Car, van and Campervan Hire Questions & Answers

I agree that while the rental agreement is in force I will be liable as owner/hirer of the vehicle, or any replacement vehicle, for any fixed penalty offence, penalty charge notice, notice to owner, parking charge notice for that vehicle under s66 Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988, Schedule 6 Road Traffic Act 1991, Traffic Management Act 2004, Protection of Freedoms Act 2012 and any other relevant legislation.

Definitions used in this Schedule

Time charge: rental duration price excluding Deposit/Hold and optional add-ons unless stated.

Daily Rate: standard 24-hour day price shown for the relevant vehicle/class at time of booking.

 if not displayed, the day price shown at assessment time (acting reasonably).

Booking charges

All shown at collection/booking.

Deposit / Payment Hold

Deposit Amount:  £200

When taken: at booking (pre-authorisation where supported).

Deposit held until fully checked in with no discrepancies.

Booking certain vehicles, Authorisation hold or charge depending on method/config; release depends on provider.

Time and return related charges

Late return: we have a grace time (max1 hour)

Additional daily rates to cover insured, ongoing charge until rentals ended.

Illegal parking/preventing access Recovery/towing/relocation due to user fault: actual cost (third party costs).

Mileage and fuel

Unlimited mileage*

*Not exceeding 2500 miles per month.

Fuel policy: like for like policy

• Return with the same fuel level as recorded at Rental Start.
• 1/8 tank tolerance: up to 1/8 of a tank below start level allowed.
• Missing fuel: refuelling missing fuel cost (pump price)
• Running out of fuel (avoidable): third party recovery/assistance costs.
• No reimbursement for over-fuelling unless we expressly offer a refuelling credit/promotion.

Misfuelling: Third party recovery + repair costs.

Cleaning, smoking, odours

Interior: Deep clean (Heavily soiled):  £50.

Biohazard/specialist clean:  £250 (or actual invoice if higher).

Smoking/vaping evidence:  £25 (plus deep clean if required).

Strong odour/specialist treatment:  £25 + actual specialist cost if higher.

Damage admin, repair and loss of use

Damage/incident admin fee: no fee.

insurance excess or repair quotation.

Repair/replacement: actual costs or insurer excess/liability.

Loss of use: Daily Rate per day (cap 14 days) OR actual evidenced loss of use (whichever is lower)

Fines, tolls, pcn and authority handling

Admin/handling fee per notice/request:  £30.

Clamp/impound release: actual costs + £30 fee.

Miscellaneous

Key missing/removed/not returned:  cost of new key and programming cost.

Tampering with telematics:  £50 + repair costs.

Support call-out due to user fault:  £50 + third-party costs if used.

Roadside assistance is available with every vehicle

Cancellations, no-shows and reservation fees

Prebooked:

Prebooked with deposit: NO REFUND but up to 6 months to rebook

Cross-border and European travel

Approval/admin:  £30.

Foreign cover/assistance: £250 per Trip. European Insurance cover.

Documentation/third-party charges: Green card and travel documents required.

Non-refundable committed cross-border costs once incurred.

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I also acknowledge that this liability shall extend to any other vehicle let to me under the same hiring agreement and to any period by which the original period of hiring may be extended. I hereby agree to hire the above vehicle on the Terms & Conditions set out herein & overleaf and confirm that if payment hereunder is to be made by credit or charge card my signature below shall constitute authority to debit my nominated credit or charge card company with the total due amount plus any administration charges, extensions or additional charges resulting from this rental. The Hirer and, if I am not the Hirer, I consent to my personal information (including name, address, photo and drivers licence details) and information concerning the Hirer and the hire of the vehicle under this rental agreement (including details as to payment record, credit worthiness, accidents or claims or theft or damage to the vehicle, delays in vehicle return, threatening or abusive behaviour and any other relevant information) being shared with other vehicle rental companies, suppliers to such companies and the police and other regulatory authorities, insurers and credit reference agencies, for the purposes of crime detection, risk management and assessing whether or not others may wish to hire a vehicle to me.

• Check for a spare tyre in the vehicle.
• Call Bathwick on 01249 461267
• Wait for roadside assistance to arrive.

If you are heading off on holiday you may have booked to collect a rental car at the destination airport. You may be renting a car for a long journey, to save wear and tear on your vehicle, or you may just be between vehicles and need the use of a car for a day. There are plenty of different reasons for renting a car. But, what if during your journey the car develops a flat tyre?

Many people believe that eventualities such as a flat tyre are covered by the rental company, or possibly by additional insurance they have chosen to take out. Let’s take a look at whether this is actually the case. We are also going to examine what you should do to limit the chance of having problems with a flat tyre.

Who pays for a replacement tyre on a rental car?

You may be surprised to learn that a flat tyre is considered to be a usual hazard of driving.
As such, if your rental car develops a flat, you will usually be expected to foot the bill. More often than not, a flat tyre is not even included in any additional insurance you may choose to take out with the rental company.
Of course, you may already have cover with your own breakdown provider but if this is not the case you will be expected to pay for tyre repair and replacement as well as any damage that occurs as the result of the flat tyre. It’s also worth noting that you may not even be notified about the charges until weeks, or even months, after you have returned the vehicle.
You can see why it’s important that you take action to limit the chances of the vehicle developing a flat tyre while you are driving.

What should you do before you sign the rental contract?

Before you agree to taking a rental car it’s important to check the tyres. Are they inflated as they should be? Is there any sign of bulging or cuts to the sidewalls? Is there plenty of tread all over the tyres? You should also check to see if there is a spare tyre in the car, and that it’s fit for purpose. Check for tools or repair kit. Most vehicles don’t have spare wheels nowadays.  Do not forget that if you are not completely happy with the tyres you have the right to ask for a different car. As soon as you drive away from the rental company you are responsible if the car develops a flat tyre.