WHAT SHOULD YOU PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN RENTING A CAR?

When we go on vacation, it often turns out that traveling everywhere on foot or by public transport can be very stubborn. Therefore, a great solution is to rent a car once for a few days. However, we can take advantage of this option not only when we are on vacation, but when, for example, we do not have a car on a daily basis, and we want to go on a weekend trip with the family or a delegation. But what should a good car rental be like ? And what do we have to pay attention to when signing a lease agreement with them?

READ THE CONTRACT CAREFULLY

This is a key element thanks to which we can avoid additional costs. The contract must include all fees that the car rental representative may have forgotten, such as the cost of navigation or child seats. We must also remember that different companies will have different rules and the fact that we did not have to pay for navigation when renting a car does not mean that it will also be the case now.

Moreover, we must pay attention to the fuel issue. It is very often the case that a car rental company provides us with a vehicle with a full tank of gas. In this case, we will have to refill it before returning the car. If we forget about it, it may turn out to be added to our bill, often with an additional commission.

PLEASE NOTE ADDITIONAL CHARGES

In fact, a car rental company can add anything to the bill, which is why it is so important to read the contract carefully. First of all, we need to check if there is a daily limit of kilometers that we can travel. It is often the case that if we exceed it, we will have to pay extra. In addition, an additional fee may be charged in a situation where we want to return the car to another branch of a given rental company. Someone will have to transport him back later and we will have to pay for it.

Also, remember to return the car in the same condition as you received it! If a car returns to the rental shop, it will be terribly dirty, and there will be garbage inside after lunch, which we ate in a fast food restaurant, we must take into account that we will have to pay extra for additional cleaning of the vehicle.

IS THE CAR INSURED?

We absolutely need to check it. Moreover, it will be very important what exactly is covered by a given insurance. Sometimes it is worth paying extra for the company to buy such a package. In the event that we have an accident or simply scratch the car leaving the parking lot, and it will not be insured, we will undoubtedly have to pay for its repair. The same may be the case of theft. Therefore, it will be much more profitable to pay for the insurance than to expose ourselves to the costs that we will have to cover later, if not everything goes our way. It is also important that we will often have to take out additional insurance in the event that we will be driving with a second driver. This is not always the case, but we should definitely check it out.

THE AMOUNT OF THE DEPOSIT

Every car rental company will want us to pay a deposit before we leave their facility. This amount may vary depending on the company for which we choose the service. The good news is that if the car is returned to the rental company intact, we will certainly get the deposit back. Therefore, we should take care of the car we rent.

Usually it works in such a way that the funds are frozen in our account. That’s why it’s so important that we make sure we have enough money before going to the rental shop.

CHECK THE TECHNICAL CONDITION OF THE CAR

We already know that if we return a damaged car, we will undoubtedly have to pay for all damages. However, it may turn out that someone broke something before, and when we leave the car rental with a damaged car, we will have to answer for what has been damaged by someone else. That is why it is so important to inspect the vehicle carefully for defects. If we manage to find something, the employee should make a note of it so that we do not have to pay for something we did not later.

What should I check? First of all, we need to carefully inspect the car outside. We should look for various dents or scratches. The next step should be to look under the hood. We do it not only to protect our wallet, but also to ensure our safety. We should check the condition of the engine and the oil. Of course, we won’t be able to see everything unless we are professional mechanics, but we should be able to spot some basic flaws. Finally, we should start the car and see if everything is working properly. Inside, you should also see if there is any damage to the car body. If we manage to find something at this stage, the car rental company will not be able to charge us for repairing the things we haven’t broken.