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Don't Rent A Vehicle Until Your Read This
If you are renting a car or other vehicle, the process will be
the easiest and smoothest if you have a credit card to use for
the transaction. Some car rental companies won't even rent you a
vehicle if you don't have a credit card for payment. If the car
rental company does allow you to rent without a credit card, you
may have to pay a large cash deposit to cover any potential
damage to the vehicle you are renting. If you are using a travel
agent and do not have a credit card, ask your agent about using
pre-paid vouchers to pay for your vehicle rental. A voucher is
typically easier to use than cash when renting a vehicle.
Be aware that a large part of your credit line on your credit
card may be tied up while the rental vehicle is in your
possession. The car rental company may place a certain amount of
money on hold on your credit card for possible additional
charges such as late return fees and damage fees. The charge
won't be processed unless you incur those additional expenses.
But because that money is on hold you won't have it available to
you for other purchases so you may want to use for other
purchases such as your hotel.
Your driving record may be a factor when you rent a vehicle. Not
all car rental companies check driving records but some do. If
your driving record doesn't meet the car rental company's
standards they will not let you rent from them. To prevent this
from happening check with the car rental agency to see if they
check driving records and what their standards are.
Twenty five is the magic age when renting a vehicle. If you are
at least twenty five years of age you will not incur additional
fees to rent a vehicle. If you are between the ages of eighteen
and twenty five you will likely be required to pay more money
for renting your car than a twenty five or older driver. If you
are under 18 years of age you will not be able to rent a vehicle
in the US. Although those rules may not seem fair, it is just
the way it is in the car rental industry
Rental car companies will offer you various optional insurance
and waiver options, but you may already be covered. Before you
go to rent a vehicle, check with both your personal auto
insurance agent and with your credit card company. You may
already have protection if you have an accident, lose, or damage
your rental vehicle. If you do have protection, you shouldn't
need to purchase the collision damage waiver or CDW offered by
the car rental company because it will be a duplication of
coverage you already have.
If you do purchase a CDW, keep in mind that it is not insurance
but an agreement between you and the car rental company stating
that you will not be liable for loss or damage to the rental
vehicle as long as you comply with conditions stated in the
agreement. Those conditions are common sense ones such as not
driving while under the influence of alcohol, not driving the
vehicle off-road, and not allowing an unauthorized person to
drive the vehicle. A CDW will almost always not cover you though
for personal injuries or damage to personal property sustained
while using the rental vehicle. If you are renting overseas
though, you may not have a choice of whether or not or purchase
a CDW. Some countries require you to purchase it.
If you are renting a vehicle overseas you may need to obtain an
international driving permit. Check on this before you show up
at the overseas rental car counter.
After you get to your rental vehicle walk around the outside of
it and inspect it for any possible damage. If you notice damage
such as a dent or noticeable scratch report it to the lot
attendant right away and get it noted on your rental agreement
so you won't be liable for that damage. I learned this lesson
the hard way. On one of my first rentals I noticed a dent in the
vehicle, told the lot attendant about it who told me not to
worry about it. I didn't insist he write anything on my rental
agreement stating the damage was already on the vehicle when I
picked it up. When I returned the vehicle the rental car company
wanted to charge me for that dent. I eventually got my money
back but it took time me quite a bit of time and frustration to
get those charges reversed.
If you find you are going to return your rental vehicle more
than 4 hours late, call the rental company and arrange for an
additional day's rental. Although most companies allow you a one
hour grace period before they start to charge you additional
money, the hourly rates can quickly add up to more than the cost
of an entire day's rental. Usually when you get to the 4 hour
mark, renting the vehicle for an additional day is cheaper than
paying the hourly late fees.
About the author:
D Ruplinger is a featured writer for
http://www.autorentalpro.com. For more information about vehicle
rentals visit http://www.autorentalpro.com.
Written by: D Ruplinger
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