I recently had the unfortunate experience of renting a camper from Kiwi Camper, and the entire ordeal left me utterly dissatisfied and concerned about my personal privacy.

Unbelievable Negligence and Privacy Breach – A Nightmare Experience

The company's blatant disregard for customer information security and their irresponsible handling of sensitive documents have left me with an unsettling feeling.

To complete the rental process I was asked to provide physical documentation that contained personal details, including my driver's license, contact information, and even credit card details.

At the end of year (9 months after hiring the camper) I received an email notifying me of a Data Breach and the all of my confidential information was among the items stolen. I called the office to try and learn more as there was very little information in the email. The situation took a turn for the worse, as one of the agents told me there was a break in at the Auckland office and the Physical Documentation was stolen. It has become apparent that this company not only lacks basic understanding of how to store customer information securely but also flagrantly violates laws designed to protect consumers.

It's not just a matter of inconvenience; this is a blatant disregard for privacy laws and basic security protocols. The company's negligence in safeguarding customer information is not only unprofessional but also potentially illegal. I am now left grappling with the potential consequences of identity theft and unauthorised credit card usage, all thanks to Kiwi Campers's lackadaisical approach to protecting customer data.

Moreover, the company's response to the incident has been nothing short of disappointing. After receiving an email instructing me to contact the GM for any questions or concerns, I made multiple attempts to reach out via phone calls and emails, only to be met with complete silence.

Reviewed 11 months ago and experienced in November 2023

We picked up our Kiwi Camper (Happy 2 - Toyota Hiace) in Auckland on Jan.

22 and dropped it off at Feb. 10 in Christchurch. The whole pick up and drop off process was very easy and convenient and the staff in both location were helpful and - dare i say it - nice! The vehicle was well equipped and very comfortable for the two of us. We especially enjoyed the pop-top, which allowed us to stand up inside. We can fully recommend Kiwi Campers for a New Zealand adventure!

Reviewed almost 5 years ago

We were given quite an old van as expected from our booking option.

However the van was clean and generally presentable, drove really well with a minor grating of the gearbox when shifting in and out of 5th gear. There were a few minor omissions - no matches or lighter to make our first brew after the first couple hours driving, and also no broom. A few other minor issues with equipment but nothing too serious. We had a great 11 day trip and on our return, in order they could rectify the faults for the subsequent campers, we informed the reception desk without any complaint on our part. The staff were very apologetic and informed us they would be refunding (a significant amount) to our credit card. This was totally unexpected but we are most grateful and wish to express our thanks to Kiwi Campers and their staff for a very pleasant holiday.

By the way, thank you Rankers for you amazing app "Rankers Camping NZ" which we found tremendously useful on our trip. Highly recommended!

Reviewed about 5 years ago

Having read quite a few of the negative ratings I have to say that I was rather concerned about having a major failure with the camper or longer stay at a garage during our holidays but none of it happened

!

Of course, the camper (VW crafter Berth 2 ST) was old with ours having been driven over 330000 km but it was obviously well maintained and made no problems during our 24-day-rental whatsoever.

And compared to some competitors as Britz, Maui or mighty, it was almost half the price and well value for money !

The pick-up of the camper as well as the drop-off at the airport after return were no problem at all and we had an exzellent, friendly and professional service from the Kiwi camper staff - Shalini in particular !

We did also get a totally new camping table as well as some new kitchen supplies.

So all in all we were more than happy with kiwi campers. The only negative point was the faulty TomTom GPS after the first week but we easily helped ourselves by navigation with our mobile phones.

We did have an awesome journey in New Zealand and possibly the vacation of our lifetime !! 🤗

Reviewed almost 6 years ago

We hired the 2017 Model Kiwicamper 2/3ST for our 2,900km trip around the south island of NZ.

