Need a rental car to guide you towards happy driving? Well, you must be expecting the best from the money and time you spend on a rental car. But finding the superior deal on a rental car that perfectly accommodates your requirement can sometimes lead to a frustrating experience. With all of the different options, agencies & companies with their overtures for the car rental services, can often confuse you and might not worth the price you pay for that. However, a little time spent online and a thoughtful decision before you make the rental can make the whole difference.
As a tourism service provider, we always advise our valued clients to emphasize on saving money, carefully checking the rental agreements & insurance policies etc. to avoid problems with their car rental. If you are in a situation when you feel obliged to hire a car, and of course you will need to, since hiring a car is sometimes is the only feasible & flexible way to get around. Whether you need a rental car for specific occasion or for joy-riding, make sure to check few important issues and try to avoid the pitfalls to make it a happy experience.
Check List: To Do
1. Know Your Provider: This is the first & one of the most important issues to check when you decide to hire a car. Not all companies can provide the quality services nor do they care! So your choice for a car rental service provider is the most important issue for getting the better service. From our experience, the providers who are not affiliated with any single manufacturer have a good record of providing a variety of choices for you. Small agencies may sometimes lure you to take their rental services because of the stunning & exotic looking car models they offer at a low rent. Nothing wrong with the small agencies as long as they assure the road assistance or in a worst day you may find yourself stuck in the middle of nowhere!
Your friends & relatives who have used the rented car services can give you better and practical advices and their experiences shared with you can surely help you decide an excellent provider. Also, make sure your renting agency offers any extras you might need or want, like a GPS system, ski rack, car seat etc. Better provider better services – is a true adage for almost all service providing companies and specifically applies for car rent providers.
2. Choose your Car: This is one of the important issues that most of the clients overlook; we can say from our experience. If you are intending to hire a car for fun-riding with your friends then a fancy looking luxury car that accelerates pretty fast will serve your purpose. But what if you are travelling with kids? In case kids or older people travelling with you, you should consider a SUV or the car that fits your needs. Our advice for clients who are looking to save money on car rental rates & fuel, to reserve the small car model available. Also be sure whether you are hiring a manual or automatic transmission since at the last moment it might contradict your preference.
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3. Booking your car: When you are certain about the service provider and the car type you are hiring, decide the duration you would be using the rented car. It’s advised that, for a longer period (more than a week or so) local companies, particularly auto dealers provide better price whereas rely on a major rental company of your area if you are to rent for only a couple of days or so. However, for the local providers check whether they can provide the support services in case your car gets into an accident or in any unexpected damage. Consider car sharing as it can be a convenient way for you to save money if you rent cars frequently.
4. Be-aware of hidden charges: A very common scenario for new clients is the rental agency convinces them a low and competitive rent and yet the final voucher shows a lot more. This happens because of the hidden charges the agency has not specifically mentioned. Be bold when you deal with a rental agency, ask them whether they are providing you any additional services that may add charges to your bill.
In addition to hidden charges, know whether the rental service provider will ask for cancellation fees in case you change your mind about the reservation and if so what would be the exact cancellation fees? Look at the cancellation policy online if possible.
Check whether your car insurance and credit card insurance cover rental cars as part of their standard coverage or not. If yes, have the Loss-Damage-Waiver removed from your rental policy or otherwise you’ll pay for collision damage on top of your regular insurance which is not expected at all.
Another important aspect you should consider is the drop off fee. Some companies do not charge you this fee when others will charge if you drop-off your rental car at a different location from where you picked it up. Make sure it’s not too high to baffle you at the time you return the car. So try to return your car at its original pick-up point to avoid this extra fee.
5. Service Quality: Aside from the regular cost, hidden & cancellation fees, you must consider the quality of the service. This includes the service points, their operational timing, the facilities and assistance provided by the companies without any additional service charge, the location map and extra information while receiving the cars, the choice of payment option, necessary safety features etc.
6. Understand your Rental Policy: Most of the hidden charges that the car rental companies add to your bill are mostly due to penalties for breaking your rental policies intentionally or unintentionally. This is why you should read and understand your rental policy before signing the contract. If you’re booking online, you should carefully read the terms and conditions before you confirm your reservation. And if you are booking over the phone, ask the agent about restrictions & limitations.
Check List: Not to Do
1. Try to avoid renting a car from the airport as most cars rented from an airport comes with the airport tax. If you are not aware of the fact you will find yourself paying extra cost which you think you are not obliged to pay. However, to remove this hidden and unexpected charge, take advantage of free shuttle service with fixed routes and have your car dropped off at a location away from the airport at a minimum charge. Provide your flight number and arrival time to the customer service agent for airport rentals. This will essentially protect your reservation even after the flight makes delay.
2. Do not rely on the last moment reservation as many companies do not operate 24/7. Try to reserve the car at least a week before your pickup time. Also always try to avoid booking a car model only from hearsay. Rather rely on your online-research, experience and knowledge to book a moderate car. After all you know what you expect from the car.
3. Never leave any personal belongings when you return the car and always check the trunk to make sure nothing is left there.
4. Avoid renting a car just by mentioning the month. Specifically mention 28/29/30/31 days otherwise you might be paying a significant amount of money for those extra days you unintentionally forgot to mention.
5. Avoid reserving the car rental at the 11th hour as car rental pricing is similar to airline pricing – if you travel at off-peak period or make a reservation a week in advance, you often can get a better deal. Avoid last minute rentals as well as peak-hour travelling to minimize your cost.