25 Mar

Top Tips For Collecting Your USA Car Hire

Posted by admin in Tips, usrentacar.co.uk | Tags :, , , , |

Hi all,

Here at usrentacar.co.uk we are about to hit one of the busiest USA car hire top tipspick up times in the year, Easter! Along with the Summer holidays and Christmas,  Easter will see the largest number of our customers collecting their hire vehicles from our suppliers.

So I thought it might be a good idea to go over the process of collecting your car rental and what to look out for in regards to optional extras.

Collecting your car hire

To collect your car rental you will require the following

  • Your usrentacar.co.uk Car Rental Voucher – you can print this from our website or download our free voucher app.
  • Your full driving licence – If you’re from the UK this means both parts, it also has to be the actual licence regardless of what the DVLA tell you a fax copy is not sufficient.
  • A major credit card in the name of the lead driver. The credit card is used for security and must be in the name of the driver specified on your voucher.

At the desk

When collecting your car rental you will be expected to sign a rental agreement, this rental agreement is the contract between yourself and the car rental supplier, it is not the same as the terms and conditions offered by ourselves.

We appreciate you’ve been travelling for a long time but you must fully read and understand this document before signing it. U.S. Rent A Car can not be held responsible for anything you sign and agree to locally.

Remember you are the customer so take you time to read the document do not allow yourself to be rushed regardless of how long the queue is behind you.

Items you maybe offered

The guys and girls on the desks generally work on commission, they are paid a low basic wage and make up the remainder of their salary by up-selling customer. These add on’s are totally optional and refusal will not prevent you from renting the vehicle.

A few items that you might be offered are;

  • GPS units.
  • Advanced Roadside Assistance – your rental comes with basic roadside assistance, the supplier may offer you an advanced option which covers human error for example, putting the wrong petrol in the car or locking your keys in the vehicle.
  • Upgrades - The option to upgrade your vehicle to a hire spec, generally upgrading your vehicle is cheaper to do so before collection. Remember any upgrade offered will be at a per day rate.
  • Toll Passes - called various things like SunPass or Pass24 this optional extra is useful for those on a road trip or passing automated tolls. Prices vary from location to location and supplier to supplier.
  • Personal Accident Insurance - generally covered by your own travel insurance it covers you for personal injury.

Remember to fully read your rental agreement and double check if any of these items appear in error, some suppliers assume you’d want to take advantage of these items.

Top Tips

A few other tips you might bear in mind are;

  • Re-read your rental agreement when you get to your accommodation  anything you are unsure of is generally covered by the suppliers 24 hours satisfaction guarantee. Call them if you’re unsure.
  • Use the pre-registration services offered by our supplier to speed up your collection.
  • If possible, send once person to the car rental desks while the others get the bags sorted.

If you have any tips that I’ve left out please feel free to comment below. Have a great holiday and tell us all about it when you return.

regards,

James,

car hire USA

5 Oct

usrentacar.co.uk Hits 20k Customer Reviews Milestone

Posted by admin in Alamo Rent A Car, Budget Rent A Car, Car Rental, Dollar Rent A Car, National Car Rental, Sixt Rent A Car, Thrifty Rent A Car, Tips, usrentacar.co.uk | Tags :, , , , , , , , , |

Hi all,

Back in 2006 usrentacar.co.uk started asking customers to leave a review about the service our suppliers were providing. We were the first car rental company to do this and only recently have we begun to see competitors replicate our service.

Today I’m delighted to announce that we have hit the impressive milestone of over 20k verified car hire USA reviews, making U.S. Rent A Car the largest user generated car rental review service in the world.

Our 20,000th review came from Mr F Andrews, regarding Dollar Rent A Car from San Francisco Airport who he scored an overall 77 out of 100 based on such things as, vehicle quality, pick service and value for money. He collected a Chevrolet Impala his full review stated

We had an accident where a car drove into the back of us. The Dollar desk at LAX were really helpful and sorted us a replacement straight away. The initial desk at San Francisco was quick also but certain things weren”t explained. Overall it was good though.

At present we have over 8k reviews regarding Dollar/Thrifty Rent A Car, 5k reviews regarding Alamo/National Rent A Car and 7k reviews regarding Budget Rent A Car.

