You already see why car rental is the best option. It remains to understand the details of the process of choosing a car: what do I pay attention to? Personal experience with cases such as car rental Austin, Texas under 25 or other ages and locations shows the basic needs of renters.

Let’s determine the best way for you to arrange a car rental to make it quick and not costly.

Deposit and deductible

No car rental can do without these two words, and confusion and misunderstanding frequently arises with them. Let’s investigate it.

Deposit is the amount of money you leave as a security deposit for the car. This money will be frozen on your card. If you return the car without damage, with the same level of fuel in the tank and no delays, the entire amount will be unlocked. If you return the car with damage or delays, you will be charged the damage amount. It takes 5-30 days to unfreeze the deposit, the period depends on the bank.

The deductible is the amount of your liability for the car. Every car is insured, but there is a certain amount that the customer must pay in case of damages: it could be 200, 500, 800, €1500 or another amount – it all depends on the rental company, car class, country, and other things. The deposit is usually equal to the deductible or a little more.

Let’s see how it works, using examples

First scenario. Let’s say your deductible is €1,000, and you have €1,200 frozen as a deposit. Let’s say you or your car is scratched, and the rental company estimates the repairs at €300. Carngo notes that these €300 will be deducted from your deposit and the remaining €900 will be unlocked.

The second option. Initial conditions are the same: your deductible is €1000, and your deposit is €1200. Has something happened to your car? The limit of your responsibility for the car is €1,000, so only that amount and no more can be charged. The remaining €200 of the deposit will be unblocked for you. And the insurance company will compensate for the rest.

Types of car insurance

The car you rent is always insured, but there are several types of insurance.

1.  CDW is the simplest insurance. It assumes a deductible. This insurance is basic and is always included in the rental price.

2.  SCDW – full insurance. If you want, you can buy it additionally in the office of the renter, when receiving the car. It is impossible to know in advance how much the full insurance will cost, because it is calculated individually and depends on the make of car, year of manufacture and other factors. But it is usually expensive, often even more than the cost of the lease. A rental car can cost as little as €5 per day, while the SCDW costs €15-20 per day or more.

3.  Excess insurance. You can buy your own insurance, bypassing the renter, to reimburse yourself for your expenses within the deductible. How does it work? Let’s say you dented your car for €500. This money will be deducted from your card deposit. But if you bought a deductible insurance in advance, the full amount of the expenses will be refunded to you by your insurer. The deductible insurance is 2-3 times cheaper than the SCDW from the renter, plus it covers damage to the glass, rims, and all other parts of the car.

Study the characteristics of the rented cars

The cost of renting depends directly on the cost of the car. That is why domestic transport is much more profitable, but not always practical. What characteristics should a renter pay attention to choose the most suitable car and not to overpay?

• Fuel consumption. This is one of the most important indicators, which should be considered when renting a car. For long and regular trips, it is better to decide a small car, because it is a good way to save your finances because they “consume” less fuel. Often, rental firms render a client a car with a full tank and demand to return it with a full tank;

• Type of gearbox. If a driver has been driving a car with an automatic gearbox for a long period, it would be very uncomfortable for him to drive a manual gearbox;

• The size of the car. If you have always driven small cars, it will be harder to get used to a large vehicle;

• Drive. You can rent a car with front- or rear-wheel drive. Here, too, it is important to pick up a vehicle with the kind of drive you are used to, because it will reduce the risk of getting into an accident;

• Capacity. It is also significant to consider the number of people who will be traveling with you. If you will be traveling with a family that also includes small children, then you need a minibus with a child seat, which, for example, Carngo always provides as a rental company;

• Carrying capacity. If you are going to carry small loads or bicycles, of course, that the car of economy class will not suit you. In addition, discuss such a need with the managers of the rental company and take care of special mountings.

Be careful when drawing up the contract

Check the documentation of the vehicle and do not choose a car older than 5 years and with mileage of more than 100-120 thousand kilometers. Most likely, it may be technically defective, and the company will cleverly shift the responsibility for that to the client.

The most important criterion and guarantee will be the contract, so when deciding a company carefully read and study all the clauses. If some clauses have ambiguous wording and can be interpreted differently. That is why Carngo’s managers are always glad to clarify questions.

Conclusion

Do not rush to choose car for rent and carefully study the offers, conditions, and clauses of the contract. Most landlords on the market comply with the conditions, the cars in the photos correspond to reality, but you can also meet dishonest owners. In this case, there is a risk of encountering difficulties on the road or additional costs.

Particular attention should be paid to expense reimbursement in case of breakage. In case of a breakdown on the road, the renter will be forced to make repairs at his own expense, but if the fault is not on the client, the owner of the car must reimburse the costs in full.