Car Rental Toronto

Getting the ticket

So let’s say you get a parking ticket. You didn’t mean to. You just simply didn’t see a sign or parked at a parking meter and forgot to pay it. So you go home, write a check, and mail the payment for your ticket to the city. However, you find a couple weeks later that you receive a letter from the rental car company telling you the ticket has not been paid. You know you paid it, so you call the city and they tell you that they received the payment. You then call the rental car company and you find out that they will charge a fee to you for you having to pass their contact information to the city that has issued you the ticket. This is because it is then on their record that one of their cars received a parking ticket. The catch to this is the fact that the officer issuing the ticket has to take down the VIN and license plate numbers on the car, which are registered under the rental car company.

Sometimes, the only way a fee is assessed is if the car rental company pays the fee and then they pass on the cost to the customer. However, in an instance where you pay the ticket and the car rental company contacts you, chances are they have not checked to see if the ticket was paid. These companies receive thousands of tickets per day and do not have the manpower to check if each and every ticket was paid. When the municipality that issued the ticket contacts the rental car company about a citation, they automatically assume that the ticket was not paid. Sometimes you can fax a receipt from the original payment to the car rental company to have your money refunded. However, the car rental company will charge a fee.

If you receive a speeding ticket, then the penalty is against you and not the car you are driving. Your personal driver’s license is involved. The police do check the plates to ensure everything is in check, but it is you who has to pay the penalty and not the car rental company. In fact, the car rental company may not be notified that such a citation occurred in one of their cars. The only way is if something happens you do not pay your fine. If the car rental company has to get involved in that case, then you can expect some kind of additional cost.

Exceptions

There are no exceptions to parking tickets, but the one exception regarding a speeding ticket being against you and not the car is in the case you are caught speeding on camera. If the camera catches you speeding, the authorities use the license plate number to find out where to send the ticket. The rental car company gets the ticket. They may pay it, but will pass the cost and a fee on to you for taking care of it. Yes, it is good to be careful, but it is also good to know how you can be ticketed in a rental car just in case it happens to you.

Before you sign the contract and drive away with your rental car, you need to make sure you really know what you have agreed to by signing that agreement. If something were to go wrong while you had the rental car, who would be responsible? How much are you really going to be charged when you return it? What happens if the car gets scratched while you are driving it? You need to consider each of these questions before signing a rental car agreement.

Rental Cars and Insurance

One of the first things you will be asked when you head to the check out counter to pick up your rental car keys is whether or not you want to purchase the rental agency’s insurance policy. Do not say no without thinking first. If something were to happen to your rental car, would you be responsible for the damages? Without insurance, you would.

However, this does not mean that you need the rental car company’s insurance policy. Do you have car insurance on your own vehicle? If so, find out what your current car insurance company covers on rental cars. You may have full coverage on rental cars with your current insurance provider.

Are you paying via credit card? If so, check with your credit card company. Many of them automatically put rental car insurance on the cars that are rented using their cards.

If you do not have insurance with either of these sources, then you need to consider buying it. Also, keep in mind that you will not only pay for the damages to the rental car if you are in an accident. You will also have to pay for the lost time on that car. If it takes three days to fix the car, you will pay for three days of rental on that car, since the rental car company cannot make money during that time frame.

Keep in mind that the damage to a rental car does not have to occur in an accident. If the car is scratched, you could be charged. Be sure to inspect the car thoroughly before driving it off of the rental car lot. Have any damages that you notice noted on your contract.

Hidden Fees and Charges

You may think that you know how much the rental car will cost when all is said and done, but you likely will be surprised when you get your final bill due to additional fees and charges. Of course, you will have to pay taxes on your rental car. Be sure you plan for this when budgeting for a rental car.

You may also be charged for gas. Some rental car companies charge a flat fee for gas and instruct their renters to return the car close to empty. Others will not charge the gas fee if the car is returned full. If you can fill the car up yourself, do so, because the rate the rental car company is going to charge for gas will be more than the gas station down the street.

If a driver on the contract is under 25 years old, expect to pay an additional fee, if the rental car company will even allow this driver to drive the car. Also, adding additional drivers to the agreement will cost extra. Finally, be sure to inquire about late fees, and turn the car in on time unless you absolutely cannot do so.

