the cleaning service that we were unhappy, we were told to leave our number for the manager to call us back. Again, we received no call back from anyone.

We subsequently emailed Rockin Vans with our complaints and asking when we would receive our partial refund as promised, but had no response from them.
We called a few days later to confirm that they had received our email, but nobody was in the office so it went through to the servicing department and they said someone would call us back that day. They did not.

We called Rockin Vans to ask whether they were planning on calling us back after we hadn’t heard from them in over 24 hours. The operator said they personally only worked Saturdays so had no idea how to help us with our enquiry.

Eventually we were offered 5 free nights in a vehicle of our choosing with Rockin Vans but we stated respectfully in our reply that although we appreciated the offer, we would not feel safe in one of their vehicles or trust them to do anything, especially after the lack of fire safety equipment in their vehicle and nonchalance in the matter. Instead we asked yet again for a partial refund. We never heard back from them after that, and after us resending the email and trying to contact them, we came to the conclusion that they had no intention of resolving the issue and were simply hoping that we would give up and disappear.

Luckily, after 9 months, we have finally received a 75% refund under Section 75 from the bank, as we luckily paid for the van using our credit card. The bank took a long time to be able to help us, because Rockin Vans had written on their documentation that we had paid using Paypal, when this was not the case and the bank were able to confirm this.
We would not recommend Rockin Vans, and would suggest that any payments with them are done using a credit card, and we believe that we were only able to get our money back because we were careful to document all of the evidence and read through the rental agreement carefully. We understand that mistakes happen and vans can be faulty, but overall we were extremely disappointed by how they dealt with the situation. They were not only dismissive and unhelpful, but also dangerous.

As others have said the experience with Rockin Vans can be good for some, and bad for others, unfortunately in my case, it was a bad experience.

A list will suffice to describe the issues we had.

1. Dirty Van (inside and out, mars bar wrappers, STAINS! , debris of living )
2. Ripped Stained Seat
3. Poor breakdown support (left largely immobile for 2 days)
4. Faulty Van Charging System ( I had to disconnect wires (under the instruction of the company) to get the charging system to work).
5. Minor niggles USB Charger not working, intermittent fault with windscreen wipers, occasional fumes in the cabin, broken seatbelt shroud, light hanging by a wire from the ceiling.

The van had a feeling of being run down, with a host of minor and not so minor problems which led to an overall feeling of scruffiness and unreliability, not what I would expect from a hire costing over £800.

The company extended our hire to cover some of the time lost, but in honesty the general seedy feeling of the van made the entire experience not good value for money.

When I sent an email the owner replied (paraphrasing) to say that it was the end of the season so the vans were tired and it was too expensive to take them out of their busy schedule for maintenance.

I am glad that 50% or so of Rockin Vans customers are happy with their experience, I am part of the almost 40% that aren't so give 1*.

Dissapointed and will not be using again.

DO NOT USE THIS COMPANY!
Hired a mid size motor home for 9 days however from start to finish their were issues. The vechicle was given to us with minor exterior issues. Inside the van nothing worked. I found an old ice
Lolly stick in the door of the car and women’s hair bobbles we’re found throughout the camper. water continuously leaked from the pipes so we couldn’t keep a fresh water supply, as the water constantly leaked it left puddles of water through the living and sleeping area. Privacy blinds were all torn, windows were broken so we couldn’t open them. The fridge was foul smelling, couldn’t even get the smell away after bleaching it a few times. The table in the living area was broken, we had to cellotape it to keep it on. The ignition switch for the gas cooker didn’t work. The list goes on. Not only that I tried to contact Rockin vans whilst on the road and several emails were ignored. I was unable to get them via phone as they were so busy and the emergencies lines only delt with mechanical issues. We also met a few Rockin vans customers along the way who were also having a similar experience! Paid so much money for this mid size motor home and paid a lot of insurance money should something get damaged. However it is clear now they just keep this money as no damage is being fixed between customers!

AVOID AT ALL COST!

We rented a campervan for 1 week, and after 3 days the campervan was broken on the roof and we could no longer drive.
We had no assistance all day long and no communication from ROCKIN VAN.
We were in the middle of nowhere, without transport and hostel.
Despite numerous requests for assistance, they didn’t really care. We were completely alone, we hitchhiked until a city, and we paid all hostels until the end of the week.
They promised us a refund (900 pounds!!) but nothing for 9 months after multiple reminders.
So, we have decided to send a formal notice because there is no alternative!
We are disappointed and fed up.

0 STARS. DON'T TRUST! I AM STILL WAITING FOR MY REFUND 7 MONTHS LATER!! They don't own their vehicles and after taking my payment and confirming the booking Rockin Vans cancelled my booking because they couldn't find a vehicle. They try to offer a vehicle months later (thanks but vacations are booked for specific dates..) to avoid refunding customers, then lie that it takes months to process refunds. Now they straight ignore those fighting to get refund back, no answers to emails. Worst Experience, Worse Company.

