Cars were a reasonable qaulity as they were a lower price than others but not much fuel in it and not really helpful staff but overall ok

Approximate cost: $100

I arranged to hire a car from Launceston Airport. I arranged the car hire four months in advance of my trip. A few days before I was due to arrive I received a call from their office telling me that they didn't actually have a depot at the airport so I should call their office as soon as I land and they will have someone send the car out to me. Hmmmm - a little dubious but nonetheless I had already made the booking.
My flight arrived and I called the office.... only to find that no one answered. I called continuously only for the phone to ring through to a message which told me that the office was "now closed for the day". I was starting to get rather angry and annoyed and was just about to give up and see if a more reliable car hire company had a last minute car available. Then I decided to try the number listed at the end of their "our office is closed" message - which I was very hesitant to call because it was described as "in cases of absolute emergency" pleae call the following number.
So I call the "emergency" number and it is answered by some other business. However they seemed to know what I was on about and sent the car for me. The car arrived and it was absolutely awful - it was covered in dents and scratches and seemed like it had been in who knows how many accidents. You couldn't open the boot with a key you had to open through the drivers side door every time. The worst thing though was that the tire had a flat spot so the car shook and rattled for the whole time we were using it - it really should have been replaced and I really did not feel that it was very safe. The guy handing the car over to us appologised and said that it was the only car they had left! This is despite my booking four months in advance!

Then we find ourselves in a foreign city not at all knowing where the nearest petrol station is - only to look at the fuel gage to find that the car has less than 1/8 of fuel left in it! How nice is that? And the no one even told us how empty it was (and I assumed a car company would give you a car with at least 1/2 tank!).

I think in the future I will go with one of the bigger rental car companies and feel safer. Even if it does cost slightly more its probably worth the peace of mind.