Hidden Rental Car Fees

No one wants to rent a car only to learn too late that they've been swamped by hidden rental car fees. Knowing what to look for before making your reservation or signing any rental contact can help ensure you don't have any unpleasant surprises when you turn your rental car back into the agency.

Mileage Fees

When renting a car, do not fail to ask about any mileage-associated hidden rental car fees. This is potentially the biggest turn in charge you could encounter if you are not aware of the facts.

Be sure to ask how many miles per day you are allowed to use up before you are charged for mileage. In some cases, the mileage may be unlimited but in other cases you may only be allotted 50 miles per day, 100 miles per day, or some set amount before encountering per-mile charges which can be quite high.

If you need to use the rental car for lots of running around, mileage runs up really fast. In cases where you plan to visit nearby cities or towns, spend a lot of time driving, or use lots of miles, it is best to locate a rental car where the miles per day are unlimited. If you choose a vehicle to rent that has limited mileage, be certain to track your usage so you do not get hit with a huge mileage fee when you turn the car back in to the rental agency at the end of your rental period.

Alternate Location Return Fees

Sometimes you may wish to rent a car in one location and return the vehicle to another agency of the same rental car company. This often happens when flying into one airport, vacationing and traveling around a state, then returning home via another airport.

Hidden rental car fees for alternate location return of the vehicle can range from a very small charge to a significant amount of money. The reason for the fee, when included in the rental car contract, is that the inventory levels must be maintained at each of the rental outlets of multi-location rental agencies.

If you shop around and ask up front, you should be able to locate a rental car agency that doesn't charge this hidden fee. Some of the larger, nationwide car rental services are happy to have you leave the rental car at any of its franchises without any charge. If you think you might need to leave the car in an alternate location, even within the same city or town, be certain you understand whether there is a charge or not.

Fuel Fee

Another hidden rental car fee that can really cost you is the fuel fee. When you pick up your rental car, it should have fuel in the tank. When you drop off the rental car, you are expected to have a specific amount of fuel in the tank; usually the gas gauge should read "full" on drop-off. If you fail to return the rental car with the appropriate amount of fuel, you are charged on a per-gallon basis for fuel added by the rental car agency. The problem is that you will be charged top-dollar for the additional fuel instead of the lowest fuel prices in the area.

Be sure to understand how much gas must be in the rental car upon return. If you think you may not have time to fill the tank to the required level, be sure to ask what the fuel fee per gallon is at that rental car agency.

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