Things to Know about Self Drive Car Rentals

There has been a sudden demand for renting cars which is rising particularly from the residential areas either with people not owning a car or with limited number of vehicles. It is more prevalent around locations away from the airport as it seems to be more convenient for commutation to both city locations and outskirts. Numerous car rental companies have emerged over the years. Car rentals have become easier with various car categories breakdown along with full vehicle fleet guides to help people make their choice.

Consumers can personalize their drive and ensure that it is comfortable, safe and fun with added features like a navigation system, winter tyres and baby car seats. Apart from this there are other features such as flexible rental terms. In such a case a person can enjoy his freedom and peace of mind by including features such as unlimited miles; sometimes a second driver and can also extend his insurance package. All this is generally useful when it comes to a self-drive car rental.

Self-Driven Car Rental Companies

With the advent of various car rental companies across Britain, people have the scope to choose either a small town car, with automatic or manual gears, or bigger options for the need to transport a good number of people and other commodities for that matter. The entire process of renting cars too have simplified over time. With a simple click on the various links available over the internet, bookings can be made easily over time.

There is numerous online reservation systems have emerged making it easier and extremely consumer friendly and convenient. All of this has enabled consumers to compare prices and select the best suitable offer to avail off. Various online communities allow users to directly contact drivers or car rental agencies to rent their cars safely and derive money in the process.

There are numerous online apps available too to help people choose the cars and the schemes all the more easily for self-drive car rental.

Renting Cars for a Self-Drive Experience

There are numerous benefits of renting a car and driving it yourself. The below mentioned pointers shall prove the same.

1.      Lesser responsibility attached towards the car.

2.      You can have a temporary sense of ownership over cars that you otherwise would not have thought of owning.

3.      Depending on your needs you can choose from the variety of cars on hire.

4.      Sometimes in case the driving experience is good you may think of purchasing the car as well.

5.      Freedom of driving as per your convenience without being time bound.

6.      An experience to drive through the roads.

7.      Experience local cultures.

8.      Easy mode of booking and payment.

9.      Lesser dependency on a driver.

10.  You will have a varied driving exposure.

Tip to Help You Choose Your Car Rental Company for Self-Driven Service

The rising need to rent a car has evolved out of people Frustrated of standing in queues to avail public transport. There have been numerous situations where you have an important meeting and you have no idea when will the bus or taxis arrive. In this case you have two options, either asking a friend to drop you at the office or better hire a car.

Yes, car rentals have made life easier for many people, who have to commute on a regular basis. However it is always advised that you should do your homework while choosing from the various service providers available. While renting a car, you will need to make certain decisions, including whom to rent your car from, what kind of car to get, where to pick it up from and what is the best price to avail off. Here are certain tips that can help you in making a decision to choose a car for rent, mainly for a self-drive car rental.

1.      Visit the company always. While making your research and agreeing on a particular company for hiring a car it is always important that you personally go and visit their nearest branch.  In case you happen to speak to the customer care executive upfront and clarify all your doubts you shall be in a better position to decide.  Evaluate your requirement and discuss all the terms to be clarified to you.

2.       If you come across the customer care executive to be friendly and he has explained you not only the terms but the value added offerings too that you are entitled to get, you can make your decision to go for it. While dealing with cases of trouble a replacement car is likely to be sent across to you, in case you choose a well renowned company to hire the car from.

3.      Car rental agencies offer a wide range of cars that vary in size and type. The rental fees would vary depending upon the type of cars that you choose. Compact cars are the cheapest and luxury cars like convertibles, sedans are expensive. It is advised to choose a car depending upon your travelling needs. Try and understand why you need to hire a car firstly.

4.      In case you are going on a family vacation, choose a compact car that can comfortably accommodate a family of 6 or hire a 15 passenger van if you are opting for a large group to travelling together with or in cases where you may have lot of luggage. Self-drive car rentals can be due to various reasons. Not only can you hire a car for vacations, you can hire cars for business purposes, daily commuting and even for special occasions like weddings, anniversaries, dates and other similar events.

5.      Generally Cancellation requests are entertained within 48 hours, in case of most rental companies. However you need to know that you cannot ask for refund of the rental service cost.  In case of Situations where the entire amount was on a prepaid term, the company from which you have hired the car has rights to deduct off the amount equivalent to a sum of 3 days charge and card processing fees.

6.      Most of the time, a card processing fee come under the nonrefundable price. Although protection of cancellation assures the consumer that the entire sum of money paid for the booking of the car shall be refunded back in case of a self-driven car rental, however the amount that is paid for the cancellation protection and the credit card is not included.

7.      You should always opt out for paying an upfront fee for renting cars.  In such cases if you happen to pay for the entire fees upfront most likely you shall end up getting a discount and paying for generally the amount that was told to you.  In this way it shall prevent you from an overseas transaction fee on your credit card.

8.      In case you are purchasing a collision damage waiver as insurance most likely it would be cheaper in case you pay upfront. Also it has been seen that there are typically a lot of conditions when it comes to cancelling the transaction. In such cases be wary of the cancellation fee and unless you are sure of the company’s cancellation policy, you should only then take your decision for a self-driven car rental.

