General Conditions

These terms and conditions are those that have been set by Car Hire Direct. They also include guidelines concerning the hire of cars in general.

General Terms and Conditions

Supplier Conditions

These are the terms and conditions of the suppliers we use in various locations.

Supplier Terms and Conditions

5% Discount

For every booking you place with Car Hire Direct you will receive a 5% discount code. This is can then be used with your next car rental when you book online.

Payment Terms and Conditions

Car Hire Direct vouchers will only be sent out once the payment has been taken.
There are No Credit Card charges or Amendment Fees.
We accept payment by VISA, MASTERCARD, SWITCH/SOLO, DELTA & VISA DEBIT.

Cancellation Charges apply as follows:
Before the date of collection - £20
On or after the date of collection - £50

You have the option of taking out a cancellation protection to cover you for this eventuality, the cost is £5.00 per rental week.
We strongly recommend you take the cancellation protection but this is an optional extra.

In the event that you pay for a booking in a different currency than your card statement is quoted in, you may suffer currency exchange losses in the event that we have to refund your payment for whatever reason. Refunds will be made in the same currency as payment. To avoid this we recommend that you pay in the same currency as your credit card statement appears in if possible.

In certain circumstances a booked vehicle may not be available. Autobookers plc and Car Hire Direct reserve the right to cancel your booking with a full refund. We will notify you immediately of such cancellations to minimise any inconvenience caused, and also try to offer you an alternative vehicle if one is available.

General Terms and Conditions

Rates do not include:

PAEP - Personal Accident Insurance/Carefree Personal Protection
Fuel - (Unless specifically notes under package type e.g. Alamo Gold in North America / South Africa)
Mandatory Charges – Should there be any, these are payable locally and are subject to local taxes/VAT.
Local Charges listed below.

Driver’s age
If your lead driver is under 25 years of age or over 65 years of age please advise at time of booking as there may be some restrictions or an underage/overage drivers’ surcharge which will be charged locally.

Special requests
Child Seats are required in most countries and must be requested at the time of booking. For older children we recommend that you take your own booster seats with a British Kite mark. Please note that child seats are requested by us on your behalf but cannot be guaranteed. Payable locally.
Roof Racks/Ski Racks/Snow Chains are available in some locations and need to be requested at the time of booking. There is a minimal charge for these items and they will be payable locally at the time of collection.
Snow Tyres/Winter Charges are mandatory in some countries. Payable locally.

One-way drop charges
Picking up at one location but dropping off at another generally results in a local charge being payable locally to the supplier. Crossing country boundaries or state lines can often result in large charges payable locally. One-way rentals within mainland UK tend to result in a charge in the region of £35 payable locally. Please ask for confirmation when booking.

Out of Hours Charges
Some locations offer an out of hours pick-up service, but there may be a local charge for this.

General Terms and Advice

Local Legislation
All vehicle rentals are subject to the legal terms, conditions and pricing procedures of the local supplier in effect at the time of printing this contract. In the event of subsequent enactment of any law in the Country of rental, which prohibits any of those terms, conditions or pricing procedures, the local supplier terms, conditions and prices will be subject to adjustment to the extent necessary to compensate for such restrictions or prohibitions.

Flight Information
At the time of booking a flight number and an estimated arrival time is required, Should you be unable to supply a flight number and estimated arrival time at the time of booking, will need this information at least 72 hours prior to departure. In the event of flight delays, should this information has not been given we cannot accept responsibility for any failed rental.

Late Bookings
Please note that it is advisable that you book a minimum of 72 hours before travelling to avoid disappointment as some suppliers reservation offices do not operate over the weekends and in busy periods there may be no car availability. Bookings made on Monday to Thursday normally require a minimum of 24 hours to confirm with suppliers.

Worldwide Driving Licence Requirements
A full current driving licence is required to collect a vehicle. It must be issued in the country of domicile. A translation is required if the passport is not written using the Roman Alphabet. Please note: If you have the new UK driving licence you will need to take the photocard as well as the full paper version, our suppliers may refuse to hire a vehicle to you, if you forget it.
Exception to above: The terms & conditions of our contract with our suppliers dictate that we cannot rent a vehicle in North America to anyone with a North American driving licence.

Deposits
Deposits vary dependant on your chosen location. A valid credit card is required with the required space on it and should be in the name as the lead driver (as per the voucher). Fuel deposits are sometimes required, if this is the case most of our suppliers require the vehicle to be returned as empty as possible. Please check locally in case the policy at your particular location is different.

Provision of Cars
Please note that our suppliers reserve the right to refuse to hire a customer a vehicle, if they feel that in their opinion, the person is unfit to drive or does not meet the eligibility requirements. In such a case the contract with us will terminate and we will have no further liability to you.

Number of Passengers
All our vehicles are insured to take a maximum number of passengers. We will not 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.

Driving Restrictions
In some countries/states you are not allowed to drive across the border, please check with reservations at the time of booking. Should you drive across one of these particular borders you will not be covered by your insurance policy and we will not be held responsible for any such outcome.

Insurance Exclusions & Excess
The no excess insurance policy we have in place covers you for the excess that you may be charged if damage is caused as a result of an accident. You may be charged this excess by the local supplier, but can reclaim this providing you have a police report and have completed an accident report form on returning your car, then forward a copy of this to us. We will refund the excess that the customer has paid within 21 days of receiving their accident report form. The no excess insurance policy does not apply to prestige vehicles (Standard vehicles or higher in Europe & Minivans or higher in North America), and does not cover damage to tyres, windows, the roof, the underside, the interior of the car, towing charges or damage caused wilfully or through negligence. You may therefore be liable for the cost of this damage.
Insurance cover is not provided for the contents of the vehicle in the event of theft. In the event that keys are lost or damaged you will be liable for the costs of obtaining a replacement.

Car Type/Suitability
We are unable to guarantee any particular make or model of vehicle, however wherever possible we will request a specific vehicle type on your behalf. Cars are subject to availability.

Mechanical Difficulties/Accidents
Most of our suppliers offer a 24-hour breakdown service, please consult your voucher wallet or ask a member of the reservations department if your specific supplier offers this service.

Complaints
We aim to resolve complaints within two weeks from the date of receipt. However, from time to time some complaints take a little longer to investigate. Even in this scenario we will endeavour to close the complaint within one month from the date of receipt.

Payment terms

Payment will be taken in UK Sterling at the price quoted for the booking.

Any display of the cost of the booking in a currency other than UK Sterling is purely for illustration purposes only, that is, to give an indication of approximately the amount that would be charged in that currency.

Normally payment is taken at the time of booking, however since vehicle availability cannot always be checked at the time of booking, some payments may only be taken once confirmation of the booking with the supplier.

Please Note: No refund is given for partially used vouchers.

Refunds

In the event of having to make a refund this will be done in UK Sterling subject to any cancellation charges that may be applicable.

In the event that no car is available a full UK Sterling refund will be made.

As we collect funds and refund in UK sterling in the event that your card is quoted in a different currency you will most likely not receive all your funds back. Your card company will most likely refund at a different rate than it charges either for administrative reason or currency fluctuations. We take no responsibility for their actions.