Hiring a vehicle is very common in many countries around the globe. It has actively developed in recent years, but still has some specific features everyone should be aware of.
Car rental, perhaps, appeared at the dawn of motorization in the most "motorized" country — the United States of America. Long distances between crucial spots and poorly developed systems of public transportation gave fertile ground for the emergence of a huge number of rental offices. These days they include small local companies as well as top-notch behemoths with branches in Europe and some other world countries.
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In fact, car rental is a perfect choice for a traveler or a business person who wants to rationalize the time spent in the country as much as possible. However, rental schemes vary even within different companies, not to mention countries.
Most rental agencies in Europe and the USA offer a large fleet of vehicles for an hour- or day- fixed payment. There are also options like Dubai cheap car rental monthly. In this case, you can order a car remotely, paying the bill by credit card.
By the way, a number of rental companies can block a rather tidy sum on the card account, which is considered a deposit for the car usage period. Earlier such practice was typical for any car rental, but now it works, as a rule, when renting luxury cars.
All in all, a person arriving in another country or city could contact the company providing car rental services in advance, discuss the terms and make the payment. Upon arrival, access to the desired vehicle could be near the airport or train station.
Pitfalls
Of course, this scheme is very convenient and may seem completely transparent. But the reality makes some adjustments, due to which the person wishing to rent a car should remember about a number of pitfalls that may follow this procedure.
We have already mentioned the possible deposit, but the car rental agreement demands careful attention. So, in many firms, especially in Russia, there is a restriction on the daily mileage. Moreover, there are different rates for local and long-distance trips, which is also desirable to take into consideration beforehand.
The point is that an omitted clause in the contract can result in serious extra costs. For example, if you violate the mileage limit, you are charged an extremely high failure penalty for every kilometer driven over the limit. It is especially important to pay attention to this if you plan to travel by rental car to other cities. An important aspect of renting a car is to thoroughly study the insurance conditions of the vehicle against traffic accidents, as well as causing minor damages.
Before renting a car, it is better to inspect it carefully in advance and ask to document the details of any scratches or scuffs. Otherwise, it may easily turn out that rental providers can try to charge you for the damage already existing on the car. The same goes for the condition of the interior. If you see burned covers or fluid stains, feel free to demand their documentation. The same refers to the level of operational fluids. The significant nuance is also the filling of the car. It is better to find out in advance if you need to pass the car to the office with a full tank or not. As a rule, if the car is not fuelled initially it is worth raising this question and in case there is a necessity of "the last refueling" to demand a fully fuelled vehicle.
Many companies offer luxury cars only with a driver, and the cost of this hourly work is added to the rental price. Therefore, it is desirable to specify this information in advance, since the data may be different in advertising and not reflect all the factors.
Wrap up
By being familiar with these simple rules, it would be much easier to make the right car choice and not be forced to pay a fortune. However, the development of the rentals and the emergence of harsh competition in this market forces most offices to play by the European rules. But even this practice should not deprive citizens of accuracy in matters of documentation and clarification of all conditions.