The location with the most views is Orlando International Airport (MCO) with an impressive 5170, the vehicle type with the highest number of reviews is the 7 Seater Minivan which from MCO with Budget Rent A Car has over 500 unique reviews.

Our review section has proved so popular that we created a central engine where customers can view and filter reviews for a more personalised experience. It can be found here Car Hire USA reviews

Here’s to 20k more reviews and a great insight in to the collection process at different airports across the U.S.

regards,

James

car hire USA

21 Sep

15 Ways To Spot A Drink Driver

Posted by admin in News, Rants, Tips | Tags :, |

Hi all,

If all 17 million people who admitted to driving drunk in 2010 had their own state, it would be the fifth largest in the U.S. 

Drink driving in the states is still a major problem, over 1.4 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving whilst under the influence. It’s terrifying statistics like this and personal experience that lead to the founding of MADD.org Mothers Against Drink Driving; please visit their website and read through their informative site and their heart wrenching stories.

Today’s post is to highlight MADD’s campaign to eliminate drunk driving, MADD themselves are lobbying to turn cars into the cure however families must continue to be vigilant on our roadways. Here are 15 ways to spot a drink driver.

  1. Quick acceleration or deceleration
  2. Tailgating
  3. Weaving or zig-zagging across the road
  4. Driving anywhere other than on a road designated for vehicles
  5. Almost striking an object, curb, or vehicle
  6. Stopping without cause or erratic braking
  7. Drifting in and out of traffic lanes
  8. Signaling that is inconsistent with driving actions
  9. Slow response to traffic signals (e.g. sudden stop or delayed start)
  10. Straddling the center lane marker
  11. Driving with headlights off at night
  12. Swerving
  13. Driving slower than 10 mph below the speed limit
  14. Turning abruptly or illegally
  15. Driving into opposing traffic on the wrong side of the road

But what do I do if I spot someone drinking under the influence?

First, stay as far away from the other vehicle as possible.
Second, do not try to pass the vehicle or signal the driver to pull over.  Doing so could result in a collision.
Third, take notice of the license plate number of the driver along with details of the vehicle including make, model and color. However, make sure you don’t compromise your own safety trying to obtain this information.
Finally, pull over and call 911.  Give the exact location of the vehicle, including the name of the road or cross streets and the direction the vehicle is traveling. Give a complete description of the vehicle and the manner in which the vehicle is being driven.

With your help MADD.org can make a real difference.

regards,

James

Florida car hire

20 Sep

Understanding Your USA Car Rental Agreement

Posted by admin in Alamo Rent A Car, Budget Rent A Car, Car Rental, Dollar Rent A Car, National Car Rental, Thrifty Rent A Car, Tips | Tags :, , , , , , , , |

Hi all,

Apologies for the lack of posts recently I’ve been helping test out some new features we are going to add to usrentacar.co.uk, the first will hopefully be ready to launch next week and looks very promising.

Today’s post is about understanding your USA car rental agreement before you collect your vehicle.

Upon arrival in the U.S. you will be required to sign a rental agreement, this agreement is the contract between yourself (driver) and the car rental supplier (Alamo, Budget, Dollar etc). This is a legally binding contract and should be treated as such. We recommend you fully read and understand this document before signing it. Here are some items to look out for;

1. Rental Agreement No.

Designated by the Rental Agreement number, the rental agreement must be completed at the rental pick up location and should be carried with you in case you are required to prove you are legally in posession of the vehicle.

2. Car Serial Number

Designates the vehicle rented on the rental contract.

3. Rental Date, Time, Office

Shows the date, time, and rental station to return the vehicle, in which the vehicle was rented.

4. Return Date, Time, City

Shows the requested date, time, and rental station to return the vehicle without incurring any additional charges.

5. Allowable Drivers

Lists the drivers who are authorised to drive the vehicle. Extra drivers may be added at the time of rental and in some cases aftecolection. Additional charges may apply for additional drivers or underage drivers.

6. Additional Options/Other Information

Lists the additional options that may have been selected, such as, an upgrade of car, personal protection options, fuel options, etc.

7. Charges

Lists the itemisation of charges associated with the rental. As our rentals are pre-paid all the insurances we include (What’s Included) will be listed as $0.00, any additional charges will be noted here and should be queried if you do not recognise them.

