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Get your union-member
car rental discounts.
Whether on business or vacation, you may need to rent a car
for at least part of your trip. Here are your basic rights as a
renter.
What's Below:
Do I have any recourse if the rental
car company doesn't provide me with the type of car I reserved?
If you have guaranteed payment and the company does not have the
car you reserved available for you, the company must do everything
it can to find you a different car from its fleet. Theoretically,
the company must find you a car from another rental car company
if it has no suitable substitute, but in practice this rarely happens.
If the alternate car found for you is more expensive, you should
not have to pay the difference.
If you haven't put down a deposit or guarantee, the company is
still required to have a car available. But rental car companies
often overbook to cover no-shows, which means that the class of
car you reserved won't be available. The rental car company will
usually provide you with a larger, more expensive car and tell you
it is giving you a free upgrade. Most renters are happy to accept
the upgrade to a larger, more expensive car. If you accept a smaller,
cheaper car than the one you reserved, the rental company is obliged
to charge you the lower rate. If you refuse to accept a substitute
car, you will probably have difficulty getting compensation afterward
-- you had a duty to reduce your damages by accepting a car that
was a reasonable substitute for the car you reserved.
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What if I have reserved a car and the
rental car company fails to provide any car at all?
A company's overbooking may mean that no cars are available when
you arrive. Your only real alternatives may be to find a substitute
rental car at a different company or to take a taxi and seek reimbursement
from the original car rental company. In addition, the rental car
company may offer you future discounts.
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Can a rental car company charge a penalty
if I don't show up or if cancel my reservation?
Nearly all rental car companies charge penalties for four-wheel
drives, minivans, convertibles and other specialty rentals if you
fail to cancel a reservation in advance or are a no-show. Some companies
are testing similar policies on their standard rental cars.
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My son was told he couldn't rent a car because
he's only 20. Is that legal?
Yes. Most major companies refuse to rent a car to someone who is
under 21 or in some cases 25, unless that person is an employee
using a corporate account or is military personnel traveling on
orders. Companies that do rent to people as young as 21 usually
charge an additional fee for drivers between 21 and 24.
This discrimination is not illegal. Rental car companies can do
business with whomever they choose, as long as they do not discriminate
based on race, religion, national origin, sex or other categories
protected under civil rights laws.
Do I need a credit card to rent a car?
Most rental car companies require a major credit card (or a debit
card resembling a credit card) as a way to secure a deposit from
you at the time of rental, although you can use the card or cash
when you actually pay for the car. The company will check your credit
limit or account balance and freeze an amount slightly greater than
your estimated rental charges against your card, meaning that this
amount is not available for you to charge or withdraw. This freeze
can last for several days after you return the car, even once the
actual amount is charged or withdrawn or you pay with cash.
If you don't have a credit or debit card, you can get a prepaid
voucher through your travel agent by paying for the rental car first
at the travel agency and bringing the voucher to the rental counter.
The voucher may not cover taxes, surcharges, additional drivers,
upgrades and other charges, so be sure to find out exactly what
is included with the voucher before you pick up the car. Many companies
require you to present a credit or debit card or provide some other
form of deposit even if you are using a voucher, so call ahead to
find out.
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Can a rental car company screen me based
on my driving record?
Yes, and many companies now screen drivers when they rent in vacation-popular
destinations such as Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, New York,
Virginia and Washington, D.C. Sales agents conduct screening checks
by entering your license number into a computer program that calls
up your driver's record as reported by your state department of
motor vehicles. If your record doesn't meet the screening criteria
of the rental company, the agent will refuse to rent you a car.
Instead of screening you, some rental car companies may require
you to sign a statement that you have an acceptable driving record.
This shifts the responsibility for providing accurate information
away from the company and to you. If you have an accident and signed
a statement that turns out to be incorrect, the rental car company
could use it against you by claiming that you acted in violation
of the rental agreement.
Rental Car Screening Standards
Generally, a rental car company that screens drivers will deny you
a vehicle if, during the past 36-month period, you were caught driving
with a suspended or invalid license had one instance of drunk driving,
hit-and-run, driving a stolen car or other serious offense had three
moving violations, or were at fault in two accidents. The standards
adopted by each rental car company vary and are subject to change,
so you need to inquire about the specific rental screening standards
of any company you are considering using.
If your driving record is questionable, do the following:
Call your motor vehicle department to see if your state makes
driver records available. If it doesn't, then relax and don't worry
about being screened.
If your state makes driver records available, when you call to reserve
a rental car, ask if the company screens driving records and whether
it maintains a nationwide blacklist.
If you are traveling for business, rent from a company that has
a liability agreement with your employer-the screening company may
overlook items that would otherwise disqualify you.
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How do rental car companies establish rental
rates?
Car rental fees are set by each company and vary depending on the
location of the rental office, time period the car will be rented,
season, car model, special promotions or vacation packages and your
eligibility for discounts. In addition, because many rental car
companies have franchises, the rates and policies of the central
office may vary substantially from those of a local office. There
is nothing illegal about these multiple prices, and there is nothing
to stop you from asking about special fares when you rent or for
a reduction after the rental, if you learn that a better rate was
available but was not offered to you. Although the company is not
obligated to offer you the lower price, it may do so to maintain
good customer relations.
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Can the rental car company tack on special
fees?
Yes, but the company must tell you about the fees before you rent.
Here are the most common fees you're likely to encounter:
- Mileage charges. While many companies offer unlimited
mileage, mileage charge policies change frequently, and you should
ask each time you rent.
