Dan Dooley

Rip-​off company. Fine print sharks. Rented 6 day compact car– at pick-​up, got a beat –up car with 170,000 km on it. By the time I got all the dings documented, the rental papers had an x on every body panel marking sites of damage. Do this, or they will claim you did damage and bill you. After add-​ons in the fine print at airport, car cost over $ 100 US per day we had it. They lied in my face about gas charges if you bring it back less than full. Said they only charge cost of gas, which they claimed was less per gallon than at stations. They wont mention that In fine print they add a $ 150 fill fee. ps, they charge this to your card before you drive off lot and then «refund it» at the end. My bus back to the airport was full of unhappy customers. Go with Avis or Hertz– initial daily rental may seem higher, but total cost won’t be.

I can only describe my car hire experience with Dan Dooley’s as … unique.
The office on Westland Row is old and dirty and the service is quite terrible. The only reason that we did rent from them is because my friend who came over from the states was the only one with experience driving a manual (significantly cheaper) and as she was only 21 at the time Dan Dooley’s was the only company willing to rent to us.
While in the office, the less than helpful attendant asked for a card that had at least a € 1000 limit for insurance purposes. I happily handed over my card as this is the custom at most hotels and car rental places, they just run a little pre-​approval and then give you back your card. It wasn’t until we were well on our way to Galway that the trouble began. My mom rang me from the states that my credit card company had been ringing them about possible card fraud, to the tune of € 1000 from a Dan Dooley car service. My card was subsequently cancelled and my friends and I spent the rest of the trip discussing what sort of items the very unstylish attendant had bought with my stolen card details. Upon returning the car we were surprised to find the same attendant behind the desk, we’d figured he’d absconded on a holiday somewhere. When I questioned him about the charge, he explained to me that it was standard practicing procedure for Dan Dooley to charge your card with a € 1000 before you leave the office and when you return with the car in one piece the money is refunded to your account. I was a little embarrassed that we’d made such a big deal out of something that had apparently been explained to me when they took the car, but I’m still a bit wary of the practice.
I wouldn’t necessarily recommend Dan Dooley, but if you’re young and you are in need of a car they’re a lot more lenient than other firms around, just make sure you don’t have your mom cancel your credit card on you!