Archive for October, 2008

Rental Cars in Ontario: Understanding Late Fees

Monday, October 20th, 2008

Ontario car rentals are much the same as those elsewhere in that, if you fail to return the vehicle at the correct time, you’ll be charged extra. While this can be frustrating if you were stuck in traffic and didn’t make it back to the car rental company within the specified time frame, it’s pretty much a universal rule.

When renting a vehicle in Ontario, it’s a good idea to know what the late fees will be. Every car rental service will differ in price, so it’s always a good idea to get the details from them before you even leave the lot. However, there are some reasonable similarities that will give you the gist of late fees in Ontario.

What to Expect for Late Fees

There are generally two main types of late fees. The first begins from the time you were supposed to return the car and continues until you actually return it. Lately, these prices have gone up quite a bit, meaning that if you are more than a couple of hours late, it’s actually cheaper to take the day rate instead. The usual late fee is around 2/3 of the daily rate, but is charged per hour. For example, a car that costs $55 per day will cost you $30 or so per hour that you keep it past the return time.

The second type of late fee is far more onerous. Rather than just charge you for the hours you are late, these fees are retroactive. So you will end up paying $30 per hour for the ENTIRE time you had the vehicle, from the first pickup. It’s very important to check with the company on their late returns policy before signing anything, as this will all be in the contract.

Why Charge Late Fees?

Despite the fact that it seems quite unfair to the consumer to charge late fees, rental companies have a reason for doing this. Often, only a few select vehicles are rented from any given location. That means that the car you`ve rented is probably rented out to someone else shortly after you return it. The company will need time to clean the vehicle and inspect it for damage before it can be handed over to the new driver and they allow for this time.

However, imagine that you return the car three hours late. The anxious customer has been waiting for half an hour for his car and now it’s just arrived. The employees must rush to inspect and clean the vehicle before they can give it to the now irate client.
It’s very possible that they will lose business this way, hence the higher rates.

Car rental services in Ontario are no different from those elsewhere. They need to be earning money and late returns cost them. However, many rental companies still have a grace period that extends anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour past the necessary return time.

Avoiding Late Fees

There are a few ways to avoid late fees when renting a vehicle in Ontario.
- Plan for an extra half hour in case of traffic.
- Don’t forget to plan for filling up the gas tank.
- Call ahead if you’re going to be late and let them know . . . sometimes you can waive the late fee.
- Forget the grace period. Even if there is one, plan to return on time.
- Have the clerk update your pickup time if you arrive late, otherwise you`ll return the vehicle at the same time and still be considered late.

Car rentals can be tricky if you don’t pay attention. There is no need to pay late fees if you stay on top of things and plan accordingly.

Online Car Buying Tips in the UK at Visit Cars

Friday, October 17th, 2008

The United Kingdom has always had  a special connection with Canada, and even more so with Toronto. Each and every year, thousands of Torontonians flock to the UK to travel and backpack through Europe as well as to visit family and friends. Well if you happen to fall into this group, or are considering relocating to the UK for a new job, then you need to know where you can find an online car buying resource so that you aren’t lost when you arrive in the UK. At Visit Cars, you can find everything you need to know about buying and selling your car as well as car reviews and car purchasing tips.

They also provide information on local dealerships and private sellers as well as tips on how you can secure your own financing when in the UK. Searching online for and getting valuable information like the type provided at Visit Cars is extremely beneficial for Canadians. When you want to buy car in the UK, you will be armed with enough knowledge and pricing points to give you a bit of bargaining power as opposed to what you would have if you had absolutely no knowledge of how to purchase, lease, or finance a car in the UK. These car buying tips are pretty valuable for a foreign traveller, so if you are considering moving or traveling to the UK then the car buying tips and other great information at Visit Cars will be of great benefit to you!

Don’t want to Rent? Get Fast Muscle Cars for Sale Online at Drag Times!

Sunday, October 12th, 2008

Sometimes it’s not always possible to rent the car of your dreams. It’s often recommend that if possible, before buying a car you should rent the car, or at least rent a similar car from the same model. This way you get to get a general feel of how your car will drive; longer than you would get if you just took it out for your standard 15 minute test drive when you went to the car dealership.

In other cases, car buyers are very specific about the type of car they want to get, for example, they might want to recapture their youth and buy that muscle car they used to drive around when they were in the teenage years. Other times, people may want luxury cars that are so expensive that they aren’t in stock at normal car rental providers. It’s really up to each individual car owner and buyer/seller.

In case you’re looking for muscle cars on sale then you should definitely check out Dragtimes.com, an awesome car resource for people who love muscle cars and have the ‘need for speed’. They have some great deals on muscle cars including Chevrolet Camaros, Ford Mustangs, and Plymouth Barracuda Muscle cars. These fast cars can really smoke it, if your in doubt just check out their massive database of 1/4 mile drag racing times. It’s quite impressive and it features a number of classic muscle cars, like the Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu for example. Remember at the end of the day, if you really want a muscle car you’re going to have to buy one outright because these cars are not offered by car rental providers for obvious reasons, since they are mostly used only for racing purposes!

Who is Responsible for Damaged Goods when Using a Moving Company?

Wednesday, October 1st, 2008

Moving can be a very difficult task because it involves packing up everything you own and moving it to a completely different location. To make the process easier, the services of a moving company is usually needed. However, there is one common mistake that individuals make when employing the services of a moving company and that is underestimating the type and how much insurance coverage is needed in case anything becomes damaged. It is common to check and see that the company offers insurance and just assume that it covers all possible damages and then just go on. This can be quite problematic.

It is not enough to rely on the fact that most moves are trouble-free. However, damages do occur and it can be quite the headache. That is why you should invest in insurance coverage because the moving company is not going to be responsible for damage to your property. It is required by them to be as careful as possible, but accidents do happen. By making sure you have adequate moving insurance, you are able to have any broken items replaced or repaired when damaged during the moving process.

Tips to use

You can always check with your home insurance company and see if they have anything in your existing policies that covers you when you are moving. This is a step you want to take before anything else because you don’t want to pay the movers extra for insurance that you already have. If your home insurance company does, ask them if there are any exclusions. If by any chance there is not any coverage or it isn’t adequate, you can ask them for something that will cover the move.

Other things you can do are:

-    Talk to your movers before making any type of agreement with them. Ask for the details of their coverage such as exclusions, limits, and so on. Many times insurance is included in the quote, but you have to make sure it is adequate. Never move with a company that does not have insurance.

-    If they do offer insurance, check to see if their insurance covers damage to the premises. If so, you have to tell them as soon as the damage occurs in order for it to be covered. You may also find that they will have you make a list of extremely valuable items and that you’ll have to pay extra for these items being moved.

Policies to look out for

Look for policies that have you pay by weight. This usually works by pound. This policy usually only works according to depreciation value, so you may only receive back the current worth of an item. It is possible to pay extra to cover the value rather than the weight. You also have the option to pay for a full value policy. These types of policies usually give you market value in case damage occurs. However, it will result in the repair, replacement, or payment for the damaged item.

For many individuals, the basic insurance policy that is included in the mover’s price is enough. However, it is especially important for you to pay attention to the policy when you are making a long distance move. That will be an instance in which you’ll probably need more coverage, since the longer distance means a higher risk of damage to your belongings. So just make sure you always read the small print that comes with your moving contract Always look for exclusions and clauses so that you have an idea of what you need to do to protect your items.