Spaceships NZ information

Travel New Zealand in a Spaceship!

Unlike the common NZ Campervans and Motorhome rentals, Spaceships are great to drive and are custom fitted with all the essential features you’ll need to sleep, eat, listen to your favourite tunes, watch DVDs and travel in New Zealand.

The ultimate vehicle for adventure in New Zealand's outer space; think modern interpretation of a 'VW Kombi'. We start with quality Toyota 'people movers' and custom-fit them (in our own Spaceship factory) with the things that you need. This way you get the best possible combination of value for money and key usable features in a vehicle that is great to drive.

You will also get access to our 17 years of experience being at the leading edge of experiential tourism; we offer New Zealand travel information, suggested NZ itineraries and advice on where to go and discounts on more than 40 great activities throughout (New Zealand) – so you really can get the most out of your time in New Zealand.

Here are great advantages to take travel with Spaceships:

• HOT skiing deals and 2 for 1 activity deals around New Zealand with each Spaceships hire.
• Only Spaceships have two sleeping options where you can extend the bed internally or externally. In winter we recommend the internal sleeping option on colder nights when you can extend your full double bed internally and have the back door shut. An extra duvet is included for FREE over the winter months to keep you extra cozy and warm. Plus Spaceships are insulated like a good car keeping you far warmer than if you were staying in an ordinary sleeper van.
• You can also snuggle up and watch DVDs at night (only Spaceships gives you unlimited access to different DVDs via our Space Stations and exchanging them with other Space Travellers)

Spaceships NZ Rental Terms

This booking request requires a non-refundable deposit as detailed at the time of booking, which will be processed upon confirmation. Your booking is confirmed when you receive your email confirmation (providing there are no problems with your credit card and your vehicle is available). In addition to this, the following terms and conditions apply:

INSURANCE
Standard insurance is included with the daily hire charge of your Spaceship; the hirer is responsible for the excess. You are fully insured in case of an accident or loss of contents (this excludes your personal belongings) for damage to the vehicle or to the property of a Third Party. This covers the cost of damage to Third Party property or to the rented vehicle, including single vehicle accident, theft of the vehicle, fire, break in or vandalism. The insurance excludes items belonging to the hirer, damage to the roof and under-body of the vehicle, and damage to the tyres and glass. You may also still be liable for the hire cost of the Spaceship for the period it is under repair when an accident is deemed to be your fault. This excess applies in respect of each claim, not rental. In cases when the hirer is deemed to be at fault, you may still be liable for the cost of towage to our depot in Gordonton, Waikato. Accident reports will need to be filled in and reported to us within 48 hours of the accident occurring, failure to do so may result in an admin fee of $100 being charged on top of the excess. Please remember - you must advise Spaceships as soon as an accident or incident with your vehicle occurs.

New Zealand legislation provides limited coverage for personal injury. We strongly recommend that you have personal travel insurance while travelling in space.

If an accident occurs where a third party is at fault, the liability of Spaceships Ltd or its agents, extends to either replacing your vehicle with a similar one, or refunding your hire charge for any days you lose the total use of the vehicle (subject to availability). In the event of an accident where the hirer is deemed at fault it is at the discretion of Spaceships Ltd as to whether we choose to release another vehicle to you following an accident; the remaining hire charge will not be refunded to the customer in these instances. For minor accidents where vehicles are off the road for up to 4 days for repairing this downtime/loss of potential revenue can be charged to the client by Spaceships. This is on a per incident basis dependant on the circumstances. Spaceships Ltd recommends the New Zealand police are called in all cases to lodge the accident and ensure all information is correct and accurate. Failure to involve the police could result in Spaceships not refunding any money for unused hire days.

