Car Rental FAQ's
FAQ's
Is Insurance included?
This is our most commonly asked question since travelers often feel deceived when it comes to car rental insurance. The answer is simple. In Australia, car rental insurance is included, however, it comes with a high excess of around $3000. So if you have a massive accident, you need to pay up to $3000 for the insurance excess. When you pick the car up from the rental depot they will ask if you'd like to pay the optional extra to reduce the excess to around $300. This costs around $25-$30 per day and they often call this "insurance excess reduction". If you are looking for insurance for your own car, visit our friends at Captain Compare car insurance Australia
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Will I be charged to failing to show up?
Not when you book on carhire.com.au. We do not take credit card details from you, so there is no way to charge you if you cancel at the last minute or fail to show up. The only supplier that will charge you is Thrifty, is you make a booking using their direct online form, found through our Go Direct link.
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Will I need the same credit card that I used to book my car to pick it up?
No. But you will need a credit card with the card owner present at the reception desk. It does not need to be the same credit card as the one used to make the booking.
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When do I get my discount?
Avis, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty all show your prices including discount during the quoting process.
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Will my overseas drivers license work for Australia?
If you have held a valid, unrestricted drivers license, for a minimum of 12 months and it is in English you will not require an international permit. If you do not have these prerequisites then you will need an international permit. All documents must be original. No photocopies are recognised.
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How old do I need to be to hire a car?
In most cases you need to be a minimum of 25 years old BUT you can still rent a car if you are over 21 years old. In this case a mandatory surcharge usually applies and the in ability to lower excess charges may also apply. This varies from company to company. Some vehicle types may also be restricted.
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Can I get a complete "quote" without entering any credit card details?
Yes you can for Avis, Budget, Hertz and Europcar. Thrifty will provide daily rates but a complete quote is not available until after including credit card details.
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Are the quotes comprehensive of all fees and charges?
For the most part the quotes are comprehensive for Airport Recovery fees, Goods and Services taxes, and 3rd party insurance. It should be noted that in Australia the standard liability insurance ranges from $2,450 to $2,750. This can usually be reduced to the $300 to $400 range for an additional fee of $20 to $28 per day.
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How do I make a change?
The easiest way to modify or cancel your booking is through our sites "make changes" links. These links will take you directly to the appropriate suppliers web pages to a change or cancellation. The companies all have different logon on procedures and these include a mixture of email address, last name and reservation confirmation number. Please note that you must enter this data "exactly" like you did when making the booking. The data fields are all case sensitive so you must use the same upper and lower case lettering as used for the booking.
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Is your site secure?
Yes, when you go into any of the suppliers booking engines you initiate an Secure Socket layer (SSL) session BUT the https: does not show up or the little paddle lock because the sites are framed. If you right click in the body of the page and check properties you will see that you are in a secure SSL session.
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Is my credit card debited at the time of reservation?
No. Your credit card is debited at the time of pickup only. The credit card is used to secure your booking.
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GLOSSARY
Additional Driver
When there is more than one driver associated with a hire, the second and any subsequent drivers are referred to as the additional driver(s). There may be a charge applied for additional drivers.
Airport Surcharge
This is an additional charge that applies at certain airport locations to ALL fees associated with the hire and included during the quoting process- at time of reservation. This is a government generated fee and can not be avoided, but we will always included this in our final quote to you.
Check-out/Pick-up
The location and/or time from when a hire starts.
Check-in/Return
The location and/or time, from when a hire ends.
Insurances
Australian Car Hire vehicles all have mandatory third party cover. You may increase your level of insurance when you pick up your vehicle.
One-Way
To hire a vehicle at one location and to return it at another is referred to as a one-way hire.
Refueling Service
A service provided at check-in which enables a customer to return a vehicle which does not have a full tank of fuel.
Rental Agreement
The formal contract, signed by Company and the hirer at the time of check-out, which shows the terms of the rental.
Rental Day
Normally, a 24-hour period which starts at the time of check-out, however can also apply to a rental period that is of several hours' duration.
Rental Duration/Length
Normally, the total of rental days, however can also apply to a rental of several hours' duration.
Rental Qualifications
The conditions imposed by a rental location, or country, in order to satisfy their legal requirements. Details of these can be obtained from each renting Company.
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