Why were rental prices so high during the summer season of 2021?
The first topic on which Martina commented was the dramatic increase in rental prices during this year´s summer season. According to her, price increase during the summer season is a common thing, but this summer the price increase was also influenced by the lack of cars on the market, as car rental companies were forced to reduce their fleets during the pandemic and waiting time for new vehicles is currently longer than it used to be due to the global shortage of car components. Therefore, it is recommended to customers to book a car in advance (one to two months). This way the customers may save tens of euros!
What to look out for when renting a car?
Another topic that Marina touched on is the most common mistakes of customers when renting a vehicle, which include insufficient understanding of the rental conditions that may lead to the increase in the rental price (for example, due to limited mileage), or hidden damage to the rented vehicle, which in many cases, the customer is forced to pay. Martina's advice to the customers is very simple:
-
a careful review of the car rental agreement before signing it
-
checking the condition of the vehicle when picking it up as well as taking pics of existing damage to the vehicle
Do you really need the additional insurance?
The last topic on which Martina commented is additional insurance, which is the most common up-sell product of car rental companies. Before buying it, it is good to consider whether you really need the additional insurance, as well as to check what is the coverage of your regular insurance. This way you may save a significant amount of money.