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| Credit
Card Coverage |
Some
UPPER level credit cards such
as MasterCard Gold may be a source for excess or secondary
insurance for a car rental, but only if you use the same
credit card to rent the vehicle. Some upper level credit cards
can be your primary collision coverage in absence of any
personal car collision insurance or when you are traveling
overseas, where your personal insurance will not apply.
Typically, there is a dollar limit and/or vehicle type
exclusions. Since these policies vary greatly, call your
credit card company to find out their policies for car rentals.
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| My
Total Bill |
It
can be confusing, but be aware that when you are quoted a
"base rental car rate" it does not include
rental coverages, sales taxes, airport taxes,
airport/concession, vehicle license fees and miscellaneous
surcharges. A trend in some cities is to help finance new sports
stadiums and other initiatives by tacking on a surcharge. All of
these additional charges can increase the base rate by 10-40%
depending upon the airport location.
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| Drop-Off
Charges |
|
An
extra fee is usually charged if a car is returned to a different
location than where it was picked up. This fee varies on
location so there usually is no general policy regarding this.
In some instances there is no charge, at others it can be as
high a $1500 if you drop the car off a long distance from where
you picked it up at. All rentals from Tropical are to be
returned to Key West.
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| Reserve
in Advance! |
To
get the best rate when applicable, reserve your car at a weekly
rate (a week is usually between 5-7 days) instead of at a daily
rate if possible, and reserve in advance. Check back
periodically to see if a better rate is available. Rates are
based in part on how many cars the agency has available at your
pick up location. Be responsible and cancel your reservation if
you have a change of plans.
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| Child
Safety & Infant Seats are Usually Available |
Most
car companies offer child safety seats. Since there may be
limited availability or these you should reserve these well in
advance. Be aware that at some locations, the rental car company
may not guarantee that a child seat will be waiting for you upon
arrival. They are usually $5-$6 per day to rent but can be
anywhere from $2-$10 per day. Some agencies cap the charge at a
maximum per rental. There is no charge for a Tropical Rent a Car
child seat.
Check the state laws for where you are traveling. For instance,
a new law in Denver requires Booster Seats for all 4 and 5 year
olds who are not 55 inches tall.
Tropical Rent a Car can take the worry out of
installing an unfamiliar car seat! They have teamed with the
National Safety Council and have trained car seat installers on
hand.
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| Online
Internet Discounts are Available |
Many
companies currently are offering online discounts on the
internet. When reserving online, be sure to print out or take
note of your confirmation information and take this with you to
the counter.
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| Service
is Important! |
To
get the best service, check your rental car companies website or
inquire with them for what exactly they offer in the way of
special services.
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| Do
I Need to Buy their Coverages, Insurance or Damage Waivers at
the Counter? |
Check
to see if your personal or business car insurance covers you in
a rental car. This will save you worry and money when they ask
"Do you want coverage/insurance?". Some upper level
credit cards have rental car coverage, too. Your personal or
corporate auto insurance may cover Collision Damage Waiver (CDW),
Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) or Physical Damage Waiver (PDW). It may
also cover Personal Accident Insurance (PAI), Personal Effects
Coverage (PEC) and Additional Liability Insurance (ALI). Most of
the time these are optional coverages. "Loss Of Use"
or "down time" coverage may be offered at some
locations but may be covered under CDW, LDW or PDW mentioned
above. These charges (income the car would have generated if it
was available to be rented) is an additional fee that might be
accessed in the case of damage to your rental. Some companies
require that you show proof of insurance. Also be aware that
your personal insurance probably does not apply to your rental
car when traveling overseas. All this is somewhat complicated
and at times confusing because there are no industry standards
for terminology and policies vary by locations.
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| Beware
of the 24 Hour Clock |
When
determining your car rental bill be aware of the "24 hour
clock rate" most rental car companies use when charging
you. This means if you rent your car on Wednesday and return it
on Thursday, you are charged for one day only if you return it
within 24 hrs. You are usually charged for 2 days if you return
it more than 27-28 hrs after picking the car up. The policy for
most companies is that an hourly rate is charged for the first
3-4 hrs after 24 hrs. Returning the car after the hourly rate
period means a whole extra day is usually charged. Be aware that
this procedure can vary from company to company and that some
companies use a calendar day billing policy wherein you have
until midnight to return your car before being billed for a full
extra day.
