Empire Fleet Solutions

When planning to hire a car in South Africa, it is not enough to just find a car hire company and pay for it.  You need to know about the best car hire deals to subsequently select the best.    In order to get the best car hire deal you have to follow certain steps.  You are sure to get a car hire you will be satisfied with if you follow the steps described below.

• Select three to four car hire companies that best suit your needs and wants.  You have a number of options here, but your best bet are the internet and to some extent a phonebook.  Do not blindly pick the first car hire company you come across; rather look at a number of options.  You will later regret missing out on the best car hire deal just because you got bored in the middle of the research.

• Make contact with the various car hire companies and enquire about their rates, availability, insurance, location, pickup sites, special offers, airline and hotel partnerships, as well as any extra charges.  You should always try and negotiate; you might just get a better car hire deal from the car hire company.

• Decide on a pickup point that will facilitate your car hire experience.  Getting to the pickup point should not be a hassle.  Some car hire companies are even willing to pay for a taxi to pick you up at your home or at the airport and then take you to your desired car hire pickup point.

• Pick a car while keeping all your car hire needs in mind.  Select a car depending on your circumstances, which include the number op people traveling with you and the distance you need to travel.  Factors such as these will determine what type of car you will hire for your trip.

• After picking a car, remember to book it.  Some car hire companies calculate the reservation fee together with the overall rent, while other car hire companies make it out as an extra fee.  Be on the look out for this when hiring a car.            

There are generally two possible ways under which you may be covered by car hire insurance.  The first is from auto insurance agents in your local area which sell auto insurance, but which can also be used as car hire insurance.  The second car hire insurance option is through the credit card that you have used for the car hire.  It is a good idea to find out more about these two possibilities if you are looking to obtain car hire insurance.

If you already have auto insurance on your own vehicle which you took out from your local auto insurance agent, chances are good that this auto insurance policy extends to serve as car hire insurance as well.  Generally, if you are traveling in another part of the country, your auto insurance policy will serve as car hire insurance once you hired a car at your destination.  However, you should note that any gap in your auto insurance coverage will also apply to your car hire insurance.  For example, if you do not have comprehensive coverage for your own vehicle, then your hired vehicle will also not have comprehensive car hire insurance. 

Some credit card companies also offer car hire insurance packages for vehicles hired using their credit cards.  Car hire insurance offered by credit card companies may vary from one company to the next. Due to credit card companies revising car hire insurance policies so often, you should make sure that you are aware of the most current car hire insurance policies when hiring a car.  You should also enquire whether the car hire insurance only cover physical damage to the hired vehicle, or if it extends to include theft, personal injury, liability, etc. as well.  Car hire insurance offered through your credit card company should be considered as supplemental car hire insurance, and not primary car hire insurance. 

Ultimately, if you do some research ahead of time, you will know exactly what car hire insurance coverage is provided by your own auto insurance policy, as well as by your credit card company.  This way you will know what, if any, additional car hire insurance you may need.

The issue surrounding whether or not one should get car hire insurance is being raised more and more.  However, it does have a clear and simple answer, which is yes; you do in fact need car hire insurance.  Anyone who owns a car is aware of the risk that is not having insurance; the same risk applies to not having car hire insurance.  Car accidents take place each and every day, especially during extreme weather conditions such as snow, heavy rain, fog, and frost.  There is also the risk of potentially being the victim of theft, burglary, or vandalism.  The risk that comes with driving a hired car is the same as driving your own car; it might even be bigger, seeing as you do not know the ins and outs of the hired car so well.  That is why having some car hire insurance is so vital.  When hiring a car, the last thing you want to deal with is having it damaged or even stolen.  Taking out some form of car hire insurance is a necessity, no matter where you hire a car. 

By taking out car hire insurance, you are basically protecting yourself from financial liability.  This means in essence that you do not have to pay for thousands of rand worth of damage.  For example, if the hired car is stolen while in your possession and the car hire insurance covers this, you are safe from any potential legal action.

Some people are of the opinion that car hire insurance is too expensive, whether you only hire for a day or over a longer period of time.  While this might be a valid argument when it comes to certain car hire insurance companies, it most certainly is not the case with the majority.  Most car hire insurance companies are quite reasonable with their car hire insurance packages.  Besides, would you not rather pay a bit extra for good car hire insurance than end up having to pay ten times more when legal costs are involved if your hired car is indeed stolen or damaged heavily?

Certain car hire companies even specialize in car hire insurance.  When you need to hire a car next time, it is good idea to try and come into contact with such a car hire insurance company, seeing as they might offer you amazing deals on any type of car hire insurance for various lengths of time.