Carrentals.co.uk - Terms and Conditions

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Terms and Conditions

These are the Commercial Terms and Conditions for Carrentals.co.uk

To view our Website Terms of Service click here

Please note that due to legal restrictions, we are unable to accept bookings from USA and Canadian residents.

What’s Included?

Unlimited mileage except Banff/Jasper in Canada and Australia and certain car types worldwide.
Mandatory insurances.
Collision damage waiver liability.
Theft waiver.
Airport surcharges, with the exception of Israel.
Bail bonds (where needed).
All local taxes except Australia where taxes are paid locally by law.

What’s Not Included?

Personal accident insurance (PAI).
Additional non-mandatory insurances.
Insurance exclusions — see the relevant insurance sections.
Fuel: a deposit is often payable for fuel and is usually refunded if the car is returned with a full tank. Fuel policies vary. Please check when you pick up your car.
Garaging, tolls, congestion charges, parking and traffic fines.
Additional drivers charges where applicable — please check online or with our reservations department at the time of booking. These charges are payable locally.
Delivery and collection of your car can be arranged during normal working hours. There may be a charge for this.
Out of hours charges.
Optional extras.
One-way rental charges where applicable.
Young drivers charges where applicable.
Licence fees in Barbados and Jersey.

Flight Information

For airport pick-ups, it is essential that carrentals.co.uk be given the correct flight number and arrival time, before departure. This can be done either online or by phone.
If this is not available at the time of booking, please ensure that you inform us of this at least 7 days prior to departure, either online or by phone. No responsibility can be accepted or compensation allowed for a failed rental due to the late provision of this information.

Driver’s Age

If you are under 25 or over 65 years old please inform our reservations staff at the time of booking. Age restrictions may apply in certain destinations, and in some cases there may be a young driver charge, payable locally.

Cancellation Administration Charge

No refunds will be given for rentals ended early, late collections, no shows or cancellations made after the rental start date, even if cancellation protection is taken.
All cancellations must be made in writing, please e-mail cancellations@carrentals.co.uk. Please note that vouchers must be returned as soon as possible, before the date on which they could be used otherwise no refund of any pre-payment will be made.
Cancellations will take effect from the date the voucher is received by carrentals.co.uk

Cancellation Charges

7 or more days before start date	£15
6–3 days before start date	50%
2–0 days before start date	75%

Cancellation Waiver Protection

For just £5.50 per rental week, carrentals.co.uk will waive your liability to pay any cancellation charges if you are unable to honour your booking prior to the collection date. If you wish to purchase this contractual waiver charge, you must do so at the time of booking.

Period of Rental

The duration of your rental starts and finishes according to the pick-up and drop-off dates and times detailed on your voucher, the price of which will be confirmed at time of booking and is calculated on the basis of 24-hour units.
If you wish to extend the rental period after collection of the car, or if you return the car later than stated on your voucher, you will be charged locally at the local daily rate, which may be higher than our rates. No refunds are payable on cars returned early.

Special Requests

Child seats: these are mandatory in most countries and must be requested at the time of booking. Although instructions will be provided you will be required to fit the child seat yourself. For older children, it is recommended that you take your own booster seats. If requested and confirmed at least 7 days prior to departure these will be guaranteed.
Roof racks and ski racks: these are available in some locations and should be specially requested at the time of booking. There is usually a charge for them which is payable locally. No guarantee can be made regarding their availability unless you book the 'ski max' (where available).

Amendment Charges

Amendments to a booking will be subject to a £5 amendment fee.

Delivery and Collection/One-way Rentals

Delivery is normally to a local office, with a driver collecting you from your accommodation to pick up the car. A charge for delivery and collection payable locally may apply and will be advised on booking if applicable.
Collection is normally at the airport or local office.
In some locations deliveries are available during normal working hours. If you would like your car to be delivered, full address and delivery time must be given at the time of booking.
Delivery and collection must be booked by phone and cannot be booked online at this time.

