How To Save Time and
Money on
Car Rental
Lowest Rates Vs.
A Good Bargain
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.
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/