INSURANCE EXCESS
We take an excess from your credit card when you pick up your Spaceship based on the age of the youngest driver. This is the insurance excess the driver or any other driver of the Spaceship is liable for if an accident occurs during your Spaceship hire. We do not deduct the bond from the credit card, but merely freeze the funds to deduct in the event of an accident. The funds are then released when the vehicle is returned provided no damage has occurred. Please note that it may take up to 7 days before the funds on your credit card are accessible. The full excess is applicable regardless of who is at fault and must be paid at the time the accident report is completed, not at the completion of the rental. The excess will be refunded if Spaceships Ltd is successful in recovering the costs of the damages from the Third Party. Please note: insurance is not compulsory in NZ therefore if you are hit by an uninsured driver you may still be liable for the excess.

FULL/HALF COVER INSURANCE
An option to reduce your excess is to pay a non-refundable Full or Half cover option. This will reduce the excess and is capped at a maximum amount for the hire period. All insurance cover is on a per incident basis. If an accident occurs you will then be liable for the full excess for the remaining days of your hire which means that you must report any incident to Spaceships Ltd as soon as it happens.  Full and half cover insurance options are only available on hires exceeding 10 days.

Full or Half Cover does not cover a single vehicle accident, articles, appliances, and fixtures inside the Spaceship unless unless in the case of an accident with another vehicle. A credit card imprint is required on all rental agreements (even with a bond waiver – this covers deliberate damage, late returns and traffic infringements)

INSURANCE EXCESS OPTIONS

Drivers 25 and older

OPTIONS	DAILY CHARGE	EXCESS
FULL COVER (MAXIMUM OF $600)	$20	$0
HALF COVER	$10	$500
STANDARD EXCESS	$0	$1000

Drivers 21-24

OPTIONS	DAILY CHARGE	EXCESS
FULL COVER (MAXIMUM OF $700)	$26	$0
HALF COVER	$16	$750
STANDARD EXCESS	$0	$1500

Drivers 18-20

OPTIONS	DAILY CHARGE	EXCESS
FULL COVER (MAXIMUM OF $1000)	$33	$0
HALF COVER	$23	$1000
STANDARD EXCESS	$0	$2000

MAXIMUM COLLECTABLE INSURANCE
The maximum collectable insurance is either $NZ600, NZ$700 or NZ$1000 depending on the youngest driver’s age. For example, if you are over 25 and hiring for 60 days you could take full cover with full windscreen cover for only $600. This works out at only NZ$10 per day rather than $20 per day as the maximum is $600.

WINDSCREEN COVER
Windscreen damage is not covered by the standard hire insurance but is included in the Full and Half cover options. An additional non-refundable premium of $5.00 per hire day will cover you for the loss or breakage of the front windscreen. This cover EXCLUDES the sunroof and all other glass windows and mirrors.

INSURANCE RESTRICTIONS
You are not covered by insurance for any damage obtained by use of snow chains, roof rack damage, water related damage such as vehicle submersion, creek or river crossing, beach driving and driving through low plain flooded areas. You will also be fully liable for the vehicle or a third party if you breach the terms of the rental contract; if you drive under the influence of alcohol or drugs; for racing your vehicle, if damage is caused by careless or wilful conduct; or if you drive on restricted roads. In these instances, you are required to pay the full cost of replacement for the vehicle.

ROAD RESTRICTIONS
Please note that vehicles are not covered by insurance when travelling on the following roads
-    Skippers Road (Queenstown)
-    Ball Hut Rd (Mt Cook)
-    Ninety Mile Beach (Northland)

LICENSES
To drive a Spaceship you must have a valid full driver’s license (held for over one year) and be over the age of 18. New Zealand law recognises driver’s licences issued by your own country (as long as they are in an English format), as well as ‘international driver’s licenses’. All foreign driver’s licence holders must carry an English translation of their licence in order to drive on New Zealand roads. For further information please visit www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/55.html or
www.ltsa.govt.nz/factsheets/56.html

