Vehicle rental is no exception to the rule: between the extensive networks and the “low cost” rental companies, the price war is raging! With the Internet as a backdrop. Here are good ways to find the best price in all situations.
Compare the included mileage and the insurance price
When spring comes, there are more opportunities to rent a car for a weekend or a week. Question: who is the cheapest rental company? It is not always easy to navigate the packages, the daily prices, the multiple insurances, and the various supplements. The price list applicable for a vehicle over a fixed period, regardless of the day of reservation and the rental period, is no longer the rule.
The prices make a big difference.
As in air transport or the hotel industry, the time has come for “yield management” or “real-time pricing.” In other words, the higher the demand, the higher the tariffs.
And they can vary upwards or downwards, depending on the date of the booking, the rental period, or the agency concerned. Also, there is a variation in prices over time: the closer the rental period is, the fewer cars left available, and the more the prices increase. The direct consequence for the customer: renting as far as possible remains the best way to find the desired car at the best price. Otherwise, if you rent during off-peak periods, it is always possible to negotiate. Any rental company aiming to keep its fleet of cars running as much as possible, you can obtain a 5 to 10% discount or a free upgrade from your agency: a family car for the price of a compact, for example. Certain agencies, such as those of the Ada network, sometimes offer their regular customers a weekend at a discounted price, always preferable for the operator to immobilization the vehicle.
Internet: the most exciting sales channel.
To reserve your vehicle, do not look for the nearest agency: the Internet has become the most exciting sales channel for individuals.
In addition to the rental companies’ sites themselves, you can go through service sites such as Carlay Car Rental to rent a car in Karachi. These are intermediaries who negotiate prices with specific rental companies and bill the customer for the service. The rental contract is being signed with the rental company on the day the vehicle is collected. This solution makes it possible to compare several brands – with which a commercial agreement bounds the intermediary and quickly finds the best price. However, the rates are not necessarily cheaper than renting directly from a network, and the name of the rental company is not always known before settling the bill.
Another way to lower the bill: loyalty cards specific to each network. Many companies or works councils also provide their employees free of charge. If you are not in this case, you can acquire an individual one. An Avis Club card, billed at$45 on the Internet and$55 at a branch, offers, for example, reductions of around 30% on weekends and 15% for a week. Valid for two years, it is amortized from the second rental weekend. An additional advantage of this card: second driver insurance and the child seat option are free. However, this system has the drawback of linking you, a priori, to a single network. Simultaneously, the competition prices can be more competitive at specific periods, even taking into account the reduction. These discounts most often apply to the fees charged in branches and are not always sufficient to lower them to the level of prices charged on the Internet.
Watch out for additional fees.
Often, the advertised rental price does not match the bill you will pay. Incidental expenses are thus responsible for any slippages. In principle, they appear in the price information documents of the lessors, available in the agencies, but not always in full on the Internet. Count from 25$to 40$per rental to benefit from a baby or child seat (booster seat). If you rent regularly, the purchase of a car seat (around 150 $) can quickly pay off. In winter, if you go to the mountains, the equipment “chains and ski racks” will cost you between 25$and 40$for the duration of the rental. If you take the “snow tires” option, then count between$20 and$30 per day. Be careful if you want a second driver to take the wheel: it will cost you from 25$to 35$per rental. Note: Ada sets itself apart from its competitors by allowing three drivers to be declared at no additional cost.
On the other hand, a young driver (under 25) is always surcharged, regardless of the number of years of license: 34.70$/ day at Hertz, for example. In terms of supplements, also count those payable at stations and airports (25$at Avis, for example). Finally, any rental is understood to be for a car with a full fuel tank. You must therefore return it in the same condition. Otherwise, the lessor will invoice you for the missing fuel at an exorbitant price: from$1.40 to$2 per liter, against$1 to$1.20 on average at the pump (diesel or unleaded);
No rental without a bank card.
Another critical point: the amount of the insurance excess remaining payable by the tenant in the event of theft or accident. The solution? Or take out a deductible buy-back insurance billed, for example,$14.90 per rental day from Hertz with the “Comfort pack” for a small car. Either pay for your rental with a Visa Premier or Infinite, MasterCard Gold or Platinum Card, or American Express Gold or Platinum, allowing you to benefit from the total redemption of deductibles. In this case, you will be covered, even with a lessor like Ada, which does not allow the deductible to be reduced to$0 in the event of a claim. However, you should read the insurance conditions carefully. For example, with a Visa Premier, you are only covered for 31 days per rental, you must drive the vehicle yourself, and no more than two claims per year will be compensated. The rental of luxury vehicles, 4x4s, or utility vehicles over 8 m3 is excluded from your payment card’s insurance. You then have no choice but to subscribe to the one offered by the lessor. Also, even in the event of redemption of the excess by your card, costs may remain at your expense, such as file costs in the event of a claim ($ 59.80 at Ada), covered by MasterCard up to a limit of$70, but not at all by Visa.
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