There is no doubt that rip-offs are commonplace in the travel industry and affects just about every segment. However, the firms that rent cars have taken this wanton stealing to a form of art. One of the worst rip-offs is the extra you usually require to pay. Also, you need to watch out for companies that ask you to pay ridiculously high prices for things you can avoid. Others are fees they add onto base rates instead of including it into your rates.
The good news is that there are ways use to bypass some of these rip-offs. You should always be on the lookout because most car rental companies look for the slightest opportunity to overcharge clients. Below are 7 ways to beat these rogue companies at their own game.
Excess fuel charges
Have you ever returned a car after your trip only to be slapped with a $20 surcharge because you didn’t return it on a full tank? To make matters worse, this is a very common practice among rental car companies. The attendant for the company takes advantage of the fact that you are hurrying to catch a flight and so doesn’t have time to argue.
How to beat them: The simple solution to this scam is to make sure you have filled the tank to fullness just before you take back the car. It means that you will have to check and take note of the nearest filling stations when renting the car. Also, make sure that you are armed with a receipt to prove that you just filled the gas tank.
Adding Extra Drivers
It’s standard practice for companies that offer car service to the airport to charge when you want to add an extra driver. The extremely dishonest companies will even add this cost without checking whether you intend to let another person other than you drive the car. Other companies load the policy in case the second driver is over 70 or under 25 years, irrespective of the risk.
Most of these scam car rental firms assume that you won’t closely scrutinize the bill and will be too eager to drive off as you head for the airport.
How to beat them: New York caps the charges for the extra driver at $3 per day while California prohibits the charges entirely. Other black car service Houston providers waive the fee for partner/spouse especially when you frequently rent with them. To avoid these charges, make sure you read the car rental agreement and find a company that doesn’t charge you exorbitantly. At Lavish Ride, we are straightforward and transparent with our pricing. We invite customers to check out the charges closely and ask any questions.
Excessive One-Way Charges
Long gone are the days when you could hire a car in L.A, drive for two weeks around California, and then finally return your car in San Francisco and you would be charged as if it was a Los Angeles roundtrip return. Sadly, however, this just doesn’t work anymore. You will definitely be charged more when you drop your car at a different location than where you picked it.
In Europe, one-way car rentals that start in one country and end in another are almost unheard of.
How to beat them: A simple trick you could use is to keep away as far as possible from one-way rentals. Have your driving itinerary arranged in a circle that enables you to return the car where you picked it up.
Geographic-Limit Mileage Charges
Some car hire companies, mainly those that are smaller and low-priced may set geographical limitations on how far you may drive the car from the rental station. For instance, you could be limited to driving into another state, or you can be limited to the states that you can drive to. Therefore, if you breach this limit, you will be charged an extra fee. It’s also worth noting that these companies can quickly and easily spot a violation. They use GPS tracking systems that track vehicles.
How to beat them: The good news is that most reputable companies have stopped this practice. The really top companies will even allow you to cross the borders and go to Canada. You just need to ensure that you have informed them before you cross the channel. Before accepting the deal, ensure that you have checked if there are any limits so you are not surprised by hefty fines.
Airport and Train-Station Fees
Another practice that rental car companies are fond of is posting ridiculously low prices and then adding a slew of other charges that might even end in the doubling of the initial cost quoted. Some of these costs include licensing fees, airport transportation fees, concession recovery fees, and premise occupancy fees just to mention but a few. All these costs are the costs of running businesses and there is no reason why they should not just include them in the base rate. If you are renting in Europe, you will come across charges like “prime stations” which just mean rail and airport terminals.
The good news is that the honest car service to airport firms like Lavish Ride typically displays all these charges so you can see at the time of booking what you will be charged.
How to beat them: Sometimes, renting from a suburban or downtown location can save you lots of bucks. You may have to trade off the convenience you get by boarding your car at the airport for getting the car from a different location.
Conclusion
It would seem that hiring a car is as straightforward as logging onto the website of the rental company and booking the vehicle of your choosing. Unfortunately, things don’t work like that. You need to be on high alert to avoid being overcharged. Most of these companies are always itching to steal from their clients and so you have to be alert at all times.
To avoid being a victim of these companies time and again, you need to know the tricks that these companies use to fleece customers of their hard-earned money. Apart from that, you should ensure you are working with a legit company and not those that are constantly looking for ways of defrauding their customers via exorbitant fees.
At Lavish Ride, we pride in transparency and quality service. We don’t put anything under the table and ate always upfront and transparent with our costing. We rely on our customers to spread the word about us, which is why we always maintain the highest standards of service and professionalism. Whether you hire us for black car service or you just want a car service to the airport, we are more than capable of picking you and dropping you at your preferred destination. Call us today to learn more about how we can help you.