With the
high cost of
car rental,
the price is
sometimes no
longer worth
the
convenience.
Sure, the
rising price
of gasoline
at the pump
has
something to
do with high
car rental
fees. But
what most of
us don't
realize is
that most of
what's in
your rental
bill is due
to hidden
charges.
These
charges can
actually
contribute
to half of
what they
charge for
your bill.
Most rental
car agencies
won't tell
you this,
but most of
those hidden
charges are
optional.
You can save
money by
having them
removed in
your car
rental bill.
We'll show
you what
these hidden
charges are,
what they
mean, and
how you can
talk your
way out of
them.
* Airport
taxes and
surcharges
is what car
rental
agencies
charge you
extra for
the
convenience
of picking
up your
rental car
at the
airport.
This extra
service can
actually
amount to
10% of your
total bill.
The reason
they charge
you more
when you
want your
car bought
to the
airport is
because of
taxes and
concession
fees. Car
rental
agencies
have to pay
concession
fees to the
airport
management
every time
they bring a
rental to
the airport.
The agency
also has to
pay business
taxes to the
local
government
for doing
business at
the airport.
Most
airports and
some rental
companies
have free
shuttle
service with
fixed
routes. To
remove this
hidden
charge from
your car
rental bill,
take
advantage of
this free
service and
just have
your car
dropped off
at a
location
away from
the airport.
That way,
the car
rental
reduces cost
and you
don't get
charged
extra for
their
service.
*
Collision
Damage or
Loss Damage
Waiver is
the extra
$10-$25 you
have to pay
per day in
order to
avoid
liability
for any
damage on
your rental
car,
provided
that the
damage
wasn't
caused by
gross
negligence.
Most car
insurance
and credit
card
insurance
cover rental
cars as part
of their
standard
coverage.
Check if
your
insurance
company
covers
rental cars
and if they
do, have the
Loss Damage
Waiver
removed.
You're just
wasting
money if
you're
paying for
collision
damage on
top of your
regular
insurance.
* At
first
glance,
gasoline
charges seem
like a great
idea.
Imagine
getting your
rental car
with a full
tank. You
don't need
to stop by
gas stations
along the
way and you
can return
the car with
an empty
tank if you
want to.
However,
most car
renters
can't
completely
consume a
full tank of
gas. You
won't get a
refund if
you don't
use up all
your gas but
you could
get
penalties
added up to
your bill.
It's still
cheaper to
gas up your
own rental
car you only
have to pay
for the
amount of
fuel that
you need.
* If you
drop of your
rental car
at a
different
location
from where
you picked
it up, you
may get
charged with
a drop-off
fee.
Drop-off
fees vary
from state
to state.
Some states
don't have
drop-off
fees while
some have
fees that
can go as
high as
$1000.
So as
much as
possible,
return your
car at its
original
pick-up
point. If
it's not
possible to
return your
car back in
the same
place, look
for drop-off
places where
the fee is
minimal.
* The
early return
fee is
something
that car
rental
agencies
charge you
when you
return your
car too
early. A car
rental
company can
charge you
$10-$15 per
day for
early
returns. And
if that's
not enough,
they'll also
change your
rental
rates.
Instead of
charging you
their weekly
rate,
they'll
charge you
their daily
rate. Not
only do you
have to pay
for your
early return
fees, you
have to pay
for that
rate
difference
too. In
order to
save
yourself
from paying
hundreds of
dollars in
fees, make
sure you
return your
rental car
on the exact
date stated
in your
policy.
Most of
the hidden
charges that
car rental
companies
add to your
bill are due
to penalties
for breaking
your rental
policy. This
is why you
should read
and
understand
your rental
policy
before
signing the
contract.
Ask your car
rental
company to
make sure
you have
everything
covered in
your
contract. By
knowing
everything
there is to
know about
your policy,
you'll be
able to
avoid any
penalties
and keep
your car
rental costs
at a
minimum.