So I got a rental request from a guy who wanted a DeLorean to show up for his kid's birthday party this weekend. He only wanted it for some photos for about 15 minutes. Even though our club pres says he always quotes a minimum of $250 I felt bad charging that much for that short a time so I offered to do it for $75, which I thought was more than generous. The guy comes back and asks if I'll do it for $50. I said I'd have to think about it. Haven't heard back for him. Now I kind of feel like a jerk, but it was going to be an hour each way from where I live, and I was going to have to do it between taking my buddy to the airport up here and then coming back up to go to work. Arrgh. I might have done it anyway if the guy lived closer to me, just because I like showing the car off and making people happy and why not get enough to cover my cellphone bill for time I was probably just going to spend loafing around or going to Costco, but I just spent 7 hours driving a couple days ago, too.
Those of you who rent out your cars, what would you say is a reasonable price for something like this? $50 for 15 mins seems like what you'd pay Destiny down at Spearmint Rhino but then again you can also drive a Lamborghini for 15 mins for $250, so...
So I got a rental request from a guy who wanted a DeLorean to show up for his kid's birthday party this weekend. He only wanted it for some photos for about 15 minutes. Even though our club pres says he always quotes a minimum of $250 I felt bad charging that much for that short a time so I offered to do it for $75, which I thought was more than generous. The guy comes back and asks if I'll do it for $50. I said I'd have to think about it. Haven't heard back for him. Now I kind of feel like a jerk, but it was going to be an hour each way from where I live, and I was going to have to do it between taking my buddy to the airport up here and then coming back up to go to work. Arrgh. I might have done it anyway if the guy lived closer to me, just because I like showing the car off and making people happy and why not get enough to cover my cellphone bill for time I was probably just going to spend loafing around or going to Costco, but I just spent 7 hours driving a couple days ago, too.
Those of you who rent out your cars, what would you say is a reasonable price for something like this? $50 for 15 mins seems like what you'd pay Destiny down at Spearmint Rhino but then again you can also drive a Lamborghini for 15 mins for $250, so...
Unless it is a charitable cause I believe in, I charge. One hour each way?! He can cram his $50 you know where. I wrote a piece for our local club. Let me post it here:
So you want to rent your delorean? There’s really no science to renting your DeLorean, but here are some words of wisdom that come from experience that you can combine with common sense.
We DeLorean owners get a lot of requests for event rentals. I probably get in the neighbourhood of 15-30 per year. Some come though my local club, the PNDC while others come from my online ads and some by word of mouth. Some events are for charity, some are birthdays, some are film shoots and some are photo shoots. Only you can determine if an event is right for you and how much (if anything) you want to charge. I have no problem doing local charity events for free if it’s a cause I support, and the kick back is usually free food, tickets or something similar presented as a thank you or token of appreciation. On the other hand, this is a 36 year old piece of automotive history that i have poured thousands and thousands of dollars and hours in to, so why should non-charity events get a free ride? My time has value and my vehicle has value; from this is born a service. This doesn’t mean a flat rate for all events or inquiries though as I charge a fee i see as appropriate based on some factors we’ll touch on later. Think of it this way; there is a relatively high demand and a relatively low supply. That’s basic economics folks. Plus, your car wasn’t free, gas isn’t free and last i checked DMCH isn’t giving away parts for free, so why is anyone entitled access to your car for free? Renting your DeLorean is an excellent way to supplement your income and offset the costs of ownership.
First, how are you going about getting gigs? Are you placing an ad or going by word of mouth? Places such as craigslist and Kijiji work fairly well. These contribute to a small portion of my rental income, but most of the big ticket events are by word of mouth. Remember, the people who are approaching you see you as a vendor, not necessarily just a guy with a car. If you place an ad, keep it professional. Use pictures, testimonials (if you have any) and lay out CLEARLY and immediately anything you want to avoid prematurely, such as people asking for the keys. My ads clearly state that no one but myself can operate the car, so that weeds out a lot of requests right off the bat. People love a quick response. Try and return emails within 12-24 hours.
