Tips to avoid losing money when renting a car during Tet

Determine the purpose of car rental

Car rental is the choice of many people who need to travel during Tet.

Before renting a car, you need to consider your purpose to choose the right service package and type of car. Some criteria to consider are: Where is the destination, how far is the journey, is the road easy or difficult, how many days will it take, how many people will the car carry... to choose a good and suitable car.

Choose a reputable car supplier

To ensure that you rent a car at a reasonable price, find a number of reputable car rental locations. Search for information on the Internet or ask your relatives and friends for recommendations on reputable car rental locations, call or go to the location to check the price.

Book early

If you have decided on the car you want to rent and the cost, you should book early to avoid running out of cars or price increases due to “sold out”. You should not book a car online because this has many potential risks such as price increases, changing the car you want to rent, etc.

Bring necessary documents when renting a self-drive car

Regarding the procedure for renting a self-drive car, usually the owner of the car rental service requires you to have a driver's license, ID card or household registration book, and a mortgage vehicle (motorbike for example). If you do not have one of the above documents, you must ensure payment to the car owner in cash through a commitment letter or an alternative vehicle such as a motorbike with a certain value.

Check vehicle documents

Before booking a car, you should carefully check the vehicle's documents regarding the vehicle's circulation period, registration, inspection... In case the police blow the whistle, if the vehicle's documents and circulation period have expired, you will most likely get into big trouble.

Check the exterior of the car

Before renting a car, you should check the car carefully.

When you see that the vehicle documents are in order, you should not skip the vehicle inspection. Vehicle inspection is not only to ensure safety for use but also necessary to avoid unnecessary disputes or compensation problems when returning the vehicle.

First of all, you should carefully check the outside of the car, look closely for scratches and dents on the body, rims, mirrors... Very small details such as: wipers, turn signal bulbs, mirror lights, fog lights... also need to be carefully checked before receiving the car.

In addition, with some car models, you also need to keep an eye on spare tires and accessories such as tools, jacks, etc. Then, you should clearly indicate to the car owner and write down the details in the agreement if the renter does not want to lose money.

Check the car interior

After checking the exterior, you should learn about the interior of the car. When you get in the car, turn on the ignition, start the engine and check the CD, DVD drive, speaker system, horn, reverse sensor...

If any of the above equipment is not working or is operating erratically, you must ask the lessor to confirm the condition of the equipment, or request that the damaged equipment be sealed and signed in the notes section of the rental agreement.

Next, check the surface of all the seats in the car, the floor mats under your feet to see if there are any burned or torn areas. You should also not ignore other parts of the interior such as: Dashboard, door handles inside the car, electric windows system... to see if they are still working properly.

To feel secure when traveling far, check if the car has a usable spare tire, other supporting equipment such as: car jack, storage box, fuse and spare light bulb... If one of the above tools is missing, you must ask the rental company to add it immediately before receiving the car.

Check the machine and mileage

This job is more difficult, especially for those who have little experience renting a self-driving car, so to avoid problems and repairs on the way, renters can look at the registration plate to avoid renting a car that is too old.

In addition, you also need to check the current mileage, fuel status...

Test drive

Test driving a car is very important before deciding to rent a car.

To be assured before receiving the car, you should ask the rental company to take the car for a test drive to check the steering system, shock absorbers, air conditioning, etc. This can help you identify problems with the car, avoiding unnecessary repairs when the car is in your hands. In addition, this also gives you time to get familiar with the car.

Make a tight contract

Not only should you check the car carefully, you should also consider the terms of the agreement and ask carefully about the service package: rental period, daily mileage limit and extra kilometer price. Before receiving the car, make a record to clearly and specifically determine the condition of the car.

When agreeing on a deposit, add a specific compensation clause from the car owner in case the car is not delivered on time, is not the type of car as per the contract, etc. For example, in a self-drive car rental contract, there is usually a section on what type of car to rent, the year of the car, the license plate number, the color of the car, etc. However, if you do not pay attention to this clause, most car owners will ignore it to avoid being bound, and when delivering the car, many customers have to receive old, unsafe cars...

Note when returning the car

Don’t think that returning the car is easy because there are many problems that can arise. Accordingly, you should check the condition of the car with the lessor and confirm the mileage compared to the original record.

In case the car has an accident and the lessor requests compensation, you need to seek help from someone with experience and legal knowledge to avoid having to pay unsatisfactory compensation.