I had the pleasure of renting a van from the Rockin Vans team, for a 2019 summer adventure to Aviemore and the surrounding area. Everything about my experience with Rockin Vans was pleasant, easy and efficient. They were even able to accomodate me arriving a day early and with little notice, due to an unrelated activity being cut short. The VW Camper I was provided with was modern, clean and kitted out with everything I needed (and more). Prior to this trip, I had never “van camped” and did not know too much about the camper scene. After this trip, I’m totally hooked, and now crane my neck at every VW camper I see on the road! I’ll be back to the Scottish Highlands in Summer 2020 for a combined hiking, bouldering and mushroom foraging trip, and I can say with complete confidence that renting another camper from Rockin Vans will be part of that experience too. Thanks guys!

Shocking experience. I rented a van for a bank holiday weekend and when I had not had confirmation I phoned them on the Friday a few hours before I was supposed to collect at 3pm. When I phoned they informed me that they did not have a van available but hoped that they might have something after 8pm. At this point I made other arrangements and such a delay scuppered our travel plans.
Rockin Vans refused to offer a refund. When I complained they eventually offered a refund of the value of one night, but six months later I have still not received the refund, despite chasing numerous times. I don't think that I have ever experienced such poor customer service.

Rockin vans
What a truly lovely company. we made a booking - but had to change it due to family health issues.
Spoke to Sam - he could not have been more helpful. He changed the dates for us and helped us with all of our worries.
I cannot recommend this company enough - a truly caring company.
Thank you Rockin vans -
Thank you Sam

Rented a van from Birmingham, the whole process was effortless, Sam the rental rep shown me everything I needed to know.

The van was presented beautifully and immaculately clean.

If I could give more than 5 stars I would!

If I could give less than 1 star I would. Truly awful. Still awaiting a refund payment from 31/7/19. I’ve spent countless hours emailing and calling to be hear one excuse and another. Still not been refunded. Incredibly poor customer service

Honestly, we really couldn’t be any happier with the experience provided by Rockin Vans! From pick up to drop off, it was an absolute pleasure. Not only were we upgraded and given an extra night, we were also given cooking gas free of charge - this is what over-and-above, outstanding service looks like! The staff at pick up and drop off were so friendly and helpful, as was the helpline operator.

The VW Mini Camper was perfect for the two of us - plenty of storage space, a decent cooking system, running water, comfortable front seats, and a bed that was good enough for an individual over 6ft tall. Also, it was easy to keep clean.

The camper was great to drive and relatively cheap to run. We almost clocked 1000 miles and paid less than £150 to fuel her back up. We did a great deal of research before booking and we’re pretty sure that Rockin Vans is the greatest value for money out of all the camper companies. We couldn’t recommend it enough.

Rockin Vans made a once in a lifetime holiday that much more enjoyable! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts - we’ll see you again soon!

Rockin vans


Rockin vans swindle me and my family, for this reason I ‘ll explain my horrible experience.
We are Spanish family that had the dream of traveling around Scotland. This were the holidays that we had planed scince our 5 kids were little.

When we arrived on Scotland after an exhauting flight we went to pick up the 2 Californias that we had rent and paid. The company gave us one autohause of 4 people that we didn’t even rent and then they refuse to give us the second California. Rockin Vans stood a family of 7 up only with one autohaouse.They prefered earning money than the security of a family.

AVOID!! I confirmed three times the van we were meant to get and still once we got to Scotland received another kind. This was meant to be "better", but The kitchen was lacking everything what we wanted (tap, utensils etc..) and we just had a van with a bed and frigo box, camping stove and we had to cook outside, when we paid for inside the van kitchen because of the rain (which it did for the better part) with a pop roof (which we did not get). And we did not have electric hook up. On top the material we paid for we needed to request separately (chairs, duvets etc..) or we would not have got them. Also the company forgot to give us a thermal cover leading to three nights of lack of privacy, and freezing during the night. As we contacted them, they offered to refund us if we bought one, however it has been 4 months and ton of excuses why the money still havent reached us. On top because of the thermal cover, we had to change our route in order to buy one, which was a cost for us and Rocking Vans refuse to refund for this. This ruined our holiday and as we asked for a refund, we were offered a voucher of two nights, which we could only use in Scotland, when we were being fair for asking 2 nights refund as we had to spend the night in a van freezing with no privacy. This is only because it is the cheapest option for them, but least satisfying for the customer at this stage. I am still waiting a response form the Rocking Vans as they are poorly answering/ignoring my emails and always with a same answer referring to technical issues, which is not getting us anywhere. I would strongly recommend looking to rent your van elsewhere!!

