An online beware guide to car rentals, what not to do
Shopping for car rentals seems to be a massive blind spot in the vision of smart consumers. Consumers that might otherwise be careful to get the best deal they can get will go for the first or more convenient option they are given. If your are very wealth and don’t care spending more than you need, all’s well and good. But if you’re not, which is very likely if you are reading this article you need to smarten up. Fortunately for you , this is not going to take long. A few key tips will get you on the road for less than you thought.
Mistake 1.) Do not think all car rentals are pretty much the same price, they are not. There is a lot of variety in prices and services. You can save substantial amounts of cash by being smart and understanding how car rental companies work.
The truth is that car rentals give you a break if you make things easier for them and if you understand how their business works. If you do not, they are going to make you pay for it.
Mistake 2.) Go for airport car rentals. There is not arguing they are very convenient. However airport car rentals are going to cost you more. The prices are generally higher and they always add an airport fee which can range from $10 to $30 dollars, if not more. This is because airports charge car rentals a tax or fee for using their space, tourism boards often charge a fee for every customer at an airport also. You can avoid this fee if you are just willing to wait till you get to your hotel or get public transport to Downtown.
Mistake 3.) Don’t check the extra fees. We are on holidays or on a business trip, no time to sweat the details. Big mistake if you care about how you spend your cash. Extra fees often make up 50% of your car rental fee if you are not careful. You have extras like GPS, child seat, ski rack, radio CD, fuel, etc… Some of these extras are useful or even vital as in the case of the child seat. It does pay thought to check what you are buying and if you really need it.
Mistake 4.) Go for the insurance package your car rental salesperson recommends. Big mistake! Car rental insurance is often more expensive than your car rental fee. It is also a fact that car rentals make more money on their insurance than their car rental fee. Just work out the math. The average car rental insurance is around 25$. Multiply that by 365 days and you have a year insurance fee of over $9,000. Obviously this is an oversimplification, cars don’t get rented every day, nor does everyone go for the $25 insurance but it gives you an idea of the profit margin on these insurance packages. You can nearly by a new car on the “supposed” yearly insurance. Check if your car insurance or credit card insurance covers car rentals. They are very likely to do so.