Renting a car seems like it should be an easy task, but there are many considerations that you need to make before signing the contract. Make sure that you know exactly what you are agreeing to do, and follow through with your end of the contract. This will protect you from unexpected and expensive fees when you return the car.

Sometimes even when you think you have negotiated a really good deal with a company, they may not be giving you their best price. Just to save time, most people are happy to believe that the company is looking after them, especially if it is saving them time. To help you sort out a good cheap car rental deal which can be hard for some people, here are a few handy hints that you may find useful; after all the car rental industry has seen increases in recent years that have pushed the cost of motoring up generally.

Reserve your car using internet sites instead of over the counter ones. You could go along to the car rental office or use the phone but the internet booking sites are almost always able to offer a discount unavailable elsewhere. One way to get cheap car rentals is to try to get the most out of your deal.

When you collect your car it will have a full tank and that is how they expect it returned and you can save a great deal buy finding and using the cheapest gas station to do this before you drop the car off. If the car rental company fills the tank for you it will cost more per gallon than it would at a regular gas station. If you can, always rent at only one Car Company, companies give you a better deal for frequently renting their cars, discounts, coupons and sometimes even miles.

don’t forget to ask them if you can exchange your flyers miles for car rental miles. This is especially useful when your flyer’s miles is about to expire, instead of just letting it go to waste, get a cheap car rental for it. Early reservation is always a good idea and another time when a discount is usually available to customers.

To get your rental cheaper, pick up your car early in the morning, just as the shop is opening, so that there will be a shortage on the cheap car rentals, at this point, the renters may give you a free upgrade. It is also possible to get discounts on more than just a car if your rental agency is affiliated with hotels and airlines; there may be further discounts available if you decide to use all of these. If you have set budget then why not use a site that can source the car at the price you are prepared to pay for your car rental.

Although even if you have been given a great deal, it will be worth your time to see if is available for less elsewhere and to check the company history as you don’t want to be cheated by using an unreliable source. If you intend to have the car for over five days look for discounts on weekly rental and see what further money you can save at the time you reserve the car. Airport pick-ups normally incur a surcharge so if it is possible, collect the car from the rental company’s offices directly and save any additional airport surcharges not mentioned when you booked the vehicle.

One of the best ways to guarantee an enjoyable vacation is to rent a car from a budget car rental as it could be cheaper and will definitely be more convenient for you and your friends. Sometimes though, the companies that rent budget cars, supply cars that are at the bottom end of the spectrum. Always be prepared, that is my motto, you do not have to drive a car that should have been scrapped just because you want to save a few dollars on the rental. So, just to help, I have made a written down a few pointers to help.

I have found that using the internet is a good way to rent a budget car because some sites let you set a limit on what you are prepared to pay. These firms will try to get the best deal for the car that you’ll get and might just toss in unlimited mileage and upgrades, all of that without spending an extra dime out of budget. Look for package deals, fly-drive-stay, or fly-drive, most of these packages give great discounts for rentals, but don’t do it with an airline. If you do not need to organize your car rental with the airline, try a company that is outside the airport you are landing at and you will see they are much more competitive.

Bargains abound on the internet and that also means budget car rental as well. You will often find that there are discounts and extras available but only from the company’s web site. Shopping around on the internet can be fun and save you money as there is almost always a special car rental offer available with one budget car rental company or another. Plus, and this is the good bit; all this can be done from your home.

Another thing to try is whether your credit card company has negotiated special discounts with the car rental company you are going to use. Many car rental companies have arranged special deals with large organizations to ensure they have more business, perhaps you are a member of one of these.

Before you drive the rental car away, carry out a thorough check for damage as often these budget rental cars take a few knocks so if there is make sure the renter is aware of them. For you won peace of mind and financial well-being, check out all the vehicles controls and make sure everything that is fitted works so you won’t have to pay for something that was faulty when you drove it away.

Now we pass the subject of insurance, sometimes your own car insurance covers car rentals, so have a look see before you buy insurance from the rental firm. Saving money is the game so why pay for auto insurance you don’t need when renting your car. Always make sure you have auto insurance as the penalties for driving without adequate cover are severe.

If you are an early bird you may find this last tip useful; when picking up your budget rental car, collect it first thing, just as the staff open the office doors because many of the vehicles will not have been returned and they may offer you an upgrade for free.