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Auto Insurance Loss of Use: Is it Part of Automobile Policy?

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 18:20:41 +0000

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Car Rental Faqs – Part 1

admin — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:42:21 +0000

Q. Why take a ‘driving holiday’?A. A drive holiday gives you the freedom and flexibility to decide on where you travel and what you see and do. You are in charge of how much time you wish to spend at a particular attraction. You have the independence to move around as much or as little as you like. A drive holiday allows you to discover so much more as a car will allow you to drive through the little villages in out of the way places.

Q. How is car rental charged?A. Car rental is based on 24 hour periods and charged accordingly. If you pick up a car at 9am on Thursday and return at 9am the following day, this is one 24 hour period and therefore a one day booking.

Q. Is it cheaper to pre-book my car rental or should I book when I arrive?A. Pre-booking will save you money almost every time! With a wholesaler like DriveAway Holidays, you receive the benefit of our purchasing power. Our prices with the major car rental suppliers are considerably lower than walking in off the street in a foreign country to rent a car. In addition you are pre-paying in Australian dollars so the risk of fluctuations in the currency are reduced.

Q. How does a prepaid rental work?A. The booking is made in advance, paid for and a voucher is issued. The voucher is then used as payment when you go to pick up the car from the supplier.

Q. What additional extras will I have to pay?A. It depends on what the rental covers. DriveAway Holidays in most cases include all mandatory charges, like road taxes or airport surcharges. Many optional charges are applicable such as young or additional drivers, Insurance Excess Reduction or extra equipment like child seats. Be sure to check out rate inclusions – first when you are choosing your vehicle online and when you have made your booking (the inclusions will be on your voucher)

Q. What happens when I pick up the car?A. Present the rental voucher, a valid drivers license and a credit card for a security deposit. Any additional charges will be explained as well as the conditions of the rental. A signature will be required to accept or decline additional charges and to acknowledge that the rental conditions are understood.

Q. What does the supplier do with the renters credit card?A. It varies depending on the supplier – they may freeze a specific amount as a deposit, an imprint may be taken as a deposit or an amount may be charged to cover the security deposit and then refunded on the return of the vehicle. In some instances the bond can be paid in cash – check with the supplier/broker when you book.

Q. Will there be fuel in the vehicle?A. Yes, there should be enough to get you on your way. Different companies have different policies regarding fuel – most will supply a full tank and require the car to be returned with a full tank of fuel, otherwise the renter is charged the difference. Some companies provide minimum fuel and is to returned as the renter wishes.

Q. What is a Pre-Paid Fuel Option?A. Most car rental companies provide a full tank of fuel and will charge you for re-fuelling the vehicle if it is not returned with a full tank. By accepting a Pre-paid fuel option you are agreeing to pay a pre-determined price for fuel regardless of whether you return the vehicle with a full, partially full or empty tank. This means you won’t need to search for a petrol station before you return the car, but there is no refund for any fuel remaining in the tank. Q. Should I check out the condition of the rental car before driving away?A. Yes, it is a good idea to check the vehicle before you leave the depot. Any damage or unusual dents/scratches should be noted on the contract before leaving.

Look out for our 2nd part of car rental FAQs!

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Car Rental Faqs – Part 2

admin — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 02:41:02 +0000

Q. What does “car type” or similar mean?A. Car rental companies can never guarantee a specific model or car. When renting a car, companies will give you an idea of what you can expect – you may get the car type that was advertised or you may get one similar in size or model.

Q. How old are rental cars?A. Depends on the car rental company. Larger suppliers like Hertz and Avis carry cars on their fleet that are about 3-4 months old. Smaller companies can carry cars up to 4 years old.Q. Can baby seats be requested?A. Yes, the majority of car rental companies do carry baby or booster seats and can be requested before collection.

Q. What happens if my rental car breaks down?A. Most car rental companies should include 24 hour roadside assistance in the rental rate. If you do break down, help is only a phone call away.

