Tips To Help Lower Your Car Rental Costs
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Renting a car used to be an easy and cost-efficient means of getting around while you travel. But have you seen how much car rental agencies charge these days? If you're paying your car rental bill out of your own pocket, you may feel like you're paying too much for convenience. With the rising price of fuel, it's understandable that car rental fees would charge a little more. But what about those hidden charges you see on your car rental bill? When look at you look at your car rental bill more closely, you'll see that these charges are so high, they amount to a big chunk of your bill.
Most car rental agencies won't tell you this, but most of those hidden charges are optional. You can save money by having them removed in your car rental bill. We'll show you what these hidden charges are, what they mean, and how you can talk your way out of them.
* When you want your rental car to be brought to you at the airport, you're going to have to pay for a hidden charge called Airport Taxes and Surcharges. Whenever a car rental agency brings a car to the airport, the airport management and the local government charge the agency concession fees and business taxes, respectively. The car rental company has to pay these charges so they can do business at the airport. Since it costs the company more to deliver a car to the airport, they charge you an extra 10% on you bill for that extra service.
To remove this from your bill, have your rental car bought at an off-airport location. If your airport or car rental agency has a free shuttle service, opt to have your car dropped off at any of the stops your shuttle has on-route.
* Collision Damage or Loss Damage Waiver is the extra $10-$25 you have to pay per day in order to avoid liability for any damage on your car rental, provided that the damage wasn't caused by gross negligence.
Since it's some form of insurance, you'd think it's a necessary expense. But for most people, a Loss Damage Waiver is unnecessary. That's because most car insurance and some credit card insurance cover collision damage on rental cars. Check your car insurance statement and see if it covers car rentals. If rental cars are part of the coverage, you can have the Loss Damage Waiver removed from you rental bill.
* At first glance, gasoline charges seem like a great idea. Imagine getting your rental car with a full tank. You don't need to stop by gas stations along the way and you can return the car with an empty tank if you want to.
But car rental companies know that most of their customers can't really use up a full tank of gas. They earn a profit because you're paying for fuel you didn't use and you can't get a refund. If you really want to save money, skip the gasoline charges and pass by the gas station. It's cheaper that way because you're only paying for the amount of fuel you need.
* A car rental company normally expects their customers to return their rental car from where it was taken. If you can't return your car back to the same place and you have to leave it elsewhere, you car rental company can charge you with drop-off fees. Drop-off fees vary, depending from state to state. If you're lucky, you leave your rental car in a place that doesn't charge drop-off fees. But most states do charge drop-off fees and some fees go for as high as $1,000.
If you want to avoid paying the drop-off fees, just return the car from where you got it or leave it in a place where there are no drop-off fees.
* Most people believe that by returning your rental car early would lower your car rental fees. What actually happens is that car rental companies would charge early return fees. These fees could cost you around $10 to $15 per day. Not only that, they may change your rental rate from a weekly rate to a daily rate, which could cost you hundreds of dollars. To avoid early return fees, just return your car on the date that was set on your rental policy.
Most of the hidden charges that car rental companies add to your bill are due to penalties for breaking your rental policy. This is why you should read and understand your rental policy before signing the contract. Ask your car rental company to make sure you have everything covered in your contract. By knowing everything there is to know about your policy, you'll be able to avoid any penalties and keep your car rental costs at a minimum.
Article Source: Articlelogy.com
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