How Long Can You Rent a Rental Car For?

November 4th, 2009

There are times when you can’t use your car because you have to go out for a trip or your car is undergoing repairs. At times like these, you look for cars to rent. There are a lot of things that you want from a rented car. You want the car to be in good condition, you want the rate to be cheap and you want a hassle free experience in the documentation and processing.

A major factor in a customer’s mind before renting a car is the duration for which the car can be rented. Although this depends on the customer’s needs as the car rental companies normally don’t have a problem with the duration, but it is an important thing to inquire if you really need the car for a long time. Such requirements are exceptional and out of the norm for these rental car companies. For instance, you want to rent for a car for touring the entire country or if your car is stolen and you are having problems in securing the insurance.

But all this can leave you confused at times, especially if you don’t have any prior experience of renting a car. In such a case, you look around for the best deals. But car rental is not really like the other kinds of rentals, there are lots of things that you should consider before renting a car. Let’s have look at the most important ones:

  • Why do you need a car? Your requirements can help you decide what kind of a car you need. If you need to go for a road trip, you’d be better off with a sedan. If you just need it for your daily office use, you may do well with a small sized car. The type of car very much determines the rate of rental.
  • From where are you renting the car? At many places, the car rental rates seem to be higher. Rental services near the airport, for instance, charge higher rates as they know they will have newcomers as most of their customers.
  • For how long do you need the car? You need to tell the rental company, about the approximate time for which you will be taking the car. There are different rates for different durations and different travelling distances. Normally, the more you use the car, the lower usage rate you can get due to a tiered pricing strucuture some rental companies employ.
  • Will you reach the rental location yourself? If you can reach the location while taking the car and then dropping it back, it will usually cost you less. The costs of picking up a customer and then picking the car at the end of the term are charged as hidden costs most of the time. However, these costs are nominal so won’t be a problem if you need the services.
  • Long-term car rental services usually charge their customer for one month and this is less expensive than the rates for lesser durations. Before you take the car, check the conditions for insurance and for the repairs, damage and wear & tear.
  • If you are not in a familiar region, you may want the transactions in cash rather than on credit. This makes things simpler, especially if you are travelling abroad.
  • On the long term, it’s always a good idea to make the down payment and purchase the company’s car rental insurance.
  • You should also inquire and check the condition and reliability of the car. This normally doesn’t matter if you are renting for the short term, but on the long term can be quite an important thing to do. Cars at rental services are usually topped up with external repairs, which make them look and feel good for the short term. But if you are thinking of making long tours in the car, you definitely would not want the car to break down in another part of the country.
  • All the car documentation, tools and equipment should be noted down. This is important to do to avoid any confusion regards missing parts when you return the car. Keep all these points in mind when choosing your next rental car contract.

Advantages of Reserving Car Rentals Online

September 22nd, 2009

When you’re planning a vacation, it’s an important consideration to get the best car rental deals to save money. It makes perfect sense since car rentals like Avis, Enterprise and Hertz always have good deals under their belts. They always have updated deals that you can check out simply checking online to see them.

Another good thing about checking the deals online is that you can also reserve your choice of car online. And there are multiple advantages of doing so. First of all, when you reserve a rental car online with Avis coupons for instance, you get the guarantee of securing a car and eliminate the need to line up on their branch for the car. All you have to do is click some buttons - you can already just pick up the car the day you need it.

Also, car rental companies like Enterprise have special promos that will get you discounts if you choose to make your reservations online. Not only are you going to save time by not making a trip to the branch, but you’re also going to save money with the deals they have for online reservations. Enterprise Car Rental coupons have this option and you can be assured of the guarantee that you’re going to get the best car for you.

Another thing that makes online reservations so much more convenient is when you’re going to some place that you’re not familiar with. With some online reservations like Hertz Car Rental coupons, you can have your car pick you up when you arrive at your destination as opposed to you picking up your rental car. You can even have the time and date arranged to suit your own personal schedule online to make sure that you won’t break a sweat with your transaction with the car rental companies.

By making a right decision in choosing a car rental company for you, whether it be Hertz, Avis, or Enterprise Car Rental, you’ll definitely get more ahead when you choose to make your reservations online.

The Benefits of Car Rental Insurance

September 1st, 2009

When renting a car, it is very important to make sure that it is covered by auto insurance. Many drivers assume that their existing car insurance will cover any cars that they decide to rent, but this is not always the case. Other drivers, who don’t own cars, feel that car rental insurance is not a necessity because the rental car is not actually their own property, but they couldn’t be more mistaken. 
 
Rental cars become your property as soon as you take them out on the road. If the car is damaged in any way, you are responsible for repairing it. Whether you caused the damage or if it was vandalized, the rental company will require you to pay for any repairs. Since repairing a car can cost anywhere from $1,000 for covering a scratch to $50,000 for replacing the car, the extra $50 on your car rental bill is certainly worth it. 
 
When renting a car, it’s your responsibility to ensure that your car is sufficiently covered. Even if you have car insurance already, you should call your provider to find out if your policy extends to rental cars for collision damage and liability. Also, review your homeowner’s or property insurance to ensure that your luggage and any belonging’s you’re taking with you are protected. 
 