Q. Can I pick up a rental car in one city and drop it off in another?A. This is known as a one way rental. It depends on the supplier and the country – sometimes a fee will apply. Ask when booking!

Q. Can cars be driven into countries other than the country the vehicle is collected in?A. In most cases, yes but conditions and restrictions do apply. In Europe, there are restrictions about travelling into Eastern Europe and some vehicles cannot be driven in Italy. In the USA, cars cannot be driven into Mexico. Always check at the time of booking.

Q. Are there age restrictions on drivers?A. Yes. Maximum and minimum ages vary depending on suppliers and car type. Additional fees may also apply for younger or older drivers.

Q. Can anyone drive the rental car?A. Additional drivers must be added to the rental contract before collection. There may be a fee for additional drivers.

Q. Can my prepaid rental be extended after the vehicle is collected?A. Yes. In most cases, the renter pays the supplier directly for any extensions. However, this is at the local rate which is often higher than the pre-paid rate.

Q. What do I do if I return the vehicle early?

A. This is possible, however no refund of unused rental days is allowed by the car rental companies.

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Keeping your Car in Tip-top Condition ? (part Two)

admin — Thu, 13 May 2010 05:02:44 +0000

Obviously, anything to do with your brakes is extremely important to your family’s safety. If you are still driving a motor vehicle that is over ten years of age, then it is even more important to be sure that your car is in perfect working order. Cars can last a very long time provided you, as the owner, have a thorough understanding of the maintenance of your type of vehicle. There is no excuse for ignorance and sites like racv.com.au, and OzFreeOnline.com have useful pages of information and news about the care of your car and any vehicle on the road today. When you are next ‘surfing the net’, do yourself a favour and log on, join up and browse all the pages of hints.

Maintaining proper brake fluid levels in your master cylinder reservoir is no exception. You should have your brake fluid checked every time you have your oil changed. During a brake inspection, your mechanic will check your brake fluid levels as well as make sure your shoes. or pads, drums, rotors, wheel bearings, anti-lock brakes (ABS) and emergency brake system are all in good, safe working order. How often does the brake fluid have to be changed? Good question – the recommended change is either every two years, or 24,000 kilometres.

Your professional brake technician should check the condition of the fluid with an accurate ‘fluid test safety metre’, which is inserted into the master cylinder reservoir to record the fluids boiling point. This should be included with brake pad or shoe replacement, and in between, as a preventive measure.

You may ask about the many other fluids, which, must be topped up, as well as changed, and you will find them as you read on. Oil changes are important. Your mechanic is an oil change and lube expert. There are synthetic oils available, to better protect your engine and enhance your car’s performance, not to mention synthetic oil is resistant to heat and viscosity breakdown. You can find information like this, and many other interesting facts when you log on to firstnlastchoice.yodelaustralia.com, where they do brakes, clutches and even air-conditioning. Another fantastic site I have browsed to find used cars for sale, auto classifieds and assistance with anything relating to cars is OzFreeOnline.com. You can even join the forum to find out more from other people on the same wave-length

Recommended oil changes to keep your car running at peak performance, is every 3 months or 3,000 kilometres. One of the most common mistakes you can make with your car is to let things slide when it comes to something as simple as an oil change. Properly scheduled oil changes will help your car last for many years.

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Essential Car Care – Part Two

