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Car Rental Tips
When
you need a rental car, it's a good idea to consider several factors
while reserving to help make your trip more enjoyable. S
Before You Rent
How long will you be renting? If it's for less than a week, you'll
probably do best with a major company, such as Alamo, Avis, Budget,
Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, or Thrifty. For rentals of a
week or longer, you may get better rates from local companies,
particularly auto dealers. Be wary of local companies if you plan to
drive a lot; if you break down or have an accident, they usually
lack the support services of the majors.
Reserve early
Make your reservation as soon as you have decided on plans. Most
Rental Car Companies increase their rates as reservations come in
and their fleets become booked. Also, certain classes of cars will
sell out and you may have to end up reserving and paying for a
larger vehicle than you want.
Internet Resources
Shopping on the Internet can be the quickest and best way to compare
many Rental Car rates. The days of phoning every car rental company
to see who's got the best rates are a thing of the past. Point your
browser to CaribbeanLime.com, Travelocity.com,
OneTravel.com
and Expedia.com.
Always shop around, even on the Web. Major companies often offer
Web-only discounts -- take advantage of them whenever possible.
Check our Car
Rental Center. If you're booking online, read the restrictions
carefully. If you're booking on the phone, make sure to ask the
agent about restrictions. Always be sure to check out our selection
of bargains
before making any reservations.
Renting Tips
Ask about discounts for major national organizations, frequent-flier
programs and credit card programs you may belong to. They'll
frequently offer deals on car rentals. Those offered through AAA can
be very good. If you're employed by a company that frequently rents
cars, they may have a negotiated rate. Make sure to check.
Be sure you understand the conditions of your reservation. Is there
a penalty for no-shows? How long will the car be held if you're
stuck in traffic on the way to the pickup station? Is there a fee
for additional drivers and must their names be listed in the
contract? Is your 20-year-old daughter old enough to drive the car?
(For liability reasons, this is important.)
If pertinent, ask about any restrictions on interstate travel. For
your own protection in case of breakdown, be sure the company has
offices in all the states on your itinerary. For one-way rentals,
ask about drop-off charges. They can be exorbitant. Always get a
confirmation number. For airport rentals, be sure to give the
customer service representative your flight number and scheduled
arrival time. This will usually protect your reservation if the
flight is delayed.
The Cost of
Renting a Car
Car rental firms generally charge four types of basic rates:
a daily rate with a mileage charge, a daily rate with a limited
number of free miles per day; a daily rate with unlimited mileage;
and a rate that has free mileage over an extended period. Rates vary
according to the size and style of vehicle but most firms rent
economy, compact, intermediate and deluxe cars. Special promotional
rates are often available, especially over weekends, but should be
specifically requested in advance. Other charges may also be added
to the rental price, including: Drop-off Charges, Collision
Damage Waiver (CDW) or Loss Damage Waiver (LDW), Personal Accident
Insurance (PAI), Personal Effects Coverage (PEC), Additional
Liability Insurance (ALI), Gasoline, Taxes.
The Basic Rate
The rate you see advertised in big print may become so inflated with
state and local taxes, airport surcharges, additional driver fees,
insurance and gasoline bills and drop-off charges that you end up
paying more than double what you expected. Also, the advertised rate
may be valid only in off-season Florida or California, when many
cars are idle there, but not where you want to rent. Finally, it may
be only for a car size that you would find unsuitable.
Like the airlines, the major auto rental companies have adopted
"yield management." That means that their computers can
quickly readjust prices according to changes in the supply of cars
available. This means the rental rate you are quoted is valid only
at that moment. Unless you reserve immediately, the rate is likely
to change.
At Pickup Time
If your first drive will be from an airport to a hotel for the
night, why not take a shuttle van to the hotel instead? That may
save you the price of day's rental. In major cities, you could
probably pick up the car downtown. Even if you must drive the same
day your flight lands, you don't have to necessarily get the car at
the airport. By picking it up downtown, you can often avoid airport
surcharges.
If you have personal auto insurance or charge the rental to a major
credit card, you will probably be covered at least for collision
damage. If in doubt, ask your insurance agent or whoever issued your
card.
Be wary of prepaid gasoline plans. Always fill the tank before
returning the vehicle, as rental car companies can charge up to
several dollars a gallon to refuel.
Before you drive away from the pickup station, inspect the car
carefully for body damage. Be sure the lights and turn signals are
working properly. Check the mileage odometer. Report any defects to
rental personnel at once.
Insurance charges
Check your automobile and health insurance policies to avoid hefty
daily insurance charges. The rental companies will try to sell you
additional types of insurance, ranging from liability (sometimes
called liability insurance supplement) to accident (a.k.a. personal
accident insurance) to policies covering personal belongings. If you
already have an auto insurance policy, decline them all. Each charge
is several dollars a day, and they add up fast. If you have
automobile insurance, you're probably covered for rental cars; if
you have health insurance, you're covered for personal injuries
regardless of how you end up in the hospital. And if you have
homeowner's insurance, you may be covered if somebody steals your
swimsuit from your trunk. Even if you don't have homeowner's
insurance, personal effects coverage is a waste of money unless
you're transporting the crown jewels in your Ford Escort.
Collision Damage
Waiver" charges
Then there's that painful charge for a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)
or Loss Damage Waiver, both of them lures the rental companies use
to get you to pay the collision portion of the insurance on their
vehicles. Unless you sign the CDW agreement, sometimes adding more
than $10 a day to the price of your rental, you're responsible for
damage to the car in an accident. Many states (but not all) have
outlawed this liability by requiring the car companies to pay for
collision insurance, so you don't have to worry. But even if you
rent in a state that allows CDW charges, you can decline the hefty
fee by paying for your rental with a credit card that covers you in
case of collision. American Express provides this service to holders
of its Gold, Platinum, and Blue Cards, as well as standard green
cards, but not every Visa or MasterCard does. MBNA America is one
bank that does; check with your credit card's issuing bank to see if
yours does too.
Upon Return
Be wary of returning the car early. It could be expensive because
your rate structure may change. Also be sure the check-in attendant
inspects the car's body in your presence and that you agree about
any damage. Examine your rental agreement carefully for all charges
and make sure they credit any deposit to your account while you
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