Renting a car is one of the most convenient services to ever be offered to travelers anywhere in the sufficiently advanced world. No need to bring your own and spend insane amounts of money on fuel and upkeep along the way. No need to worry about anything happening to the car on the road and help being denied to you because you are a foreigner in a car rentals vehicle whose parts do not exist in the area.
Now, there are plenty of guides online on how to rent a car overall, or how to rent the best cars, or find the best dealers, or get the best prices, like the one you can find at this useful link. These types of content are awesome and you can really learn some neat tricks that you otherwise would not have thought of.
But what about the other side of the coin? What about avoiding the worst dealers, keeping your money safe from scammers, or tips on how to avoid getting ripped off on your first car rental adventure? Not that many of those kinds of guides floating around, compared to the previous category.
Those that you do find will teach you about doing proper inspections before you sign any papers, avoiding buying insurance that you will not really need, and other major pitfalls to avoid. To complement these major points, we put together some of the less known no-no`s when it comes to vehicular renting.
Do not pay for fuel in advance
There is something called a “prepaid gasoline charge” and it might just seem like the most convenient thing ever, but do not be tempted. This trend skyrocketed among renting companies that are located near airports or otherwise receive a lot of business from people who need to make it to a flight. Arriving only to see that you missed your boarding chance is a panicky nightmare for everyone who ever flew anywhere.
Moreover, since security authorities are making the boarding process steadily longer, stopping somewhere for gasoline is just about the most undesirable scenario a nervous passenger can think of. So it was not much of a leap for car rental businesses to start selling refueling options right at the front desk. However, you do not really need this option.
For one, can you say with absolute certainty that you will spend the entire tank? If not, then why would you pay for it up front? You can just fill it to your own estimate at a gas station along the way. Unless you have a tight window of time for making it to a flight or something, prepaid fuel is typically not worth its cost. Even if the rental charges you for “what you spend only”, the price of them refilling the tank will always be significantly higher than what you would pay at any random station.
Do not neglect to find a refueling spot on your way out
This is right in line with the previous point. Suppose you were savvy with your budgeting and refused the refueling service, what then? As you roll your rented vehicle out, keep your eyes peeled for a convenient place where you can refill the tank on your way back.
Memorize where the local gas stations are, find out which ones have the best prices if you can, and see which place is the easiest to access. That way, when you are coming back, you will not have to waste time driving around the airport (or rental agency neighborhood) looking for a station when you are in a hurry. Best figure it out in time, when you are just starting out, and save yourself a major headache later.
Do not ignore potential upgrade options
These are not always vulturous setups by money-grubbing agents. In fact, you can even manipulate the scenario a little bit when it comes to this. When you call the rental service to reserve a vehicle for yourself, put your name down for any sufficiently usable car at a low price. You might wonder “Why in the world would I want some cheap small car when I can have a proper set of wheels?” The answer, friends, is strategy.
When you arrive at the garage to pick it up, chances are it will be an extremely busy time and they will likely be running quite low on the cheap vehicles (because if we are being honest, everyone wants to pay less for whatever they can). So, because managing inventory will be hell by now, the clerks (desk agents) will likely offer an upgrade to a better class of car at low or zero cost.
If you are offered a larger car, say you might be interested, but point out that it would depend on the price of the upgrade. Depending on what they have on hand at the moment, chances are good that you will get a larger, better quality set of wheels, at the smallest extra cost which will not break your budget. The best companies know that a flexible upgrade system can win or lose customers at a blink. You can find some suggestions to consider at https://www.officialtop5review.com/car-rental-services/
Do not forget to check for reward program discounts
Several organizations which have memberships and loyalty programs also liaise with car rentals as an added perk for their members. If you are a member of a travel organization, a frequent flyer with a specific airline etc. you might be eligible for a discount on a vehicle.
You can find your options on the relevant company`s website. Since you are already paying your dues as a member of their program, you can land some great arrangements if you play your cards right! So make sure to inspect your possibilities before you call up a clerk to book a car.
Have you discovered some important, but not very famous, things to avoid when renting a car? We would love to hear your experiences!