Ways to Save Money on a Car Rental

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Ways to Save Money on a Car Rental

Posted On : Apr-29-2010 | seen (754) times | Article Word Count : 631 |

Car rental agencies make a great deal of money at the rental counter. By understanding what the optional charges are and how to avoid them, one can save a great deal of money.

There are some basic techniques that individuals can use at the counter to save money on car rentals. Regardless of how good a job one does of booking the reservation, avoiding unnecessary charges at the counter can generate significant savings on any rental car.

The most important tip is to never buy unnecessary coverages. Almost anyone who carries full coverage on their insurance policy, which is defined as liability PLUS collision and comprehensive coverage, can safely decline the Collision or Loss Damage Waiver policies. These policies, which can cost as much as $25.00 per day, are significant sources of profit for car rental agencies. The agency will frequently attempt to sell you additional coverage, such as personal liability coverage, or medical coverage. Again, most people’s insurance policies provide these coverages. Finally, these coverages are also frequently unnecessary because many credit cards also provide insurance which will serve as secondary to the auto policy. Please note that many counter employees will use a number of hard seller techniques to convince the renter to accept these usually unnecessary services.

Upgraded cars can frequently be had for free or for very low cost at the counter. The wise renter will book the least expensive car that will meet their needs, unless upgraded cars are very inexpensive at the time of booking, and work it out at the counter. Rental services are required to honor a reservation with a car at or above the level originally rented at the reserved price. Because of this, one can frequently be upgraded at no cost to a larger car although the agency will frequently fight this. Another strategy to get a significantly upgraded car is to simply ask. Given a good attitude and a friendly clerk, one may be able to rent a Mercedes for an extra $30 per day instead of the extra $115 per day that it would have cost on the website.

Extra equipment is also a major profit center for a rental car agency. At $10 per day, a GPS rental can get very expensive over the course of a 7 day vacation. Instead of spending $70 to rent a GPS, one can purchase a lightly used GPS unit on eBay for well under $50.00. After the vacation, one can resell it on eBay for, likely, the same price, or hold on to it for future car rentals. The same applies for car seat rentals and any other equipment that the rental agency may want to tack on.

One add-on that may make sense is purchasing a full tank of fuel at the time of rental. This is not as good a deal as the rental agency may make it seem because even if the car is returned on the E, there is likely 1-3 gallons of fuel remaining, and most people do not even run the car down that far. Saving a few pennies a gallon is nothing compared to paying for unused gasoline. That being said, if one tends to run late, or if there is no gas station convenient to the rental agency, wasting $10-20 on prepaid gas may be worth it for the peace of mind. In some markets, though, where there is a gas station that is convenient to rental agencies, it rarely makes sense to purchase the fuel. Honolulu and San Diego are both examples of markets where gasoline is readily available.

Renting a car should be an exciting part of a vacation. After all, it gives most travelers the opportunity to drive a newer automobile than usual, and it is usually the last stop on the way out of the airport complex. Keeping a level head can ensure that it is not the most economically wasteful part of a vacation as well.

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<h1>Ways to Save Money on a Car Rental</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Drake Crossland.aspx'>Drake Crossland</a> There are some basic techniques that individuals can use at the counter to save money on car rentals. Regardless of how good a job one does of booking the reservation, avoiding unnecessary charges at the counter can generate significant savings on any rental car.

The most important tip is to never buy unnecessary coverages. Almost anyone who carries full coverage on their insurance policy, which is defined as liability PLUS collision and comprehensive coverage, can safely decline the Collision or Loss Damage Waiver policies. These policies, which can cost as much as $25.00 per day, are significant sources of profit for car rental agencies. The agency will frequently attempt to sell you additional coverage, such as personal liability coverage, or medical coverage. Again, most people’s insurance policies provide these coverages. Finally, these coverages are also frequently unnecessary because many credit cards also provide insurance which will serve as secondary to the auto policy. Please note that many counter employees will use a number of hard seller techniques to convince the renter to accept these usually unnecessary services.

Upgraded cars can frequently be had for free or for very low cost at the counter. The wise renter will book the least expensive car that will meet their needs, unless upgraded cars are very inexpensive at the time of booking, and work it out at the counter. Rental services are required to honor a reservation with a car at or above the level originally rented at the reserved price. Because of this, one can frequently be upgraded at no cost to a larger car although the agency will frequently fight this. Another strategy to get a significantly upgraded car is to simply ask. Given a good attitude and a friendly clerk, one may be able to rent a Mercedes for an extra $30 per day instead of the extra $115 per day that it would have cost on the website.

Extra equipment is also a major profit center for a rental car agency. At $10 per day, a GPS rental can get very expensive over the course of a 7 day vacation. Instead of spending $70 to rent a GPS, one can purchase a lightly used GPS unit on eBay for well under $50.00. After the vacation, one can resell it on eBay for, likely, the same price, or hold on to it for future car rentals. The same applies for car seat rentals and any other equipment that the rental agency may want to tack on.

One add-on that may make sense is purchasing a full tank of fuel at the time of rental. This is not as good a deal as the rental agency may make it seem because even if the car is returned on the E, there is likely 1-3 gallons of fuel remaining, and most people do not even run the car down that far. Saving a few pennies a gallon is nothing compared to paying for unused gasoline. That being said, if one tends to run late, or if there is no gas station convenient to the rental agency, wasting $10-20 on prepaid gas may be worth it for the peace of mind. In some markets, though, where there is a gas station that is convenient to rental agencies, it rarely makes sense to purchase the fuel. Honolulu and San Diego are both examples of markets where gasoline is readily available.

Renting a car should be an exciting part of a vacation. After all, it gives most travelers the opportunity to drive a newer automobile than usual, and it is usually the last stop on the way out of the airport complex. Keeping a level head can ensure that it is not the most economically wasteful part of a vacation as well.About the Author: To rent a car and for more information, please visit <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thrifty.com.au/">airport car hire</a> and <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thrifty.com.au/australia/nsw-car-hire/sydney-and-surrounds/">car rental Sydney</a>.
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Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_Ways to Save Money on a Car Rental_17491.aspx

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To rent a car and for more information, please visit airport car hire and car rental Sydney.

Keywords : car rental, rental agency, save money, agencies, vacation,

Category : Travel and Leisure : Cars

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