Generally, our experience with Kiwicampers Christchurch was very positive. They were very helpful in explaining the general workings of the campervan but were not well versed on the exact details e.g. how to clear toilet casette, drain the grey water and to refill the fresh water. This was a bit disconcerting as we were first timers. We managed by giving it a go ourselves and learning from other campers. The camper was perfect for me and my wife in terms of size and functionality. The bed is comfortable for 2 adults only. It was fully kitted with gas stove, hot/cold water sink, shower, fridge, heater, toaster and kettle. Surprisingly, the size of the fridge was ample as we bought a lot of food on our trip. The TV was a let down as it only played the DVD. We were not told that the TV did not work although it was part of the package. Everything worked and the campervan had grunt as well. We found that 1 bottle of chemical is sufficient (for toilet casette) for 20 days. The gas bottle was more than adequate for our trip even though we cooked a fair bit. On thing to note is the in-vehicle dining table top - its heavy/bulky and difficult to remove when you make the bed. We did not use it as it was cumbersome. Overall, the staff at Kiwicampers Christchurch were great and we had a fantastic memorable trip celebrating our 20 wedding anniversary in NZ. Would recommend Kiwicampers to anyone. Cheers. Kia Ora 😀

Reviewed almost 6 years ago

I recently had the unfortunate experience of renting a camper from Kiwi Camper, and the entire ordeal left me utterly dissatisfied and concerned about my personal privacy.

Unbelievable Negligence and Privacy Breach – A Nightmare Experience

The company's blatant disregard for customer information security and their irresponsible handling of sensitive documents have left me with an unsettling feeling.

To complete the rental process I was asked to provide physical documentation that contained personal details, including my driver's license, contact information, and even credit card details.

At the end of year (9 months after hiring the camper) I received an email notifying me of a Data Breach and the all of my confidential information was among the items stolen. I called the office to try and learn more as there was very little information in the email. The situation took a turn for the worse, as one of the agents told me there was a break in at the Auckland office and the Physical Documentation was stolen. It has become apparent that this company not only lacks basic understanding of how to store customer information securely but also flagrantly violates laws designed to protect consumers.

It's not just a matter of inconvenience; this is a blatant disregard for privacy laws and basic security protocols. The company's negligence in safeguarding customer information is not only unprofessional but also potentially illegal. I am now left grappling with the potential consequences of identity theft and unauthorised credit card usage, all thanks to Kiwi Campers's lackadaisical approach to protecting customer data.

Moreover, the company's response to the incident has been nothing short of disappointing. After receiving an email instructing me to contact the GM for any questions or concerns, I made multiple attempts to reach out via phone calls and emails, only to be met with complete silence.

Reviewed 11 months ago and experienced in November 2023

The car that was handed over to us corresponded in no way to our ideas or the pictures that Kiwi supplied with their offer.

It is not a problem for us if the car is old, but this car has dents everywhere and rusts on all corners.

You can also maintain a car. You could have made a circle around the whole car on the handover protocol, so much was marked.

The water tank was not filled up. The waste tank was not empty. There is no electric water pump as stated by Kiwi in the description. Cheating the customer.The manual water pump didn’t work.

At the first campsite we noticed that the power cable was not working. We had to buy a new one that was installed with the help of the campsite operator. Kiwi didn’t believe us as we asked for a refund.

The campervan was really in poor condition. Flaws everywhere. This does not come across in your offer photos. In Germany, the car would not have received a TÜV (german certificate of security). The doors inside on the cupboards are crooked and jam when opening and closing. The refrigerator is absolutely unhygienic und stopped working in the middle of the night. The curtains are partially torn and offer

no privacy. The entry at the side

door…Why not spend 10 NZD for a rubber carpet? Not understandable…

Customer Service did not respond . Thanks for nothing!

Even the lady from the rental company was embarrassed when it was handed over.

If you hat said that the van has nearly 600.000 km we could have better imagined of the condition of the car. In Germany, the car would not have received a TÜV (certificate of security)

We would like to express that we are not satisfied and that we expect at least a price reduction

Reviewed almost 2 years ago

DO NOT BOOK WITH THIS COMPANY, THEY WILL RUIN YOUR HOLIDAYS!

