The choice of the car rental service can make all the difference between a good and a bad trip. Hence it is important to make the correct choice in the same.
Today many people prefer using a car rental service in India for going on trips and holidays in spite of having their own car. This is because there are certain distinct advantages associated with the same which enable a person to ensure a hassle free journey. Taking the personal vehicle and going on long road journeys involves:
- Checking to see if the car is in top physical condition,
- Ensuring that all the relevant papers are up to date,
- The insurance also needs to be paid and kept active,
- Ensuring that the fuel tank is filled up and all the types aired properly etc.
All these tasks that need to be done take up a lot of time and with most people hard-pressed for the same, it actually becomes a hassle to take one’s own care on long journeys. But in instances of using car rental services, the choice of the car entirely depends on the customer. Hence he is able to make a choice depending on his needs with regards to the number of people travelling, ample luggage space, insurance premiums are up to date, the car is in top condition etc. This has resulted in the sudden spurt in the popularity of these services.
5 important points to consider
For people using these services for the first time, there are certain things which they should be foretold before they even take a decision to rent a car for a trip to be made. These involve:
- Using the credit card: It is always better to use the credit card when paying for the car rental. This is because car rental companies need their customers to have a good credit rating and when a request for car rental comes to them, they tend to check the same first. But if a customer uses a credit card, this credit score check is not required and the time taken to do the transaction also decreases.
- Hiring car for people below 25years: All people below 25years, who want to hire a car for going on a journey, need to pay extra. This is because irrespective of the track record of the person, they are considered a liability by most premium car rental services.
- Limiting number of drivers: When travelling in a group, the number of drivers needs to be limited to 2 only since the rental company tends to charge for all extra drivers going along on the trip.
- Personal insurance coverage: The customer needs to ensure that car rental coverage is also included in his personal insurance so that all casualties can be covered etc.
Different rental plans available
There are many different rental plans provided by the car rental service owners. Depending on the client’s comfort level, he can opt for any one of the plans given below:
- Pay per hour wherein a customer is charged on an hourly basis,
- Per kilometre plan wherein a per kilometre rate is fixed and the customer has to pay the rent on the basis of the total kilometres travelled,
- Daily rental wherein a certain amount of money is paid to the car rental service on a daily basis with the service provider fixing a ceiling on the number of kilometres that can be travelled in a day,
- Two-day rental plans wherein a customer pays a lump sum for using the car for two days like over the weekend,
- Long duration plans come into play when the customer needs the car to travel out of his city and be on the road for several days,
- Corporate plans are generally offered when the contract for car rental is signed with a company.
While people needing to rent a car for a small duration generally opt to pay per hour those that rent the car for a longer duration generally prefer choosing the pay per kilometre plan. In fact companies who offer private airport transfers also prefer either of these two plans. When the duration of need is very long, some car rental companies also offer something known as the unlimited mileage plan.
Car classes one can rent
The type of car selected also has a bearing on the rent that a person has to pay on renting out the same. The different classes of cars that a car rental company has on offer are:
- Economy cars: These cars provide the most value for money since they provide the best mileage, are suitable for squeezing into parking spots, can be easily negotiated in tight traffic and come with lower rental plans.
- Compact cars: This category is quite popular since cars in of this rental category offer cars which also offer a great mileage and are also easy to drive.
- Luxury cars: Cars with rich and comfortable interiors, high performance engine, more luggage space, some additional services etc., fall under this category. Of course people wanting to avail this luxury car rental service also need to pay high rental charges.
- Premium cars: There are times when people opt for high end luxury cars like the Mercedes, Limousine etc., to create an impact for a special occasion or trip. But the charges for the sane are also quite exorbitant and customers need to be prepared for the same.
Tips to smoothen the process
While car rental services provide cars in extremely good condition which allow people to go wherever and whenever they want to go, it is also important to ensure that the rental process is fast and hassle-free. Thus a customer needs to keep certain points in mind like:
- Instead of focussing on how the car looks, the utility of the same should be considered,
- The prices offered by different car rental companies need to be compared along with the customer reviews given on the internet before finalising on a rental service,
- Upon renting the car, it needs to be photographed from all angles to know the condition and also to keep proof of the condition in which the car has been taken. These photos should preferably have the date and time stamp on it.
- The fuel tank needs to be filled up before returning in some cases and this also needs to be looked into.
Car renting is a good experience; one which enables a family to enjoy good services at reasonable rates. Thus it is important for every customer to ensure that he gets value for money when opting for car rentals.
