A car rental agency is an organization that rents out automobiles for a temporary period. This interim period may range from a few hours to a few weeks. These outlets can be usually found locally and are mostly near the airports or busy city areas. Most of these companies also have an online website to complement their sales. These companies rent out all sorts of vehicles such as cars, trucks, vans, scooters, and motorcycles.

Many people going on trips and vacations tend to waste a lot of time and money while renting out a car from AARP car rentals. They may not know which car to book or when to book as per their needs. Moreover, during a trip, where you would not want to spend a lot of time at a car rental store, you may end up making the wrong choice. To help you make the right choice and get the best deals on AARP car rentals, here are a few tips.

Ditch the travel agent and book early

When you book from an AARP car rental through a travel agent, a lot of overhead expense is incurred due to the agents’ commission. The longer or more expensive the booking, the more commission is charged. They get a certain fixed percentage of the booking. Booking a car from AARP car rentals on your own is quite easy and only takes a couple of minutes and will turn out to be much more reasonable. Planning ahead of time is very important. Prior booking can help you cut costs to a greater extent because you have a varied range of options to deal with and hence the rental company will give away their vehicles at a market competitive price. The closer the date of service, the more is the charge. Booking prior gives you a range of vehicles to choose from too.

Compare and look for an ideal deal

Comparing websites are of great help while booking a car. On these sites, one can compare all the various companies listed and view their prices and reviews. There are several comparison sites, but while scanning these sites, make sure to go onto one that doesn’t charge a booking or cancelation fee. You can view different sites and even the official site for AARP car rentals for discounted offers. They send in confirmation through SMS and hence there is no paperwork trouble involved.

Airport rental centers cost more

The same supplier of AARP car rentals will charge much more for the same car at an airport rental center compared to an outlet in the city. This is because the suppliers have to pay a lot more for renting out space inside the terminal. It also saves the customer a lot of inconveniences and so the charges are more. Renting for a day or two might not make a big difference, but if one is renting for a week, it could amount to massive savings. This could be analyzed by comparing the prices of the two places.

Take photos of any damage

When you first get the car, take pictures of any dents or scratches that are present anywhere on the vehicle. If possible, try to ensure that the time of the photo taken is recorded by sending it to someone online. If possible, take a staff member along while viewing the car and point out the inadequacies in it prior to using it. However small the marks maybe, they should be jotted down in order to be safeguarded from any false accusation. If you are accused of damaging the car, you might have to not only pay for the repairs but also for the rental charges when the car is off the road due to these damages.

Try different rental rates and keep your schedule in mind

Suppliers charge special rates for specific time periods. Sometimes it may so happen that the charge for a week turns out to be lesser than the charges for 5-6 days. In such situations, it makes sense to rent out the car for a week and returning it earlier. Also, if you need the car for a day and can return it by 3 pm, make sure that you begin the booking from 3 pm onwards on the day prior in order to avoid any additional charges.

GPS units and child safety seats will be costly

While traveling, try carrying your own GPS unit if possible, as renting out one would turn out to be pretty expensive. Child safety seats are allowed to be checked in for free or with a nominal fee. It will save you the additional trouble later.

Avoid relocation fees

While returning the car, it is always better to drop it off from where you picked it. If you drop it off at a different depot, you may have to pay an additional lump sum amount as relocation charges.