“My time’s restricted… how do I select?”
Car rental is a sizzling matter for vacationers headed to Costa Rica. Current analysis carried out by the Costa Rican Institute of Tourism (ICT) signifies that, after accommodations, renting a car is the most important expense, averaging $702 for an eleven-day trip.
The Web is buzzing with adverse opinions discussing overcharging, poor buyer service and mechanical breakdowns. You might need even written one your self!
A typical midsize (3 – 4 adults) 4X4 rental runs between $58 and $65 each day with third occasion insurance and charges can range as a lot as 20 p.c amongst car rental corporations, so studying a fast evaluate will probably be time properly spent when you calculate the financial savings.
So the query is; which rental company gives the most effective stability of honest value, succesful buyer service and dependable automobiles? I’ve researched all of it for you, so preserve studying!
Disclosure: This analysis was carried out in Could – July 2013. The next corporations had been chosen as a result of they’re probably the most extensively utilized in Costa Rica. Some are native corporations; others are worldwide franchises of acknowledged model names. Comparisons embody: buyer service, pricing and the reservation course of. The businesses are listed alphabetically and never based mostly on personal or online preferences.
Take into account this data earlier than renting:
Insurance
One of many greatest causes for complaints is from the stack of unexpected fees introduced to the renter as soon as standing on the rental company’s counter. Vacationers are usually drained after a protracted flight after which are confronted by prices that weren’t anticipated, defined or budgeted.
Topping the record of grievances is the non-disclosure of charges related to the necessary third-party insurance on the time the reservation is made.
In keeping with Costa Rican legislation, each driver is required to hold legal responsibility protection to insure in opposition to accidents to third events. Car rental corporations typically chorus from disclosing the price of this coverage within the quoted rental fee to seem extra aggressive. Necessary third-party insurance can generally be as a lot as double the automobile’s rental value. The one assure in opposition to insurance confusion is to inquire in case your estimate consists of the third occasion insurance and demand on a written citation.
Price of Necessary Insurance (additionally known as Third Occasion or SLI)
Anticipate to pay between $12 and $15 each day for this insurance, relying on the make and model of the rented automobile and the rental car agency. It is a authorized situation of your rental settlement and is usually not coated by bank cards and can’t be waived. It is a truth of renting a car in Costa Rica.
Collision Injury Waiver (CDW)
Because the name suggests, this is not insurance, however a waiver, which relieves the renter from any legal responsibility for injury to the rental car after the deductible is paid (often from $750 to $1,500). Some businesses require renters to buy their CDW coverage; thereby negating any bank card program. For a further charge, many businesses do provide a zero legal responsibility possibility the place the renter will probably be free of paying for any injury to the car. Some corporations could put pressure upon renters to buy the zero legal responsibility protection; nevertheless, it’s fully non-obligatory, except it’s within the fine print of their rental settlement.
Bank card insurance applications could cowl the CDW for a rental automobile. Test together with your chosen rental car company to seek out which proof of insurance is required after which request that out of your bank card company previous to arriving. In the event you use your bank card’s CDW coverage, anticipate to pay a better deposit on the automobile; round $1,500 to $2000 is frequent. The upper deposit ensures that the bank card holder has sufficient monetary reserves to cowl damages if wanted. You will need to think about that if utilizing CDW protection supplied by a bank card (in lieu of the hire a car operator), all damages will probably be billed to the renter’s bank card. The bank card company will then reimburse the cardboard holder for damages.
Extra Insurance
Tires and windshields are not often included in insurance insurance policies, though further insurance policies could also be taken out for protecting these steadily broken objects. Neither the inside nor the beneath of the automobile could also be coated. All the time learn the fine print.
Customary Process
Your bank card will probably be charged, or a ‘maintain’ positioned, for the rental automobile through the time of the rental settlement; i.e. from choosing up the rental till you come back it. Debit playing cards are typically not acceptable.