Today many people prefer using a car rental service in India for going on trips and holidays in spite of having their own car. This is because there are certain distinct advantages associated with the same which enable a person to ensure a hassle free journey. Taking the personal vehicle and going on long road journeys involves:
- Checking to see if the car is in top physical condition,
- Ensuring that all the relevant papers are up to date,
- The insurance also needs to be paid and kept active,
- Ensuring that the fuel tank is filled up and all the types aired properly etc.
All these tasks that need to be done take up a lot of time and with most people hard-pressed for the same, it actually becomes a hassle to take one’s own care on long journeys. But in instances of using car rental services, the choice of the car entirely depends on the customer. Hence he is able to make a choice depending on his needs with regards to the number of people travelling, ample luggage space, insurance premiums are up to date, the car is in top condition etc. This has resulted in the sudden spurt in the popularity of these services.
5 important points to consider
For people using these services for the first time, there are certain things which they should be foretold before they even take a decision to rent a car for a trip to be made. These involve:
- Using the credit card: It is always better to use the credit card when paying for the car rental. This is because car rental companies need their customers to have a good credit rating and when a request for car rental comes to them, they tend to check the same first. But if a customer uses a credit card, this credit score check is not required and the time taken to do the transaction also decreases.
- Hiring car for people below 25years: All people below 25years, who want to hire a car for going on a journey, need to pay extra. This is because irrespective of the track record of the person, they are considered a liability by most premium car rental services.
- Limiting number of drivers: When travelling in a group, the number of drivers needs to be limited to 2 only since the rental company tends to charge for all extra drivers going along on the trip.
- Personal insurance coverage: The customer needs to ensure that car rental coverage is also included in his personal insurance so that all casualties can be covered etc.
Different rental plans available
There are many different rental plans provided by the car rental service owners. Depending on the client’s comfort level, he can opt for any one of the plans given below:
- Pay per hour wherein a customer is charged on an hourly basis,
- Per kilometre plan wherein a per kilometre rate is fixed and the customer has to pay the rent on the basis of the total kilometres travelled,
- Daily rental wherein a certain amount of money is paid to the car rental service on a daily basis with the service provider fixing a ceiling on the number of kilometres that can be travelled in a day,
- Two-day rental plans wherein a customer pays a lump sum for using the car for two days like over the weekend,
- Long duration plans come into play when the customer needs the car to travel out of his city and be on the road for several days,
- Corporate plans are generally offered when the contract for car rental is signed with a company.
While people needing to rent a car for a small duration generally opt to pay per hour those that rent the car for a longer duration generally prefer choosing the pay per kilometre plan. In fact companies who offer private airport transfers also prefer either of these two plans. When the duration of need is very long, some car rental companies also offer something known as the unlimited mileage plan.
Car classes one can rent
The type of car selected also has a bearing on the rent that a person has to pay on renting out the same. The different classes of cars that a car rental company has on offer are:
- Economy cars: These cars provide the most value for money since they provide the best mileage, are suitable for squeezing into parking spots, can be easily negotiated in tight traffic and come with lower rental plans.
- Compact cars: This category is quite popular since cars in of this rental category offer cars which also offer a great mileage and are also easy to drive.
- Luxury cars: Cars with rich and comfortable interiors, high performance engine, more luggage space, some additional services etc., fall under this category. Of course people wanting to avail this luxury car rental service also need to pay high rental charges.
- Premium cars: There are times when people opt for high end luxury cars like the Mercedes, Limousine etc., to create an impact for a special occasion or trip. But the charges for the sane are also quite exorbitant and customers need to be prepared for the same.
Tips to smoothen the process
While car rental services provide cars in extremely good condition which allow people to go wherever and whenever they want to go, it is also important to ensure that the rental process is fast and hassle-free. Thus a customer needs to keep certain points in mind like:
- Instead of focussing on how the car looks, the utility of the same should be considered,
- The prices offered by different car rental companies need to be compared along with the customer reviews given on the internet before finalising on a rental service,
- Upon renting the car, it needs to be photographed from all angles to know the condition and also to keep proof of the condition in which the car has been taken. These photos should preferably have the date and time stamp on it.
- The fuel tank needs to be filled up before returning in some cases and this also needs to be looked into.
Car renting is a good experience; one which enables a family to enjoy good services at reasonable rates. Thus it is important for every customer to ensure that he gets value for money when opting for car rentals.
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