When a rental car is damaged, “loss of use” charges are applied to cover the potential revenue lost when the vehicle is off the road for repairs. This is typically charged in the amount of a day’s rental for that vehicle, and most auto insurance companies do not cover this fee. Many credit cards do, however; American Express, MasterCard and Visa all offer “loss of use” coverage with rentals paid for with most of their cards.
Check weekly rates – even if you only need the car for a few days.
It may seem paradoxical, but it can be cheaper to rent a car for longer.
That’s because the majority of people who rent a car for just a couple of days at a time are business travelers, who are less cost-conscious because their offices are paying or the trip is last minute and urgent.
Conversely, many week-long renters are trying to save, since they tend to be leisure travelers. Because of that, the weekly rate is often cheaper than the rate for just three or four days.
Always make sure to compare – you may be able to save by reserving the car for longer than you need. Read more on rent a car in Cuba
Avoid Airport Surcharges
Airports typically charge a premium for the convenience of picking up your car right after your flight and dropping it off right before the departure flight. Sometimes the convenience for us is worth the fee, but sometimes it’s not. Many times the car rental offices located inside the city offer lower rates so weigh your options if its worth it for you to get to the city first and then rent.
We did this recently in Calgary when we found out Enterprise was charging a $50 fee for airport pick up. The cab ride in cost us $25 – so we saved $25! Plus we didn’t need a car the first night in town since we arrived late, so we saved there too.
Read the fine print for tax and fee information.
I can’t count the number of times I’ve been seduced by a price tag online, only to be shocked at checkout at the amount of hidden taxes and fees that factor into my total. Just because a rental site advertises a car at $15/day doesn’t mean that’s all you’ll be paying.
Rent outside the airport.
If you’re flying in, the easiest place to rent a car is at the airport, but just know you’re likely paying 10 or 30 percent more for the convenience. Airport car rental kiosks often charge an airport concession fee, so it could be worth your while to take a taxi or public transit into town and rent a car from there. Read more about car hire in Dublin
When you return your hire car, the rental company might claim that some damage on the car wasn’t there before your rental and that you will have to pay for repairing the damage.
Tips for avoiding trickery on new damage
When you pick your car up, the rental company staff will usually go through a ‘check-out form’ with you. This form includes notes on any damage already in the car before your rental starts. Before you drive away, check that there’s no more damage to the car apart from what’s written in that form.
Take photographs of the car when you pick it up, and also when you return it. If you’re not in a rush when you drop it off, wait for the rental company agent to check over the car and get a copy of the ‘check-in form’ that they’ll complete.