Further Expenses
Most corporations have surcharges for extra drivers, car seats/boosters, cell telephones, coolers, GPS and/or roof racks. The prices range from company to company, however since these extras are billed at a each day fee, it’s price checking the full value — further choices can add up in a short time! A GPS is round $8 to $10 per day; nevertheless, some operators could provide discounted items. Anticipate to pay round $5 each day for a kid seat and some {dollars} a day for all the opposite ‘niceties’. Vamos is notable for providing most of those choices and, throughout some promotions, even the GPS rental complimentarily. Alamo, Funds, Hertz and Nationwide cost probably the most for such further choices; whereas the opposite corporations listed, cost extra affordable costs.
Surcharges
Most corporations add small incremental prices, corresponding to license plate and environmental charges, into the full tally. Be cautious of operators who insert these further fees into the small print of the rental contract. Automobiles rented direct on the airport incur airport taxes, that are a whopping 12% of your rental value!
The rental automobile ought to be returned with the identical quantity of gasoline, except in any other case indicated. If not, corporations could cost above fuel station charges for lacking gasoline.
Automobiles
There’s a debate over the automobiles equipped by rental corporations: Older vehicles permit the driving force to mix in additional than a shiny, new car. Having an older model could have the oblique good thing about being much less scrutinized by car rental businesses for current nicks and scratches, in contrast to a more moderen automobile. Nonetheless, a more moderen automobile could also be extra roadworthy. This debate carries on into the completely different automobile makes and fashions. Usually, Costa Rican companies are in a position to hire their automobiles for a decrease fee as a result of their vehicles are usually three to 5 years old (versus two to 3). Online opinions would counsel that the native companies don’t have any extra complaints regarding automobile high quality than transnational franchises; analysis on boards, corresponding to TripAdvisor.com, appears to point that prospects steadily recognize driving a less-than-new automobile via the wilds of Costa Rica. The explanations are lots, from street circumstances to the notion of less-then-new automobiles mixing in higher — a more moderen automobile could draw extra undesirable consideration.
The alternatives of rental vehicles in Costa Rica are principally restricted to makes and fashions that preserve a aggressive resale worth, are a typical model within the nation, and are cheap to take care of. As such a rent-a-car operator’s fleet have a tendency to not be as numerous as america. Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Hyundai represent the mainstay manufacturers of most rental fleets.
Typically, drivers are charged for supposed ‘damages’ to the automobile upon return. As soon as receiving the automobile, renters ought to meticulously verify for pre-existing flaws and examine it with the automobile inspection doc utilized by the rental car consultant. Some renters counsel photographing or videoing the automobile from all angles, to keep away from any disagreement between pre-existing and not too long ago broken objects.
Pricing
Car leases in Costa Rica are pricier in comparison with different international locations. Duties on automobiles are excessive (as a lot as 50% of their worth!), components are costlier and unforgiving street circumstances contribute to larger put on and tear, producing larger upkeep prices.
The rule is you get what you pay for — there are different choices than these rental corporations listed right here, however they don’t seem to be listed for a very good motive. They merely fail to supply primary buyer service and/or an appropriate automobile situation required for a (practically) trouble-free trip.
When evaluating rental car fees, it’s best to go on to the Costa Rican website of the rental car company, quite than attempting to make use of their worldwide format or an middleman (Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Kayak, et al.). For a similar automobiles and reservation dates, the charges provided by the respective worldwide vs. Costa Rican web sites for Alamo, Funds, Hertz and Thrifty differed considerably.
To keep away from confusion, print out all correspondence with the car rental company with whom you have got reserved a automobile and convey this to the rental workplace with the quote given on the time of reservation.
The next high ten chart ranks the businesses from highest priced to lowest and it consists of the necessary insurance cost. Within the cases of Alamo and Hertz, the determine incorporates their CDW charge as it’s one in every of their rental necessities. This value comparability is predicated on every week’s rental of a Daihatsu Bego, the place obtainable (Greenback gives the Suzuki Vitara) from September 14th – twenty first, then once more in December to view each Inexperienced and Excessive Season charges. The record shortly demonstrates that the value variation relies upon significantly on the company — for principally the identical service. These costs had been obtained in June/July 2013.
