Cheap car hire in New Zealand is an essential service that many people rely on. Unfortunately, car scams abound give trustworthy and reliable rental agencies a bad name. NZ Rent A Car shares insight on what a car hire scam can look like, and how to best avoid them.
They Ask If Your Parents Are With You
In New Zealand, you can get your driver’s license at the age of sixteen. Which means you are able to book a cheap hire car without permission from a parent or guardian. If you’re younger than 25, you will need to pay an extra fee, but that’s only to protect the agency’s investment over and above their insurance. Make sure you know what their policies are and request proof of this policy before signing an agreement.
They Push Unnecessary And Expensive Accessories
Most cheap car hire companies in New Zealand have accessories you can rent from them with the car, for additional costs. Items like baby seats, GPS navigation devices, and moving equipment. If you’re going on a trip with your family and need a baby seat, then you would happily pay for this accessory. However, if you do not need these accessories and they’re still pushing them on you, they’re likely trying to get more money out of the rental. Remember, each accessory costs more, so be careful if you don’t want to exceed your budget.
They Charge For Damages You Didn’t Cause
Potential vehicle damage is the cause of most of the anxiety that people feel when they hire a car. You don’t want it to sustain a single scratch when you’re driving it, or you’ll have to pay for the repairs. However, rental agencies can try to scam you into paying for damages that were already there when you picked the car up.
Take photos of the car and make sure that your consultant is with you while you snap images of every minor dent and scratch. That way, you have proof that the damage was there before you left with the car. You can even email these images to them before you go, and use the timestamp as further proof.
Many people have a great car hire experience in New Zealand. However, scams do exist, and reputation damage is unfortunately shared across all businesses in the industry. We hope this article has helped you avoid any future rental problems, so that you pay a fair charge and receive the service you deserve.