Out of Hours Charges

In most locations flights will be met and cars supplied outside of normal working hours. However, there may be an additional charge for this service, payable locally. This will be quoted when your flight timings are given to us. In the event that a flight is delayed, causing the car pick-up to fall outside normal working hours, the additional charge will be made locally, where the out of hours service is available.
Carrentals.co.uk can accept no further responsibility where there is no out of hours facility available and it is therefore recommended that customers should take independent travel insurance.

Driving Licence

Drivers must produce a full British driving licence held for at least one year (or in some cases an international driving licence). Drivers with a new style licence must have all sections with them.
In certain locations and for some car types, drivers must have held a full licence for a minimum of 2 years.
It is the driver’s responsibility to ensure that he/she has the appropriate driving licence.
Our reservations agent must be informed of any endorsements on the driver’s licence, as we may not be able to take your booking.
No refunds will be given for rentals rejected due to non-production of a driving licence or non-disclosed endorsements.
Faxed or photocopied licences are not acceptable.

Rental Documents

The rental voucher must be presented when picking up your rental car. Carrentals.co.uk cannot be held responsible for rentals rejected by our local rental partner if a voucher is not presented.
You should retain your rental documents and related receipts for a minimum of 28 days after returning home.

Additional Drivers

Charges often apply for additional drivers and are payable locally on pick-up. Carrentals.co.uk cannot be held responsible for any increase in charges. Please check online or with our reservations department at the time of booking.

Deposits

Deposits vary by destination to destination.
All customers will be required to leave a deposit to cover the collision damage waiver excess, theft waiver excess (where applicable) and fuel. To do so, a valid credit card in the name of the lead driver, must be produced upon collection of the car, as a form of deposit.
Cash deposits are rarely accepted.
Where a deposit for fuel is payable, it will usually be refunded if the car is returned with a full tank. If the tank is not returned full, our local car rental partner will charge for fuel at its prevailing rate. They may also levy a refueling charge. Please check the fuel policy when you pick up your car.
Deposits against damage are required in some countries. A major credit card can be used for this purpose.

Provision of Cars

Our local car rental partner can refuse to provide a car to any customer who is, in their opinion, unfit to drive or does not meet eligibility requirements. In such circumstances your contract with us will terminate immediately, and we will have no further liability to you, and no refund will be due.

Number of Passengers

Our rental cars are insured for a maximum number of passengers. Carrentals.co.uk cannot accept responsibility if the vehicle is not large enough to fit all passengers and luggage on arrival if details were not supplied at the time of booking. In the interest of safety this number must not be exceeded and if exceeded the insurance will be invalidated.

Driving Restrictions

Restrictions are applicable when crossing country and state borders. Please consult our reservations department at the time of booking as to whether border crossing is permitted and what, if any, charges apply.

Collision Damage Waiver

If you hire a car through carrentals.co.uk we waive, in most circumstances (see exclusions below) your liability to pay for any damage caused to the vehicle during the period of hire, subject only to the payment by you of a charge, referred to as an “excess” (unless you are advised that this is not applicable at the time of booking). Your liability for the damage will be limited to the cost of the excess. We call this contractual waiver “Collision Damage Waiver” or “CDW”.
CDW is subject to certain exclusions which include, without limit, when damage is caused to windows/windscreens, wheels and tyres, the underside or roof of the car or where the vehicle is driven off-road or on un-tarmacked roads, without due care and attention, negligently or where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Your liability to pay for the damage will therefore not be waived in these circumstances and you may be liable for the full cost.

Damage Excess Waiver

If you would like us to waive your liability to pay the excess referred to above, then you can purchase our damage excess waiver product (DEW). However, please be aware that even with this product you will still have to compensate the car rental partner for damage which falls within one of the exclusions identified above.

