There are so many things written about Sydney car hire practices. Some of them are true, but most border on the incredible. Below are the top Sydney car hire myths and the truths behind them.
You don’t have to book because you will get the same rates anyway. Not only is this myth untrue. It is also a very dangerous notion. If you arrive at a car rental company without booking, especially on a peak season, the chances of getting any car at all is very slim. The rates are also higher, of course, when you risk being a walk-in client compared to the rates you can enjoy when you book or opt for prepaid terms.
Car rental companies are open 24/7. There is this age-old notion that any Sydney car hire company is open 24/7 simply because they cater to people who arrive at the airport, and the airport never closes. All car rental companies, however, have office hours. You can probably arrange for your car to be dropped off or picked up beyond their office hours, but can’t walk into their offices at any time of the day if you are planning to risk being a walk in client.
You need to check the rental company’s office hours before your visit.
You need to pay for every small scratch and dent. The reason why Sydney car hire companies encourage or even require their clients to purchase rental car insurances from them is to make sure that the damages accrued while the car is being rented out is covered by the plan. If the damage is very small, though, like a tiny indentation on the leather seats for example, this is usually not accounted for by the rental company anymore. It is only when the damage is big enough (a busted headlight, for example) that the company actually takes notice.
You have to pay an extra day if you exceed an hour. The clock starts running once you pick up your Sydney car hire, and if you exceed for an hour or two, you will probably be charged on top of your estimated cost but not for an entire day. Most car rental companies assign blocks of hours for late returns. Usually, this is a 4-hour block, but you have to ask the company you are hiring for the specifics.
All rental companies have the same terms. Car rental may look similar, and the rules of one car rental company may look nearly identical to another, but there are always little differences. These differences can affect your enjoyment of the car you are renting, so always read the fine print.
You will always get the car model you ask for. Rather than the car model, car rental companies operate with SSIDs. These IDs are categorized according to the seating capacity of the vehicle. The company cannot assure that they can give you the model and the color you asked for, but they can assure that you get a vehicle that is big enough and new enough for your needs. They’re allowed to change the models and the color specified by you in your request, but they are not allowed to give you a smaller car.
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