MECHANICAL ISSUES
If you have any mechanical troubles in your Spaceship we provide free AA 24 hour roadside assistance. The AA will assist you free of charge for any MECHANICAL issues you may have during your travels. A call-out fee of $85 applies, payable by the hirer should you require assistance for any non-mechanical issues including: Locking keys in vehicle, losing keys, running the battery flat, punctures to tyres, running out of fuel or putting the wrong fuel in the vehicle, requiring towage due to getting vehicle bogged. Any costs you incur for minor repairs (excluding non-mechanical repairs above) we will give you a refund (up to NZ$100); you just need to produce receipts.
You must contact us immediately if any major repairs are needed for your Spaceship. Failure to do so may compromise any claim that may eventuate after the hire is finished.
Spaceships Ltd is only liable for refunding the time that the vehicle was actually in repair and will not pay for alternative accommodation or food requirements during that time. If your DVD/CD player or cooler/fridge, malfunction while you are travelling they are not considered mechanical breakdowns and downtime will not be paid for these items. Retrospective claims will not be accepted by Spaceships Ltd.
It can often be difficult to carry out vehicle repairs during weekends and holiday periods. It can also be difficult to gain access to mechanical help in remote areas due to limited trading hours and/or availability of parts. Spaceships Ltd do not take any responsibility for these setbacks and will not refund for down time caused by these delays. We will however, do our best to help you in these circumstances and get things fixed for you as quickly as possible. We also can not guarantee that a replacement vehicle can be received by you in these circumstances

HIRE PERIOD
Spaceships rates are charged on a calendar day basis. If you pick up your Spaceship on a Monday and return it the following Sunday this hire will be calculated as a 7 day rental.

MINIMUM RENTAL PERIODS
1 April to 31 October -The minimum rental period for return hires (Auckland to Auckland) is 5 days, a 10 day minimum hire applies for one way hires.
1 November to 15 April – The minimum rental period for return hires (Auckland to Auckland) is 10 days, a 14 day minimum hire applies for one way hires. (No one way fee applies)

OFFICE HOURS
Hours at both offices for pick up and drop off are from 9am till 4pm.
Please contact Spaceships at least 48 hours prior to your return date if you would like to extend your booking. If no contact has been made prior to the 48 hour period before your booked return date the late penalty fee of 3 x rental days will apply.

During the winter months (June, July, August) both our Auckland and Christchurch depots will be open 10am – 2pm on weekends. We will have key drop off points in place at both depots to allow you to continue to return your Spaceship between the hours of 9am and 4pm on these days. Failure to return your Spaceship between the allocated times (9am – 4pm) will result in an additional day’s hire being charged and no responsibility will be taken by Spaceships Ltd for any damages claimed to have happened during this time. Returning during our allocated times means the vehicles are able to be parked on site at our depot and monitored by our 24 hour CCTV security system. We recommend pre-arranging to use the key drop point to allow us to aid you in booking any taxis or shuttles from our depot to your required destination.

Any unreported damages will be charged to the credit card on file the following day, once we have checked over the vehicle. If you are using this drop off point, we please ask that you take the time to fill in the survey located in the Space Survival kit to inform us of your Spaceships adventure. You are also encouraged to email us to inform us of any positive or negative experiences or issues you had while travelling in your Spaceship. (please note, any outstanding refunds will also be processed the following day for your convenience).

Early return of a Spaceship does not entitle the hirer to a refund of the unused portion of the rental.

Late Penalties:
- NZ$50 per hour after 4pm.
- 3 x daily rental for each calendar day thereafter.

NO SHOWS AND LATE PICKUPS
Failure to collect a vehicle on the confirmed booking date will result in the loss of that hire day unless Spaceships have been advised 48 hours prior of the change in booking dates subject to availability.  

ONE WAY HIRES
No one way fees apply.

EXTENDED HIRES
If you wish to extend the hire period once you have commenced your travel you must first contact Spaceships for approval.  On approval the hirer must pay for the additional days hire at the agreed rate immediately, not once the hire is completed.

