I just recently watched The Transporter 3 in the big screen (I am sure that the pirated DVD copy will also be released soon if not already released in the streets). Yes, there is already a third installment. And to all those people who does not watch action films, yes, there is such a movie called The Transporter. Jason Statham (Italian Job, War, and The Bank Job) stars in all the three The Transporter series as a former military who became a driver for whatever passenger or cargo. He asks no questions and delivers what needs to be delivered. It goes without saying (but I will say it anyway) that nobody watches this movie for its Academy Award winning script or acting or its thought provoking plot. People watch this flick because of its adrenalin packed action scenes. The guy with his Audi is the best car hire.
I mentioned The Transporter for since we are not multimillionaires who can afford ex-military drivers, we have to contend ourselves with a car hire that we can drive on our own. I was mulling over the fact of car hires as I plan to return home after years of working abroad. I want my homecoming to be as hassle free as possible for my wife and kids especially since my wife appeared to have packed everything except the kitchen sink. ?Honey, why can't we just take a taxi?? That would be the first option that came to my mind too but I quickly ruled it out. ?Honey, what do we need taxis for? I know all the streets there like the back of my hand and I do not trust the local drivers there. Every taxi driver there seems to have an aspiration to work for F1 racing. Besides, I am planning to take the kids to a mountain resort where my parents used to take us back in the old days, and it would really hurt our budget if we would ride a cab. Car hires are the most practical way for us to travel,? I explained to my wife. ?Don't your parents own a car that we can borrow?? ?My parents drive a Japanese mini car. With our number, we could never fit there. Oh, we could fit there if we put two of the kids on the roof,? I joked.
I browsed in the net for any site that could provide me with the cheapest price. I came across the site carhireplanet dot com. The company compares 400+ car rental companies so they could provide me with the lowest price. It also has thousands of car hire locations around the world. I looked up my city and perfect they have one. I immediately reserved a seven-seater SUV for two weeks. Now that I have solved my biggest problem thanks to this site, I began reminiscing my childhood back home. Oh, I am sure the kids will enjoy this vacation in their grandparents? home. They would all be pampered with food just like what they did to me when I was young. My teenage girl would be horrified with the amount of food that she will have to eat there.
This does not even have to be from the car hire firm; there are many companies who will provide policies as external packages. The reason you will want this extra insurance cover is due to the large excess fees that some companies may charge and the high cost of medical care abroad.
Some hire companies are believed to charge as much as a thousand pounds excess in the event of an accident. These fees are prevalent throughout Europe, in countries such as Spain, Portugal, France and Germany.
Unfortunately for most users of car hire firms, they do not realise the protection they may have already. The use of a credit card for payment can often carry its own cover as part of the contractual agreements of using a credit card. Added to the credit card, sometimes a driver's own insurance policy on their own car can often be carried over when using a hire car.
It is highly advisable when utilising car hire services to check with your credit card and insurers to see if you will be covered by policies already in place. A quick phone call can save you money in the long run as you may find out if your credit card package provides extra services that you may have been unaware of.
Also, even if a former card had cover as part of the package, it is worth checking whether your new card provides the same kinds of services. Anything is preferable to driving your hire car uninsured; in certain countries this offence can carry hefty penalties, added to the cost to the hire company.
That is not to say that you should ignore the car hire firm's insurance offers completely. There will be some that are well worth the extra money to ensure your own safety and protect you in the event of an accident.
One of these is a collision damage waiver; although technically it cannot be considered an insurance package it does remove the liability of collision damage from the hirer to the hire company. The waiver can also protect the user from fees that can accumulate from the time it takes a car to be repaired and the profits that will be lost during this time. The waivers however are not extensive and can be voided by the car hire company if the user has been found to be driving illegally or on unpaved roads.
Personal accident insurance is also well worth enquiring about when at the car hire desk. In countries where medical care is not free they can save the user from having to pay for ambulance fees and hospital bills. Some policies will even cover the passengers as well as the driver.
Added to this, it may well be worth utilising personal effects coverage in the case of theft of items from the car while on holiday. This can be especially important for passports as these can be extremely expensive to replace if stuck in a foreign country without one. The embassy may be there to help, but it is doubtful they will help for free.
There is little doubt that insurance is important for all types of holiday, not just those involving a hire car. You simply cannot be too careful when travelling abroad as fees and fines can be astronomical for tourists. Most important is ensuring you will be properly cared for in the case of a serious accident as hospital bills will soon mount up, especially when remaining in hospital for any lengthy period of time.
Ensuring you are covered from all angles in terms of liability of the hire car is also extremely important, large fees are often charged if the car becomes damaged or is stolen. If you go by the adage of 'better to be safe than sorry' you will not go far wrong.
Both Norman Smith & Thomas Pretty are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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