Hiring a car can be awfully stressful if you have never had to before. A lot of people who’re new to renting cars make mistakes like not negotiating the terms of their lease or finding out what the minimum excess payment is in case they damage their vehicles.
This post will explore this topic in more detail and tell you about some of the important questions that you need to ask when you are renting a vehicle. Make sure to read this post in its entirety, so you can make good choices.
Table of Contents
Type of Vehicle
If you are planning on renting a vehicle then the first thing you need to do is think about the type you are going to need. If you are going to be using your rented vehicle for moving house or transporting heavy objects, a van will be necessary. The team at hirefleet.co.uk make clear on their site that vans come in all shapes and sizes and are available at a number of different price points. Take measurements of the items you are going to be transporting and then find a van that can accommodate them.
It’s also worth noting that there are different categories and types of cars. For example, you can rent minivans, saloons, or SUVs. Bear in mind that larger or more powerful vehicles are going to be more expensive. If you have never rented a car from your chosen agency before, you might be able to get a discount. Some agencies offer first-time customers significantly reduced rates. Make sure that the agency you work with has good reviews for reasons that will be explored in the next section. If you are traveling with anybody else, ask for their opinion relative to the vehicle you hire.
Maybe you’re considering renting a fancy car from a place like Fisher Luxury Rental, which has excellent cars at reasonable prices. Just be sure to check their rules and terms before you decide.
Reading Reviews
Finding an agency to hire a car from is not as easy as it should be. Unfortunately, there are a number of very negligent agencies operating on the internet. If you end up hiring a car from a company that’s considered negligent by their customers then you won’t get as good a deal (or may end up being given a car that is simply not safe to drive). One big problem people renting cars experience when hiring from low-quality agencies is receiving cars that are damaged, then upon returning them they are charged money for the damages.
A good way to determine whether or not an agency is worth hiring is to read their reviews. An agency’s reviews will tell you everything you need to know about them and help you to decide whether they are the right ones for you or not. It does need to be noted that some companies do not have any reviews and that can actually be a really good sign, as an absence of reviews suggests that a rental agency’s customers have absolutely nothing negative to say about them, suggesting the service they offer is of a high quality.
Length of Lease
You also need to ask yourself how long you are going to want to lease a car. A lot of people make the mistake of taking out leases that are too short in duration. Some rental companies require people leasing cars to return to their offices to extend leases. What this means is, if you do not rent your vehicle for long enough and are unable to return it on time, you could end up paying a massive premium. Think through how long you are going to need to rent it for so you can ensure you do not take out too short a lease.
It’s also important to think about taking out a lease that is too long. If the lease you take out is too long then you might not be able to get a refund. Some companies do not give people who return their vehicles early refunds. If you don’t get a refund then this means you will have wasted money. When you consider how little money people have today, you need to do everything you can to ensure you don’t waste yours. Wasting money means you won’t be able to commit it to other things.
Consider the Cost
How much money can you reasonably afford to spend on a rental car? Bear in mind that, as noted earlier, some agencies won’t refund you if you return your car earlier. This means once you have paid, you have lost the money for good. If you pay a deposit (which you will most likely have to) and you return the car even an hour late, the agency could potentially take all of it as well. It’s, therefore, a good idea to try and find a no-deposit rental agency so that you get your money back.
If you do not have a lot of money, consider paying for your rental car in installments. You can do this by using a pay-in-three service to pay for the car’s rental costs. Most pay-in-three services allow people to download virtual cards to their phones, which they can use for purchases. If you are going to use credit to pay for your rental car then you need to make sure that you are in a good enough financial position to be able to afford to repay it. Under no circumstances should you ever borrow money if you cannot repay it.
Driving Carefully
Are you going to be able to drive your rental car carefully? If you aren’t an experienced or confident driver then it’s unwise renting a car. Renting a car when you do not know how to drive properly can lead to you damaging it. Excess fees can be massive nowadays. You could have to pay a minimum of £4,000 just for a scratch sustained to the car’s paint. Talk through excess fees with the company you ultimately choose to work with just so you understand how much they are. If you do not then it’s a bad idea to even sit in the driver’s seat of a rental car.
Car rentals are not things the average person spends much time thinking about. However, when they are needed, people tend not to know what to do. Follow the advice given here and ask yourself the questions featured so you can ensure you are properly prepared.
