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Car Rental Charges Explained By Industry Insider…

October 2, 2018

Prevent additional credit card charges on car rental.

First of all, you must understand how the total price you pay is calculated. Everything starts with the daily base rate this is the rate you pay for the daily use of the car excluding all other charges. It doesnt mean that this is the price you pay!

Instead, you may find your total bill is double of that of the base rate. Extra mandatory charges like GST, airport location surcharges, administration fees, vehicle registration fees are all part of the total bill given to you at the rental counter. I cant stress enough the importance of getting a bill at the end of your rental, but this is another story. So, by the time all the extra charges are added onto your bill, you may find yourself paying almost double that seductive base rate.

To give you an example, a friend of mine rented a car in Australia with a base rate around $177 for four days. The final total? Including a vehicle registration fee, admin fee, airport location surcharge, a surcharge for not filling the gas tank, and a GST on top of all those other charges, my friend paid about $358 – more than a 100 percent increase over the base rate.

So how can you avoid nasty surprises? Below you can find a list of standard surcharges you’re most likely to find at most car rental locations in Australia, as well as some tips for your next trip to the car rental counter.

Airport and GST Surcharges

The majority of car rental transactions happen at the airports around the country. Airport surcharge is something that car rental supplier has no control over and it varies considerably from one airport to another. Therefore, when you pick the car up from the airport you should expect to pay between 3 and 18 percent extra on top of other charges. Unfortunately, you can’t avoid paying GST, which can will add 10 percent. However, if your car rental bill amounts to over $300 and you leave the country within 30 days after returning the car, you may claim GST component of your car rental at the airport.

However, you can avoid the airport charges – such as airport location surcharge fees by picking up and dropping off your car at an off-airport location. Be sure to weigh the possible inconvenience and the price of any additional transportation against the concession fees charged by the airport location – which can be between 3 and 18 percent of your total price.

The bottom line? If you don’t want to pay the airport location surcharge, check out your rental options downtown.

Insurance

Your rental car comes with a standard insurance liability of between $2900 and $3300 depending on a car rental supplier. This liability can be further reduced by paying an extra daily charge of between $25 and $27. However, since the price of insurance is almost half of what you pay for you car, I recommend that you check your credit card/travel/car insurance to make sure it doesnt cover you in a rental car.

Gasoline Charges

For your convenience most car rental companies provide cars with a full tank of fuel, however, be assured that if you dont return the car with a full tank you will pay a higher price for petrol used to fill up the empty tank. However, most car rental companies now offer the option of purchasing a full tank of gas when you first take the car, enabling you to return the car with as much or as little fuel as you wish.

Please note that there is no refund for unused fuel, so its likely youll be paying a little extra for the convenience of skipping the trip to the gas station.

Drop-Off Charges

An extra fee is usually charged if a car is returned to a different location than where it was picked up. This fee varies by location; in some instances there is no charge, while you could pay $300 or more for cross-country drop-offs. However, some companies do not require a charge when dropping off in-state at many Queensland and New South Wales locations.

The 24-Hour Clock

Car rental industry operates on a 24-hour clock rate. However, there is also a 59-minute grace period before hourly charges apply. To give you an example, if you rent a car at 12:00pm on Tuesday and return it by 12:59pm on Wednesday, you will be charged for one day only. However, if you return the car after 27 hours (in this case after 15:00) you’ll then be charged for the full extra day. Hourly charges apply between 25-27 hours.

Early Returns

When you rent a car for a particular number of days, you sign a sale contract for that period. So, just like with any other contracts out there, if you break your contract you must pay cancellation fees. Since, car rental companies set their rates based on the rental period, the longer you keep the car the cheaper the daily base rate. If you managed to reserve a car for 7 days using one of these hot weekly specials and then decide to bring the car two days earlier, you might get charged at a default daily rate and your total car rental charge for 5 days might end up costing you more than if you kept the car for 7 days. Therefore, please dont forget to ask a car rental agent if you pay different daily rate for earlier returns.

Mileage

Most car rental companies offer unlimited mileage in metropolitan areas, including all major capital cities (with an exception of Northern Territory) and some tourist destinations. I would suggest checking your contract prior to signing it as it clearly displays whether you get unlimited kilometres or not. Keep in mind though that smaller car rental companies usually charge mileage if you exceed a given daily km quota. In addition some “hot” special rates may not include unlimited mileage, so be sure to check before you sign a rental agreement.

Vehicle Registration Fees

Varying Rates and Peak Season Surcharges

Here is a tip that will potentially can save you hundreds of dollars. Book in advance!
Rental car companies’ rates vary a great deal from city to city, and sometimes even within the same city. Make sure to shop around. Be aware that you may pay a specific surcharge for traveling at a “peak” time, e.g. School and Public Holidays, Major events in your city, etc.

Age Penalties

Due to the insurance limitations, if you’re under 25, you may have to pay an additional fee, usually about $25 per day. Those companies who will rent to drivers under 21 often charge much steeper surcharges. Internationally, you’ll not only see penalties for underage drivers but also for older ones — those over 70 may have to pay extra (if they’re able to rent at all).