Rental Car Corporations Ranked In keeping with Worth
September
10. Alamo $650.96
9. Hertz $514.27
8. Adobe $449
7. Funds $455
6. Nationwide $428.01
5. Thrifty $421.05
4. Service $374.43
3. Vamos $370.30
2. Greenback $364
1. Wild Rider $350
December
10. Alamo $650.96
9. Nationwide $597.51
8. Hertz $566.52
7. Funds $555
6. Greenback $532
5. Thrifty $506.58
4. Service $494.43
3. Vamos $461.30
2. Adobe $459
1. Wild Rider $395
Alamo ranks quantity ten for each seasons, making it the most costly company. Funds, Hertz and Nationwide additionally fee low on the dimensions for economical rental choices.
Company Summaries
Adobe
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of, however pricing and even the automobiles listed aren’t the identical as these given by an workplace consultant over the phone. Necessary insurance prices aren’t proven with the record of automobiles and rental fees, however they’re clearly displayed on the next page as a buyer strikes in direction of reserving a reservation. Blended buyer opinions online. E-mail response is lower than 24 hours, however could not present all requested data.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. No Reside Chat.
10 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $19 each day
Further fees: GPS $9/day, baby seat $5/day
Alamo
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of, however costs differ in opposition to quotes acquired over the phone. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given with the record of automobiles and rental fees, however they’re clearly displayed on the next page because the buyer strikes in direction of making a reservation. Blended buyer opinions online. E-mail response is lower than 24 hours.
No toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity or Reside chat
14 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $11.95 each day, however should additionally take their CDW at $12.95 each day
Further fees: GPS $12/day, baby seat $6/day
Funds
Website is primary, however straightforward to make use of. Costs online differ to the quotations given by a consultant over the phone and relying on whether or not the worldwide or Costa Rican website is used. Necessary insurance prices are given together with the record of automobiles; nevertheless, the opposite fees aren’t listed. Blended buyer opinions online. E-mail response is greater than 24 hours.
No toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. No Reside Chat on Costa Rican website.
10 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: included within the listed value
Further fees: GPS $10.95/day, baby seat $12/day (the most costly of the highest ten)
Greenback
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of. Costs quoted differ if calling from the U.S. or in Costa Rica. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given with the record of automobiles and rental fees, however they’re clearly displayed on the next page as a buyer strikes in direction of a making a reservation. Blended opinions online, however typically receives constructive suggestions. E-mail inquiries answered inside 24 hours.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. No Reside Chat.
3 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $16 each day
Further fees: GPS $9/day, baby seat $5/day
Hertz
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given in addition to the record of automobiles and rental fees, however they’re clearly displayed on the next page because the buyer strikes in direction of a reserving a reservation. Blended buyer opinions online. E-mail response lower than 24 hours.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity and Reside Chat (though it appears to be completely offline)
7 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $17.43 each day, however their CDW can be a requirement
Further fees: GPS $12/day, baby seat $2/day
Nationwide
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given together with the record of automobiles and rental fees, however they’re clearly displayed on the next page as a buyer strikes in direction of making a reservation. Blended buyer opinions online, however extra constructive than adverse. E-mail response lower than 24 hours.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. Reside Chat.
22 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $25 each day (the most costly of the highest ten)
Further fees: GPS $12/day, baby seat $6/day
Service
Website is evident and person pleasant with only a slight confusion in that an online quote is obtained by clicking on ‘Reserve Now’ and never the ‘Get a Quote’ possibility. The response to a phone inquiry was to make use of the website. Necessary insurance prices are given together with the record of automobiles and rental fees for the off-season fees and on the second page of the opposite citation page. Bear in mind is a extremely beneficial gross sales consultant who’s talked about in lots of online opinions for the excessive degree of his buyer service. Usually online opinions are constructive for Service. E-mail response is lower than 24 hours, though all data requested is probably not acquired.
U.S.A phone quantity, however not toll-free. No Reside Chat.
5 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $15 each day
Further fees: GPS $5.99/day, baby seat $2.99/day
Thrifty
Costa Rican model of the website is not possible to make use of and you’re requested to register for a person name and password. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given together with the record of automobiles and rental fees. A buyer has to click on on “Safety Choices” on the U.S. website and choose the necessary insurance by clicking on it — implying that it’s non-obligatory and never a required value. Thrifty are likely to obtain blended opinions online. E-mail response is greater than 24 hours.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. No Reside Chat.