The lead name on the confirmed reservation (the primary renter) must be the person whose credit card is used to pay any charges.

8. Rental Signatures

Confirms the terms of the rental agreement by all persons listed on the rental agreement.

example Alamo rental agreement:

 The rental agreement is very important and you should not feel rushed or pressured to be quick if you are at the head of a long queue; remember the queue is there problem not yours.

regards,

James

car hire USA

11 Sep

Child Seats, Booster Seats, What’s The Law In The U.S.

Posted by admin in Tips, usrentacar.co.uk | Tags :, , |

Hi all,

We get asked a lot about age restrictions and requirements for children when it comes to USA car hire and restraint laws, here is a good table put together by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety detailing all the information you need to know.

State Must be in child restraint Adult safety
belt permissible?		 Maximum fine
1st offense		 Law states preference
for rear seat
Alabama younger than 1 or less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 4 years or 20-40 pounds in a forward-facing child safety seat; 5 but not yet 6 in a booster seat. 6 through 14 years $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Alaska younger than 1 or less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 4 years and more than 20 pounds in a child restraint, 4 through 15 years who are either shorter than 57 inches or who weigh more than 20 but less than 65 pounds in a booster 4 through 7 years who are at least 57 inches or 65+ pounds; 7 through 15 who are shorter than 57 inches or weigh less than 65 pounds $50 law states no preference for rear seat
Arizona 4 years and younger not permissible $50 law states no preference for rear seat
Arkansas 5 years and younger and less than 60 pounds 6 through 14 years or 60+ pounds $100 law states no preference for rear seat
California 7 years and younger who are less than 57 inches (effective 01/01/12) 8 through 15 years or at least 57 inches (effective 01/01/12) $100 children 7 years and younger who are less than 57 inches must be in the rear seat (effective 01/01/12)
Colorado younger than 1 year and less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 3 years and 20-40 pounds in a child safety seat; 4 through 7 years in a booster seat 8 through 15 years $81 1 year and younger and less than 20 pounds must be in the rear seat if available
Connecticut younger than 1 year or less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing restraint system; 1 through 6 years who is less than 60 pounds in a child restraint system (booster seats may only be used in a seating position with a lap and shoulder belt) 7 through 15 years and 60+ pounds $60 law states no preference for rear seat
Delaware 7 years and younger and less than 66 pounds 8 through 15 years or 66+ pounds $25 children 11 years and younger and 65 inches or less must be in rear seat if passenger airbag is active
District of Columbia 7 years and younger 8 through 15 years $75 law states no preference for rear seat
Florida 3 years and younger 4 through 5 years $60 law states no preference for rear seat
Georgia 7 years and younger and 57 inches or less more than 57 inches $50 7 years and younger must be in rear seat if avaliable
Hawaii 3 years and younger in a child safety seat; 4 years through 7 years must be in a booster seat or child restraint 4 through 7 years who are taller than 4’9″; 4 through 7 years who are at least 40 pounds seated in a rear seat where if there are no available lap/shoulder belts, may be restrained by a lap belt $100 law states no preference for rear seat
Idaho 6 years and younger not permissible $100 law states no preference for rear seat
Illinois 7 years and younger 8 through 15 years; children who weigh more than 40 pounds seated in the rear where only a lap belt is available $75 law states no preference for rear seat
Indiana 7 years and younger 8 through 15 years $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Iowa younger than 1 year and less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing child seat; 1 through 5 years 6 through 17 years $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Kansas all children 3 and younger must be in a child restraint; children 4 through 7 who weigh less than 80 pounds and children 4 through 7 who are less than 57 inches tall must be in a child restraint or booster seat all children 8 through 13 years; children 4 through 7 years who weigh more than 80 pounds, and children 4 through 7 years who are taller than 57 inches $60 law states no preference for rear seat
Kentucky 40 inches or less in a child restraint; 6 and younger who are between 40 and 50 inches tall in a booster seat 6 and younger who are taller than 50 inches $50 child restraint; $30 booster seat law states no preference for rear seat
Louisiana younger than 1 year or less than 20 pounds in a child safety seat; 1 through 3 years or 20-39 pounds in a forward-facing child safety seat; 4 through 5 years or 40-60 pounds in a child booster seat 6 through 12 years or greater than 60 pounds $100 law states no preference for rear seat
Maine less than 40 pounds in a child safety seat; 40-80 pounds and less than 8 years in a safety system that elevates the child so that an adult seat belt fits properly 8 through 17 years or less than 18 years and more than 4’9″ $50 11 years and younger and less than 100 pounds must be in rear seat if available
Maryland 7 years and younger and either less than 57 inches or 65 pounds or less 8 through 15 years; children who are at least 57 inches or 65 pounds $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Massachusetts 7 years and younger and less than 57 inches 8 through 12 years; children who are at least 57 inches tall $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Michigan 7 years and younger and less than 57 inches 8 through 15 years; children who are at least 57 inches tall $10 3 years and younger must be in the rear seat if available
Minnesota 7 years and younger and less than 57 inches not permissible $50 law states no preference for rear seat
