Hiring a car in a new country should be easy. The challenge is, if you pick a car anywhere you land, chances of getting a good deal are slim.
Without proper planning, you will pay through the nose to rent the same car someone else is happily renting for peanuts. Here are the 5 ways car rental companies rip you of money and how to prevent these rip-offs.
Sky-High Excess Costs
There’s insurance cost when you hire a car. The bad news is, they have high charges to cover for the cost of the accident. The amount can leave you out of pocket.
How to prevent the rip-off: The best way to prevent this is to purchase an excess waiver policy.
This policy will reduce the cost to zero or to a little amount. Make sure you buy the waiver at home before you go for any holiday or vacation.
The ‘Full-empty’ Fuel Policy
A lot of car companies love to hit their clients with a petrol bill before they can even ride the car. That means, if you are traveling, you have to pay upfront for petrol.
The rip off with this policy is that the car company will charge you an inflated price for petrol. The second thing you may never even use all of this fuel.
The good part is that these companies will offer you a way to get a refund but will still charge you.
How to prevent the rip-off: Find a car company that allows you to return the car with the same amount of fuel the car had when you rented it. Car rental companies that allow this are rare but do exist, www.rentalcarsnapier.co.nz is one of them.
Hidden Charges
A lot of tourists forget to read the car hire policy. Did you know this is the way you can avoid paying for hidden charges? For instance, a car hire company will charge you extra if you are not an avid driver while others will charge you more if you have a second driver.
Still, others will want to sneak in hidden fees on you like their insurance policies.
How to prevent the rip-off: Read the terms and conditions before you can ink the contract.
Also use car rental guides like Dunedin airport car rentals guide to find favorable terms, conditions and the prices that various car rental companies offer.
Booking at the Desk
Just like it would save you money to book an air ticket a month earlier, it would save you if you book your car earlier.
Booking at the airport, or other pick-up points give few options, unsuitable cars, and high rates.
How to prevent the rip-off: Doing that will save you a lot of cash, and make you spend money elsewhere.
The Upgrade Option
When you have done pre-booking of the car online, car companies may tell you they have run out of cars in your category. And they may want to offer you a premium upgrade. Never fall for this trick.
A good car rental company will offer you a premium grade with an extra charge or provide you with a lesser one with a decent refund.
How to prevent the rip-off: Never sign a contract with a car company if they don’t give you those two options.