Additional Drivers

Adding more than one driver to your rental agreement often carries a surcharge, anywhere between $7 and $25 per day. Note that some companies, like Avis and Budget, will allow the renter’s spouse or life partner to drive the vehicle for no extra charge — so if both partners are planning to take the wheel, consider renting from one of these providers.

Frequent Flier Fees

Car rental companies often charge a small fee when you request frequent flier miles for your rental. The fee varies by airline, and can range anywhere from a few cents to $2 a day.

Extras

There may also be additional charges for things you had not considered, like infant and child seat rentals, roof racks and other extras. These could run you anywhere from $5 to $25 or more per day, depending on where you rent.

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Car Seat Covers And The Fabric Options Available

September 25, 2018

Car Seat Covers and the Fabric Options Available

If you are considering buying car seat covers, you may be a bit overwhelmed at the multiple fabric options that are available. The aim of this article is to help explain the different seat cover options in order to help you make your decision.

Car seat covers can be an excellent investment when chosen carefully. Here is a brief overview of seat cover fabrics offered. Whichever you choose, make sure that they are quality OEM fabrics backed by soft foam for added comfort and durability.

Microfiber: Microfiber is an extremely comfortable fabric. Not only is it extremely UV fade resistant, but it is also highly stain resilient, too!

Leather: Genuine cowhide leather seat covers offer luxurious look and feel. Many people that buy their cars with the standard cloth opt to buy after market quality OEM seat covers, a very cost effective way to have leather. With a custom made seat cover, you won’t even notice that your car wasn’t purchased with leather seats.

Leatherette: Synthetic leather offers the same luxury as leather, but at a much lower cost. It can be hot in the summer and cold in the winter, so make sure that the seat covers offer small pinholes in the center sections of the seat covers. This allows the seat covers to breathe, making it a very pleasant material selection.

Neoprene: Neoprene is the same material used in wet suits for scuba diving. As a seat cover option, neoprene is extremely durable, UV protected and extremely water resistant.

Endura: Quality OEM Endura material is completely waterproof and very easy to clean. This is a very popular choice for pet travel, fleet vehicles, work trucks or for families with small children. Pet accidents don’t leak through and they actually resist pet hair. Lastly, this fabric option is known for maintaining an even temperature. It is a perfect way to avoid hot seats in the summer and cold ones in the winter.

Velour: Velour is the standard manufactured material that comes in new cars with cloth seats. It is also very durable and fade resistant as a seat cover option, but many people like that it is usually priced the lowest of all fabric options.

Sheepskin: Sheepskin seat covers are typically 100% choice mouton, a dense wool that is about 1 inch in length. Although these have a shorter life expectancy that other seat cover options, they offer an unmatched luxurious feel and undeniable comfort.

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How To Remove Bird Poop Droppings & Not Damage A Cars Paint Job

September 20, 2018

Most car owners have no idea that bird droppings cause permanent damage to car paint, until it happened to their car. Paint damage from bird poop is an expensive problem for car owners Internationally. A study from Zurich Insurance found that repairing the damage caused by bird droppings costs British motorists 57million pounds annually.

A sunny day can turn your cool car into a hot oven. So, classic car owners prefer a parking place in the shade to protect their cars paint job. If your shady spot is under a tree, its also the home of the worst enemy of your car finish birds. There is NO product on the market that can protect your finish from bird droppings for more than a few minutes. Birds poop is highly acidic, and the longer you leave it on your cars paint, the more damage it will cause. If you try to clean it the easiest and most obvious way, wipe a it off, even with a wet towel, you can scratch the paint. This is because birds use gravel to digest their food. So, wiping bird droppings off your car is like rubbing gravel into it!

Every car owner should carry the following items in their car for quick and easy access a microfiber towel & a fresh bottle of SALT FREE seltzer water. This is simply water and carbon dioxide, which will not harm your cars paint job. You can take the lid off the water, place your thumb over the top, and shake it up really well to create a blast of water to wash off bird droppings BEFORE they ruin your cars paint job!

Tools Youll Need For This Job:

Rubber Gloves
Eyes goggles that hug close to your face, without openings on the sides.
Paper face mask or respirator
Plastic garbage bags & bag ties
Misting spray bottle full of water ,or a garden hose, if cleaning a large area.
Wide wallpaper or floor scraper with a smooth flat edge
Long Sleeve Shirt, long pants, closed shoes, socks and a cap for your head
Old Broom & dust pan used ONLY for this job. Do NOT use in your home.

Use a cover to protect your car, especially when you park it outside.

The quickest, and safest, way to remove bird droppings from your cars paint job is with a microfiber towel and a quick car detailer spray. If the bird dropping is dried on the paint surface, you can use a microfiber towel soaked in a 5050 mixture of water and isopropyl alcohol. Place the wet towel over the bird poop and let the droppings soak up the liquid for a few minutes. Then gently BLOT the surface to remove the bird poop. DO NOT WIPE OR SCRUB BIRD POOP. The gravel in the bird droppings may scratch your cars paint job.