Mississippi 3 years and younger must be in a child restraint; 4 through 6 years and either less than 57 inches or less than 65 pounds must be in a booster seat 6 years and younger who either weigh 65 pounds or more or who are 57 inches or taller $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Missouri 3 years and younger must be in a child restraint; all children who weigh less than 40 pounds must be in a CR; 4 through 7 years who weigh at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds and who are 4’9″ or shorter must be in either a CR or booster seat; children 4 years and older who weigh at least 80 pounds or who are at least 4’9″ tall must be in either a booster seat or safety belt all children 8 through 16 years; all children 4 years and older who weigh 80 pounds or more or who are taller than 4’9″ $50; $10 for violations involving children taller than 4’9″ or who weigh 80 pounds or more law states no preference for rear seat
Montana 5 years and and younger and less than 60 pounds not permissible $100 law states no preference for rear seat
Nebraska 5 years and younger 6 through 17 years $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Nevada 5 years and younger and 60 pounds or less not permissible $500 law states no preference for rear seat
New Hampshire 5 years and younger who are less than 55 inches 6 through 17 years; younger than 6 who are at least 55 inches tall $50 law states no preference for rear seat
New Jersey 7 years and younger and less than 80 pounds not permissible $25 children 7 years and younger and less than 80 pounds must be in the rear seat if available
New Mexico younger than 1 year in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 4 years or less than 40 pounds in a child safety seat; 5 through 6 or less than 60 pounds in a booster seat 7 through 17 years $25 children younger than 1 year in a rear-facing infant seat must be in the rear seat if available
New York 3 and younger unless they weigh more than 40 pounds and are seated where there is no available lap/shoulder belt; 4 through 7 years unless they are seated where there is no available lap/shoulder belt 8 through 15 years; children who weigh more than 40 pounds or children 4 through 7 years in a seating position where there is no available lap/shoulder belt $100 law states no preference for rear seat
North Carolina 7 years and younger and less than 80 pounds 8 through 15 years + children 40-80 pounds in seats without shoulder belts $25 children 4 years and younger who weigh less than 40 pounds must be in the rear seat unless the front passenger airbag is deactivated or the restraint is designed for use with airbags
North Dakota 6 years and younger and less than 57 inches or less than 80 pounds 7 through 17 years; 6 years and younger and at least 57 inches tall and at least 80 pounds; 6 years and younger and at least 40 pounds, if there are no available lap/shoulder belts, may be restrained by a lap belt $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Ohio 3 years and younger or less than 40 pounds in child restraint; 4 through 7 years who weigh 40 pounds or more and who are shorter than 57 inches in booster seat 8 through 14 years $75 law states no preference for rear seat
Oklahoma 5 years and younger 6 through 12 years $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Oregon younger than 1 year or 20 pounds or less must be in a rear facing child safety seat; 7 or younger: 40 pounds or less must be in a child safety seat; more than 40 pounds but 4 feet and 9 inches or less must be in a safety system that elevates the child so that an adult seat belt fits properly taller than 4 feet and 9 inches; 8 through 15 $90 law states no preference for rear seat
Pennsylvania 7 years and younger not permissible $100 law states no preference for rear seat
Rhode Island 7 years and younger and less than 57 inches and less than 80 pounds 7 years and younger who either weigh 80 pounds or more or who are at least 57 inches tall; 8 through 17 $75 children 7 and younger must be in rear seat if available
South Carolina younger than 1 year or less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 5 years and 20-39 pounds in a forward-facing child safety seat; 1 through 5 years and 40-80 pounds in a booster seat secured by lap-shoulder belt (lap belt alone is impermissible) 1 through 5 years and 80+ pounds or any child 5 years and younger if the child’s knees bend over the seat edge when sitting up straight with his/her back firmly against the seat back $150 children 5 years and younger must be in rear seat if available
South Dakota 4 years and younger and less than 40 pounds 5 through 17 years; all children 40+ pounds, regardless of age $20 law states no preference for rear seat
Tennessee younger than 1 year or 20 pounds or less in a rear-facing infant seat; 1 through 3 years and 20+ pounds in a forward-facing infant seat; 4 through 8 years and less than 4’9″ in a booster seat 9 through 15 years or any child 12 or younger who is 4’9″ or taller $50 children 8 years and younger and less than 4’9″ must be in rear seat if available; rear seat recommended for children 9 through 12
Texas 7 years and younger and less than 57 inches not permissible $25 law states no preference for rear seat
Utah 7 years and younger and shorter than 57 inches 8 through 15 years; all children 57 inches or taller $45 law states no preference for rear seat
Vermont younger than 1 year or less than 20 pounds in a rear-facing infant seat; 2 through 7 and more than 20 pounds 8 through 17 years and more than 20 pounds $25 children 1 year and younger or less than 20 pounds must be in the rear seat unless the front passenger airbag is deactivated
Virginia 7 years and younger unless they have a physician exemption 8 through 17 years $50 children in rear-facing devices must be in a rear seat if available; if not available, they may be placed in front only if front passenger airbag is deactivated
Washington 7 years and younger and less than 4’9″ 8 through 15; 7 years and younger and 4’9″ or taller; children who weigh more than 40 pounds in a seating position where there is only a lap belt available $124 12 years and younger must be in rear seat if practical
West Virginia 7 years and younger and less than 4’9″ 7 years and younger and 4’9″ or taller $20 law states no preference for rear seat
Wisconsin children younger than 1 and all children who weigh less than 20 pounds are required to be in a rear-facing infant seat; children 1 through 3 years who weigh at least 20 pounds but less than 40 pounds are required to be in a forward-facing child safety seat; children 4 through 7 who both weigh at least 40 pounds but less than 80 pounds and who are less than 57 inches tall are required to be in a booster seat 8 years and younger and more than 80 pounds and 57 inches or taller $75 children 3 and younger must be in a rear seat, if available
Wyoming 8 years and younger not permissible $50 children 8 years and younger must be in the rear seat if available

