Volkswagen Financial Services UK (VWFS) has launched a car rental service in the UK.

In the launch phase, three Volkswagen retailers and two Skoda retailers will operate the rent-a-car service from their existing showrooms.

Customers can book a rental online by choosing the retailer they want to collect from, booking the vehicle that they want from a selection of the two brands’ most popular models, specifying the dates they want to hire it for and then paying online.

Mark Forton, director of mobility services at VWFS UK, said “As we see customers moving from ownership to usership we are very excited to launch our first mobility offering to the UK market.”

The service aims to address a number of concerns raised by traditional rental customers, such as unclear damage charges, fuel and excess mileage charges and high-pressure sales techniques at the collection desk.

VWFS has three key areas of service: Vehicle choice, transparent pricing and ease of use.

Throughout 2018, the service will continue to grow with more Volkswagen Group locations offering rent-a-car.

The service is accepting bookings now.