Most car rental companies offer several different types of insurance packages for about $10 - $15 per day. No matter what your personal auto insurance package provides, car rental companies come equipped with a collection of insurance packages to suit any driver’s situation. As an added bonus, any claims you make with the rental insurance provider will not affect your other insurance premiums. So, if you were to get into an accident while driving a rental car, you own personal car insurance rates would remain the same.

Is it Possible to Find a Rental Car’s History?

July 15th, 2009

Most car rental companies normally keep their late-model cars for rent for one to two years after being in service. When the cars are retired from service, they will normally be sold at an auction, through a dealer, or directly from the rental company. When buying a rental car, one can usually get a real good deal. However, like any other vehicle you are interested in buying, it is important to find out the rental car’ history.

There are a number of benefits to purchasing a rental car. There can be good financing deals, affordable prices, easy access to company maintenance records, factory warranties may still be valid, and there are a variety of makes and models. Many of these companies inspect and maintain their vehicles regularly. and keep them clean and in good mechanical condition.  With the many benefits, potential buyers have to consider that the vehicle has been driven by multiple owners so the car may have been mistreated, the vehicle may have high mileage, and there may be some damage.

Before purchasing a rental car you should protect yourself by acquiring a report on the history of the car. You can normally find pot about the history of the car by checking the title. You can contact the Department of Motor Vehicles request a title report giving. You will receive a history of the car‘s ownership from the date of its first purchase.

You can also find out a rental car’s history by acquiring a CarFax report. Each year, CarFax  is accessed by millions of people. Vehicle history reports are available for all used cars and light trucks model year from 1981 and later. Once you enter the VIN number, a report is made available about the car from a database of more than 6 billion records. Report is instantly generated from our database of over six billion records.  CarFax obtains its data from over 20,000 information sources. This includes: vehicle auctions, fire and police departments, every U.S. and Canadian provincial motor vehicle agencies, plus, collision repair facilities, fleet management and rental agencies, etc.

Vehicle history reports include:

-    Odometer readings Normal mileage for a rental is 20,000 - 30,000 miles.
-    Registration and Title information
-    Vehicle use (rental, lease, etc.)
-    Previous owners
-    Recall repair history.
-    Accident history, (exterior damage, flood, accident indicators, such as airbag deployments)
-    State emissions inspection results
-    Service records
-    Service Records:

Many companies sell cars out of their rental fleet. It’s always best to have rental cars inspected by a mechanic before buying. For more information, contact your local car rental company. Buying a rental vehicle through Budget rental car sales can save you money, and you can own a vehicle with relatively low mileage and possibly some remaining warranty. Be a smart consumer before you buy and think of your rental car purchase as a large purchase, so put in the due diligence first. Reputable car rental companies generally conduct regular maintenance on their vehicles and replace them after only eight to 12 months.

Car Rental Insurance

May 25th, 2009

At the best of times, most of us do not fully comprehend the ‘ins and outs’ of car insurance. When adding rental car insurance into the mix, it may seem like an added expense that you can avoid, or, should you be cautious and jump at the chance of making sure that you are fully covered in the event of a car accident?
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Before leaving home on your next family vacation or business trip, it may be a wise decision to find out what your personal vehicle insurance and credit card cover. There are basically two types of insurance: Liability and Collision. Liability covers your personal injury and injury to others. Collision covers the actual vehicle damages.

Some credit cards cover you if you have an accident; however, not all of them provide the necessary coverage. As well, there may be insurance loop holes to look out for. It is easy to call your credit card company to request a copy of the insurance they provide for car rentals so that you can have it in hand when you go to rent your vehicle. When you receive your copy of the insurance and feel that you have a good grasp of the coverage and are secure with it, then use that credit card to cover your rental insurance.

A fee of between $10 and $15 per day is charged by most car rental companies. If you decline the optional insurance, many rental companies will then charge a substantial fee as a deposit to feel secure with the rental. The fee, which is charged to your credit card, can be as much as the value of the rental car itself. This can wreak havoc on your credit limit while traveling so make sure you have an additional card for use on the trip. Depending on your personal car insurance, you may be able to waive this fee when traveling, but again, check before you rent the car. In some cases, you will be okay, but often collision and comprehensive will cover only your rented vehicle.

If you make a trip to the rental car pick-up location, you may be able to get a much better deal than if you called the toll-free number. Many times the cost of rental and rental car insurance depends on other things such as the season, travel distance, and the travel destination, particularly if it is a densely populated urban area.

To keep the cost of rental expense low, check your own personal vehicle insurance and the insurance that your credit card offers when you use the card for a rental purchase. Sometimes the coverage the rental company offers is a secondary coverage and only kicks in after the coverage of your own personal policy reaches its limit. It is important to check to see if that is a condition of the rental insurance policy. There could possibly be a large number of exclusions and a high deductible, making the policy a poor investment.

If you do not have collision and comprehensive insurance and you are acquiring a rental car, you should purchase the Loss Damage Waivers (LDW) or Collision Damage Waivers (CDW,) whichever your rental company offers. It will protect you if the rental is vandalized or stolen.

When packing for your vacation or trip, pack a copy of your vehicle and credit card insurance. Take the insurance papers with you when you go to the rental car company so that there will be no issue concerning your coverage. You can then start your trip on the right foot by saving money and making sure that you and your family are protected.