In some cases where old bird poop has been dried onto the cars surface for a long time, it may still come out with a mild polish, such as Scratch-X. Use caution with Scratch-X, as it contains abrasives. If the bird droppings damaged your cars paint job, sometimes a good paint polish can fix the damage. HINT In a pinch you can try WD40, as it will not harm paint and will dissolve the bird droppings. Be sure to wipe up residual WD40 with soapy water. Follow this up with a good coat of car wax. In only the worst cases, old, dried bird droppings can cause irreparable damage.

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A Car Salesman Career Can Be A Great Choice

September 17, 2018

Have you given some thought to a car salesman career. The current state of the auto industry shows us that this is an ideal time to enter into a car sales career. Today the car makers are taking more responsibility for the satisfaction of the car buyer and their car buying experience. In order to improve and clean up the image of the car salesman the dealer, sales people and the manufacturers are making change and improvements. The less than desirable car salesman image from the past is hard to change, but things are getting better as the car salesman is learning to be a true car sales professional.

As the business of selling cars grows as predicted the opportunities for those thinking about a car sales career will also increase. The myth that a car salesman should be a smooth talker and outgoing is false, they old need to communicate. There are many very good car sales people that are shy and introverted. Selling cars for a living is not about you, it is about dealing with people. Man or woman a career in car sales is only right for a few just like any career.

Even if you never consider being a car salesman before this might be a good time to reconsider. Not everyone has a day at work that consists of fun, making money and enjoy a number of other benefits. If you meet an ex-automobile salesman that speaks poorly of selling cars they almost always have a reason for their failure. Selling cars is much more than going for a ride with customers and that is why the turnover rate can be higher than other careers. Sorry, but that is not the case when it comes to selling cars. It takes a little more than driving people in cars to be a successful car salesman.

A career in car sales might be a great alternative for the person that can’t afford or desire to go to college. Going to college and having a degree is not a requirement to be a car salesman. Selling cars for a living doesn’t require college and it still has the potential to create an annual income of 100K or more. No experience needed at most dealers because they will teach you how to sell cars with their method. One great feature of selling cars is that your dealership will train and mentor you so that you can start making a very good sales income.

The perks that go along with a car salesman career can include a new car demo, first crack at all fresh trade-ins, an unstructured workday and a chance to have some fun with your fellow car sales people. One of the greatest things about selling cars for a living is being able to control your own income, you can make as much or little as you want. Now you decide, if you like making money, having great benefits and no chance of being bored think about a car sales career.

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The Tools You’ll Need for Classic Car Restoration

September 11, 2018

Seasoned auto enthusiasts and even weekend-warriors can make great progress on their classic car restoration projects – but only if they have the right tools. Most classic cars have old parts, rusty patches, and jagged edges. It takes a well-stocked tool kit to work with these problems and make your car as good as new. If you’re thinking about taking on a new project, here are a few of the most important pieces of equipment and tools that you’ll need.

Impact Wrench

Most old cars have lug nuts and bolts that are far too difficult to unscrew with muscle power alone. Even if you can manage to get them off manually, they’re probably found all over your car. To save yourself time, energy, and a lot of frustration, you’ll need to keep a quality impact wrench in your garage. It can take even the tightest bolt off in seconds.

Angle Grinder

If you plan on doing your own bodywork, you’re going to need a grinder. Angle grinders allow you to take off large patches of rust in no time, and they’re indispensable for cutting sheet metal. Once all your panels in place, you’ll also want to grind away the jagged areas to make your car stylish and safe.

Hydraulic Jack

To get to your transmission or fuel injectors, you’ll want to be able to lift your car off the ground. Most shops have two or four-post hydraulic lifts, but those just aren’t practical for a home garage. Fortunately, you can still get a little bit of lift from a good hydraulic jack.

Air Compressor

An air compressor may be the most important tool in your garage. You’ll need it to power a variety of devices, including your impact wrench and angle grinder. You will also have to use a compressor with your paint gun to achieve a smooth, even coat.

Fiberglass Repair Kit

Steel bodies look great, but fiberglass can be far easier to repair and maintain. In fact, you can even use fiberglass to repair small dents in steel. Whatever type of chassis you’ve got on your car, you should keep a fiberglass repair kit in stock. It will also come in handy for repairing boats, swimming pools, and bathtubs.

Engine Crane

If you’re serious about classic car restoration, you should probably look into getting your own engine crane. Changing your timing belt, repairing your transmission, and plenty of other jobs may require that you take your engine out of your car.

Basic Hand Tools

Last but not least, you will need a great set of basic equipment. Every enthusiast loves to play with power tools, but you won’t get far without some good wrenches, screwdrivers, and cutters. Make sure you’ve also got small pliers and wires for precise electrical work.

Help from the Pros

Even if you’ve got a fully-stocked kit and the knowledge to use it, you may need some professional help with your car. Whether you’ve got a tough project – or you just don’t have the right tools for the job – call a leading professional now to get assistance with your classic car restoration project.

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