Susan Stellin gives a clear picture in the practical traveller section of The New York Times published on June 4th,2006 on how different rental car companies charge additional amounts.Its no surprise to get a surprise while renting a car if you do not read the policies and fine print before you sign a rental car agreement.One should take time to read the policies and procedures on the websites of the rental car companies before reserving one.If you are reserving on the GDS websites like orbitz or priceline its even recommended to read their policies and procedures before reserving.
Below is an excerpt of Susann Stellin article where she says TRAVEL inevitably involves surprises — good and bad — but the ones that come up at the car rental counter usually fall into the second category. Clearer pricing on the Internet has helped address surcharge sticker shock (now you’re more likely to learn about these fees in advance), but there are still some surprises you might encounter if you don’t scrutinize the fine print.
AGE RESTRICTIONS
If you’re between the ages of 25 and 70, you can skip ahead to the next section, since car rental companies have no problem letting you drive. But if you’re outside that age range, your birth date may cause problems when you try to rent a car.
That probably doesn’t come as a surprise to younger drivers, since many companies have long refused to rent to anyone under 25. But there’s actually good news on that front: Avis, Budget and Hertz have all lowered their minimum driving age to 21 since last summer, while Dollar, Enterprise and Thrifty have had that policy for a while.
Now for the bad news: most companies still charge an extra daily fee for renters age 21 to 24 — typically about $25 a day, though, depending on the company and location, it can be much higher. For instance, New York and Michigan both have state laws requiring companies to rent to anyone 18 and older, but in New York, the under-25 surcharge can be more than $100 a day.
That said, these age-based fees can vary quite a bit, and some agencies waive them if you’re renting through a corporate account, so it’s worth shopping around. Also, don’t assume the same rules apply overseas, since many United States companies have lower age limits in other countries.
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