How to Avoid Scams Before Renting a Car for Vacation
For your next vacation in Pakistan or abroad, you have booked your plane tickets and your accommodation. All you have to do is find a car rental, and you have complete freedom for these 15 days in the destination of your choice. Do not be fooled, rely on our expert advice and rent a car with peace of mind.
In the field of car rental, we notice that unfortunately there are more and more disputes. To help you get your head out of the water and avoid scams, here are some recommendations before you compare and rent a car on our site.
Choose a car rental agency
Whether you decide to rent a car in Lahore or hire a car, the important thing is to read the rental contract conditions. A site that promises you a rental at 5 $ / day is certainly tempting, but it still seems a little fishy. Behind this, advertising often hides additional costs (administration fees, insurance, mileage, fuel). We can only advise you to go instead to rental companies with known names such as Hertz, Avis or Europcar, which have a better reputation. To do this, look at consumer reviews on the internet; often, the rankings speak for themselves.
Do I need to take out insurance?
You intend to remain in the Emirates, and you need a rental car in Dubai for that. Or maybe you are planning a road trip in Quebec, and a car rental in Canada would be welcome? Some advice on insurance offered by "brokers" (comparison centers) and rental companies will allow you to leave with a light mind ...
Most prices include civil liability and third-party insurance for the damage caused to a third party and his vehicle. The rental contract can also provide for minimum damage insurance (comprehensive insurance with excess). Below a certain deductible, the cost of repairs to the vehicle remains your responsibility. To avoid unpleasant surprises, it is, therefore, better to read the general conditions of the rental contract carefully and sometimes take out additional insurance:
- "CDW" option (Collision Damage Waiver) lowers the amount of the excess in the event of a collision (the super CDW removes the franchise in its entirety)
- option "TP" (Theft Protection) limits the driver's liability in the event of theft
- option "PAI" (Personal Accident Insurance) protects the persons transported
High-end bank cards such as Visa Premier or American Express Gold often take out these insurance policies.
How to avoid duplicate insurance?
Do you go through a broker? (BSP Auto, Rentalcars ...) If you have already taken out comprehensive insurance with zero excess when booking your car, know that you are already ideally insured, except that once you arrive at the rental office to collect your vehicle, in some countries, you may be forced to take out new insurance.
We advise you to translate into the country's language your rental contract stipulating that you have already taken out insurance and show this paper to your interlocutor to make you better understood.
Additional fuel costs
When you compare the price of a rental car in Porto, for example, take a good look at the rental company's fuel policy. Indeed, some charge a high price for the full tank of fuel. So be sure to choose the "Full to make full" option. It is you who will fill up with gasoline or diesel before returning the vehicle at the end of your stay. So you will pay the right price.
You may be attracted by the tempting prices of low-cost rental companies who offer to make the tank empty but who will charge you for the full at an exorbitant price (a hundred dollars full!).
Mileage
You will be spending a few days in the south, and as you arrive by air, you will need a car rental at the airport. Try to choose a rental company that provides unlimited mileage. Otherwise, any additional kilometer is charged (between $ 0.30 and $ 0.50 per km). Suffice to say that if you have no idea of the routes you will make during your vacation, and it is better to consider this option.
Credit card and deposit: beware of unpleasant surprises
When picking up your rental car in the United States, for example, at the agency, you are required to present these documents so that you can be given the keys: the rental voucher, your driver's license, an identity document, and a credit card in the name and first name of the main driver for the security deposit or deposit.
However, we often confuse credit card and debit card. As a means of payment in everyday life, we commonly call it a debit card.
Does my card then allow me to rent a car? Look on your map payment if the credit or debit mention appears. If it is a MasterCard-style deferred debit card, for example, you can pick up the vehicle at the agency but make sure that your bank account is properly funded. Because the rental company will block the deposit on your card when picking up the vehicle, so plan on at least $ 1000 in your account.
Otherwise, the lessor can make you pay extra expensive insurance to buy back the excess (then you no longer need a deposit).To avoid losing your reservation, ask your bank, before your departure, to create a credit card or with deferred debit and make sure you have a sufficient amount in the event of a high deposit.
