Consumer Advice for Car Hire Adelaide Clients

Transacting with a car hire company in Adelaide is a practical and economic solution for temporary transportation.  The majority of car hire clients are either vacationing tourists or residents having their own car fixed.  This post contains valuable consumer advice for car hire clients in Adelaide.

Car Hire Adelaide Tip: Scoring a Good Deal

While a lot of vacationers do find it convenient to reserve a rental car through an airline, you should be aware that this option will rarely get you the best deal possible.  For one thing, airlines will hardly bother to do the necessary research to get you the cheapest rate for the best car.  Frankly, airlines are not really motivated to help you save money; they are there to make a profit.  Therefore, they would refer you to a car hire company who had offered them a good reciprocity deal.
So how do you find great car hires?
You can try making an online reservation; simply type in car hire Adelaide in your browser’s search engine and you should get some companies available within the area.  Do a price comparison and pick the best deal.  A lot of car hire companies offer internet-only discounts and upgrades.

Preventing Unfounded Damage Claims

Once you have arrived in Adelaide and the car hire agent is handing your rental over to you, make sure to make a careful inspection of the car before signing any receipt.  Do not take for granted that the rental agent will simply document any damage for you.  There is hardly any incentive for them to do so, especially if they are very busy.  Any damage that is not written on the pre-delivery declaration can be held against your deposit; not to mention that you will also be liable for the cost of any repairs over that amount.
No damage is too small to document.  It will be in your best interest to have the rental agent document all scrapes, scratches, dents, or chips that you see.  Remember that in a damage claim, documentation is everything.  Be sure to check not only the body of the vehicle but also the windshield, rims, roof and the interior.
If the car rental was dirty at the time of the hand-over, or if the rental delivery was done in a parking light with poor light, then make sure that it gets noted in the contract.  That should give you some leeway if there is some damage that you have missed because it was difficult to see the car condition at the time.

Avoid Petrol Refilling Service Charges

Make sure that you fill up the rental car’s gas tank before returning it.  If you do forget, you will be charged with an extra service charge for petrol refilling. This extra cost is further hiked up by the gas charge itself since you will be paying an inflated price per litre.