Getting the Best Deal on a Car Rental

 

Renting a car can be a daunting task at the best of times which makes choosing the right deal a near hair-raising experience. The better you understand the industry the more prepared you will be to make fully informed decisions and ensure you are not the one losing out.

Each country and region will have rules and norms specific to them but here are a few general areas that will help even first time car renters to get the best deal possible.

 

Unlimited vs Limited Km. Firstly try estimate how many km you will be travelling because if you are doing low km (e.g. just around the city) you can often get a lower rate in off-peak periods based on limited km. However the opposite is true if you are going to be travelling long distances.

 

 

 

 

Collision and Damage Reduction option? Most car rental companies will offer the ability to reduce the excess (deductable) for an additional daily charge. The most important thing to know in this situation will be your own personal insurance coverage. Some personal vehicle insurance policies will cover this excess for rental cars but the vast majority wont so check what your policy offers.

Some credit card issuers will also cover rental vehicles excess but may stipulate that you have to take all options to reduce your risk.

My best advice would be to give your insurance company or credit card company a call and find out what coverage you all ready have. If you don’t have any insurance coverage make sure the rental car company covers third party insurance at a minimum and seriously consider the CDR option based on your discretion.

 

Rental car companies are not filling stations (or at least that’s what they will say). So if the vehicle is required to be filled before returning there will usually be a hefty price tag attached to not filling it up. To be fair it is quite inconvenient for rental car companies to fill vehicles so the admin or higher gas fees are more of a deterrent than anything else.

The best way to ensure you don’t get charged excessively would be to simply fill the vehicle before returning.

 

 

I need the car for an extra hour, are you going to charge me for an extra day? Most rental car companies will allow a certain level of leeway when it comes to being late an hour or two. The best advice I can give is to communicate with the rental car Company. If you call and explain why you will be late it is more likely they will charge a reduced fee or even let it slide altogether.

Generally if you are four to five hours late that will constitute an extra day, again if you call in and speak to a person (the human contact is key) you might be able to get a reduced fee.

Alternatively try not being late and avoid the headache all together, but if it is unavoidable then sympathy is you strongest weapon.

 

How do I get the best rate when extending a rental? For the most part rental car companies are happy to extend rentals provided the vehicle does not have another hire booked on it for just after you would return it. The best method of reducing your rate would be to call in and ask if there would be any reductions if you had to extend the hire. The most likely scenario for getting a little taken off your daily fee is if you are on an unlimited km rate as well as if the extension period is greater than 4 to 5 days.

As with many other areas of car rentals you are likely to only get a reduction if you are willing to ask for one.

 

 

GPS navigation is it worth the extra money? There are definite situations where skimping on a hire is just not worth it. One of these cases is if you are renting a car in an area you not familiar with or if you are touring and you are considering getting a GPS navigation system. The time, fuel and shear frustration you can save far outweighs the cost.

Having said that there are a few ways to get a better deal for example: at the quoting stage tell the rental car company you are keen to accept the quote if they will throw in a GPS for a reduced daily amount or even FREE.

Alternatively if you are renting a vehicle for an extended period consider buying a GPS for yourself. There are may well priced brands and models available but you must make sure that it is loaded with the local maps software.

 

What’s the deal with one way fees? When travelling across a country in a rental car you will find may car rental companies charge a one way (transfer) fee. This is to return the vehicle to the depot of origin after the hire. If the drop-off location differs from where you start the hire there are a few ways to try reduce your costs.

Check for one way specials or relocation specials on the website of the rental car company.

Alternatively give the Rental car company a call and ask if they have any cars available for relocation.

 

To see if there are any specials that may save you money click here