admin — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 17:04:09 +0000

ESSENTIAL CAR CARE Part TWO
OzFreeOnline.com Classifieds is Australia’s largest free online classifieds and has the most comprehensive selection of used automobiles and cars for sale n Australia and New Zealand. Just visit our free car listingswe have hundreds of great and wise buys in used cars. Should you need finance to buy your ideal car, you can go to the Classifieds of www.ozfreeonline.com and look up the Finance section.
To keep your car looking good and performing well, OzFreeOnline offers you suggestions on checking the Coolant (Antifreeze) level as well as the engine oil level.
COOLANT (ANTIFREEZE) LEVEL
Never open the radiator of a car that has just been running. The cooling system of a car is under high pressure with fluid that is usually hotter than boiling water. Look for the cooling system reserve tank, somewhere near the radiator. It is usually translucent white so you can see the fluid level without opening it. (Do not confuse it with the windshield washer tank). The reserve tank will have two marks on the side of it. ‘FULL HOT’ and ‘FULL COLD.’ If the level frequently goes below ‘full cold’ after adding fluid, you probably have a leak, which should be checked as soon as possible. Today’s engines are much more susceptible to damage from overheating, so do not neglect this important system.
ENGINE OIL LEVEL
An engine cannot run without oil; oil is what prevents serious engine damage or total destruction! To check the oil level, make sure that the engine is turned off, then find the engine oil dipstick and remove it. With a paper towel or rag, wipe off the end of the stick and notice the markings on it. You will usually see a mark for ‘Full’ and another mark for ‘Add.’
Check your owner’s manual to be sure. Push the stick back into the tube until it sets, then immediately pull it out to see the oil level. You should not add oil unless the level is below the ‘Add’ mark and NEVER add oil to bring the level above the ‘Full’ mark. Your main concern with this check is that oil consumption is not rapidly increasing. If it is, take your car to a repair shop as soon as possible and have it checked out. It is acceptable for the oil to be dark as long as you change it at the recommended intervals. However, it should never be foamy and should never have a strong petrol smell. If either of these conditions exists, have it checked out soon.
We will bring you more tips next week. In the meantime remember the best source to buy a used car today is from the OzFreeOnline.com Cars Section. To sell your car, you can use our free car listings We promise: it costs you nothing. www.ozfreeonline.com

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Drag your Car Insurance Premiums Down Part Two

admin — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 22:53:42 +0000

In the previous part of this article we covered some tips that can help you get cheap car insurance such as shopping around and 3rd part only. This second part covers another selection of steps you can take to help bring the premiums down.Pay more towards the excess

Paying more In the event of a collision would mean that your premiums would be lowered. If you are a safe driver and have gone a long time without having an accident then maybe increasing your deductibles to the maximum you can afford is the best option for you. This like the previous point is a bit of a gamble as you are paying less on your insurance but also risking paying more in the event of a claim being made against your car insurance. Lower risk of younger drivers

Young drivers are the ones bearing the brunt of the car insurance crack down. Their premiums are the ones that are sky high and so if you are a younger driver or have a young driver on your policy then getting them to take the Pass Plus course can help bring the premiums down with some participating insurers. Making an older vehicle the main transportation of young drivers can help too. Some insurers in America have a discount called “Good Student Discount”, where students with a grade average of B get a small discount on their car insurance, it isn’t common here in this country but it may be worth asking your insurers when adding the driver, as it may help improve the impression the insurers have of the driver.Enquire about no-claims discounts

One of the more common discounts available is the no claims discount, when renewing or getting new car insurance you should mention that you haven’t had to claim for whatever amount of time you haven’t had to claim for. Normally this is measured in years, and if you haven’t had any discount from your insurers yet then you may be in for a surprise when you renew. Whilst it may not occur to us straight away we may get a discount of 60% for four years without having to claim. In some cases you can protect your no claims bonus for a price, when doing this make sure you weigh up the extra cost against the cost your premiums may rise to if you have an accident.Look after your car

This doesn’t mean getting rid of the empty drinks cans and burger wrappers from the foot well, but rather making your car more secure. Securing your car with a Thatcham certified alarm and immobiliser can reduce your claim as it is less likely to be stolen and can deter thieves from breaking into your car. Keeping your car locked in a garage is another point that insurers will ask about, what a thief can’t see, a thief can’t steal. For the sake of emptying out the garage of junk you can save a considerable amount on your car insurance.