Lots of good information here, remember you can rent child seats and booster seats directly from the supplier for approximately $7 to $10 per day plus tax.

regards,

James

car hire USA

17 Aug

Port Canaveral Cruises And Florida Car Hire

Posted by admin in Tips | Tags :, , |

Hi all,

With the popularity of cruising on the rise I thought now might be a good idea to take a look at how our Florida car hire suppliers service the states four main ports. Today I will concentrate on Port Canaveral.

As you can probably imagine space at cruise ports is at a minimum and generally suppliers fleet is either located at a nearby “down town” office or serviced by local airports where fleets are larger.

The most popular cruise location for US rentacar customers is Port Canaveral (Cape Canaveral), we currently offer 3 suppliers from this location.

Alamo Rent A Car located at: 6211 N Atlantic Ave,  Cape  Canaveral. Approx 5 min shuttle bus ride.

Budget Rent A Car located at: 8401 Astronaut Blvd, Cape Canaveral. Approx 3 mins shuttle bus ride.

Dollar Rent A Car located at: 6799 N Atlantic Ave, Cape Canaveral. Approximately 5 mins shuttle bus ride.

Each of these suppliers runs a complimentary shuttle bus service to and from the port, these shuttle buses run regularly in accordance to the arrival and departure schedules of the ships.