9.      Hiring a car can be beneficial in many situations but you have to be very careful, so that you are not taken for a ride by the rental agency. Most of these rental agencies generally advertise low rental fees and cheat people by adding all kinds of hidden costs to the final rental bill to make a hefty amount.

10.  Along with all the other car rental traps, the administration fees can end up making your entire travelling experience bitter. So research properly in order to avoid bad experiences. Thus you should be aware of the situations where you can be made to pay the administration fees without your knowledge.

11.   It is necessary for you to understand that you are not making a decision to rent a car out of impulse. Be aware of your requirements and the purpose behind the decision. Situations where you take an irrational decision, chances are that you miss out on checking vital information which includes the condition of the car, the insurance coverage and receipts of insurance premium payments, so on and so forth.

12.  While you are in the process of decision making always check through the condition of the car not only the exterior but the interior engine conditions as well. You can also take along an expert in cars who would be in a better position to judge the working condition of the car. Get all the paperwork thoroughly checked in by your lawyer. Test driving a car is also a good method of evaluation.

13.  All information which is pertaining to credit card and other related details are governed under the protection of personal data law. In case of service requests not honored between the agent and the consumer, the agent is responsible only for a limited liability for the amount accountable for agent commission and no other services.

14.  In most cases of a self-driven car rental the agent is not responsible for reimbursement of already paid up expenses. While making a reservation, a token amount needs to be paid for initiation of the process with the rest of the balance payable at the point of delivery. However in some cases the entire amount needs to be paid off early with additional amounts payable at service delivery on account of extra fuel or kilometers travelled.

15.  Always undertake a necessary background verification of the company from which you are hiring the car for a self-driven car rental. There are numerous cases of fraud reported and such things should be taken guard against. The common trait of such fraud companies is they generally opt out for a prepaid model and consumers will mandatorily have to make the entire payment before taking the car on rent.

16.   In prepaid models you have to be utterly careful in cases as vital information like that of your credit/debit card details are revealed to the company. Hence make sure you take cars from established and proper firms, as it might so happen that your money will go down the drain and you may not find the car you were looking forward to hire. Always look for companies that are reputed and have been in existence for quite some time.

17.  You can, of course, hire a car to drive yourself while in Britain; though for most visitors this would be an unwise choice. For visitors, a car in Britain is more of a hindrance than a help.  Driving and parking can be challenging, so make sure you know where you are going or can read a map on the go!  Make sure you budget in fuel and the Congestion Charge for driving in Central London. This fee is £11.50

18.  Parking can be a bit exciting, double parking is illegal where you can expect to be towed away and always be sure you pay your parking fee. It so happens that in some streets, you must pay by phone, rather than at a meter.  There are also parking garages (car parks) where you pay an hourly rate to park your car.

19.  Most car hire companies require a valid driver's license and a passport for ID, as well as a credit card that is embossed.  There are many places you can find an affordable car to hire in London. As always, check the fine print on your rental agreement and always drive safely. Majorly all companies offer a membership loyalty scheme. This offers members to gather discount points for every service they avail. Such instances enable users to avail of the discount within a time period that they wish too.

20.  Generally while making a reservation, a token amount needs to be paid for initiation of the process with the rest of the balance payable at the point of delivery. However in some cases the entire amount needs to be paid off early with additional amounts payable at service delivery on account of extra fuel or kilometers travelled. In case of service requests not honored between the agent and the consumer, the agent is responsible only for a limited liability for the amount accountable for agent commission and no other services. In most cases the agent is not responsible for reimbursement of already paid up expenses.

21.  You should avoid paying for additional insurance coverage which is just not required at all. In cases you happen to make your payment from a credit card, it will automatically pay in for anything that your personal policy does not cover. At the same time you would not have to pay for the deductibles too. Hence check through all insurance policies so that you can decline to take additional ones.

22.  Unless specifically requested, rented cars will usually have a manual transmission with stick shift, or gear lever. They will run on unleaded petrol or diesel. You should never fill up a diesel car with unleaded or vice-versa as doing this is will cause major engine malfunctions and the engine will probably not start at all. Usually city diesel will be more expensive than unleaded at the pumps, but a diesel car is generally more fuel efficient. So choose a diesel car over a petrol one for self-driven car rentals particularly if your car would be used for long distance travels.

23.  In case of self-driven car rentals, when you drive through Central London, you'll have to pay the Congestion Charge whether you're in a hire car or your own vehicle. One way to avoid the congestion charge is by driving an electric car. Electric Cars are available to hire across London from lots of car rental companies. In addition to the obvious environmental advantages, electric cars can cost less compared to the cost of hiring a normal car, when you take into account the savings that are possible on fuel, parking and congestion zone charges.

