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We all want better services when it comes to car rentals. But unfortunately, most times we end up getting exactly what we paid for, or worse, less than we paid for and there isn’t anything you can do about it unless you want to pay more.
Even though you badly wish you could get a better car at the same amount, you are very likely not to, unless you’re willing to pay extra. If you’re looking to get better car rental service without incurring additional expenses, then you should check out our top 10 tips for getting a car rental upgrade.
Use Your Credit Card To Cover The Insurance
This is the simplest method for getting an upgrade. It is also the easiest unless you plan on driving recklessly and getting into an accident. If you use your credit card to cover the insurance on the car while it’s with you, then you don’t have to pay those extra fees for insurance. Easy right?
But you should be careful to read the clause to know what is covered and what is not. You should also know that if you get into a really bad accident, the expense you incur might end up being more than the amount you rented the car for. So you should be extremely careful.
Reserve The Cheapest Cars For Peak Hours
We know, you are trying to get a good car and not just a cheap locomotive engine. But, this isn’t exactly as straightforward as it seems. Reserving the cheapest car saves you money, but then again when you consider peak hours (seasons), say Monday morning, a time when most cars are likely taken, the chances of you getting a free upgrade become high.
Why? Because you’ve already paid for the car and now it’s no longer available, the agency might feel compelled to compensate you for the inconvenience and you may end up with a luxurious car for the same amount.
Rent At The Airport
Renting at the airport will most likely get you a newer car. Why is this? Well, you don’t expect people who travel by flight to own a car in every city they visit, right? So, of course, they end up being some of the biggest customers of car rental services.
To keep up a good image, a rental agency would be more likely to send you a fine-looking car if your delivery location is at the airport to advertise their goods and you end up being the beneficiary of this. PS: the cars they keep for rental at the airport are usually very nice and affordable.
Rent For Longer
We are all used to seeing a lot of adverts that offer discounts if you use their products for an extended period. Renting for a longer period is likely to get you an upgrade, you don’t have to rent for double the time you actually need to, but adding a week will make a difference.
While you do so, you should also point out that you are increasing the rental period. So you may try starting by saying you want to rent for two weeks before extending to three weeks so the agent knows you are extending the rental time.
Don’t Be Late
This is the opposite strategy of number two above. During busy periods there may be more cars to choose from if you go early. Some agents also have a good disposition towards their first few customers of the day, you may end up getting an upgrade simply for being the first to rent a car from the agency that day.
You may also not get the car you rented if you don’t go on time, as we explained in two above, so it’s up to you to decide which of the two strategies you can best implement. It all depends on you.
Be A Regular
You may have had an experience with the intrinsic value businessmen place on their regular customers. Most of them favor regulars. If you enjoy voyaging to the same spot for holidays, or you use car rental services often, then you should try and stick with a particular agency.
You should also remind the agent that you’ve rented with them before. Although no agency is obligated to give you an upgrade just because you’ve rented with them in the past, the staff there sometimes try to encourage their regular customers by giving them better treatment, in the form of an upgrade of course.
Find The Lot With The Most Cars
Most car rental agencies want to get rid of as many cars as possible, not minding the cost. They are also often open to negotiating the price (if you get an agent that isn’t having a bad day). But in this case, you obviously shouldn’t place a reservation at first so you don’t end up getting a big surprise during processing.
Just go to the agency, find the lot with the most cars and try to negotiate the price to what you can comfortably afford. But be careful, you shouldn’t try to haggle the price to an unreasonable amount. Go for what you pay regularly, or if you can afford it, add a little more to it.
Know Your Car Groups
Rental cars come in groups. The reason for this is because different people prefer different kinds of cars and models. So even if you are not exactly getting an upgrade, you may feel better about what you are leaving with, by simply switching the model of the car, or getting an alternative for the same amount.
It isn’t really that bad, especially if you are used to choosing a particular kind of car that you feel is what you can afford. So, do some research and discover the different types of cars within your price range and expand your options.
Be Friendly At The Desk
We shouldn’t have to teach you the importance of being polite. Everybody knows people treat you better when you’re polite and if they don’t, most would at least reciprocate the nice gesture. Being polite to the rental agent might not only put a smile on their faces but also end up getting them to do you a favor.
You never can tell what one of your jokes, a nice smiling face and open and welcome body language will get you, you may end up making somebody’s day and consequently your day. So be friendly at the desk, you may end up needing it.
Just Ask!
After trying all the above and still you end up not getting a better car, you may try to be direct and who knows you just might get lucky. So when all else fails, just ask. You may have heard of the power of the tongue. Just kidding. But you never know until you ask, try negotiating the price.
Make sure you try all the above tips before you opt for asking directly because you don’t always get what you ask for. So use this as a last resort only. PS: don’t waver, it’s not impossible to get an upgrade by simply asking, a lot of people have succeeded that way.
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