10 Exotic Car Rental Tips
Are you looking to rent an exotic car but need a few tips before you get started?
Renting an exotic car can be fun and exhilarating because you’ll definitely stand out from the rest. Who wouldn’t want to drive a McLaren, Lamborghini or even a Maserati for a day, right? It’s a great option if you have an event you want to tend such as an awards ceremony, prom, business event, or a wedding.
The global car rental market is at an all-time high now, worth over USD 8.2 billion and keeps growing at a phenomenal rate of 14.0% each year. This means your options are wider, and renting is increasingly getting more affordable. We’ve put together a list of the top 10 car rental tips to help you. Without further ado, here they are:
1. What’s the Insurance Policy
When renting out an exotic car, be sure to ask about the car’s insurance. What does the rental company cover and what will you be liable for if the car gets damaged somehow? Renting an exotic car in the U.S. almost always means that there is no insurance that’ll pay for damages to car parts like windscreens, undersides and wheels. You may have to get a stand-alone policy before renting out the car.
2. Make Sure Your Background is in Order
Car rental companies have to do a comprehensive background check on the person they are renting their car out to first. This means they’ll run a criminal background check; they’ll look into your credit score, your driving record as well as your financials if they are available. They’ll want to know as much about you as possible.
3. Know How Much You’ll Be Expected to Pay for Deposit
The deposit can be very expensive depending on the type of car you choose. It can be as high as $10,000 on the high-end models or between $1,500 and $5,000 for mid-luxury models. You can use a credit card at most rental companies but confirm first before heading over. You may be asked to provide details for another credit card as well.
4. Ask About Mileage
Some car rental companies have a mileage policy about how many miles you can put on the car in one day. This differs of course from company to company. Some companies have a no-limit mileage policy, and others have a specific mileage policy.
5. Minimum Age Requirements
Depending with the company you approach, some rental companies have a minimum age which you have to be in order to rent an exotic luxury car from them. It’s generally 25 but sometimes can be as high as 30.
6. Work with Reputable Companies
You have to do a thorough background check of your own about the company you’re about to rent from. Are the cars they are renting out their own, or are they rented out from someone else’s private collection? Navigating the legal issues if you have an accident with a car from a fly-by-night company can be a nightmare.
7. Visit the Dealership to See the Car in Person
This serves to guarantee and confirm that the car you saw on the company website is actually real and a car in the company’s possession and not some stock image from the internet. It’s important to know that some smaller companies that are just starting out might use lots of stock images of cars they don’t actually own to try and attract clients and build a name.
8. Get an In-depth Tour of the Car
You didn’t think you’d just get into the car without any guidelines did you? A good exotic car rental company will generally walk you through how to handle the car. For most, this is the first time they are driving such an expensive car so it’s worth it to learn the ins-and-outs of the car. It’ll be imperative to know the small things that make the exotic car unique and how to take care of it when it’s in your possession.
9. Find out the Terms and Conditions of your Contract
Before putting your signature onto the contract, you need to review it carefully, preferably with a lawyer. Having legal counsel look over the fine print will help you know what you’re liable for in the event of an accident. It’ll also let you know what to do when the car breaks down, or needs to be refueled. Who is responsible for what?
10. Ask About Picking Up the Car
Will you have to pick up the car from the dealers yourself or they’ll deliver it to your home or wherever else you’ve stated? This is especially important if you’ve been given a set number of miles already. You don’t want to waste your miles driving from the dealership and back.