An employee of the rental car company may commit an honest error in front of the company. But if you’re smart enough not to get scammed, it’s quite easy for you to dodge these tricks.
Unlike reliable providers like Rent A Car Bahrain, many rental car companies do whatever they can to extract as much money as they can out of you. To increase their revenue, they may even don’t bother sacrificing your trust in them. While there’re providers that might engage in practices considered as borderline fraud yet may be perfectly legal, there’re some providers that may even cross the critical line committing the outright fraud.
Irrespective of whether the act of charging you more was by mistake or on purpose, you must protect yourself from having to pay more out of your pocket than required. Here’re a few ways that’ll help you smartly rent a car without getting ripped off. So let’s dive in;
Buying an Insurance
Before paying for insurance, people often don’t realize that their coverage may come from either their automobile insurance policy or the credit card they use to rent the car. For that, you must check from your credit card provider about whether this card covers rental car insurance or not. And also ask them about whether this insurance is primary or secondary.
In case the rental car provider claims that you’re responsible for any damage to the car, it’s better to let them challenge the credit card provider than your insurance company that could raise your vehicle insurance premiums consequently even if it wasn’t your fault.
Inspect the Vehicle and Check for Damage – No matter how Minor
Before taking the car, just walk around the car and inspect the interior & exterior. Check everything thoroughly such as; tires, seats, bumpers, grilles, floor mats, glove compartment, carpeting under floor mats, lenses for lights, trunk and everything even under the vehicle.
In case you see even a minor scrape, check it by rubbing it using your finger or cloth to make sure it is dirt and not a scratch. If you’re sure it’s a scratch, record it by taking a take a photograph/video of it.
Obey All Traffic Laws
While you own the car, you must follow traffic laws if you want to avoid fines or risk your life. It sounds obvious, but it is worth emphasizing. If you drive on a highway that records your speed electronically without your knowledge and uses hidden cameras to capture your vehicle while you exceed the speed limit, you will face a fine, additional charges, and fees upon returning home.
While heading to a car rental in Doha, make sure you exercise the same caution when you approach traffic lights equipped with cameras. Unless you have some really strong evidence, fighting the fine and contesting the charges & fees can be extremely difficult.