Conditions Of Hire
Prices may be subject to change due to factors beyond the control of Spaceships Ltd. Your rental price is that agreed upon at the time of booking. The company’s rental agreement is the sole contract for hiring the vehicle, between Spaceships Ltd, the hirer and any other drivers and/or passengers. The company takes no responsibility for any delay, loss, damage or injury that a hirer might experience no matter how it is caused or by whom. No refunds are payable on accommodation or Spaceships if they are not available where a hirer or passenger changes or cancels, or seeks to vary agreements after departure. These conditions cannot be varied or altered or waived by any employee, agent or representative of the company or by anyone providing services or facilities.
All Spaceship specifications, features and contents are subject to change without notice and may vary due to modifications and/or upgrades. Spaceships Limited will do its best to inform all pre-booked customers but cannot be held liable for any such variance. The company cannot be bound by any representative or statement unless it is confirmed in writing by Spaceships’ senior management.

INFRINGEMENTS
We will hold your credit card imprint for 60 days after the vehicle has been returned in case any traffic infringement notices are presented to Spaceships Ltd for your hire period. We reserve the right to charge the hirer for any speeding or parking fines, associated administration costs and/or accidents including third party property damage not reported on the return of the vehicle. The hirer will incur a $75 administration charge for each speeding or parking infringement that is received during the hire period. This charge does not cover the actual infringement costs, for which the hirer will remain liable. The $75 charge will be deducted from the hirer’s credit card on receipt of the infringement and the customer will then be contacted via email. In the case that you have left a cash bond, $150 will be retained for 30 days to cover any staff administration costs in the event that infringements are received. This money will be deposited back to your credit card after 30 days if no infringements are received less $75 to cover staff administration. If an international bank transfer is required $20 will be deducted to cover this cost.
The speed limit in New Zealand on the open road is 100 km per hour and in residential or built up areas the limit is 50 km per hour unless otherwise indicated.

TOLL ROAD CHARGES
There is a $2 charge (including GST) to use the Northern Gateway toll road. This fee applies for each time you use the toll road. This needs to be paid in advance or within three days of using the toll road. You can pay by calling 0800402020 with a credit card or go online to http://www.landtransport.govt.nz/tollroad/ There are also pay machines at each end of the toll road where you can pay the toll(s) in advance. If you do not pay the toll within 3 days there is an extra infringement fee (approx $42).
You can use the coastal and more scenic road through Orewa, Waiwera and Puhoi for free.
If Spaceships receive an infringement fee we will charge your credit card a $25 fee on top of the toll charge and fee to cover administration costs associated with paying your fine.

CANCELLATIONS
The initial deposit paid is non-refundable. In addition to forfeiting your deposit, the following charges also apply:

Once Spaceships Ltd has confirmed a booking and the hirer has paid a deposit, then the booking is subject to the cancellation policy. The deposit is forfeited if bookings are cancelled 33 days or more prior to departure.

If cancelled 23 – 32 days prior then forfeit 25% of gross rental
If cancelled 9 -22 days prior then forfeit 30% of gross rental
If cancelled 4 - 8 days prior then forfeit 50% of gross rental
If cancelled 1 - 3 days prior to pick up or no show then forfeit 100% of gross rental

If the Spaceship is returned early for any reason whatsoever after travel has commenced then no refund is available.

DEPOSIT AND PAYMENTS
When you receive your confirmation of booking from Spaceships Ltd, a non refundable deposit of 20% of the hire is required to secure your booking.  The balance owed for your hire to Spaceships Ltd must be paid on the first day of hire.  Read above for cancellation fees.
Spaceships Ltd accepts MasterCard and Visa.

EXCHANGE RATE/CURRENCY VARIATIONS
All transactions are conducted in NZ dollars. Exchange rate fluctuations and/or bank fees could vary the amount refunded or charged compared to the initial quote received. Spaceships accept no responsibility for these variances or charges.

GST
GST is the local goods and services tax payable in New Zealand. Spaceships rates are inclusive of GST.

RETURNING YOUR SPACESHIP
When you return your Spaceship, it will be checked for damages against the checksheet signed on collection. We will also check to ensure that all the contents are still present, clean and free of damage. If items are damaged or missing, the replacement cost indicated on the checksheet will be charged.
You must return your Spaceship with the same amount of fuel that was in the vehicle when your hire began. If you return with less than a full tank you will be required to go to the closest petrol station and fill the tank or pay a fee of $150.
Please ensure that you return your vehicle free of rubbish. Vehicles that are returned excessively dirty will incur a cleaning charge of $75. “Excessively dirty” will be determined by the staff member and or manager of the depot you return to and are defined by “mess, stains and odour” that are difficult to remove from the vehicle.

