» Car Rental

Car rental expenses is one of the most difficult expense to be in control of. This is due to all the extra gadgets, fees and subcharges involved. Items such as Features like Global Positioning System (GPS) navigation, fuel, late return policy, drop-off policy,taxes ,insurance policy and other expenses are all unpredictable. The main issue here is that there is no way of knowing the charges until the car is returned.

The next time you plan to travel, make a quick search over the search engines to avail the best possible car rental deals. Due to the competition involved, it is not impossible to avail competitive rates. However when you are faced with the car rental agent at the airport car rental desk, the continuous questions imposed upon us will have confused us and cause us to lose judgment with ease. Hence, we have provided a list of important pointers you need to be aware of prior to renting a car.

Deposit

You should take into account the amount of deposit the car rental company will block on your credit card. This amount is usually tantamount to the total car rental cost and upon the return, the credit will be unblocked and available for use within the next 14 days.

Insurance

This is one of the most important pointers. There are several insurance types, including but not limited to Liability Insurance Supplement (LIS), Personal Effects Coverage (PEC) Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) and Personal Accident Insurance (PAI) . As a general rule of thumb, car rental insurance can cost anything between $8 to $40 a day. From the total 25 different available insurance types, I personally would recommend the CDW and LIS. CDW involves the repair and replacement costs while LIS protects you from lawsuits as a result of injuries or damaged caused by you.

Prior to taking up insurance with car rentals, do ensure that you haven’t already been insured under other policies. In certain instances, your credit company has already included travelers insurance which also includes car rental. If this is the case, you should read all the terms & conditions involved thoroughly. Should you need to purchase travelers insurance separately, do include car rental insurance which should suffice.

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GPS Navigation

The charges vary between $8-$15 a day. If you are going to rent a car for more than seven days or so, do look for online alternatives as this might prove to be a cheaper alternative.

Late Return Policy

This is a very important aspect in car rentals. As a general rule of thumb, most companies have this policy in effect upon 30 minutes after the stipulated car return time. You will need to endure a full day rental should it exceed 30 minutes.

Overall, deposit, GPS Navigation, Insurance policy and Late Return Policy can all add up to hundreds of dollars in savings when long-term car rental is involved

Renting a car with a car rental service need not be a complicated process. We have come up with 8 vital tips in order for you to have a most pleasant experience where car rental is concerned. Following these tips should allow you to avoid paying unnecessarily.

Tip 1 : Find a good car rental service or agent through the Internet. Most of the reputable car rentals provide their services through their websites so do shop around.

Tip 2 : You need to provide your pick up and drop off points in addition to the dates to receive a price quotation.

Tip 3 : Select a car based on your requirements. It is vital to read the stipulated terms and conditions throughly.

Tip 4 : Provide your personal details including your credit card number. A small deposit is often required to reserve the car.

Tip 5 : Prior to departure, ensure that you have all the necessary documents – car rental voucher/receipt, driver’s license, passport and credit card.

Tip 6 : When you arrive at the car rental service counter, you will be required to clear the outstanding balance. Be sure to read the terms and conditions including insurance details very carefully.

Tip 7 : When you are handed the car, ensure that everything is in order and that the car is damage-free and is well-equipped.

Tip 8 : Upon delivery of the car, ensure that there is no damage and ensure the receiving agent signs the delivery of vehicle papers.

Follow the above tips and you will have a most enjoyable experiece.

Have fun and enjoy your driving experience!