What You Need to Know When Hiring a Rental Car

Sunday, June 13th, 2010 at 2:49 am

Whether you’re traveling to the United States for a vacation or business, or you already live there, hiring a rental care can be a daunting prospect…especially if you’ve never done it before. Here’s our ‘no tears’ guide to car rental, USA. Read about our car rental experience in LasVegas.

Renting a car…

You can find the nearest rental company and pick a car but we really wouldn’t advise that. You will probably end up paying top dollar because they will see you coming. If you’ve just come in off a long-haul flight, you don’t want to fill in masses of paperwork or search in a huge airport terminal for rental areas.

The good news is that you can easily avoid all of those pitfalls by booking online before you travel. You may also get a discount for booking online and if you don’t find what you want first time, just surf to the next company – easy!

Many rental companies will also come and collect you to pick up your car and if they’re not far away, it is usually free.

Where are you intending to go?

This isn’t as stupid as it sounds. Car hirers sometimes want you to stay within the borders of the state that you rented the car in. If you need to cross State lines, it’s worth hiring from a large rental organization as these usually allow you to travel between states – however, be prepared to pay a premium for this and they wish to know where you’re travelling.

Be aware that although many rental vehicles may be driven in the USA and even Canada, the small print often warns you that you may not drive into Mexico. So if you have to go there, be sure of your ground before renting. You may need to travel into Mexico and then rent a care there.

Don’t be tempted to not tell the rental company your travel plans. If you are unlucky enough to have an accident out of State, then your insurance may become invalid and you would be personally responsible for any repair costs as well as very high legal and medical fees if you or anyone else is injured. It’s just not worth it!

Official Documentation

If you’re traveling to the USA, you may use your national license as long as it is in a language that uses the Roman Alphabet. If your country doesn’t, then you will need to obtain an International license from a motoring organization such as the AA, RAC etc.

Many places will accept the photo license card but some also require the paper counterpart. To avoid frustration and problems, check with the rental company before you leave home or just take both to be on the safe side.

Age requirements

Car rental companies do hold age restrictions and these vary from company to company and state to state. It is important to check your quotation for their exact requirements because you may need to pay extra if you’re under the minimum or over the maximum age. Some companies will also refuse to hire certain types of vehicles to younger drivers. Check before you sign on the dotted line.

Payments and Deposits

Few car rental companies will let you take a car without a credit card. Some people get confused about how this works and you need to understand it. The rental companies often don’t explain clearly.

What usually happens is that the rental company doesn’t take the cash off your credit card immediately. They often put a ‘hold’ on your card for the weekly cost of the rental. This is to protect them from people who don’t bring the car back or who try to get out of paying. What it means for you is that while the ‘hold’ is on your card, you can’t spend that money, so it’s worth having a separate card just for the rental to avoid confusion and problems.

In the USA and Canada, most rental companies will accept:

American Express
Diner’s Club International
Mastercard
Visa

As a final check, most rental companies ask that the renter’s name must be the name on the credit card and the signature on the back of the card must match the name on the card. And don’t forget that as a general rule, all charges are taken off the card at the time of rental not when you bring it back.

Fuel

Most companies rent you a car with a full tank and the cost of this is usually added to your rental cost. Some companies offer packages where fuel is included so again, check before you buy.

It is usually your responsibility to return the car with a full tank or to pay for any shortfall.

Some companies automatically add the cost of a full tank of fuel to your rental cost if you are having the car for longer than five days. If this is the case, then you don’t need to fill up before returning the car. Do check before driving away.

Some companies don’t fill the tank but say that you need to return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel that you started with. In these cases, get an employee to check the fuel level, write it onto your rental agreement and sign it. That way, you shouldn’t have any issues with them claiming that the tank was full when it actually wasn’t.

Fuel in the USA

Unleaded Petroleum (gasoline or gas)
Diesel
Before driving away in your rental car, make sure that you know whether it uses petrol or diesel. If you do make a mistake, don’t drive away from the petrol station as you may cause severe damage to the car and you would be liable for the extensive repair costs. Tell a service station employee who will drain the tank for you and then fill it with the correct fuel.
Gas stations in America are often open 24 hours a day although times can vary in more rural areas. Many are self service. At many gas stations, you are required to swipe your credit card at the pump before filling up. Most credit cards are accepted.

One other thing to check is how to get into the fuel tank. Paula and I had a somewhat humorous experience when we went to fill the tank and I was searching everywhere for the button to open the gas tank. In the end I went and asked another customer who was filling his car. He looked at me as if I was from outer space and said “Lady, you use the finger groove on the tank cover.” And sure enough when I went back to the car there was the groove on the tank cover that I had to pull open. Not used to this, all the cars I drive have the release button in the car.

So just something else to keep in mind if you are not a local USA resident.

Staying out of trouble

This is especially important if you are a visitor to the USA and not familiar with their road laws. Familiarize yourself with American road laws and be aware that those laws may change from one State to another so if you are crossing states, check the laws in both.

Points to check

What are the speed limits?
Do you understand the road markings and road signs?
What you need to do if there is an accident or emergency?
Some States require headlights or sidelights to be used at all times.
Most States require the driver (and front seat passenger) to wear a seat belt and for children in the back seat to wear seatbelts too.
Drinking and driving will get you a heavy fine or a prison sentence in all States.
Paying for ‘extras’

Read the rental agreement carefully to see what it includes and just as importantly, what it doesn’t include. Make sure that you have adequate insurance but don’t get so nervous about it that you end up with excess charges that are ridiculous.

You will need Public Liability and Personal Accident Insurance so check your own insurance policy before you rent to see whether it’s less expensive to extend your own policy for the duration of your trip rather than buy from the rental company.

Returning the car

Make sure that the agreed date of return is written on the rental policy so that there is no argument about it. Make sure that you leave adequate time to get the car back or you may have to pay for an extra day. Check to see what any penalties may be and then make sure that you avoid them!

Do your homework…

A little research and comparison can avoid a lot of disappointment and frustration. Be prepared to put in some time and effort before renting and then you should be assured a good experience. Happy driving!