NO SMOKING
Spaceships are a smoke free zone. If a Spaceship is returned and smells of smoke a $75 cleaning fee will be charged to the credit card on the rental agreement.

ACCESSORIES
All accessories including GPS Navigation devices and Tourism Radio devices are non refundable.
Spaceships do not accept any responsibility for GPS Navigation devices and Tourism Radio devices.

RENTAL OF GPS DEVICES
If the GPS unit is lost or not returned the hirer is liable for the replacement cost of $400.00+ GST to Spaceships Limited.

PORTABLE TOILETS
If a toilet is hired and returned unclean there will be a charge of $300.00

RENTAL VEHICLE ASSOCIATION
For dispute or complaint resolution, please contact the Rental Vehicle Association.

VEHICLE AGE
All Spaceships are over two years old and the majority of the fleet has travelled over 100,000kms.
This does not impact on the vehicle as we use quality Toyotas which are serviced regularly and refurbished when required.

SPACE SURVIVAL KIT
All Spaceships come with a Space Survival Kit including a Spaceship instruction manual (It’s not Rocket Science), and other intergalactic goodies to make your space travel more enjoyable.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

SEATBELTS
It is a legal requirement that all passengers must wear seatbelts while driving in NZ. When passengers are travelling in the rear seat, the seat must be swivelled to the forward facing position and seatbelts must be in use. Please ensure you do not drive the vehicle with passengers in the bed or any other part of the vehicle other than forward facing seats fitted with belts. All Alpha Spaceships have seatbelts for 4 passengers – 2 in the front and 2 in the back. Please note: some Beta Spaceships have only 1 seat in the back.

BBQ / COOKER
The vehicle has been fitted with a gas fuelled BBQ.  The gas is highly flammable and you must ensure the gas valve is fully closed at all times other than when the BBQ is ignited and in use.  The BBQ must only be used when fully extended OUTSIDE the vehicle and will cause a safety hazard if used inside the cabin area.  Please exercise extreme caution with matches, lighters or cigarettes in the vicinity of the gas bottle.

CHILD SEATING
It is a legal requirement in New Zealand that all children under 5 years must be properly restrained in an approved child seat that is appropriate for the age and size of the child. If a child seat is not available, the child cannot travel in the vehicle.
Children 5-7 years must use an appropriate child restraint if one is available and it is appropriate for the age and size of the child. If not, a safety belt must be worn and the child must travel in the back seat of the vehicle.
Children 8-14 years must be seated in the rear of the vehicle using a safety belt.

Spaceships offer hire of legally approved child restraints from approx 12 months of age (9kg – 36kg). You must order these in advance as they are expertly fitted by an approved Baby on the Move child restraint fitter. We must know the age/approx weight of the child for the time of travel to ensure the correct seat can be fitted for your child.

If these are not pre-booked, Spaceships cannot guarantee there will be a seat available for your child and may require you to organise yourself through a Baby on the Move rental. Please note, children cannot legally be driven in a Spaceship without this correct restraint.
NO FOOD IS TO BE CONSUMED IN THE CHILD SEATS. A cleaning fee of $50 will be incurred if seat is returned excessively dirty.


Terms of booking on this website

Information disclaimer
The rates on this website are often heavily discounted. This is due to our negotiated rates and bulk buying power. On very rare occasions, a rate may be displayed incorrectly due to our, or a vehicle supplier's error. In such a case, if you book with us at a quoted rate that is incorrect, we will notify you of any price change and give you the option to proceed or cancel. We make every effort to keep information on our site up to date, but we cannot guarantee this website is free of errors or omissions and retain the right to update or change the information published at any time.

