Too many fish in the sea

Upon looking at the Wicked Camper website, you may think you are dealing with laid back hippies who struck it big with a good idea that popped in their head while hotboxing their van on the eastern coast of Australia. This image is even further emphasized when visiting the depots. Cars are spray painted in florescent colors and quotes from stoner songs and flicks litter the vehicles and store rooms. Agents at the front desk are young, hip and give off a cool (or cold, depending on your take) vibe. This, in essence, is the persona that Wicked Campers tries to foster in hopes to persuade customers to rent with them.

Wicked Campers is one of many companies in Australia that offer rentals cars, campers and vans to backpackers trying to see the great continent. While the whole idea is to try and see the country in an affordable way, the truth is, Wicked Campers may not actually be as budget and backpacker friendly as their assumed image may lead you to believe.  

While the price quotes given on the website don’t sound too daunting, the fact is, they aren't all encompassing. While the whole pull to rent a car, is that you are given insurance and roadside assistance, the fact is, with Wicked Campers, you are paying more than you would for a car and a year under Registration and Australian AAA.

While Wicked offers insurance in their “price quote,” what they don’t tell you is that to get this insurance, you either have to pay between $10-$25, or else put down a $3000 or $1500 deposit on your credit card, depending on the package you choose. The deposit on your credit card isn't a hold, and is actually charged to you card. It is refunded within the following FORTY days after you return the car. This can almost double the price of your rental before you know it.

Along with insurance, add-ons to cars can build up. Getting an automatic instead of a manual costs a pretty penny. GPS can be rented for a daily charge, and jacks and inputs for any radio usage also cost at least $15. It is on you to check oil and coolant levels (understandably), but if these to do it hit lows, the service fees are yours to cover and will not be reimbursed. While the website may lead you to believe they are cool, hip and backpackers themselves, this is a façade. Money is the driving force surrounding Wicked Campers.

To add insult to injury, the final hidden fee drivers will end up paying is fines for going through toll roads. While it is possible to pay your tolls online, Wicked isn't open about doing this on your own. For my trip, I drove from Brisbane to Sydney and hit tolls coming into the city. While returning my car and asking how to pay these tolls, the agent at Wicked Campers Sydney took my license plate numbers, as well as the imprint of my credit card I put down for the outrageous deposit, and told me he would pay the fees associated with my car.

To my dismay, one month later I got two emails from Wicked charging me $40 a piece for the fines I “didn't pay.” Wicked doesn't actually have a customer service department on the continent of Australia, and after being bounced around through the New Zealand companies, I was forced to try and plead my case via email to the “traffic department.” This did not end favorably for me.

While Wicked Campers tries to promote themselves as cool and edgy, the fact is, they are just poor businessmen trying to play a part. While the car will get you from point A to point B, they are definitely not the cheapest, nor best, way to travel Australia. With a drove of other companies to choose from such as Hippie Campers or Jucy, there is no reason to settle for bad service. The best option may still be to work with a person knowledgeable about cars, and buy your own.

Photo courtesy of Aussie Campers and author.