Although renting a vehicle offers certain advantages, it also comes with potential disadvantages that you need to consider before signing anything. Otherwise, if you are not careful, you might end up spending more money than you have originally bargained for. With this in mind, when you are looking around for a car rental deal, make sure to avoid the following mistakes:
Paying the Rental Company Full Price
When you are reading through the details of your car rental agreement, it is extremely easy to just be focused on how much you have to pay every month. However, it’s very crucial to look at the bigger picture. For instance, if the rental company wants to charge you full price right off the bat, you might not be able to save that much money after all. Getting several hundred to a thousand off the full price could make a significant difference in the amount of money you’ll need to pay over the rental term.
Purchasing Additional Insurance You Don’t Really Need
If you already have an auto insurance policy in Charlotte, North Carolina, it probably covers personal liability and collision damage for temporary rental car use, but not for a truck, though. If you’ll be using your credit card for booking your rental car, it might offer secondary collision coverage. This coverage can be used for anything that your personal insurance can’t cover so that you won’t have to pay the deductible. So make sure to check that before you pay for extra insurance offered by the rental company. However, if you don’t have auto insurance or if you are worried about your current premium increasing in the event that you need to file an auto insurance claim, it might be a good idea to buy insurance from the rental company.
Keeping the Vehicle for Too Long
Ideally, renting should be a short-term arrangement, which means that if you are signing a rental agreement for three years or more, for instance, you might end up biting more than you can chew. In general, rental agreements involve a warranty that covers a predetermined amount of miles. Basically, if you have a longer rental term, you will need to pay for repairs or maintenance work that the warranty won’t cover when it expires.
Not Paying Enough Attention to Mileage
When you sign your rental agreement, you will discuss the number of miles you can put on your rental vehicle. Mileage is usually capped between 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year. In the event that you go over the mileage limit, you will be charged for each excess mile. Depending on the rental company, you could be charged up to 25 cents for every excess mile.
Not Fully Understanding the Fine Print
A rental car agreement is a contract. As with any contract, you have to read fully understand the terms and conditions before signing it. Put simply, know everything there is to know about the contract before driving off with your rental car.
Yes, rental cars do offer convenience. You just need to be aware of the potential pitfalls that come with it so that you can take a more informed and prepared approach when working out the rental agreement.