Liability
To the extent permitted by law we/the owners of this website will not be liable to you or to any third party (whether in contract, tort, or otherwise) for any direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage (including but not limited to any accident, injury, delay or loss of enjoyment) arising out of your reliance upon information contained on this website, including but not limited to your use (or inability to use) any products or services described or procured through this website.

When you pick up your vehicle, you will be required to sign a rental agreement with the supplier of the vehicle. Your rental and use of the vehicle will be governed by the terms of the rental agreement and any other documentation or information provided to you by the supplier at the time you pick up your vehicle. The rental agreement is between you and the supplier and we will not be liable to you or to any third party in relation to the terms of the supplier’s rental agreement or any other documentation provided to you by the supplier at the time of pick up.

While we will make reasonable efforts to ensure we are representing only reputable suppliers, we make no warranty about the fitness or suitability of any third party (supplier) product or service and will not accept responsibility for the quality or fitness of any vehicle. We welcome feedback from our customers on their experience with our suppliers. We may, at our discretion, provide you with reasonable assistance in resolving any dispute you may have with a supplier.

Our total liability to you in relation to your use of this website and the information contained on this website will not exceed the dollar amount of the deposit we have received from you in relation to your booking/rental. Refunds will not be made for bookings cancelled due to inclement weather. Again, we strongly recommend that you take out travel insurance. Your use of this website is governed by the laws of New Zealand and the jurisdiction of the New Zealand courts.

Booking information
To make a booking you must complete our booking form which is easy to follow and secured with the latest encryption technology. Once we receive your form, we will, subject to availability, confirm your booking by emailing you a confirmation voucher and invoice. The deposit required to secure your vehicle (as shown on the secure booking page) will only be processed on your credit card when your booking is confirmed. Please note that a 1.75% credit card charge will be added when your payment is processed.

A booking is confirmed when you have been emailed a confirmation voucher and at this stage the deposit is processed on your card and becomes non-refundable and any cancellation fees stated in the supplier's terms apply. Upon receipt of your confirmation, please check your details carefully and notify us immediately if there are any incorrect details, as it may not be possible to make changes at a later date.

If you are booking via phone, please make sure you have read the terms and conditions of the vehicle you wish to rent first. Our reservations consultant will ask you if you have read the terms and agree to them before proceeding. The onus is always on the renter to ensure they make themselves fully aware of the terms displayed on our website.

Information disclosure
In booking on this website you acknowledge that we disclose your information to your selected Supplier in order to provide the requested rental services.

Amendments
Please note that some suppliers treat an amendment as a new booking and apply the rate current at the time the amendment is made to recalculate the entire booking amount (not just the days changed). If the rental period is increased, an additional deposit may be required. If the rental period is shortened which results in a reduction of the rental charges, the deposit amount will remain unchanged, and the difference between the original and revised deposit is forfeited (it cannot be used towards remaining rental charges). To request a change to a confirmed booking, please use the alterations request link on your confirmation. Any alterations are subject to availability and the approval of the supplier. In addition to the alteration policy of the supplier stated in their terms, the following charges will apply:
Car rental alterations (all charges stated in local currency):
To change dates or times that result in a recalculation of rental rates, or to change vehicles or locations: 25.00
To add or remove extras to/from a confirmed booking: 10.00
Motorhome rental alterations (all charges stated in local currency):
To change dates or times that result in a recalculation of rental rates, or to change vehicles or locations: 75.00
To add or remove extras to/from confirmed booking: 20.00
The alteration fee will not be charged if your alteration request is not possible.

Vehicle Capacity and fitness to drive
Under no circumstances are you permitted to carry more passengers than the vehicle you rent is legally registered to carry, and if you do your insurance may be invalidated. The number of seatbelts (and passengers) is indicated next to each vehicle on this website. Luggage capacity where shown is an indication only and we will not be responsible should you be unable to fit your entire luggage into a vehicle. It is your responsibility to choose a journey that is within your capabilities. A vehicle supplier can refuse to rent a vehicle to any person who is in their opinion unfit to drive or does not meet eligibility requirements. In such circumstances we will have no further liability to you.