When you’re looking for a car rental, or perhaps if you have a large family and are looking for a minibus for hire, you need to make sure there are no hidden extras in your car hire contract – and make sure you look into the following:

Where can you pick up and drop off your hire car? Sometimes companies will charge you a relocation fee if you drop off the car at a destination other than the pick-up point. Other companies will charge a fortune if you have a breakdown, so make sure you understand your obligations. And find out how you should deal with parking fines, road tolls, or other expense you might incur. You may be hit with a big bill if you don’t deal with it yourself.

Don’t be concerned if the car rental company asks for a credit card as security. This is a common practice and it saves you leaving a large cash deposit. Make sure you examine the car carefully before you drive off. Look for scratches and make sure they are all documented before you sign the contracts. Make sure you ask how many free kilometres the car or minibus comes with. What this means is that you do not have to pay a price depending on how far you drive, thus you will know how much you have to pay on the day of rental and can choose a company based on this price.

Minibus rental, truck rental or car hire – they all share the same pitfalls, and you can fall into them by not being aware of what you are signing. Make sure that you choose a car hire company that takes the time to explain what your rights and responsibilities are and makes you feel safe and secure in your rental arrangement.