24.  Residents or longer-stay visitors who wish to drive regularly might consider joining a car club. Car clubs give you access to a car when you need it, for a fraction of the cost of owning and running your own vehicle. With car club membership, you can access numerous vehicles located in most London areas. Members need to pre-book the car club car for a time period – anything from a few hours to several days and then pay fixed charges based on how long the vehicle was in use, mileage or petrol.

25.  Book your car in advance. Rental rates are almost always higher at the counter than they will be over the phone or online, even just 24 hours before you take the car on rent. While opting for a self-driven car rental make all car rental arrangements, from booking to payment, before you leave your home country. Doing it this way generally makes the process cheaper, easier, safer and less likely to include hidden clauses. Once you are overseas, shifting exchange rates, unfamiliar rental specs, language barriers and other cultural differences can cause unexpected problems.

Which Company to Choose From?

Companies offering to hire cars are available as a standalone company located at various places or near airports. There are also various outlets available, hence consumers can book cars from whichever place they are in. Most of us start our search on a travel booking site like that Expedia. However it is but natural that you might like to determine which company’s offer involves the best combination of rates with the fees and the extras that you are looking for. Even though such information is available over the internet it is easier to make a phone call to get all your questions answered. They offer quick fix solution to people who either do not own a car, or temporarily want a substitute for their primary car or may rent a car just for the purpose of exploring places. These companies offer to rent cars solely for the purpose of business and generally do not wish to offer cars on sale.

There are numerous companies available of which Yes Car Rentals offer the best solution to your needs for a self-drive car rental. It is a one stop solution for all hiring needs for cars with friendly and reliable service. It has a wide range of offers daily to choose from with a minimum locking period of 28 days for hiring a car. With a wide fleet of cars available for hire, it has deals and offers to suit the need and budget of all. It gives the option to young drivers at the age of 21 to rent cars. This is one of its most unique offerings. It mainly aims to provide service to one and all.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Renting Cars

People usually commit mistakes when they hire a vehicle for touring because they are not aware of the negative points that can happen because of such deals. For availing these facilities it is necessary to be smart and careful otherwise car rental companies can make you suffer by their cleaver deals. Listed below are some of the common mistakes that needs to be taken care of while opting for a self-drive car rental service-

1.      Booking through a disreputable company-These days many Internet booking sites are simply affiliate agents for the big brands. That's not such a bad thing because they can compare deals, but make sure they support you with reliable customers services. Check to see if they have properly published business registration details or customers services that are available 24/7. Hence always do your homework properly.

2.      Hidden costs-You've seen it before, that while booking flights or other transport at rock bottom rates only to discover that the price nearly doubles by the time you get to pay. Be wary of overly cheap deals, and mistrustful of sites that are constantly adding on extras that you don't need. There are often boxes to be 'unchecked' for options ad-ons, including airport surcharges, travel insurance, GPS units and so on.

3.      Quick decisions- never hurry through your decision. There’s plenty of choice on the Internet and the site that pops up tops in Google may not necessarily be the best or cheapest. Take the trouble to shop around; finding a site you have confidence in, dedicated to customer satisfaction. Though you may not want to waste hours sorting out your car rental, a few extra minutes can help save you hours of hassle on your holiday.

4.      Check for Pre rental inspection of utmost importance. You should always check for even minute details before hiring a car. This may include scratches, cracks in light covers, mirrors or wind shields, body dents, chipped paint, stains in the upholstery or other seemingly minor problems. The reason why you should mention such instances before hiring only so as to notify that you are not held responsible for such problems and pay for it later on at the time of return.

5.      Make sure to return your car on time. In case you happen to return the car after four hours from the time you were supposed to return, it is generally advised to extend your contract over another day rather than paying for the hourly rents which is generally higher. People often end up paying a huge amount failing to return the car on time.

6.      Ensure that you have a driving license and that it is in date. This may be a photo license or a paper license. Drivers from overseas locations can drive any car as long as they have a valid license from their home country. While booking you may also need to have a credit card to act as a deposit when you pick up your vehicle.

Conclusion

Renting cars have always been convenient over owing them. They give the sense of ownership of cars for a given period of time without having to take additional responsibilities for the same. You can have your peace of mind and freedom as well. The trend of renting over owing is predominant in case of urban and well-populated areas. People have chosen this path because of the convenience it offers and reduce the burden of maintenance, insurance and depreciation drastically.

There can be various needs associated with cars, like an attribute to lifestyle, travel and to cater to exigencies. Need arises due to situations and are completely individualistic. People have shifted to renting cars over owning the same due to recurring costs associated with it. So in order to not incur costs on a daily basis and at the same time enjoy the experience of a car people are willing to pay for a temporary luxury experience. Also with most companies, offering comprehensive insurance facilities, renting cars is a pleasant and hassle free experience.

We can thus conclude by saying that Car rentals are an affordable and cost-effective way to add mobility to your daily life, since you can choose a car as per your budget and no matter what car you choose, the rental fees is cheaper than the monthly payments that you had to pay in case you bought a car. There is also an added advantage since you already know your car inside-out and know how to drive the car, you can also choose to end the car lease and move on to hiring another car.