Remember with usrentacar.co.uk the popular one way rental from Cape Canaveral to Orlando International Airport and vice versa is free of charge.

regards,

James

car hire USA

18 Jul

How Do USA Car Hire One Way Rentals Work?

Posted by admin in Alamo Rent A Car, Budget Rent A Car, Dollar Rent A Car, Hertz, National Car Rental, Thrifty Rent A Car, Tips | Tags :, , , , |

Hi all,

Definition: A one way rental (OWR); is any USA car hire collected at one location but dropped off at a different location.

For example; collected from Orlando International Airport in Florida but returned to Miami International Airport.

Today’s post will cover one way rentals, how they work and how they effect your car rental price. We’ll also take a look at the suppliers for popular one way rentals and see who offers any one way rental deals.

Firstly enter your details in to our booking engine, remember to place the alternative drop location in the appropriate field.

The next page returned will show you the cost of the vehicles available with each supplier; please note that the one way rental price is not included within these rate. All one way rental charges are paid for locally directly to the supplier.

Once you’ve found the vehicle you are interested in, tick the appropriate insurance box and click on the “book now” button.

The next page shown is our one way rental alert page; this page will display to you the cost of the one way rental. Remember that one way rental charges differ per supplier, so sometimes it pays to check each suppliers charge.

The alert will ask you to confirm that you agree to the charge and then the normal booking process continues.

Remember; the one way rental charge is paid locally directly to the supplier.

One way rental deals*

When you’re looking at long distance one way rentals; National Car Rental offer a set one way rental fee of $250.00 this deal can save you up to 50% on road trips and is unique to this supplier.

Dollar Rent A Car and Alamo Rent A Car through usrentacar.co.uk offer free one way rentals between California and Nevada (please note Alamo’s peak season one way rental charge for Convertibles out of San Francisco); so popular journeys such as Los Angeles to Las Vegas wont incur additional charges.

All our suppliers offer free one way rentals within the state of Florida, so you can fly in to Tampa with BA but fly out of Orlando without incurring additional fee’s.

*all one way rental deals are correct at the time of print, please check our terms and conditions for the latest one way rental costs.

Well I hope this helps make one way rentals a little easier to understand. If you have any questions please comment below.

regards,

James

car hire USA

17 Jul

5 Things To Consider When Renting A Car

Posted by admin in Car Rental, Tips | Tags :, , , |

Hi all,

Car hire in the USA can seem quite a daunting prospect, here at usrentacar.co.uk we try to make something that can be complicated as simple and easy as possible.

Today’s post revolves around 5 key things you need to consider when booking your Florida car hire. I will attempt to cover what I believe to be the most important parts of your hire determine by questions we get asked by customers.

Insurance

Our reservations staff answer questions all day regarding insurances included within our car rental packages. Customers should be looking for these insurances as the absolute minimum.

CDW (collision damage waiver) or LDW (Loss damage waiver) both offer the same insurance feature. As long as you adhere to the rental policy of the supplier you will not be held responsible for the cost of replacement or repair to your hire vehicle.

UMP (Uninsured Motorist Protection) up to $1m Liability Cover. Offers an Uninsured/Underinsured/Hit-and-Run Motorist Protection (UMP) that provides the renter and family members travelling together in the rented vehicle with up to $1,000,000 of non-stacked coverage for bodily injury sustained while driving the rental car, and caused by another driver who has no insurance, minimal insurance, or is a hit-and-run driver.

SLI (Supplemental Liability Insurance) up to $1m Liability Cover. All drivers included on the rental agreement will not be held liable for third party claims for bodily injury or property damage resulting from an accident.

All our packages (Silver, Gold & Platinum) include these insurances, recently we have also added the new Platinum package which offers additional coverage.

Reimbursement for any physical loss or damage to the Rental Vehicle for which You are responsible under the terms of the Vehicle Rental Agreement, including: (Total section limit: GBP 2,000.00)

  • Physical damage to windscreens, tyres, and undercarriage.
  • Towing costs relating to the loss or damage.

If unintentionally locked out of the Rental Vehicle.

  • Our supplier will pay up to GBP 100.00 to open the Rental Vehicle.

Pay to replace a lost or stolen Rental Vehicle key, including replacement locks and locksmith.

  • charges up to a maximum of GBP 300.00 for each and every claim.