Damage Excess Waiver Product (DEW)

On all bookings you will be required to leave a deposit to the value of any CDW excess you may be required to pay if the vehicle is damaged during the period of hire (see the paragraphs dealing with CDW above). If the vehicle is damaged, the deposit will be retained and treated as payment of the excess. If, however, you have purchased our DEW product, your liability to pay the excess will be waived and you may reclaim it, subject to our terms and conditions, by filling in an accident report form (supplied by our car rental partner) and sending a copy of it to carrentals.co.uk. Your liability to pay for damage to the vehicle will therefore be limited to the cost of the daily rate you pay for CDW and DEW.
DEW is not available in relation to prestige cars.
DEW (and CDW) do not apply in relation to damage to windows/windscreens, wheels and tyres, the underside and the roof, the interior of the car, towing charges or where the vehicle is driven off-road or on un-tarmacked roads, without due care and attention, negligently or where the driver is under the influence of alcohol or other drugs. Your liability to pay the cost of the damage will therefore not be waived in these circumstances and you may be liable for the full cost.
In the event that keys are lost or damaged, you will be liable for the reasonable costs of obtaining a replacement, and further costs if directly related to the theft of the car.
DEW does not apply when taking four-wheel drive vehicles “off road” or on un-tarmacked roads. Your liability to pay the CDW excess will therefore not be waived in these circumstances and you may be liable for the full excess.

Theft Waiver

Theft Waiver (also known as Theft Protection) provides coverage for theft or attempted theft, of the vehicle up to the full value of the vehicle and any loss that our car rental partner may incur. You are responsible for the excess of each claim, which you will be required to pay as part of the overall excess deposit (unless you are advised that this is not applicable at the time of booking). Your loss will be limited provided the vehicle is used and its keys returned in accordance with the terms and conditions of the rental agreement.

Tax

All taxes are included except those on any extras purchased locally. e.g. one-way drop-off fees, child seats and additional drivers.
Carrentals.co.uk reserves the right to levy any government increases in local taxes that may be introduced after the printing of these terms and conditions.
Any additional charges payable on arrival are subject to local taxes at the prevailing rate in that country.

Car Type/Suitability

Carrentals.co.uk is unable to guarantee a particular make, model or fuel type of car. The car shown on your voucher is for guidance only and may be substituted for an alternative, similar or upgraded car (at no extra cost).
If you have booked a prestige car, the specific car booked is guaranteed.
If it becomes impossible to provide your booked car due to breakdown or an accident, a similar or upgraded car will be provided.
If you are dissatisfied in any way with the standard of your booked car, you must advise our local car rental partner immediately and carrentals.co.uk in writing within 28 days of your return. Failure to do so may result in any claims not being accepted or settled by carrentals.co.uk.

Mechanical Difficulties/Accidents

In the event of any mechanical difficulties or accidents involving your car, it is important that details are reported to our local car rental partner within 24 hours.
In the event of an accident you must also complete an accident report form by the end of the rental period.
Local police should also be notified in the case of accidents and a signed police report obtained.
Full details of third parties should also be obtained.
Our local car rental partner must give authority to repair or replace a vehicle. Their name and contact details are shown on your voucher and rental agreement.
You should retain copies of all rental documentation in the event an insurance company is involved.
Your insurance cover may be invalidated if this procedure is not followed correctly and this may prejudice any claim for compensation.
A check-in form must be signed on return of the vehicle. Failure to do so may delay the investigation of disputes regarding damage excess charges.

Complaints

Carrentals.co.uk aims to resolve complaints within 28 days of receipt. In doing so a situation may arise where customers or travel agents receive a refund, goodwill gesture and/or compensation payment of a duplicated nature, from both carrentals.co.uk and our local car rental partner. In such an event carrentals.co.uk reserves the right to recover such duplicated payments at any time within two calendar years of such an event. Some complaints may take longer than 28 days owing to the nature of the issue and information provided. Carrentals.co.uk can only consider complaints that reach them within 180 days of the final day of rental to which the rental voucher refers. Actions against carrentals.co.uk are restricted to the laws that occur within the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom courts.

General Conditions

All bookings by our customers are subject to our terms and conditions.
The customer acknowledges that in making a booking with carrentals.co.uk he/she does so only on the basis of the material contained on our voucher, on our website or information provided on the phone by our call centre agents.
Carrentals.co.uk acts as a car rental broker and agent for various independent rental companies in the countries in which it operates. Bookings made through carrentals.co.uk are subject to these terms and conditions. Please note that the rental of the vehicle will be subject to the law of the country in which it is supplied to you and for this reason you will be required to sign a rental contract with the rental company which supplies the vehicle. You should satisfy yourself that you understand (and agree) to its terms and conditions, as you will be subject to, and must comply with these terms, and the local law.
Carrentals.co.uk cannot accept liability for any charges incurred on documentation signed for and accepted locally.
Carrentals.co.uk will not be held responsible for anyone driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, causing willful damage, off road driving or driving without due care and attention. The customer will accept responsibility in respect of such claims. This list is not exhaustive.
Cars and all offers are subject to availability. All information in these terms and conditions, including prices, is correct at the time of publication.

