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How To Save Time & Money On Car Rental
from: Amit LauferLowest 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/ This Resource Box Must Be
Included With Your Article Copy!
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