8 Red Flags About Airport Car Rentals

By Debra
January 9, 2024

When planning a trip, various factors need to be taken into consideration, like flight schedule, accommodation, etc. Car rental is also an important aspect of the planning process.

You might want to drive off around town in a flashy sports car, to really feel like you’re on vacation; or, you might want a four-wheel drive to take you on all sorts of hills and tough terrain in complete safety. Others might look for a car with top tech navigation system, to make their trip as easy as possible.

Whatever you might be looking for in a car rental, your choice can seriously impact your overall trip. How so? Well, if you happen to end up with a less-than-efficient car, you’ll have a bad start to your holiday. To make sure you don’t get swindled by a shady car rental service at the airport, here are five main aspects to consider when renting a vehicle, as detailed by travel experts.

airport-car-rental-1 — Photo by IJzendoorn on Shutterstock

You have to commute to reach the rental car lot

In most cases, the rental pick-up/drop-off point can be reached by a free airport shuttle. But if the rental car lot is outside the airport area and you have to go by ride-share service, that’s a red flag that something might be wrong with the information provided by the car rental company.

According to Andrew Helling, editor-in-chief of Travellersworldwide.com, if the company did not specify that they’re off campus, they might have intentionally omitted other important details about their promotions and services.

To make sure you don’t have any inconveniences, ask for all useful information, including the distance from the airport to the car rental lot.

You are pressured to buy their car insurance

As a seller, it’s not easy having to convince people to buy your stuff. But life as a customer is not easy either, as you are bombarded with all sorts of promotions and deals, one better than the other. Or so they are advertised.

In the case of car rentals, agents will probably try to sell you all sorts of additional options to the rental car, not to mention car insurance. No matter how convincing they might be, if you already have an insurance provider (either through your credit car or a different one) it’s pointless to purchase another insurance.

“If you feel pressured, ask to see the rental policy in writing because you may already be adequately insured by your full coverage policy,” says Melanie Musson, a travel and rental insurance expert with CarInsuranceComparison.com. Then just refuse politely and stick to what you really need.

Cheaper prices than other car rental companies

According to Helling, travelers should not be impressed by the cheap prices advertised by car rental companies, as they could hide other fees. This is especially valid if the discounts are significantly higher than those offered by their competitors.

In addition, if the company has old cars, the rental price might be lower but the risks of your car breaking down are certainly higher. “Additionally, many of these bigger companies get volume discounts from their vendors because of economies of scale. As a result, they can actually offer better rates than most smaller companies,” warns Helling.

To avoid unwanted costs, verify the company and its promotions and prices thoroughly. This includes gas fees, grace periods etc.

The price at the counter is different than the price at booking

Prices can fluctuate, and this can also happen in the case of car rentals. Reservations made in advance or during sales will have different prices than market prices. If you’ve booked your vehicle only to be asked to pay a higher price at the counter, then that’s definitely a problem.

According to Musson, one of the most important rules of a respectable and reputable company is to honor the prices agreed with their customers. To make sure you don’t pay any extra dime, keep evidence of your booking confirmation and agree price.

The operator doesn’t inspect the vehicle

Always have the rental vehicle inspected before leaving on your trip. It’s important for the car to have been checked in advance so that there isn’t any damage that you might be blamed for. This includes stains or dirt marks.

Have everything verified by an agent but also take your own set of photos of the rear, front and sides of the car, just in case. If you notice anything strange, take close-ups. And do the same thing with the car’s interior.

A similar check should be performed when you bring the car back. To keep everything in check, ask the car rental company to have their inspector perform the inspection in your presence.

You’re paying for a toll road transponder, whether you use it or not

Toll road transponders can be pretty helpful in skipping highway toll booths. The only inconvenience is that you might have to pay for this perk on a daily basis, whether you’re using it or not. According to Patrick Quinn, the creator of the viral Cheerio Challenge for Life of Dad, he ended up having to pay $200 in rental car charges in exchange for using the toll device to pay $8 toll fees.

Find out what rule the car rental company has with toll transponders and make sure you don’t pay more than you’ve bargained for.

The steering wheel is on the wrong side of the car

It can turn into a funny story to tell your friend when you get back, but in the moment, renting a car with the wheel on the wrong side is anything but funny. For example, in the Cayman Islands, blogger Brian Craig of A Dad Influence had this type of surprise, although the locals drive on the same road side as in the United States.

Driving on the right side but steering on the left side is anything but easy peasy, especially when you’re driving a rental vehicle and trying to stay out of trouble. If you don’t want your travel experience to start on the wrong foot (or side) ask about the car fleet and steering wheel.

You are required to prepay for gas

In some situations, paying for an entire gas tank can work in one’s favor. However, in most cases and especially in the case of rental cars, it’s best that you avoid prepaying for gas. That’s because you might be asked a higher price.

You can find your own gas options for more affordable and reasonable prices, so there’s no need to pay extra, no matter how much pressure the rental company might put on you.