I booked a campervan with them and when I went to pick it up, they changed it to a much smaller one with less features and didn't give us any refund or informed us about this change. The campervan was very old, had lots of issues and faulty things. I sent them an email on the following day with a list of issues and they never got back to me. We paid for extra items which were not given to us. This was the most stressful holidays I've ever had thanks to them.

Reviewed almost 2 years ago

Not a good experience for us unfortunately.

The campervan is very old, not worth for the money we paid. The curtains are not working properly and the worst part was the oil sensor was blinking on and off. We only noticed the next morning and we called them immediately. To our surprise, we were told to ask someone, a stranger in a petrol station to check our oil. My husband fid check the oil though but the blinking didn’t stop. According to the lady on their hot line, “as long as there is oil you’re ok to drive” and I said, I am sorry but we have kids on board and we’re requesting for a new one but she said no we will not give you a new one. As long as there is oil, you’re okay to drive. So mu husband has to check the oil every now and then for the rest of our trip. So inconvenient!🥵 until we decided to cut our holiday short because of this. Talked to them again after our trip and requested a refund on the day that we didn’t use due to inconvenience but no luck. Was told there’s no problem in the vehicle. 🧐What a waste of money. Never again Kiwi Campers.

Reviewed over 3 years ago

DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT USING THIS COMPANY.

When we were shown our camper van (ignoring the outside as it looked as if it had been in a war zone) we immediately complained that it was FILTHY. The seat covers were dirty and stained. The mattress covers were similar. We were told this was what we ordered! We asked for another Van. They said they didn't have any more. Other people were waiting in the Christchurch office because their Vans had issues (fridge not working etc). Reluctantly we took the Van because we wanted to get on with our holiday (we were with friends).

We spent the rest of the day cleaning the Van. My wife washed and scrubbed the Van out whilst I wash all the mattress & seat covers. Half a day lost of our holiday doing this.

The fridge only worked intermittently.

The oven didn't work at all. We rang the office to get it fixed. They sent us to a motor repair shop to get it fixed. The guy there said "I'm a motor engineer, not a gas engineer!" Rang the office again. They sent us elsewhere. A faulty thermocouple was diagnosed. It would take 4-5 days to get a new one - no good to us. Most of the whole day lost.

Several days latter, we were directed to another site who again diagnosed a faulty thermocouple. Again would take 4-5 days to get one - surprisingly! We were to leave for the North Island the next day. Another half day lost, never mind the travelling cost involved.

We gave up on the oven & the office.

On returning the Van to the Auckland office, we complained bitterly about the whole thing. We were offer a refund of the Government diesel tax! Very generous of them. We said that was unacceptable.

I have since e-mailed repeatedly Kiwi Campers and Puremotorhomes who we booked it through. Kiwi just don't reply. Puremotorhomes have responded with sympathy but with nothing else.

We met several other Kiwi Capmers on our travels around North & South Island, and not one of them had anything good to say about them. All had issues with their Vans.

Reviewed over 4 years ago and experienced in March 2020

We picked up our Kiwi Camper (Happy 2 - Toyota Hiace) in Auckland on Jan.

22 and dropped it off at Feb. 10 in Christchurch. The whole pick up and drop off process was very easy and convenient and the staff in both location were helpful and - dare i say it - nice! The vehicle was well equipped and very comfortable for the two of us. We especially enjoyed the pop-top, which allowed us to stand up inside. We can fully recommend Kiwi Campers for a New Zealand adventure!

Reviewed almost 5 years ago

Rankers helped us a great deal finding places for camping.

However, it could be improved especially regarding the navigation which is much more intuitive in applications such as WikiCamps we were using.

Also on a couple of occasions the coordinates we put into our Hema navigator led us to wrong places, or the camps did not exists any more. In one instance we finished up on some private paddock with beehives.

Not sure whether Rankers has the resources to conduct a periodic review of the content, but that would be useful to keep the correctness of the data.

Reviewed about 5 years ago