1. Not fueling up the rented vehicle prior to returning it
One of the biggest mistakes you can do when renting a car is not to fuel it up before returning it to a car rental company. Why? Because it’s always more expensive to put the gas in the car at the car rental company, than at some local gas station. When returning a rented car, it’s expected that the car will have the same amount of gas as it had when it was rented. Car rental company will always charge you extra for that so you don’t want to do that mistake and to fuel up on your way back is a thing you want to do when renting a car.
2. Purchasing insurance without checking your own car insurance
This could be a mistake, and it could easily fit in the “things not to do” category because in most cases your own auto insurance covers most things (or even everything you need!) when renting a car. For that reason, never overlook your own car insurance and always call the car insurance company to check everything they cover before renting a vehicle at the car rental company — that way you can save a HUGE chunk of money!
3. Purchasing insurance without checking your credit card company’s coverage
There is a reason why we are doubling our “insurance” sections in this article. A lot of folks tend to forget checking what their credit card companies cover when it comes to rent-a-car terms. In most cases, your credit card company covers the rest of insurance fees which your car insurance won’t cover. Therefore, it would be smart to call your credit card company and check what exactly they cover when it comes to renting a car.
4. Not inspecting the car upon departure
Another potentially huge mistake that you can make at the car rental company is not to inspect the rented car before hitting the road. You should always check the vehicle for any signs of internal or external damages BEFORE leaving the car rental company. Look for any signs of potential problems — busted headlights, loose bumpers, visible scratches, strange noises, etc. You can even take some photos or a video inspection of the vehicle so you can easily make a “before-after” comparison upon returning the rented car.
Otherwise, you might end up responsible for all the damages found upon returning the car (including damages you didn’t necessarily make) and the car rental company WILL charge you for that!
5. Crossing international borders
You always need to be very careful when it comes to crossing international borders because most U.S. car rental agreements do not allow you to take the car to another country (i.e. Canada or Mexico, if we talk about US car rentals).
Another thing that makes this a “thing not to do” is the fact that your insurances most likely don’t apply in foreign countries.
So think twice before going abroad with your rented vehicle as the problems it can cause you might not be worth the trip.
There are lots of other little tips and trick that can come in handy when opting for car rental so make sure to follow us on our Facebook page as we’re always posting something useful that can potentially save you a lot of money.
And of course, feel free to contact our team at Express Rent a Cheap Car San Diego and we’ll be happy to answer your questions.
