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Car Rentals
How to look after your hire car
First of all, before you decide to go
with a car hire company, check that they’re reputable. You can ask
friends and family or consult online forums and review sites for a
bit of advice if you don’t really know where to start. If you still
don’t know who to go to, there are plenty of reliable companies
with clear guidelines and handy branches around the country – handy
if you want to embark on some kind of car
hire UK road trip.
It’s important that you make sure you
know exactly what terms you’re signing up for, in case of any kind
of accident or emergency. What excess would you have to agree to pay
in the event of an accident? And do they offer any kind of excess
waiver? If so, you may decide that it’s worth shelling out for.
Usually just a few pounds extra per day, it guarantees that should
you have an accident, you won’t have to pay any excess.
Next, how much is the deposit? Often,
car hire companies will charge the amount of the excess, so if you
have an accident, they simply have to withhold your deposit to pay
for the damage. You should also ask questions about how much certain
damage will cost, just to make yourself aware. Some companies are
less strict, while some will charge for simply scratching the wheel
trim. Make sure you know what kind of company you’re dealing with.
When you return your car, you should
return it in exactly the same condition as it was given to you –
which should be spotless. Ignoring any minor bits from normal use on
the floor, the car should be returned clean, tidy and odour-free. No
rubbish, no stains. And you will be warned about this, but if your
rental company detect that you’ve been smoking in the car, you’ll
be forced to pay a high penalty to have the car valeted and restored
to its original, smoke-free condition.
The same goes for a mucky interior or
boot. Any sign that the car has been used for anything other than
transporting people, then your car hire company will have to charge
you a high rate to have the car cleaned. More often than not, the
company will have someone in-house who can do it for them, so the
charges are more of a deterrent than anything else.
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