- Fees for renting at an airport. Renting at an airport
may be more expensive than renting at an urban or suburban location
because airports and local governments often add surcharges and
taxes to rental car rates.
- Additional driver fees. Most rental car companies charge
extra for anyone who drives the car other than the person who
signs the rental agreement. Often, additional driver charges are
waived for your spouse, immediate family member or business associate.
Young driver fees. As indicated above, many rental car companies
add a daily surcharge for any driver aged 21 to 24.
- Child safety seat fees. All states require children under
a certain age to be placed in child car seats. If you don't bring
your own seat, you will be required to rent one, usually at a
cost of $3-$5 per day or $25 per week. You may be charged more
for one-way rentals, and you may be required to make an extra
deposit for the seat if you are paying cash for the car rental.
- Vehicle drop-off fees. Many rental car companies charge
higher rates for dropping off a car at a location other than where
you rented, unless the drop-off location is within the same metropolitan
area as where you picked up the vehicle. Charges for picking up
the car in one city and dropping it off in another can be as high
as $1,000.
Refueling charges. Most companies require you to return the rental
car with a full tank of gas. If you don't, you'll be forced to
pay the company's inflated price per gallon, as much as $3 for
on-site fill up.
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Do I have to take the rental car insurance
offered to me?
No, and chances are you shouldn't. Each year, travelers in the U.S.
spend more than $1 billion on rental car insurance, much of it unneeded
or unwanted. California, Texas, and Indiana require rental car companies
to inform you that the rental car insurance may duplicate your personal
automobile policy. But still, rental car insurance options are complex,
confusing and rife with potential rip-offs.
When faced with a rental car insurance policy, adopt this basic
strategy:
Determine what coverage you already have through your automobile
insurance or credit cards.
Find out what insurance options the rental car company offers, and
don't fall prey to hardball sales tactics -- buy only what you need.
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What is loss damage waiver? Is it insurance?
Loss damage waiver, or LDW (also known as collision damage waiver,
or CDW), has gotten substantial press in recent years due primarily
to its high cost and to complaints by consumers of pressure from
rental car companies to purchase unnecessary LDW.
Rental car companies claim that they are not selling insurance,
and that LDW is simply a waiver of the company's right to collect
from you if the rental car is damaged or stolen while under your
control. In most rental contracts, the rental company shifts all
responsibility for collision damage or other loss to you; the effect
of purchasing LDW is to shift responsibility back to the rental
car company. But three aspects of LDW make its value suspect:
- the high pressure or deceptive sales tactics used to sell LDW
- the high price for LDW -- especially when you may already be
protected by your own insurance or credit card, and
- the number of exclusions (loopholes) in LDW coverage that allow
the company to charge you even if you purchased LDW to protect
yourself.
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Should I purchase loss damage waiver?
Purchasing loss damage waiver (LDW) may be a prudent choice for
you if:
- You're in a foreign country and your auto insurance or credit
card coverage does not include foreign rentals.
- You have no personal car insurance and do not want to rely on
credit card coverage alone.
- Your personal auto insurance is insufficient to cover a rental
vehicle.
- You can't afford to carry any credit charges until the credit
card company reimburses you.
- Your rental car isn't covered under your insurance or your credit
card coverage (this may be the case if you rent an antique or
exotic car).
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What should I know before I rent a car
in a foreign country?
Although the laws governing car rentals differ in every country,
here are some general rules.
- First, most countries will accept your valid state driver's
license with another form of photo ID. Some countries may also
require an International Driver's Permit (available through AAA
offices). Check with an AAA travel office before you travel. You
don't need to take a test to get an International Driver's Permit;
all it does is explain (in a number of languages) the type of
license you have, any limitations that apply and when it will
expire.
- Second, your personal automobile insurance policy may
have restrictions or limitations on driving in foreign countries.
Check your coverage, including the terms of your credit card policy,
before you rent in a foreign country.
- Third, in some countries, the police will take your license
if you are involved in an accident or stopped for a moving violation,
and will not return it until you have paid any applicable fine.
Get receipts for all payments you make, and report any mistreatment
or apparent scams to the American embassy or consulate in that
country.
- Fourth, certain European countries track traffic violations
with street cameras that photograph cars at intersections. The
police trace the drivers using the license plate number of the
car and request payment from the rental car company for the ticket.
The rental car company is within its rights to collect the fine
from you, even if the company is informed of the violation after
you have returned and paid for the car.
For More Information About Rental Cars:
A Consumer's Guide to Renting a Car
Alamo Rental Car
Office of Public Affairs
P.O. Box 22776
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33335
800-445-5664
Budget Rent-A-Car
Rent Smart Brochure
P.O. Box 23903
Milwaukee, WI 53223
800-736-8762
If you will be driving in Europe, the following publications
have useful information:
Autorental Europe
by Bill Meier
Lansing Publications
Box 188
Pleasanton, CA 94566
Discusses the rental process and provides detailed specifications
of European car models.
Exploring Europe by Car
by Patricia and Robert Foulke
Globe Pequot,
Old Saybrook, CT
800-243-0495
Focuses on driving in Europe, with details on driving conditions
and rules in different countries.
Motoeuropa
by Eric Bredesen
Seren Publishing
Includes country-by-country specifics about renting cars and driving
in Europe.
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Source: Reprinted with permission from the publisher, Nolo,
Copyright 2002, http://www.nolo.com
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