Consumer Suggestions to Avoid Car Rental Surcharges
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) May 9, 2009
An associate at Car Rental 8 recently ran across an excellent article titled “Tire fee? Beware of new car rental surcharges.” The article was written by Christopher Elliott who wrote on behalf of the National Geographic Traveler Magazine and originally appeared on MSNBC.com and CNN International. In the article, Christopher highlight s several ways that car rental companies are trying to recoup their down sales by taking advantage of consumers through car rental surcharges and other creative “fees.” Fees that may suspiciously find their way on your ticket could include car rental surcharges like:
A fee for something you’ve already paid for in the car rental
A fee for something that should come with the car rental (a tire fee -really give me break?)
Surcharge on surcharges for the car rental
The stadium tax
Extra driver fees for the car rental
Car Rental 8 would like to help car rental consumers make sure they don’t get taken advantage of by the car rental companies by offering a few simple tactical suggestions:
(1) All Inclusive. When reserving a car outside the US, avoid surcharges by making sure that the car rental is all-inclusive. Even though online car rental websites advertise cheap rates, the lowest rates may not include coverage like Collision Damage Waiver (CDW), Theft Protection, and all local taxes and fees.
(2) Know the Fuel Policy. Avoid a fuel surcharge by reviewing the car rental fuel policy of the company. Some companies have a full-empty policy and require you to buy a tank of fuel and return the car empty. Usually the fuel costs a little more and the rates are posted at the desk for your reference. However, if you are traveling on business or managing the kids on vacation, returning a rental car empty may be very convenient. Upon return, have the person checking the car back in give you a copy of the receipt and have them mark ENC (empty no charge) and initial next to the fuel level to insure you are not charged.
(3) Understand the Cancellation Policy. Check the cancellation policy before booking to avoid car rental surcharges. Bookings can usually be cancelled within 24-48 hours of placing the reservation free of charge. Furthermore, cancellation fees may be higher if cancelled within 48 hours of your pickup date. If you have found a great price, but have not confirmed your travel yet, look for the option of a cancellation protection fee. The fee is usually a percent of the car rental, and if you have a costly rental, may be worth the insurance to avoid unexpected surcharges.
(4) Additional Driver Considerations. If you have additional car rental drivers, consider the Gold or Platinum packages a company may offer. They sometimes cover the initial tank of fuel and additional drivers. For example, you pick up a rental car for three days and have two drivers and only plan to use one tank of fuel. The cost of the fuel and driver surcharges may be greater than taking the company package.
(5) Don’t Be Timid. Unfortunately, car rental surcharges at the rental desk may be unavoidable. Protect yourself by asking up front what the additional surcharges are before taking the keys. Do not be timid about confirming with the agent that there will be no other surcharges other than the ones you have been informed of.
Please visit us online at http://www.CarRental8.com to get more great tips, compare major car rental companies, and even get free car rental quotes.
About Car Rental 8:
Car Rental 8 allows you compare rates of many major car rental companies. Car Rental 8 offers you an all-inclusive car rental arrangement in 125 countries and at 17,000 locations worldwide. Our relationships with the leading car rental companies worldwide guarantee you the best all-inclusive rates, a wide selection of vehicles, and a high level of customer service.
Contact:
Marshall Slaton, Director of Operations
Car Rental 8
877-868-2278
mslaton (at) CarRental8 (dot) com
http://www.CarRental8.com
Related Content:
Click here for Christopher Elliot’s full article on CNN International which can be found at: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/traveltips/05/05/rental.car.fees/
Click here for other related car rental articles on SmartBrief which can be found at:
http://www.smartbrief.com/news/asta/storyDetails.jsp?issueid=645F8DA7-1664-486E-82EF-8FF753524308©id=35E61FA4-7C1A-4F2A-949C-8B5693944351
# # #