Avoid Being Stung

Whilst using a car hire and indeed van hire broker it is worth remembering that that someone at the company overlooked a problem with a vehicle before they re hired the vehicle. This led to court action for the small company and a certain degree of unwelcome internet exposure.

Here are several ideas to ensure that you do not get stung whilst using a car/van hire service!
Courtesy of MSE!

Inspect and take a quick photo of the car’s condition.

Reports of overcharging and claiming damages are rife. So briefly snap some pictures of the car and make notes of its condition on the hire company’s form; especially photograph any scratches or dents as these can be the prime source of dispute.

Check its fuel policy.

Check what the fuel policy is. If they say ‘it doesn’t matter whether you refill it or not’ beware. This most likely means, it’ll then fill it up itself and charge you for the fuel at a much higher rate than you’d pay doing it yourself.

Check the type of fuel the car takes.

Also always ensure you check what fuel type the car uses: if you damage the car by using the wrong type, it’s unlikely you’ll be covered.

Off-road travelling.

If you plan on being adventurous on your hols, check what’s covered. If you have an accident while racing through the Sahara desert, you may have to cough up for damages. Check the spare tyre is fully operational: there’s nothing worse than being stuck somewhere unfamiliar with a flat tyre.

Local legalities.

Some countries have legal requirements such as car first aid kits, high visibility jackets, breakdown and spare bulb kits which, if you don’t have them invalidates the insurance. The car hire company should be well aware of this, but do check.

Make sure you know its emergency number.

Most car hire companies have a 24hour contact number in case the car breaks down or in event of accident. Make sure you’ve got it before you go anywhere.

Can you turn right on a red?

Many countries allow you to turn right at traffic lights on red provided there’s no oncoming traffic (this is in right hand drive countries) . If you don’t do this, you may get abuse from other drivers. So check with the car hire company what the local laws are first.

Great advice?

UPDATE: Whilst Browsing the net I came across this site. Very Useful