The first 100% mobile car rental service, Virtuo, is set to shake up the car rental scene as it launches in London today. The Virtuo app was hand selected by the Apple team as App of the Day on Saturday which generated thousands of installs ahead of the launch. Already a success in France and Belgium, with rental services across nine major cities, Virtuo is an innovative mobile app that is changing the face of car rental.
The app’s early success attracted investment from one of Europe’s leading early-stage investors in the future of mobility, Balderton Capital, having also been early investors in the likes of Citymapper and Carwow. The unique app will enable Londoners to effortlessly explore and escape the confines of the capital city. With a focus on trips over 30 miles, Virtuo customers can travel in a premium Mercedes A-Class from as little as £35 per day.
Virtuo’s passion was born out of a frustration when renting cars: hidden fees, limited opening hours, long queues for pick-up and returns. The industry is known for poor customer satisfaction and constant customer complaints. But this app is designed to change all of that and put the customer (literally) in the driving seat. The new service lets customers book, locate and unlock a premium Mercedes A-Class within minutes through the Virtuo app. There is no paperwork, no long counter queues to collect and return a traditional rental car and no hidden fees.
Virtuo customers can spend more time enjoying their trip, rather than sorting out their car hire. However, this all-in-app experience is not at the expense of customer service. At the heart of Virtuo is their London-based customer service team, who are always on-hand and can be contacted directly through the app, any time of day or night. Operating their own feet of standardised premium cars has allowed Virtuo to ensure a consistent and stylish experience.
Karim Kaddoura, Co-founder of Virtuo, explains “We’re extremely proud and excited to be launching Virtuo in the UK today. We genuinely care about our customers and the experience they have with us, every step of the journey is designed to make using Virtuo the ultimate rental experience. We want our customers to be in control of their journey and our 24/7 bookings give them exactly that, we put them in the driving seat.”
Michael Altom, General Manager Virtuo UK & Ireland, adds “The mobility market is changing at an unprecedented rate. Afer using our service, enjoying the customer support and the seamless experience, our customers won’t go back to traditional car rental companies or even own a car.”
The brand-new cars are available, from today, to book through the Virtuo app and pick up in five locations across London (London Victoria, London Waterloo, King’s Cross St Pancras, Marble Arch and Kensington). Users can simply download the Virtuo app, validate their account, book their car and be on the road in a matter of minutes.
