There are several news items coming to the fore which might be useful to those looking to use car hire in the near future. It is far from the simple matter of picking up the telephone directory, picking out a car hire firm and calling to make your arrangements. Check out the latest news on the internet and be aware of things you should look out for.

First, there is the small matter of age restrictions. For those under the age of twenty five, car hire is virtually impossible due to high insurance costs. If you do find a company that is willing to let the younger person take out car hire, then a hefty surcharge will be expected to be paid up front.

On top of this, there is also an upper age limit which can be frustrating to many of the older generation. For those over seventy five years of age, they are also subject to the extra payments that a young person faces, if they can get to rent a car at all. If a person can prove they are using their own vehicle on a regular basis and can also produce a doctor's certificate to guarantee their good health, they may just be accepted for car hire.

Another, usually obscure, matter involves changes that you may wish to make to your car hire arrangements. Think about what you need carefully, get it all down on paper and double check before you finalise your booking. Any changes that you do need to make after booking should be done no later than twenty four hours before collection. And always, always read the small print.

Some companies, when changes have been made that mean the whole rental will be more expensive will expect the balance to be paid on collection. If the balance is lower than the original booking it is doubtful you will be expected to pay any less than the original agreed price and this can be a bit of a shock when you turn up at the car hire company expecting a small refund.

However, car hire companies do have their good points when it comes to looking after their loyal customers. One such company have conducted a survey on what their customers want and have responded accordingly. A high proportion of surveyed customers called for car hire that could be used at a discounted price for less than the original minimum period of twenty four hours and it is now possible to rent a passenger car for three hours upwards.

This benefits those that need a vehicle for a specific occasion or event or who simply want to run errands and do not want to have to fork out for a whole twenty four hours rental. This is a good step as far as customers are concerned in that it not only means they get a better service but they know that being a loyal customer means that they are being listened to.

One car hire company are now giving loyalty points to regular users in a similar way that supermarkets encourage their customers to continually shop with them. The system works by awarding two points for every complete day a car is hired. When the customer reaches one hundred points, they are then secured a ten per cent discount on all future bookings and this equates to quite a saving when car hire is used frequently.

There are also ten extra points awarded when you recommend a friend and they make their first booking. This benefit is not just restricted to the UK but can be collected throughout Europe.

It would seem that business is returning to the good old fashioned method of looking out for and listening to its valued customers at long last.