4 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $19.99 each day
Further fees: GPS $10/day, baby seat $5/day
Vamos
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of. Necessary insurance prices aren’t given alongside facet the record of automobiles and rental fees, however are clearly displayed on the next page because the buyer strikes in direction of reserving a reservation. Anibal, a consultant, is steadily talked about in online opinions for his excessive degree of buyer service expertise. Basic Supervisor, George Schwarzenbach is understood on Journey Advisor for his upfront and sincere responses to prospects’ posts.
Lately, Vamos has acquired very constructive opinions online. E-mail response is lower than 24 hours. Reside Chat has instantaneous response time to inquiries.
Toll-free U.S.A and Canada phone quantity. Reside Chat.
3 places of work nationwide
Necessary insurance: $11.95 each day
Further fees: GPS $8/day, baby seat free
Wild Rider
Website is evident and straightforward to make use of. Necessary insurance prices are given subsequent to the record of automobiles. Wild Rider is the one car rental agency in Costa Rica with no seen dangerous opinions online. Proprietor, Thorsten, is usually praised for his effectivity and buyer service, regardless of the very restricted sources the company has at hand. Emails obtain very immediate and detailed responses in lower than 12 hours.
No toll-free phone quantity or Reside Chat
1 workplace — no Liberia airport workplace
Necessary insurance: included
Further fees: GPS $8/day, baby seat $5/day
Comparability Evaluate
Buyer Service
Vamos and Wild Rider reply shortly and effectively to e mail or stay chat inquiries. Adobe, Alamo, Greenback, Hertz, Nationwide, and Service reply to e mail inquiries in lower than 24 hours, however Adobe and Service didn’t present all the knowledge requested (probably a language barrier). Funds gives a free phone service, but it surely seems to be all the time busy. Hertz’s stay chat seems to be consistently offline. Throughout the previous 12 months, prospects who posted to online evaluate websites expressed a selected satisfaction with the shopper service provided by Service, Vamos and Wild Rider.
Readability
Adobe, Alamo and Funds have completely different rental costs posted on their web sites than these quoted over the phone. Phone costs had been decrease than that quoted on the website within the cases of Adobe and Alamo, however but larger within the case of Funds. Adobe additionally gives completely different automobile fashions over the phone as in comparison with their website. Worldwide car rental companies with each a Costa Rican and worldwide website seem to have pricing variations between the 2 websites sk얼음정수기.
Funds and Wild Rider embody the necessary insurance of their rental costs, however Funds states that ‘different fees’ which will probably be introduced on the counter within the small print on their website. Rental costs for car seating needed to be verified on the phone as they don’t seem to be listed on the Funds website.
All different corporations apart from Thrifty (a U.S. website), clearly present the necessary insurance value with the citation given. Thrifty’s Costa Rican website is solely unusable.
Pricing
Service, Vamos and Wild Rider constantly provide the most effective charges for each Inexperienced and Excessive seasons, though Greenback has one of many lowest Inexperienced season charges obtainable, whereas Adobe has a less expensive Excessive season fee. Vamos provide the most effective “all inclusive” charges, given that the majority choices are provided without spending a dime.
Adobe, Greenback, Service, Thrifty and Wild Rider stay aggressive with their pricing of things corresponding to baby seats. Alamo, Hertz and Nationwide are the most costly corporations to hire from and their further possibility prices are additionally dearer.
“So, what’s your rental advice?”
Total, the Costa Rican corporations appear to trump the multi-nationals with higher pricing, service and readability.
Service gives a typically high-level of buyer service and pretty aggressive pricing at each worldwide airports.
Vamos can provide environment friendly reserving and continued high-level of buyer service with aggressive pricing, in addition to free further choices at each SJO and LIR airports.
Wild Rider could be very extremely rated for a rental with clear and economical pricing and glorious buyer service, however they’re solely in San Jose.
“Now you are able to e book your rental car after seeing how the competitors compares. Good luck and completely satisfied travels!”