Sometimes you need to rent a car for vacations or a road trip. Whatever the situation, it’s imperative to know the ins & outs of renting a car that’ll help you avoid the common hidden fees that agencies might charge.
Despite the climate change and other variables, car rental is booming, and that’s totally understandable. When you rent a car, you don’t have to rely on public transport, or even driving your own car hundreds of miles. But at times, car rental can get pretty pricey especially when you don’t avoid certain mistakes. Some of the frequent travellers have tried to highlight a few major mistakes that people make and here’re the things that you shouldn’t do while renting a car. So let’s dive in;
Forgetting to Check the Current Status
When you’re in a rush, all you want is to get in the car and drive away. But when you’re dealing with car rental, make sure you don’t ignore the papers that the rental agency provides you with. That document contains all the details with regards to any damage that the car already has. You have to double check the actual damage with the list provided on the paperwork.
And most importantly, don’t miss out to check inside the car as well. Keep in mind! Once you drive away, you’ll solely be responsible for any damage that’s not listed on that paper.
Forgetting to Check Your Insurance
This is the common mistake that people make. Although you can easily buy insurance from the car hire company, you won’t need it in most cases, thereby saving you that extra money. So just make sure you check your own car insurance policy first in order to see if it covers rental vehicles.
Do you use the credit card for payments? If yes then check with your credit card company as they might also cover insurance. You just have to inquire about it from your credit card company. A few minutes of the call can save you plenty of money down the road.
Not Asking for Upgrades
Honestly, that person at the information counter is not a zombie and won’t bite you. So, inevitably, there’s no harm in asking. In case you’re booking one of the more popular vehicles when making your reservation, the rental company might be running low on these. In some cases, they’ll also offer affordable or even free upgrades to luxurious cars. But make sure you also factor in potentially higher fuel costs for bigger vehicles.
Adding Drivers When Not Necessary
Rental car agencies make money by charging for extra services unless it’s the reliable car rental Doha airport. Sometimes, these charges are applied to extra drivers or maybe offering to add your spouse to the rental contract? In that case, you’ll end up paying more per day for the privilege.
They might even ask you to add someone under the age of 25. And you’ll end up paying way too extra prices due to the added risk associated with under-25 drivers. So make sure you don’t declare anyone as the driver yourself unless it’s really important.
