BusinessMisc
Top 7 things not to do when renting a car
Renting a car gives you a huge advantage over waiting for public transportation or paying for a taxi. When renting a rude it’s important you grasp the full details regarding the rental agreement. You should definitely do your research and ask plenty of questions so that you know exactly what you are paying for in your rental car. You should know the outs of renting a car to avoid the hidden fees often charged by rental agencies.
1) Failing to check for a place to refuel on your way backImmediately after you pick the car you should find a place to refuel it. As you drive away from the rental agencies you should take not note of the local gas stations and make a plan to return to the cheapest at the end of your rental. A new environment can be confusing and unfamiliar so you should do your search when you not pressed for time.
2) Ignoring potential offers for upgradesReserving a low-priced car is recommended since it easier for you to inquire about upgrades at the rental desk. It works best during busy seasons when the garage is running low of cheapest vehicles. They may offer you a very affordable upgrade to a larger car class due to inventory management issues. If the desk agent asks you if you interested in a larger tell them it depends on the price. They might give you a bigger car and a minimal additional cost. This will make your trip more exciting and memorable since big cars tend to do well even in the most horrible weather roads.
3) Failing to inspect the carBefore signing the rental contract you should inspect the car thoroughly. This will prevent you from being held accountable for existing damage. If you spot any dent or scratch you should have an employee sign off on them. Many people ignore the signing of inspection form offered by rental companies claiming to be in a hurry. It’s important to take this step seriously since it saves you from an extra fee charged.
4) Failing to return on timeBringing your car back ahead of time or later than agreed upon it may cost you additional fees. It’s important to ask for the company policy if you anticipate a change in drop-off time. You shouldn’t wait until it’s too late to avoid regrets.
5) Leaving final inspection to chanceWith technology advancing each day the procedure of returning cars now resembles checking out of a hotel. With hotels, you normally leave your keycard on the night table and leave with only a wave to the front desk. Most car rental agencies have taken a similar path. You only follow signs leading you to the back of a row with recently returned cars, take off your staff, leave the key in the car and walk away without talking to anyone. This feels unsettling since anything can happen for leaving the car without any checking. It’s advisable to take a photo or a video of a slow walk around the car to avoid incurring any extra fees after the car is inspected.
6) Including additional names in the contractIf you need someone else to drive during your trip, you’ve got to pay more. You will need to include the additional name on your rental contract thus increasing the cost. When choosing the driver age is the main factor since drivers aged 21-25 years tend to be expensive. The important thing to do is to minimize the number of drivers so as to avoid extra fees.
7) Failing to review your car insuranceRental car insurance doesn’t safeguard rented vehicles in the event an accident happens. Consult your agent before you accept the insurance option offered by the rental agent. If you already have the coverage on your personal car there are high chances that it transfers to any rental cars thus avoiding much hustle.
ConclusionBring your own accessories and save big. If you need a child seat or a GPS system you should pack them together with your traveling extras. Many rental companies are offering new car refueling option. Unless you running out of time or you completely sure you will return the tank empty you shouldn’t opt for this one. Their cost of refueling your car is always higher the cost of doing it yourself. You manage your time well in order to do everything before your next appointment or flight.
4 Major Advantages Of AARP for Small Business
There are hundreds of advantages of AARP. In fact, I get more benefits from belonging to this club than from any other. Below are some of my favorite AARP advantages.
1. Easy Way To Meet Friendly Business Owners One of the monthly events I look forward to each month is the local chapter AARP meeting. There is always an interesting guest speaker and plenty of time to chat with others while enjoying free refreshments. In fact, this is one of the easiest ways to make new friends and see old friends. If you move to a new town where you don’t know anyone, going to the monthly AARP meeting is an easy way to make new friends.
2. Save Money At Participating Restaurants Everyone loves to eat out with friends and family. However, eating out can get expensive, especially if you are on a limited budget. AARP can really help in this department because you can get discounts at many restaurants just by showing your AARP card. For example, you can get 15% off at Denny’s and Outback Steakhouse, 10% off at Landry’s Seafood, and 25% off at Papa Johns. Some restaurants will give you something free like a free donut at Dunkin Donuts when you get a coffee. You can also go online and get all kinds of discounts from local restaurants in your area by entering in your zip code.
3. Good Discounts At Stores AARP members get discounts at many well known stores. For example, I was recently able to spoil the grandkids with some gifts from Toys R Us where I saved $5.00 off my purchase. I was also able to get two for the price of one when I bought bed sheet sets at Macy’s. We got a free coupon book that we can use at several stores at a nearby outlet mall. We saved more than $200 on our last Christmas shopping trip.
4. Travel Discounts While most people know about the hotel discounts you can almost always get, I’m surprised to find that many people don’t realize they can also get deep discounts on car rentals, airline tickets, and cruise packages. In some cases, you can also get free upgrades on your car rentals so you can upgrade to a mid-size car for the price of an economy car or upgrade to a luxury car for the price of a mid-size car. There are many other advantages of AARP like deep discounts on life insurance, car insurance, and home insurance but the advantages listed above are some of my personal favorites. When you join AARP, you continually get good offers in the mail. You should also always check to see if you can get an AARP discount before you make any purchases. Your savings can easily add up to hundreds of dollars, if not thousands of dollars, per year! Now that they no longer offer a long-term care insurance discount, the savings are less than they used to be, but still good.