Please note that the additional Platinum insurance is exclusive to usrentacar.co.uk and is not provided directly with the supplier but through our third part insurers, for more details please see our terms.

Our Platinum rate was added due to continuing feedback from our customers who were being offered the additional service locally but at a rate we deemed to high.

Car Size

Its important not to undersell your parties needs; a family of 4 with luggage is not going to comfortably fit in the cheap Economy 2dr model. I have come across many a holiday maker who thought it would be cheaper to purchase the smallest vehicle available and then haggle locally over an upgrade.
The problems they come across are these; firstly the supplier can see that you wont fit in the economy with your 4 pieces of luggage and child seat in tow, secondly they guy behind the desk works on commission for what he can sell, he gains less from giving you a real cheap deal. Thirdly, the rates we offer are specifically designed for the UK and European market, purchasing locally means all the individual insurances have to be priced separately and all incur tax so this can bump your price right up.

The other important factor to remember when selecting a vehicle is that our suppliers do not guarantee make or model of their vehicles, for example an Intermediate Sports Utility is described as a Ford Escape with Dollar Rent a Car however within this category of vehicle also falls the Jeep Liberty and the Jeep Compass. So when selecting your vehicle bear in mind that due to the fact we cannot guarantee make or model of the vehicle we also cannot guarantee luggage space or additional features.

In car hire terms bigger is always better.

On Airport / Off Airport

Something to consider when picking your car rental supplier is where their vehicles are located. On usrentacar.co.uk we show you each supplier and provide information stating either if the supplier is On airport or if their car lot is Off airport collection provided by a free shuttle bus service.

Now for some, on airport or off airport doesn’t really matter but for people with small children or elderly relatives the difference between a 10 min bus journey or walking across the road to a car park can make all the difference. Make sure you know where your supplier is located.

Online reputation 

There are quite a few car rental brokers out there at the moment, so apart from price how else should you be thinking about before booking.

Here at usrentacar.co.uk we offer two review types; firstly we offer independent reviews about our own company via our link up with Trust Pilot which we launched in May and secondly we offer reviews about the suppliers themselves provided by our customers after the rental has taken place; these reviews are available here Car Hire USA reviews and can be manipulated to show reviews of your supplier, pick up location and vehicle type.

This will give you a good impression of the level of service you will receive from our suppliers and of course us.

Optional Extras / Rental Agreement

I think I write about rental agreements every other post, so here it is again; upon collection of your hire you will be asked to sign a rental agreement, the rental agreement is your contract with the supplier. Please make sure you read this document and fully understand its contents before you sign it.

With regards to optional extra’s offered locally our suppliers may offer you the following

Personal accident insurance – Insures against person injury; items within this optional extra are generally covered by your travel insurance.

Pass24 or SunPass - This pass allows you to take advantage of the special automated lanes and speeds up your drive. Florida is slowly phasing out all manned toll booths but until then it is worth bearing in mind that dependant upon where you are going in Florida you may only come across one or two booths.

Advanced Roadside Assistance - We have covered this one in a  recent blog, remember your rental comes with basic roadside assistance this covers you for mechanical failure. The reservations staff locally may try to sell you advanced roadside assistance which covers instances such as losing your keys, running out of petrol and a lock out service.

Remember our reservation staff are always available to answer any query you may have either via the telephone on 0845 226 8523, via email or via our live chat facility located at the top of every page.

Kind regards,

James

Florida car hire

13 Jul

Take The Stress Out Of USA Car Hire With Our Essential Guide

Posted by admin in Car Rental, Tips | Tags :, , , |

Hi all,

A recent survey conducted by YouGov suggested that car hire was one of the most stressful parts of people’s holiday.

Today I thought I’d go through the surveys results and point out how usrentacar.co.uk are tackling each issue.

The survey revealed;

Over one in 10 people (11%) queued for more than an hour to pick up their rental car

Here at usrentacar.co.uk we have introduced a couple of initiatives to counter this statistic. The first is the introduction of our exclusive Wait Time feature, powered by the usrentacar voucher app; upon arrival users of the app are prompted to add the length of time they have had to queue, this data is then averaged and displayed within our search results so customers are aware of possible delays.

