Your car rental experience begins when you book your rental online, and continues right up until you return the car to the rental desk. In our last few blog articles we reviewed tips and trick to help improve your online booking experience, as well as how to speed up your rental pick-up process. Today, we'll focus on how to return your vehicle to the rental agency properly so that you can avoid any unnecessary fees or charges.
1) Check For Personal Items
Nothing ruins a vacation quite like getting to the airport and realizing that your wallet is back in the glove compartment of your car rental. Before you drop your rental off at the desk, make sure you perform a thorough check for any personal items. Check beneath the seats, in the glove compartment, and deep in any door or seat pockets. Pop the trunk to make sure all your suitcases have been removed, and don't forget about the visor – every year, thousands of sunglasses are discovered tucked into car rental visors across the country!
2) Fill the Gas Tank
Most car rental companies give you the option of returning the vehicle with a full tank or paying the rental company to fill it for you, after you've departed. It's almost always cheaper to fill it yourself, so plan to swing past a gas station on your way back to the car rental agency. You should also be mindful of the gasoline octane rating that your vehicle requires whenever you fill the tank. Once full, keep your receipt. Mistakes happen; keeping your receipt will prove that you did in fact fill the tank.
3) Return on Time
As we mentioned in our last blog, car rental companies normally rent vehicles in 24 hour blocks. As such, it's important that you arrive on time to your drop-off appointment. Most car companies honor a grace period of 30 to 60 minutes. If you arrive much earlier or much later than you originally stated, you could be assessed an additional charge.
4) Don't Just Drop the Keys and Run!
While you're probably anxious to get on with your travel arrangements, it's important that you stick around while your car rental return is being processed. Rushing off from your rental can cost you, especially if your independent car rental company discovers any damage on your vehicle. If you're in a hurry, try to stay until your rental attendant signs off on your agreement and clears you of any additional fees. These few extra minutes could save you a lot of future grief.
5) Keep All Your Paperwork
Once you've arrive home and unpacked your suitcases, gather up all of your car rental receipts and paperwork and file them in your records. It can sometimes take a car rental company as long as six months to alert customers of any additional costs. Keeping all of your papers handy will enable you to quickly answer any questions that could arise.
Renting a car can be an enjoyable experience, provided you take the proper precautions before, during, and after your rental period. Let Car Rental Express show you how easy it is to compare, review, and reserve your independent car rental online. Begin your search now!
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