The biggest mistake you can have is presuming that all car rental companies and their contract terms are the same. You must see vehicle rental information first before you sign any contract. This way, you won’t be spending your hard earned money paying for penalties because you missed the fine print, or were unaware that the rules that applied for one Australian state did not necessarily apply to another.
Always look at liability terms, and the terms about young drivers. The age limit for most car rental companies are 70, and the youngest driver allowed is usually 25 but this can change to 23 in certain Australian cities. It is important for you to see vehicle rental information on allowable driver age bracket and liability for more than one driver. If the terms and conditions do not allow other drivers, you might want to consider other car rental companies especially if you are driving with your spouse. Some of these limitations are reasonable, though, as they affect insurance claims.
Look at how flexible or strict they are with the time. Would you have to pick up or drop off your vehicle at nine in the morning on-the-dot? What are the penalties of being late? With your possible flight delay, will fulfilling the terms be possible? You won’t be able to answer these questions unless you see vehicle rental information. If you want to minimize the risk of losing your reservation and paying for no-show, to boot, then you need to read every little detail online, or talk to the reservations agent on the phone before signing the contract.
What happens if they can’t give you the car you want? The website would probably have a catalogue of cars you can rent out for your trip in Australia. You have probably considered how good the model is, its capability to be driven off-road, the cargo space, and the suitability of the model when it comes to your child seat. These are things you think you can control as you see vehicle rental information. However, also see the fine print. You might not be given the exact color or model you opted for especially if you are travelling to Australia during the peak season. However, they are obliged to give you the right size of vehicle, so watch out for car rental companies trying to pass off a sub-compact for a full-sized sedan.
What are the gas terms? You might have to fill up the gas tank before returning the vehicle. Of course, you also have the option of having the car rental company fill up the tank for you, but that would cost you more money as most car rental companies have higher cost per gallon rates. In exchange, though, you must have a car that also has a full tank. See vehicle rental information about their gas terms, just to be on the safe side. And while you are at it, you might want to look into the consequences of not buying the company’s car rental insurance and just using your personal insurance policy or credit card coverage.
Whenever you rent a car, make sure you see vehicle rental information before signing any deal or contract. Know your rights and it starts with knowing what you are getting into.