Avoid all of the Car Rental traps by clearing things up before you go
The all important task of renting a car for your holiday is one that can catch you off guard by costing you unnecessary expenditure during your holiday and forcing you to spend money on your transport instead of your well deserved holiday. In order to maximise your rental experience without dipping too far into your pockets, you need to keep several of these useful hints and tips in mind before you make your rental choice. It may be apparent to you if you happen to be a seasoned traveller or you have hired a rental car in the past, but even then it might be that you were fortunate enough not to experience any of these setbacks.
It’s important not to limit the places that you search for a rental deal. There are a wide variety of car hire places out there and most of them are not even listed in the regular directories that the bigger car hire companies are found. You may just surprise yourself if you look at some of the deals they have to offer.
You should consider all the additional costs that might be implicated when you rent a car for long term car hire. Most of the rental companies will ask you for a deposit, or they will charge a minimum balance to your credit card to secure any outstanding amounts once you return the vehicle. The cars are usually fully fuelled when you get them, and so they expect them to be returned that way once you are done.
Make sure the rental company inspects the car you get thoroughly when you receive it. If the delivery guy has nicked the bumper on the way to dropping the car off, you could be held liable for that if it hasn’t been noted before you take delivery. Rental companies make you pay the insurance excess if you are found liable for any damages caused to the car, and because it is commercial fleet insurance the excesses are usually quite high. For this reason it is important to make sure you fully understand the insurance implications of renting a specific vehicle.
Always find out about any additional charges that might be applicable to the deal. You may be charged a fuel levy when you receive the vehicle for example. They may charge you extra for going over the specified number of kilometres in the vehicle. If you know what these charges are, you can do what you can to avoid them or simply provision for more cover or usage.
Consider these minor details before you rent your car and you will save yourself a considerable amount of money.
Alex Ferguson is a well known Travel Consultant. He provides useful advice through his articles on long term car hire and airport car rental.
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