What To Take Care Of
After renting your car, it is very easy to get into a rush and want to jump right into traveling. Whether it is a vacation, business trip, or celebration, like a relative's graduation, there are many good reasons to take off and wanting to get out of the airport and/or car rental area.
Still, be calm and walk through these steps slowly. It is always important, no matter how much of a hurry you're in, to check over the vehicle and make sure you are getting exactly what you need.
Even though you may be in a hurry, make sure to take a few minutes to carefully inspect the vehicle and familiarize yourself with it.
Make sure you have insurance coverage. Rental insurance can be extremely expensive, and sometimes very questionable. If your credit card or regular insurance offers rental coverage, be sure to have all the printed papers that you need to confirm coverage.
If you don't have any coverage at all, even despite the expenses, you should probably bite the bullet and spend the extra money to get full coverage rental insurance from the car rental company.
Make sure you have a policy that gives complete coverage, and don't take anyone's word on anything. Get it all in writing with a signature, not just initials.
One issue you may not want to deal with, but it is an unfortunate reality, is that rental cars are often moving targets for theft. However, most rental companies have recently stopped labeling their rental vehicles with their corporate logos, which makes for a much better situation.
It is a good idea to ensure there are no logos or stickers on your particular rental car. If there is one, you could ask for their immediate removal to avoid dealing with the possibility of theft.
Always take appropriate safety precautions while traveling, and your trip will be much more likely to end on a positive note.
Still, be calm and walk through these steps slowly. It is always important, no matter how much of a hurry you're in, to check over the vehicle and make sure you are getting exactly what you need.
Even though you may be in a hurry, make sure to take a few minutes to carefully inspect the vehicle and familiarize yourself with it.
- Check the car for both interior, and exterior damage.
- Check the upholstery, the lights, wipers, turn signals, tail lights, cruise control, side mirrors, air conditioning, and anything else you can think of while still in the lot.
- On the outside check closely for dents, dings, scratches, paint damage, worn tires.
- Check the gas gauge to make sure it is full.
- If you are big into music, check the radio, the antenna,
- And make sure there is wiper fluid.
Make sure you have insurance coverage. Rental insurance can be extremely expensive, and sometimes very questionable. If your credit card or regular insurance offers rental coverage, be sure to have all the printed papers that you need to confirm coverage.
If you don't have any coverage at all, even despite the expenses, you should probably bite the bullet and spend the extra money to get full coverage rental insurance from the car rental company.
Make sure you have a policy that gives complete coverage, and don't take anyone's word on anything. Get it all in writing with a signature, not just initials.
One issue you may not want to deal with, but it is an unfortunate reality, is that rental cars are often moving targets for theft. However, most rental companies have recently stopped labeling their rental vehicles with their corporate logos, which makes for a much better situation.
It is a good idea to ensure there are no logos or stickers on your particular rental car. If there is one, you could ask for their immediate removal to avoid dealing with the possibility of theft.
Always take appropriate safety precautions while traveling, and your trip will be much more likely to end on a positive note.