We had a really bad experience with Rockin Vans. Booked our van in february for our trip in august. When we arrived we were really badly informed where to pick up the van. They brought us the wrong van (budget camper instead of mini camper) and promised to refund us a lot of money in the next two days. The budget camper wasn't comfortable at all. It seemed really improvised. Old kitchen stuff and a gas burner that broke down after using it only a few times. We expected a fridge but got an ice chest instead. Also we didn't receive any money back for two months. After those two months of sending e-mails and making lots of calls we finally got our money refunded. It was exhausting to run after the company for so long. We didn't enjoy our holiday as much as we hoped to and wouldn't recommend Rockin Vans.

Our Camper was rather new and in good shape, with the gas randomly nit workikg sometimes. But more important: bad service. We had an accident, had to pay 1000 GBP upfront and were told we get an invoice and the difference will be paid back after 42 days latest. Now it is 3 months later, I wrote countless E-Mails with the customer service, called a lot of times and they always tell they will pay the remaining money back now but they never do it. DONT USE ROCKIN VANS - SCAMMERS

The handover process sucks.

In our response email following the rental, an address appeared (on Datchet Road a few miles from Heathrow) and the email seemed to suggest we would collect the vehicule there. We were landing at Gatwick. Thus we took a cab (~60 or 70 pounds) to get to Datchet Road. However, it appears, there's no office there anymore, just a bunch of Indian mechanics working who know nothing about "Rockin Vans". So we tried to call the phone number to talk to someone at Rocking Vans, multiple times, and always landed on a recorded message. Sure this was a Saturday, but it seems to be if you're expecting multiple pick ups (more on that later) on any given day, you would need to have someone able to pick up the phone. Or at least provide a real, usable address for the pick up location. We just landed in the UK from Canada, so had not UK phone number (borrowed people's phone for a quick call attempt here & there).

We then went to the pub nearby, where people there told us they saw from time to time Rockin Vans cars & people showing up. After ~2 hours of screwing around, this was the first time we were about sure we didn't fall for some internet rental scam and started to think again that maybe we would see our rental that day after all.

By shear luck, we found 2 other travelers there who were also looking to pick up their Rockin Van rental. They only spoke spanish and where thus (understandably) a bit confused. My broken spanish allowed us to somewhat coordinate. They had booked their rocking van through EuropeCar or something. After some time, EuropeCar called them back and told them they had managed to get hold of Rocking Vans and that "Sophie" would call them (we still didn't have a phone number to actually talk to anyone at rockin van at that point!!!!!!). We were to meet @ Heathrow terminal 2 long term stay.

We got there and eventually got at text message from Sophie telling us she was there.

That's how I managed to get my rental.

I get RV is doing that to save on rent for their handhover place, however it would be pretty easy to have some phone number available with someone actually being able to pick it up and answer on days where you expect rentals to come in. That being a Saturday is no excuse - if you guys don't want to work on Saturdays then just close for the week-end and don't do pickups on that day. If you're doing handover at an airport, one would assume some of those people may not have a UK phone number upon arrival, and/or won't have one for their trips.

Also, I assume moving out of an office (e.g. the one on Datchet Road) isn't done in a random afternoon, so ensuring your system doesn't spit out to renters false addresses to get to is pretty basic.

The van itself however was great, not complains whatsoever.

I booked a VW camper van for 5 days hire in July, at a cost of around £800. On the day of collection I went to pick up the van to be advised it was not available as it had been in an accident. This was disappointing, but obviously no fault of the company. Rockin Vans offered a very large motorhome instead which I declined, and agreed the would refund my money.
To cut a long story short, it is now September and I have not received a refund. I am £800 out of pocket, despite numerous rubbish excuses why a refund has been delayed.. computer systems.. backlog of refunds. I have had to seek a refund from my Credit Card company instead.

not reliable
- they dont do what they promis
- made out holiday difficult
- still waiting for our money

Unfortunallity I have to wright a bad review about this company.
We hired a nice campervan for 8 days starting the 8th of August untill the 16th of August. Three days before our departure to Schotland they cancelled the campervan, because the company they work with went into administration. At first they offered a campervan for another date, but that was not in our holiday period, so I pressed on to get our money back. This left a big strain on our holiday, not only because we had to change our plans lastminute but also because we still dont have our money back. Money what we needed for our holiday.
The company said we would get our money back within 10 days. Now the 11th day, no money yet. After another e-mail contact they said 10 till 14 days and that it must have been autocorrected. Which leaves us still waiting for our money.....

So no money yet and you cant rely on them. If we did not had friends in Schotland we would most likely end up onder a bridge, because almost everything is fully booked this time of the year! So I would reccomend everyone to pass by rockinvans!