Every time you need to rent a car, always compare car rentals first.
Don't stick to one rental outfit for no better reason that you are familiar with the way they do things.
The conditions affecting the rates of rental companies are very volatile, depending on the current conditions in the market itself.
For all you know the last rate that was given to you, which at that time seemed reasonably low may, after a month, be considered as over-charging because the market value of the car itself has gone down.
This may happen because the sales of that specific type of car have deteriorated and some sellers are now putting up this model for rent.
This will result in an oversupply of the model and should effectively put down its rental rate.
People who don't know that the sell-ability of a certain car can have effects on the price they are rented out for won't complain if they get the same rate the next time around when it should have been lower..
If you are renting cars regularly it will be nice to update yourself regularly on the conditions in the market for the types of cars that you usually rent.
This will prompt you to look for other sources if when you compare car rentals you discover your current supplier does not adapt its prices to the market.
On the other hand, you could try asking for a discount based on what you know.
That may be good reason enough for you to get the car at a lower price than others are.
When you compare car rentals, you should note down on paper the specific conditions for each of your prospects.
Carefully compare their regular rates with their discounted plans in order to find out if what you are being offered as a discounted rental is actually one.
You have to inquire about additional charges.
You need to know if these additional charges are built into the regular rates.
If they are, by adding those miscellaneous fees to your discounted rate, you can verify if you are really paying less by availing of that package.
You cannot effectively compare car rentals unless you read and understand everything written down in your agreement.
There may be pending expenses which are carefully camouflaged behind legal jargon.
You won't be able to detect these unless you know something about contracts and legal language yourself.
It is advisable to download or borrow a copy of the agreements issued by the separate companies and have a lawyer friend look over them.
You might also inquire if you will be allowed to test drive the vehicle for about half a day.
Once you have decided on the car and the source you are getting the car from, make it a point to pick it up during the day and use that time to examine the car carefully for defects.
If you need to, bring a car technician along.
You should also test drive the vehicle for a few hours for more reassurance.
All of this is in order that you can identify damages to the car which may be charged to you if you overlook them.