Before agreeing to anything, before you give them a price and before you take preparation plans any further, get everything laid out on the table. Get as much information from the client as possible. For example:
Is this a static gig or does the car need to be driven? What is the location of the gig? How long will it take you to get there and how much gas will you burn? How long is the gig? What’s the security like? If static, will the car roped off and out of reach or do you have to be on site and monitoring the situation? If pictures are taken, how close can they get to the car? Can they lean against it? Can they sit in the drivers seat or perhaps just the passenger seat? Obviously there are a lot of variables and typically the higher the risk, the more I ask for. Similarly, low risk but long durations events are priced higher. Short, low risk events like showing up to a birthday party for pictures is more affordable, but driving for a day for a movie is expensive. Always start high. If you have to miss work or book a day off to do the gig, you should at least be making what you’re missing at work. If you don’t know where to start, ask what they’re budgeting. Here’s a rough guide I go by:
Charity or cause I support (not missing work) - free
Adult birthday surprise - $150 (More $$$ if I’m giving rides)
Child birthday surprise - $200 - $250
2 hr static photoshoot - $250
Quick wedding pictures - $250 - $350
Full wedding day - $350 - $500
Film shoot, full day, driving - $1,000
Full day, high traffic/risk location and I have to dress like Marty - $1,150
Clients like a sure thing, especially if it’s a wedding. If you can, plan a backup to do the event on the same terms you agree to. Last year i got horribly sick and had to pass off an event to another owner in the local area. I have another event in Whistler this summer that I’ll have a back up on. It’s not only important that what we do has value, but also that we’re reputable and trusted vendors. A positive association between the marque and the owners is crucial.
Ok you got a gig, but are you insured? Are you actually covered if someone pokes their eye out on the door or kicks a dent in the left front fender? Talk to your insurance company. Most antique or collectors status plates and programs DO NOT allow commercial use of the vehicle. In BC, your local AutoPlan vendor will issue a temporary operating permit for the duration of the event. Check in your area what the limitations and requirements are. I have worked with some companies who actually provide the insurance. In a few cases, I have drafted waivers of liability and documents that held the venue or organizers responsible for damage to the car. Would they hold up in court? Hopefully, but I’m no lawyer. Certainly can’t hurt.
It’s the day of the gig, you know where it is, you know what you’re being paid and you know what to expect. Or do you? If you’re doing a BTTF themed gig, it can’t hurt to have a red vest or any BTTF paraphernalia. Don’t fight the BTTF jokes on these gigs, your being paid to be professional and sometimes that means sucking it up and feigning laughter at the ten thousandth flux capacitor joke. To help make your job a little easier, you can get PVC piping that fits across the striker pins and helps deter unwanted entrants. It’s not uncommon for the requests to change once you’re on site. “Oh, can we just open the doors?” or “Can the staff get a few pictures with the car before the clients arrive for the event?” It’s your call how to handle this. If you were expecting to lock the doors and walk away and get lunch, you might have to think twice. If you think letting one or two people sit in the car is risky or starts a slippery slope, you may want to act accordingly. There is no harm in saying “no, that wasn’t the agreement” and just reaffirming why. On the other hand, if you think it’s harmless to alter things a bit, go for it. No matter what, always expect the unexpected. I have had more people than i can even count climb OVER bars and signs that clearly read “DO NOT ENTER.” I don’t know what goes through these peoples heads, I really don’t, but if they’re careless enough to disregard the signs I consider them a risk and i get them out of the car immediately. It’s not worth the broken turn stalk or side bolster to be kind to these idiots. Unfortunately you’ll meet some entitled people. During a particularly busy event, i turned my back for a minute and when i turned back around a young lady had sprawled herself across the hood to take some selfies. Of course I was the asshole when I protested. I also worked a FanExpo event in 2016 which provided the best security I have ever seen; the car was behind curtains, ropes and had a security guard full time. We had a signed document stating that Christopher Lloyd was the only person allowed in the car and the weekend went off without a hitch…. until the event was over. During tear down a member of the event’s PR team decided to get her hands on the keys (left with security) and open the doors and let herself in for pictures and promptly post them on instagram. Of course, I caught her (actually my wife found the pics) and when i asked her how she got access the the car she deleted the pictures and blocked me. Not even an apology…. from a PR firm. Nice.
