« Marine Dangers In Tropical North Queensland | Home | Fill Your Dates Desires By Getting Away »
Spotting The Hidden Fees In Your Next Car Rental Agreement
By Jason Hall | October 19, 2009
These days being a wise consumer no matter what you are buying is extremely important. When making a purchase that requires an agreement, it is extremely important to make sure that you read the contract you are signing very carefully. This is one mistake that consumers make over and over again, mostly due to time constraints and also the fact that many of these documents require a law degree to sort through the details. Car rental agreements are no exception.
Many will shop around to find the best deal on a car rental, however what they do not realize is the quote that you are given will often be different upon picking up your rental. Many companies will make the initial quote low enough to get you through the door, but then they add in a lot of other expenses that you were not expecting, as they know you have no other choice, at that point, except to take the rental from them.
Not only do they add additional fees and taxes to your car rental, they also like to push the rental insurance on their customers. Another charge that car rental companies add is a gas fee, if you fail to fill the vehicle up prior to returning it to the rental company. Many are not aware of this charge, and end up paying overpriced gas fees when the rental company has to fill the rental up with gas. You do not need to put a full tank of gas in your rental, when you return it, the gas gage just needs to be where it was when you received it. This information is normally found in the rental agreement, yet few renter actually read the agreement that they sign.
Other fees that renters are typically unaware of are airport fees, and drop off fees if you are returning the car to a different rental location from the one that the rental was picked up at. One way rental fees can cost you up to as much as $1500. If you are utilizing a one way rental, be sure to ask about this fee as it is not charged until you return your vehicle.
Another tip when renting a car is to avoid renting at the airport if possible. Airlines know that most travelers prefer the convenience of picking up their rental car when their flight arrives, and dropping it back off before they return home. This is why rental car companies add additional airport fees to any car that is rented at the airport. The car rental companies know that most people will pay these fees, just to avoid any perceived inconvenience of having to go somewhere else for a rental car. A better idea is to get a shuttle or taxi to your hotel, and then contact a local rental car company that is not on airport property.
When renting a car it is very important that you carefully read the rental agreement before signing for the car. If you don’t you may end up paying more then you thought you would, without any way to dispute the extra charges.
If you are searching for brisbane car rentals the best place to go to is www.budget.com.au. While there you will also be able to look into cheap car hire Coolangatta.
Topics: Vacations | No Comments »
Comments
You must be logged in to post a comment.