Travel tip!
Renting a vehicle can be tricky. We’ve been in the industry for a long time but still feel empathy towards first-time renters trying to chew their way through the terms and conditions, car hire site reviews and price breakdowns. Even if you have rented the exact vehicle before at the same locations, the company might have updated its terms.
Furthermore, if you book through a broker you have to both inspect their terms of service as well as the supplier’s conditions. Otherwise, you might end up paying more or be marked as a No-Show, meaning even if you were at the location the supplier can not give you your vehicle because you do not have the correct documentation or accepted card type.
As a car rental broker, we are working hard to present all of the necessary information to the customer. We also send out reminder emails but sadly enough, these days the infoxication is just too much.
We made a short list of the main things to check before you book a car rental to make sure you know what you’re getting:
The security deposit- in car rental, a security deposit is a sum of money that the supplier holds on to until the customer returns the rental vehicle. Security deposit is usually a set amount and differs from 200 USD to 2000 USD, so make sure you know the amount you have to have available on your credit or debit card.
Mileage limits- some suppliers have set mileage limits to their offers, meaning you have a limited amount of miles or kilometers you can drive. If you drive more than that, the supplier will apply extra charges.
Allowed payment methods- most suppliers accept major credit cards and very rarely are debit cards, prepaid cards and cash allowed.
Necessary documentation- usually rental car suppliers require a valid driver's license and the main driver’s credit card, but some suppliers have even asked for address proof like utility bills.
Insurance- Most car hire companies require the hire car to have Collision Damage Waiver and Theft Protection. The insurance can be provided by the customer’s credit card company but in that case, you might have to show documentation about it.
These are the main things to check but we do recommend reading the terms and conditions before booking. Some suppliers have special terms for local renters. It also helps if you run the reservation offer search with your correct details. For example, people are often surprised by young driver fees but we have added the option to clarify your age when looking for a vehicle so all young driver feed would be included in the presented price before you book as well.
Don’t worry car rental is not that scary if you take some time to research. If you’re not that much into reading, just give a call to the company’s customer support line- customer satisfaction is the main goal by the end of the day.
