First Time Car Renter - Any Tips?

Wow, I used to live in Spartanburg several years ago... nice place.

We spend about $1000 a month on rental cars for our company. Thankfully, I have a corporate account and I do save a little.

Here are our tips.....

Avoid all the extras of the special insurances. If you have good coverage on your own auto policies, they will cover you... the car rental one is a waste of $$, basically double covering you and you pay at least $10-$15 a day for it. Your credit card company also provides some insurance.

Make sure you check and double check for Unlimited miles.

Also, some rentals are not allowed to go across certain state lines... That mistake cost hubby a small fortune years ago.. it was something we never thought to ask.

Make sure you drop off a the same location where you pick up the car or there can be extra charges.

Are you driving on any toll roads? Most toll roads are now cash free and it just tracks your tag number. You have no option to stop and pay the toll. When you go through the tolls, the rental company is charged the toll then they pass it on to you with administrative fees.. A $1 toll can easily be $7 EACH. We have taken the option for the toll pass when renting in FL which made things a lot easier and cheaper.

If you have an IPhone or smart phone... you don't need the GPS

Make sure you look at the car carefully before you leave for any damage, etc. Note ANY and ALL damage in writing with the agent. Alamo tried to charge hubby for some bumper damage that he did not do, he had pointed it out to them when he got the car.

If by chance you get a red light ticket, they will send the ticket to you and they also charge administrative fees.

We usually prepay for the gas at a reasonable price vs rushing to fill up just before our return because we are usually trying to catch a flight, etc. if you prepay you can get a fair deal but if you take it back on empty, you will get a big zinger on your bill.

Depending on the mood of the agent and your demeanor.. it is easy to get a free upgrade or free day.

Just read the contract carefully and be smart about it.

Good luck and have fun.

As mentioned, check with your insurance company to make sure the rental is covered (it probably is with your full coverage). Their insurance is expensive and they are commissioned for the upswell of this. They will try to scare the pants of you in order to buy it.

Don't buy their gas on return of the vehicle, it's always much more expensive.

When you rent the car they are going to offer you extra insurance to cover the car. It isn't very much, but it does make the overall cost go up. Before you rent, talk to YOUR car insurance company see what is covered. If you don't have rental car coverage, then you need to be sure to buy this extra insurance, but if you already have it, then you don't need to pay for it twice.

Gas and mileage are going to be the two things that are going to eat into your budget, so plan for those and then give yourself a cushion for extra driving. There is nothing worse than being on vacation and not being able to go anywhere because you don't want to put extra miles on the rental car. Or, some places will even include free mileage, and this might be the best way to go; I always try for it if I can.

Oh, most won't let you bring any animals in the car so if you are planning on bringing Fido with you, double check with the rental company first.

Good job on picking a vacation and being adverturous! Have fun.

Ask your agent if you are covered in a rental.
If so, decline the rental insurance.
When returning the vehicle, make sure to fill fuel to the level it was when you got the car. (It will be on your paperwork.)
If you don't, they charge you like a bazillion dollars per gallon to do it for you.
Before taking the vehicle, make sure the agent notes any dings, etc so the are not charged to you.

Make sure your rate includes unlimited miles.

When you get to the car rental place, check the car for any damage inside and out and document it on the card they give you (sometimes they do it with you, or in advance and you double check).

Call your insurance company first to make sure you're covered - if you're fully covered in a rental there is no reason to pay for the extra (LDW etc) options they give you. Those options aren't really "insurance" but they sometimes try to push it on you.

If you're going on a lot of toll roads I like to ask for EZ pass / plate pass / sun pass (whatever it's called where you'll be). I prefer to pay the $2.95 fee and then tolls get billed right to my card - so I don't have to stop and pay cash.

I always choose to fill up on gas before returning the car. Purchasing a full tank ahead of time is too much guesswork for me!

Have fun :)

Make sure you know where the gas tank release door is located!!! I have a rental car right now, because mine is in the bodyshop being fixed...and just today, I went to the gas station. It took me 5 minutes to find the release button!!

The biggies for me (particularly in your scenario) would be to check the mileage and crossing state line limitations. Some have unlimited mileage, but only if you state within the state, for example. So verify exactly what their policy is for the vehicle you are renting. They may have other options at different rental rates on the same vehicle, but you need to confirm what your rental contract allows.

Also, check with your own car insurance company about coverage pertaining to a rental vehicle. If you use a credit card to rent the vehicle, you may also have some automatic coverage there... so call your company/ies and find out before you agree to pay extra for the coverage provided by the rental agency.

And yes, ask about secondary drivers. Some charge a fee to add drivers, some may not, if it is a spouse. So ask in advance so you know what you can do. If you don't have other drivers specified on the rental contract, and an accident should occur while the someone else is driving, the insurance may not cover damages.

Look the car over good for any existing dings, dents, or significant scratches and make a note of them when checking out the car. Some rental agencies are picky about them and others are not as much. If they don't have a place for you to mark it down when you check out the car, then consider taking some pics or something just to cover yourself. I personally haven't had an issue, but I know of someone who got charged for a door ding (which to me seems like normal wear and tear anyway).

Consider what you want to do about the gas in the car. Some places will let you pre-pay for gas and then you don't have to fill up before you return the car. But if you don't bring the car back empty, it's usually not worth it. If you do the gas yourself, you need to fill up relatively close to the rental agency. I have been dinged for gas (issues when I tried to fill up myself) and it is costly.

The one thing they will try to sell you on is insurance. Check with your current car insurance and see what they cover if you damage a rental car. There are different levels of insurance, but all add significant per-day cost. But if you don't want to worry about damaging the car, you will need to decided if the cost per day vs the risk of damaging the car is worth it to you.

Another thing rental car agencies may charge extra for is an additional driver. Some allow married couples for free, but not all do. Some allow additional drivers that have AAA for free.

Make sure that the place you are renting through does not have limits on total mileage or traveling in certain areas. It's more rare now that a place will put a limit on the miles per day but I have seen some companies restrict it as part of a special deal. Also, I've rented where they have told me I can only stay within the state (or one of two states), so if you will be traveling across states, make sure that is not an issue.

I usually try to request a newer or lower mileage car (and non-smoking) when I get there. If there is anything about the car they give you that you do not like (smell, dirty on the inside), then go back in and request another car. If they are booked up, you may be out of luck but it's worth a try.

Several folks have given you some great advice. Here is a few other points to consider. You need to make sure that your drivers' licenses are current and that you have a copy of your car insurance coverage with you. See what your policy says about covering a rental car. Also check with your major credit cards - some of those provide rental coverage, too. Look for coupons with the company you have chosen to go with. Even if you have a corporate rate, they may upgrade you to a higher grade car. I always bring my GPS when I am renting a car. Are you traveling with kiddos? -bring their car seats with you instead of renting and let them help you install them safely and then you check them. Have fun on your trip!