The other feature we promote are our suppliers  pre registration options, by pre-registering your details here in the UK you will not be required to do this locally and in some circumstances you can use a dedicated desk.

Over one in ten (12%) found damage on the rental car that was not originally disclosed

This statistic is more about European car hire than Florida car hire the difference being is that car rental in Europe for the most part have insurance excesses associated with the rental, so damage on the vehicle is payable by the customer, however in the U.S. the insurances we offer come with zero excess (excluding parts of New York and Alaska) so the issue of damage to the vehicle is not really applicable.

Over a sixth of consumers (17%) did not get the rental car they ordered

Here at usrentacar.co.uk all our vehicles are hired as “or similar” although we can never guarantee make or model of the vehicle we can guarantee the category; so for example if you hire a (sports utility vehicle) Grand Jeep Cherokee or similar, you are not hiring that specific model but a sports utility vehicle.

To help our customers get an indication of which vehicle they are most likely to get we offer USA car hire reviews gathered from our customers which state the make and model the customer received from that category of vehicle.

One in seven (14%) car hire respondents said they did not read the small print of the rental agreement with the same number again (14%) saying they couldn’t be bothered to read all the bits of paper.

Reading your rental agreement upon arrival is one of the most important things we try to stress here at usrentacar. Your rental agreement is a legally binding contract between yourself and the car rental supplier, here are a list of posts relating to rentals agreements.

Car Rental Agreements – Read it before you sign it.

The Guys On The Desks Work On Commission, Here’s How To Survive

How To Survive Easter USA Car Hire

Car Hire USA – Things to remember

What Does An Alamo Rental Agreement Look Like?

Car rental can be stressful however if you follow these brief rules you’ll be fine.

  1. Book a car suitable for your requirements; if you have a lot of suitcases make sure you book something capable of accommodating them all, a 7 seater wont take 7 pieces of luggage for example.
  2. Make sure you read What’s Included in the rentalthoroughly.
  3. Pre-register your details.
  4. Read your rental agreement thoroughly and only sign it when you are totally happy.
  5. Enjoy your holiday.

If you would like to add to this list please feel free to comment below.

regards,

James

Florida car hire

10 Jul

The Guys On The Desks Work On Commission, Here’s How To Survive

Posted by admin in Car Rental, Tips, usrentacar.co.uk | Tags :, , |

Hi all,

Peak season, high season, holiday season; call it what you like we’re in it. At no time during the year will more people collect their USA Car Hire than in July and August.

So what things should you remember to make sure the process runs as smoothly as possible?

Your rental voucher

The rental voucher provided by usrentacar.co.uk either via our app or printed from our website details exactly what is included within your package, it also tells our supplier that you have prepaid your car hire.

Producing this at the desk is a must for an easy pick up.

Commission

The guys and girls on the desks of all rental suppliers work on commission, they are paid a base rate and then make up a large portion of their salary by selling optional extras, for example; upgrades, personal insurance, top up breakdown cover and the toll passes.
I’m not saying that you shouldn’t purchase these extras if you really want to, but bear in mind they are trained to sell as well as offer great customer services.

Rental Agreement

Upon collection, you will be asked to sign a rental agreement, this rental agreement is a legally binding contract between yourself and the supplier. Stated on this agreement will be any addition charges you owe the supplier; for example; if you hire a GPS unit locally or upgrade your vehicle.

We advise that you read this agreement and only sign it once you are completely happy with what you are signing for. It is very hard for us to argue a customers case in any dispute if the supplier has a signed rental agreement.

Double Check

I appreciate that when you’re at the airport you really just want to get to your accommodation and start your holiday, so you may skim read the rental agreement.

Once you’ve got to your villa or hotel and settled down a little, take another quick look at your rental agreement and make sure you’re happy with exactly everything you’ve signed for. Most of our suppliers offer a 24 hour satisifaction guarantee where if you aren’t happy with something you’ve purchased at collection you can simply call a number and have it removed. Alamo Rent A Car at Orlando Airport have recently been known to give each customer a business card with contact email addresses answered within 2 hours.

Now you’re armed with all this free knowledge go forth and drive our rental vehicles…. enjoy. Remember usrentacar.co.uk is always here to support you.

regards,

James

Florida car hire

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