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| Rates
Vary Greatly at a Location! |
Rental
car rates can vary 50% or more across agencies at the same
location. For example, in Tampa an economy car may rent for as
low as $79/wk or as high as $149/wk on the same day. To get the
best deal, reserve your car at least a WEEK in advance. The
earlier the better! Rates can very greatly at busy locations.
Destinations like Florida, Denver and Las Vegas are VERY
COMPETITIVE with rates varying as much as 100%!
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| Company
Rates Vary from Location to Location |
Also
keep in mind that rental car companies may vary their rates a
great deal from city to city due to market forces. Rates for a
little economy car at New York's La Guardia Airport may vary
from $200-$349/wk!
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| You
may be Required to Show your Airline Ticket |
Be
aware that some rental car agencies at the airport require that
you show your airline ticket in order to receive your
"discounted" airport rate. So if you need a rental car
for only part of your trip it may not benefit you to go back to
the airport to rent a car for the brief period you may need it.
Your airline ticket may be required to show your flight arrival
to be within 24 hours of rental car pickup at the airport for
the lower rate.
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| You
can't Reserve a Specific Type Car |
When
you reserve, you are holding down a RATE, not necessarily a
specific car. Write your CONFIRMATION number down where you will
have it when you pick up your car.
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| Reserve
with Weekly Rates Rather than Daily Rates |
It
is always best to stick with the dates and time period you have
reserved. If you're not sure when you will be returning a car
because you may have to stay longer, it may be much better to
reserve in advance for a longer time and return it early than
pay the "premium daily rates" for returning a car a
few days late. Typically, you're not penalized for returning it
early, however this is not true across the board. Some companies
may recalculate your rate based on current daily rates, which
may be much higher than when you reserved.
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| Unlimited
Mileage? |
Most
major rental car companies allow for unlimited MILEAGE in the
same state, but it's a good idea to check their policy before
confirming. Many smaller local independent companies charge
mileage after 50-100 free miles per day.
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| Gasoline
Charges |
Be
sure and fill your tank before you return your car. In most
cases you will pay a high premium if you forget. Tropical offers
no pre-paid gas option.
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| Taxes
& Airport Surcharges |
Vary
from state to state, airport to airport and are additional
expenses that can increase your overall bill substantially.
"Off airport" car rentals like Tropical usually mean lower surcharges
for you.
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| Minimum
Age Policies will Differ |
Besides
needing a valid drivers license and credit card in the same
name, most large agencies require renters to be at least 25
years old. Many smaller local companies such as Tropical have a minimum age of
21 if a surcharge is paid.
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| Do
I Need a Major Credit Card? |
Yes,
most rental car agencies accept only major credit cards and do
NOT accept debit cards or cash (Tropical accepts all three!). If the car agency accepts debit
cards, there are additional requirements and/or location
restrictions. Alamo
accepts debit cards with the Visa or MasterCard logo and a Round
trip travel ticket, but restricts certain locations. Dollar
requires an acceptable credit check with debit cards. At a few
limited locations, Thrifty and some local Enterprise offices may
accept debit cards. These policies may change at any time. There
are a few small independents that allow cash deposits. With the
use of a debt card, the agency may require a credit check.
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| Check
Out the Condition of your Car |
It's
a good idea to get out and inspect the vehicle with the
attendant for scratches, dents or other damage before you take
off. Any damage or unusual dents or scratches should be noted on
the contract before you leave the lot. Go back to the rental
office if need be to have this acknowledged in writing. Some
companies may enforce a hard line policy regarding this.
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| Look
at a Map Before Taking Off |
Be
sure you get a MAP and look at it before you take off in your
rental car. If you need to ask questions do so before you leave
the agency. Take note of the location so you can easily return
your car.
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| Fuel
- Gas Option Plans |
A
"Fuel Purchase Option" or "Fuel Service
Option" means you purchase an additional tank of gas at the
average market price when you pick up the car. This plan is only
useful IF you forget or do not have the time fill-up before
returning to the airport since it will allow you to avoid paying
the high fuel prices you will be charged to fill the tank up. If
you return the car near empty then you have really played this
option to perfection but, the truth is, how often will this
actually occur? Seldom - so Tropical offers no pre-paid
gas option.
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| Can
I Let Someone Else Drive the Rental Car? |
| In
most cases, you will need to list additional drivers on your
contract at the time of pick up. Tropical allows one extra
driver at no charge. If
someone else drives the car without the rental car agency's
permission your contract maybe voided for protection and even
claims against your rental deposit and personal insurance coverage.
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