Are there age policies against renting cars?

Are there policies against renting cars to people of certain ages?
Many car rental companies will not rent to people younger than 25 or older than 70. The policy of refusing rental cars to the under 25s seems to be a worldwide phenomenon. Perhaps the rental companies themselves think people younger than 25 pose an unacceptably high risk for vehicle and / or property damage. Also, the problem of renting a car if you are older than 70 seems to be more of an issue in European countries than in the United States, for example. The most quoted reason car rental companies state for refusing to rent cars to OAPs is that their insurance companies will raise their insurance rates across the entire company if they do offer this service.

Some companies will not rent to OAPs. It’s bad for their insurance

Where might these policies cause problems? Let’s look at some examples.
Ryan, a computer executive from London, caught a flight to Aberdeen to meet a number of his company’s clients in their offices. At the airport Ryan discovered he was not eligible to rent a car as he planned to do (his appointments spanned over 10 company offices for a four-day period). The driving needed was simply not cost effective for using a taxi. Ryan was a senior executive in his company but he was only 20 years old.

If you’re a young executive on business, you still may not rent a car

Peter was on holiday in London. He planned his holiday online and had organised a road tour starting in London and then travelling to Cornwall. He and his wife were very well organized - they had each night of their holiday booked to stay in a special Bed and Breakfast Inn, and were excited about their driving adventure. Upon arriving at Heathrow airport they were told they were not eligible to rent a car as both Brian and his wife were over 70.

But there are ways to rent a car if you happen to be under or over age – follow the steps below:

Do your homework
Shop around, just because one car rental company has a policy not to rent cars to the under 25s or the over 70s does not mean that all car rental companies will hold the same policy. Some large rental companies may rent to people under or over age with surcharges. Unfortunately these surcharges can be as high as the rental fee itself.

Try smaller towns
Car rental companies with booths at airports are most commonly the large corporate chains that are bound by their rules. However, even the same national chain rental companies in smaller towns may be privately-owned franchises. The younger and older would-be renter may well get a friendlier welcome from a franchise owner who won’t necessarily follow the rules of the corporate office. If possible, avoid renting from an airport and see if you can take a bus or train to a town along the route you would otherwise be driving from that airport.

Car rental problems? Head off the beaten track to rent your car

Try smaller rental companies
Family-owned car rental companies not associated with the large corporate chains may have much more liberal renting policies. Some rental companies are designed to serve certain customer groups, such as those who rent to younger clients. Typically you will find that their fleet of cars is older, and usually of the compact/small hatchback type.

Get your own insurance
This works well for OAPs planning on renting a car. To avoid any issues with a rental company you may show that you have your own insurance policy that will cover both the driver and passengers and the rental car in the locations they are planning on touring.

Get your own insurance it can help with renting a car

If on official business
Some car rental companies will let you off under-age surcharges for young professionals travelling for business when the rental contract is in the business name. However not all companies are so generous. Many will allow drivers as young as 21 to rent a car when the rental contract is held in the business name, but under age surcharges usually remain in place.

Plan ahead
The strategies listed above can only be of help if you are in the planning stages. Avoid at all costs being stranded in an airport hearing for the first time that the plans you have made are at risk because the national chain car rental company you have just approached refuses to rent cars to someone your age.

Don’t forget to ask about any surcharges that may apply to you. It is important to know ahead of time if a car rental company will require you to pay surcharges because you are under or over age. Again, shop around as some companies may waive these surcharges and some may not even levy such charges. The key is to be prepared!

Plan ahead - you don’t want to be stranded whatever your age

Don’t rely on Internet searching alone. Many large car rental companies do not show their age related rental policies in prominent places on their websites. If you are in the car-rental discriminated age, it is well worth your while to call the company you plan to rent a car from well ahead of time. You can then check first hand if they hold any age-related policies that may have unexpected consequences for your trip.

Where there is a will there is a way
While car rental may be more complicated for the younger and older driver there are options and strategies you can follow to find a company that will offer car rental to you. Be flexible in your planning and most importantly: plan ahead. Be sure to have researched which companies will offer car rental to you, where these rental companies are located and if any surcharges will apply. Or do you need to organise your own insurance policy in order to qualify for a rental contract?

So, what could our people do?
Being resourceful, Ryan, the stranded computer executive caught a taxi into a nearby suburb and rented an older car from a “rent a wreck” type of company. He felt the need to park his rental car around the corner form his client’s offices but he still made the meetings.

Rent a wreck  - if you’re young, that could be an answer!

Peter, rather than face changing his holiday plans, called his own car insurance company and managed to obtain short-term coverage for himself and his wife and the rental vehicle. The airport-based car rental company was then happy to provide a vehicle for Peter’s long-awaited holiday.