How a Contract is Formed

How a Contract is Formed with the Supplier

The way in which a contract is formed, for the purchase of car rental, is basically the same whether you book over the phone or via our website. However you choose to book, it is important to understand how and when a contract is formed.
The technical steps required for a contract to be formed are as follows:
- When we quote prices over the telephone or place products on our website we are inviting you to make an offer for their purchase. You do not make this offer until you do so verbally or by pressing “Book Now”.
- You have made the supplier an offer to purchase the products once you have either pressed “Book Now” or done so verbally. The supplier will then accept this offer when it has both received full payment and has sent you your confirmation voucher. Once done there is a binding contract between you and the supplier for the product.
Prior to making your booking and if you are at all unsure of anything relating to the arrangements being made or simply have a question that you would like to ask, you can always use our help pages to find the answer, or you can call one of our Customer Service staff, who will be happy to assist you.

Consequential Loss

Carrentals.co.uk is responsible for losses you suffer only as a result of carrentals.co.uk breaking this agreement, to the value of the commercial contract, if the losses are a foreseeable consequence of carrentals.co.uk breaking the agreement. Losses are foreseeable where they could be contemplated by the both you and carrentals.co.uk at the time our agreement is formed. Carrentals.co.uk are not responsible for indirect losses which happen as a side effect of the main loss or damage and which are not foreseeable by you and carrentals.co.uk (such as loss of profits or loss of opportunity).

Force Majeure

Carrentals.co.uk shall not be liable itself or vicariously through its local car rental suppliers for either a failure to perform or delay in performing any of its obligations under or pursuant to this booking, voucher, reservation, rental or terms and conditions, if and in so far as performance is delayed, hindered or prevented by force majeure, which expression shall mean any event beyond the reasonable control of the party in question. In the event that the force majeure persists for more than 14 consecutive days, carrentals.co.uk may terminate and withdraw this booking, reservation or rental by giving 14 days notice to the customer's original billing address.
Please check our website for all up-to-date prices and services. Carrentals.co.uk reservations agents will also be able to tell you the up to date price of your chosen car rental and of any other service advertised before confirming your booking.

Our Recommendation to You

As part of our continued commitment to quality customer service, we strongly recommend that, prior to signing our local car rental partner’s rental agreement; you ensure that the details on this agreement match those details on your carrentals.co.uk car rental voucher. Any additional purchases accepted to your credit card after the rental agreement has been signed will be your own financial responsibility.

Country Specific Terms and Conditions

Additional Conditions Applicable to the USA and Canada

Third Party Liability Cover

All rentals in the USA and Canada include third party liability cover, which conforms to the statutory minimum required by each state but can be as low as $5,000.

Extended Protection

Our prices include excess liability cover, known as extended protection (EP). This offers third party liability cover above the minimum level of protection (see above) and increases your third party protection to $1,000,000 in respect of any claims made against you.
EP also provides coverage up to $100,000 ($40,000 in Texas) to the renter and any family member related by blood, marriage or adoption, who, while occupying the rental car, sustained bodily injury or death caused by a negligent, uninsured/underinsured motorist.

Additional Conditions for Australia

Mileage

All rentals in metropolitan areas of Australia include unlimited mileage, except minivans where rates include 200 kms per day.
In country areas, rates include 200 kms per day.
In remote areas, the rates include 100 kms per day.
Excess kilometres are charged at au $0.30 per km.

Deposits

A security deposit of between au $275 and au $1100, depending on car type, is statutory upon collection of the vehicle. Any major credit card in the lead driver’s name is acceptable for this security deposit.

Supplier Terms and Conditions

Select a country of your choice to view the local supplier terms & conditions: