Car Rental Guide
How To Save Time and
Money on Car Rental
Many people approach Car Rental as a lowest-price-possible
contest rather than to concentrate on the value of the
deal they eventually would get,in terms of what type
of car, what's included (air conditioning, automatic
gear shift etc') as well as what type of service they
are buying.
The thing is, Car Rental market is very competitive
one and rates differences for comparable quality and
service are relatively small, sometimes as small as
$10 to $20. These minuet price differences are going
to vanish in the wind when you consider the long lines
and lost time at the cheapest renter counter, drop charges
for remote destinations, late return fines, and gasoline
inflated rates as well as other service charges you
didn't think about when you shopped for the "best
deal".Don't get us wrong, we don't like to pay
higher prices more than you do.We do recommend to shop
around and check the various rates available, especially
when it's so easy to do it via the Internet at comparison
sites. All we say here you need to consider other things
beside the price and when you compare please make sure
you compare apples to apples and not apples to pears.
Things to consider when ordering a rented a car
Who is using the car, are you by yourself on a business
trip or you are traveling with the whole family? How
much luggage are you going to have, does the car you
are thinking about is big enough to have you all plus
all your hand luggage and big suitcases? If not, consider
to change to a mini van or a car with extra large trunk.
Do you need an Infant seat or a child booster? make
sure it is mentioned clearly with your order, usually
there is a shortage of these seats and they are provided
for extra charge. Check the state laws for where you
are traveling. A new law in Denver for instance, requires
Booster Seats for all 4 and 5 year olds who are not
55 inches tall.
Do you actually need the car in the town or city at
the first few days? If not, consider to take a taxi,
a bus, a train or the hotel shuttle into the city and
when it's time for you to go out of town and travel
around, then, rent the car from the city location and
by that save up to 15% on Air-Port charges as well as
on city parking fees.
Are you going to a very warm and humid destination?
If yes, it's recommended to order a car with air conditioning,
usually the price difference is negligible, the problem
is that it's not available in all destinations like
in some European countries.
Most major rental car companies allow for unlimited
mileage in the same state, but it's a good idea to check
their policy before confirming. Many smaller local independent
companies charge mileage after 100-200 free miles per
day.
As mentioned before price is not the only factor to
consider when choosing a car rental company. If you
choose a very small, no-name company, don't expect them
to provide you with service across all nation or continent,
what would you do if the car is needed to be replaced
or serviced for some reason?
Frequent or Preferred Renter Programs and affiliations
Frequent renter programs, Like airlines and hotels,
major car rental companies track their customers' rental
histories and offer preferential service to loyal customers.
Most of the major companies offer frequent renter programs
that are similar to airline frequent-flyer programs
and hotel frequent-guest programs.
Preferred renter clubs, Most major car rental companies
also offer preferred renter programs or clubs (one example
is the Hertz #1 Club). When you belong to one of these
clubs, you get preferential treatment, including automatic
upgrades when those cars are available. You can join
these programs at any time, even if you are a first-time
renter with that company.
While basic-level club memberships are often free, higher-level
memberships (as in the Hertz #1 Gold Club, which allows
you to bypass the rental counter) generally come with
a price tag. What most people don't realize is that
it's often possible to avoid the membership fee by simply
writing or calling your car rental company and asking
them to waive it. They will do it because the car rental
industry is very competitive, and they want your business
If you're still faced with a steep rate, try getting
discounts based on your affiliations with organizations
like AARP, AAA or others. These discounts are usually
not great, but they are better than nothing.
In addition, always check for corporate rates if applicable
to your situation.
Car Rental Insurance
Some of the Insurance terms seem to be confusing, let's
try to clear them out first.
CDW - Collision Damage Waiver.
LDW - Loss Damage Waiver.
PDW - Physical Damage Waiver.
PAI - Personal Accident Insurance.
PEC - Personal Effects Coverage.
ALI - Additional Liability Insurance.
Many of the Credit Cards have most of these coverage,
therefore it's not mandatory to purchase excessive coverage.
It's better to check this issue with your travel agent,
insurance agent and your credit card company a head
of time. Some Car rental companies require that you
show proof of insurance.
Also be aware that your personal insurance probably
doesn't apply to your rental car when traveling overseas.
All this is somewhat complicated and at times confusing
because there are no industry standards for terminology
and policies vary by locations.
Important things to check and do before leaving the
Air-Port
After a long flight and the waiting in lines for your
luggage and afterwards for your keys at the car rental
counter, it is understandable you just want to take
the rented car and drive away to your hotel, but wait!
Here is a list of things you must check first.
Start by making a careful check around the car, look
for any small dents or scratches, in case you find some,
don't be lazy, go back to the office and ask a representative
of the rental company to write down all of these dents,
ask for a copy of that report. Other wise you might
be responsible for damages you didn't perform. Open
the trunk, make sure you have a spare tire, a jack and
set of tools, there is noting more irritating than to
find out in the middle of nowhere that you don't have
a jack when you need to replace a flat tire. Many car
companies will provide you with an extra key if you
ask for one. This can come in handy for some of us who
are absent minded. It is recommended to spend some time
to get acquainted with the cars' features and switches,
make sure you know where the lights switches are, how
to operate the windshield wipers, the air conditioner
and even set your favorite radio stations as well as
set your side mirrors. It might be quiet frustrating
to fight with the new switches while driving, when all
of a sudden it starts raining. Make sure you have a
map and it's better to spend few more minutes and plan
your driving route. Last but certainly not least, If
you have a lot of luggage, don't park the car in the
parking lot and go for lunch, in many countries, this
is an easy target for the thieves, It's better to buy
some sandwiches and beverages in the air-port, or stop
somewhere along the way for refreshing but never leave
the car unattended.
In case you are involved in a Car Accident
These are the most important pieces of information to
collect from the involved parties: full name, mailing
address, telephone number, insurance details, and drivers'
license number.
Also try to get the names and contact information of
anyone who witnessed the accident. Make a note of the
vehicle's make, color, brand and license plate number.
Try to pinpoint the exact time and location of the accident.
If the police get involved, ensure that you receive
a copy of their report. Don't forget to inform your
insurance agent immediately and notify the car rental
company. They will let you know about their accident
procedure. If you purchased insurance through the car
rental company, they will have to make the claim. If
there is damage to the rental car, there will be much
paper work to complete Make sure any involved parties
are ok. Any injuries should be taken care of ASAP. Call
the police and/or ambulance (if necessary), and then
call the car rental agency. Be as cooperative as possible.
The car rental agency will have its own policies regarding
accidents. Exchange information with the affected parties.
Try to record everything on the scene. Your notes should
include details of the accident, identification of the
autos and people involved, and the names and badge numbers
of all emergency personnel. Take pictures if possible.
If you are on vacation, you will probably have a camera
handy already. File an accident report with the police,
and report the claim to your own credit card company
or insurance company.
When returning the Car
Make all necessary arrangements to return the car on
time, that includes looking the location in the map
especially if you return the car in a foreign city.
Late return charges are high and arbitrary, secondly,
if you are late, you probably won't have the time to
fill the car with gasoline yourself and the rental company
will charge you exorbitant inflated gasoline rates.
In case you return the car in a city location on Sunday,
it might be that the station will be deserted, it will
let you in via automated gate, make sure to take the
card and leave it over the dashboard, this is your recorded
time of arrival. In addition, lock the car, take the
keys plus your rental contract and insert them into
the designated box.
Article author:Amit Laufer
About The Author:Amit Laufer is a Writer, Internet Marketer
& Netpreneur. MBA & Bsc. Computers Science.
Owner Editor of: http://www.car-rental-advice.com/
ARTICLE SOURCE :http://www.ArticleCity.com/
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