Tips And Facts About Rent A Car Businesses
There are a lot of stories and myths about rent a car businesses that everyone has heard. Some are just plain silly, while others deserve a closer look. Any rent a car business is going to have its policies, and along with those policies are always people looking to bend or break the rules to their advantage. Over the years the rent a car business has evolved and adapted to the way people do business today. Now you can get all of your rental information, and even rent a car, on an internet website. But it never hurts to know what you are getting in to, and what you will need, when it comes to dealing with a rent a car business.
Basics
The first requirements of renting a car are is that you must have a driver's license, a credit card, and you must be at least 25 years old. For some very odd reason there are a lot of people who do not understand why you would need a driver's license to drive a car. A rent a car company has liability just like a private individual and if a company rents a vehicle to someone without a license, and then that person goes out and causes damage or injury in that rental car, then the rental company is liable and it could be very ugly.
The rule about needing to be 25 years old is based on insurance companies' records that drivers under 25 are a risk. When you are a new driver, you are automatically put into a risk pool and you remain there, whether you have an accident or not, until you are 25 years old. Once you reach age 25 you can be removed from that risk pool depending on your years of driving experience and your driving record.
Ain't For Smashing
There is a big myth that you can rent a car, take their basic insurance policy, and then smash the car to a million pieces and you would not be liable. Nothing could be further from the truth. You must have some sort of insurance on a rental car and if you do not want to pay the company's insurance rates then you must use your own car insurance to insure your rental car. If you smash up your rental car while you are using your own insurance then it is just like you smashed up your own car.
If you do it while on the company's insurance then they will bill you for the difference between what their insurance covers and what it does not cover. Many people think they got away with one when they smash up the rental car with the basic insurance on it only to see a legal charge for several thousand dollars appear on their credit card bill. Take care of your rental car like you would your own.
