At Autohorn, we understand that hiring a car can seem stressful. You’re not quite sure how it works, you’re wondering when to book your hire car, if there will be one available and if you’ll manage to get back on time to avoid late hire charges. But hiring a car shouldn’t be this way.
A hire car offers an affordable and easy way to get around, to take a day trip, to visit family and friends, to move house. But if you make the simple mistakes that so many do, you’re going to have a bad experience. If this is the case, is it any wonder why it’s stressful?
Today, we’ll go through eight of the most common mistakes people make when hiring a car and how you can avoid them, so the next time you phone us, it can be completely stress free.
1) Bringing the hire car back late
Before you drive away with your hire car, you’ll have agreed with the rental company the amount of time you’ll have the car for – often this is done at the initial booking stage. It’s up to you to make sure you pick up hire cars and drop them off within this time period, otherwise you risk incurring further hire charges on top of the rental fees.
This may seem simple but it’s a common mistake and while you can’t always predict what will happen – especially when it comes to traffic conditions – there are a few ways you can avoid being late.
How to avoid this mistake: when you’re hiring a car, take extra care to plan your routes and make sure you have plenty of time just in case you hit traffic. If you feel like you won’t make it back on time, call your car hire company and let them know.
2) Handing the car back with less fuel
When you’re hiring a car, you’ll usually agree that you should return the car with the same amount of fuel as when you started. If you return it with less, then often the hire car company will charge you for the missing fuel.
While this isn’t a disaster and certainly won’t incur bigger hire charges, the fuel the hire company provides may be a little more expensive and so, if you’re looking to save some money, it’s best to top it up before you take your car back.
How to avoid this mistake: take note of how much fuel you have when you collect your hire car. Try finding the closest refuelling spot to the drop-off point and fill up there just before you hand back your car.
3) Accepting the first car hire quote
If you’re buying a TV then you’ll probably shop around, if you’re buying a car then you definitely will, so why not do the same when you hire a car? Often, when hiring a car, people will accept the first quote they get without knowing if it’s the best price, for the best car and the best time.
How to avoid this mistake: take your time when hiring a car and make sure you shop around for the best price. You’ll want to consider the reason you’re hiring – personal or business – and the location of the hire company (is it easy to get to?) and the type of car you’d like to hire.
4) Not reading the agreement when hiring a car
We get it, no one wants to read the small print at the best of times, especially when you’re raring to get going in your new hire car. But your agreement lays out the terms and conditions of your hire and so the information is important. It tells you what you can and can’t do and lays out what you should expect from the hire company and what they can expect from you.
How to avoid this mistake: read your agreement and keep it to hand. Try noting down the major points like milage limitations, what to do in the event of an accident and timings. Trust us, this will make your life a lot less stressful when it comes to hiring a car.
5) Bringing the wrong, or out of date, documents
All car hire companies will ask for documentation when you’re hiring a car. Usually, these will include your full UK license – or an international driving permit if your license isn’t in English – a valid bank or credit card and further proof of address.
Although this may seem simple, when people turn up to hire a car for a day, they’ll often miss some key documentation, bring the wrong documentation or worse, their documents have expired. This can often lead to delays in picking up the hire car.
How to avoid this mistake: check with the hire car company exactly what documentation you need to bring and when it needs to be dated.
6) Not checking the car
While your hire car should meet a high standard when you pick it up, wear and tear does happen. Because of this you may expect to see some damage and the hire car company should always check the vehicle before you take the car out.
If they miss anything, or you feel they haven’t properly logged damage, you may be liable to pay the damaged hire charges. But don’t worry, you won’t have to pay for any damage you haven’t caused by taking this one simple step.
How to avoid this mistake: when you’re looking at hiring a car, be sure to find a company who hires out new cars – often these will have a lot less wear and tear. When you pick up your car, check the exterior and interior of the car and be sure to take pictures of any damage or wear and tear.
7) Not reporting an issue
You’re driving around in your hire car and an engine light pops up – you keep driving and think nothing of it. This is a big mistake. Ignoring issues with your car could lead to your journey being cut short by a breakdown, the car being damaged or you being held responsible for extra hire charges due to failing to report the issue.
How to avoid this mistake: if you notice some wear and tear to the vehicle that hasn’t been noted, if an engine light turns on, if you damage the car or have an accident, always contact the hire company. Make sure you know the emergency contact numbers and if you have a breakdown be sure to call.
8) Putting the wrong type of fuel in the hire car
If you’re not used to the type of car you’re in, or the fuel it uses, then it can quickly become confusing. But you’ll want to avoid using the wrong fuel at all costs – it will put a dampener on your journey, cut your hire short and may turn out to be costly in hire charges.
How to avoid this mistake: take note of what type of fuel your vehicle needs and if you put the wrong type in call the hire company straight away.
Hiring a car doesn’t have to be stressful
Now you know about them, you can avoid these simple mistakes – and the costly hire charges that could come with them – when you’re next hiring a car. And just like that, hiring a car is a simple, stress-free process.
Want a quicker and easier way to get from A to B? Get a quote here, email or call on 01904 557 528