One the other hand, you’re going to meet some great people. Believe it or not, I met Volker Seidel through a birthday surprise his wife Maren coordinated. Volker bought and restored 3922 shortly afterward and we remain good friends. I’ll never tire of seeing that look of excitement and amazement on a child’s face as the DeLorean pulls up or hearing afterwards just how much it meant to someone that the DeLorean was involved in their event. Sometimes our own love affair with the DeLorean can diminish and we forget how it felt the first time we saw one, sat in one or even bought one. It happens easily when the comedians and entitled selfie takers seem more prevalent, but try not to let them get to you, try and remember why you got into this stainless steel dream in the first place. Renting your DeLorean certainly will and it can help offset the costs of maintenance, insurance and upgrades.
2 hours driving + 15 minutes photo shoot + 1 hour buffer for kids party (really, 15 minutes? BS timeline there) = about 3.5 hours.
3.5 hours of pay + 2 hours of gas money + insurance for the event (kids at a photo shoot!!!) = over $100 to me. You're right, $75 was too generous.
I use a percentage of my full time job's pay as a frame of reference for pricing. After all, said job maintains and sustains the car itself, I think that's a fairly reasonable benchmark. Charity work or family and friends are always free. I'm a nice guy. But I don't let strangers take advantage of me.
If he really wants a DeLorean, he can find one closer. Haggling on price shows he's not really all that serious about it, or is on a tight budget and really shouldn't even be thinking about renting a car at all. Let him make his own bad decisions solo, don't enable them. Kids or not, nobody should be renting any cars to this guy for less than $100. Insurance alone would make basically anyone balk at the offer, and when he negotiates lower...
Do bouncy castles even come that cheap? Seriously, I thought they were more.
After his pathetic lowball offer you should refuse his request at ANY price. That is nothing short of insulting and at 75.00 girl you would be losing money! You really need to refuse even accepting a call from him at this point. You were beyond generous to do it for 75
Do not let people walk over you like this.
PS, considering you are looking at 4 hours of your time and half of that mileing up your car, 400.00 minimim.
After his pathetic lowball offer you should refuse his request at ANY price. That is nothing short of insulting and at 75.00 girl you would be losing money! You really need to refuse even accepting a call from him at this point. You were beyond generous to do it for 75
Do not let people walk over you like this.
PS, considering you are looking at 4 hours of your time and half of that mileing up your car, 400.00 minimim.
Originally Posted by Shep
I need to note I was lazy and didn't work actual figures, so "over $100" is selling it really short.
Are you renting to make money or meet people? Making money, there's none to be had. Meeting people, stay closer!
Originally Posted by Dangermouse
An hour each way???
Try paying a plumber for just the 10 minutes he takes to unplug your drain and see how that goes.
+1
The guy who offered $50 is the type of person who won't respect your time, your car, or you as a person. I agree it's best not to accept calls from him going forward.
One of life's (shitty) lessons is to realize that people will step all over you like a floor mat if you allow them to.
This is bad enough from a complete stranger, but much worse when involving friends or family.
Putting your foot down and standing up for yourself is not only okay, but essential for your peace of mind and self-worth.
This is no easy task when it's someone you know, but when it's a stranger, yea, tell the guy to go jump in a lake. I agree with the suggestion to not accept any amount of money from this clown.
The DeLorean seems to bring out the worst in people when it comes to entitlement type behaviour. Do what is best for you and what makes you feel good. It may not come natural to you, I know it doesn't for me, but drawing this line in the sand for what is okay and what isn't I have found to be invaluable in helping yourself enjoy the car. It is your car afterall and you worked hard to pay for it and maintain it.
...and since this is the Back to the Future world afterall, I pause for a word from our friend Goldie Wilson:
Update: I texted him (only because I'd said I'd think about it and didn't want to leave him hanging) and told him it was too much time and fuel for that price. He asked if I'd take $75 after all but I suggested he try to find somebody closer to where he lived.
Thanks for your input, everybody. If the guy were 15 minutes from my house or I had some other reason to go down there I might have done it but it was just going to be more aggravation than it's worth. I'll have to give more consideration to the other factors before I throw a number out next time.
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Originally Posted by DaraSue