This is just a small list of things you can do to reduce your premium, most of them are things we should do such as shopping around rather than accepting what’s offered by our current insurer come renewal time. If you follow these tips as well as other recommendations form your insurer then there’s every chance that you can slice your insurance premiums in half, potentially even more! Good luck in your quest for cheap car insurance!

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The Big 20: Tips to Help Reduce Car Insurance Quotes Part Two 11-20

admin — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:54:13 +0000

In the previous part of this article I covered ten ways to help reduce your car insurance quotes, despite petrol prices going down our insurance premiums continue to rise to the point of many of us questioning whether having a car is really worth it. Well help is at hand yet again, here are another ten tips and tricks to help bring your car insurance quotes back down to manageable levels.11 – Avoid the soft top at all costs! Soft top cars are an insurance nightmare; they’re easy to break into and tend to be higher performance vehicles. You’re more likely to be hurt in an accident too so medical costs being claimed for are going to do you no favours come renewal time.12 – Get extra qualified for driving by taking a pass plus course or an advanced driving course, by learning how to be safer and being able to drive more confidently in most situations you are proving to your car insurance provider that you can be trusted not to wrap your car round a lamp post.13 – Cut down on who is listed as a named driver on your car, the more people that drive a car the more risk there is and so premiums shoot up. Fewer drivers, especially teenage drivers will typically bring your quotes down assuming you have a clean record yourself.14 – Save money on your breakdown cover by checking your battery, water, oil and petrol levels before a big journey and every few months for your oil as these can be common call out reasons. You’ll typically receive a no call out bonus at the end of the year if you don’t need to call out the AA, RAC or whoever you are with.15 – Consider only insuring 3rd party, fire and theft insurance if your car is old or of low value. Cars under £2000 in value are typically not worth insuring with full comprehensive cover as most repairs will cost more than the cost of the car. 16 – If you are deemed a bad risk from previous convictions or financially then there are some insurers who specialise in insuring people like you! Search them out and ask insurers whether they will cover someone in your circumstance.17 – Some companies will offer No Claims Bonus protection where in certain circumstances you will not have to lose your NCB, typically this helps when someone else is found to be at fault of an accident with your car, considering NCBs are highly sought after it’s no surprise that many people want to keep their record squeaky clean.18 – .Compare multiple providers, by checking with other companies you may be able to find the perfect insurer for you personally. Sometimes playing one insurer off against the other may even help, when you get quoted for a price and another has quoted a better price then mention it and ask if they can beat it, if they won’t then you have still got the other provider so you can’t lose. Again: don’t ask, don’t get.19 – Lower your mileage and you can get some nice discounts, because you’re on the road less then you’re less likely to be involved in an accident. Mileages under 12,000 typically earn 5 to 10 percent discount on car insurance and if you’re in a household with multiple cars and have a mileage of fewer than 5,000 then you’ll get even further cuts.20 – Sometimes going direct to the insurers themselves can be the best option; some insurers do not buy into the whole insurance broker business and their discounts are saved for those who contact them directly, invariably this is only a small amount of insurers that adopt this policy, possibly because they don’t have very competitive prices!So there you go twenty tips to drag your car insurance premiums down, by simply heeding the advice of a few of these tips you’re going to help bring your car insurance quotes down to a more manageable cost.

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Money Saving Auto Insurance Tips – Part Two

admin — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 02:54:37 +0000

There are many ways to save money with your auto insurance and it is worth exploring every option out there. Auto insurance is a good place to look for savings because almost every state requires car owners to carry at least a minimum level of auto insurance for each vehicle they own. Auto insurance is required by law so you should take the time to compare auto insurance rates and find the best possible policy for your car insurance needs.The single best way to save money with auto insurance is to shop around. Compare auto insurance quotes – this advice might sound simple, but it is the simplest way to find the best possible auto insurance rate. Get at least three auto insurance quotes to compare and make certain you are comparing similar policies.Here are five additional tips for saving money with your auto insurance.1. Having a good driving record can save you considerable amounts of money with your auto insurance. Almost all auto insurance providers offer safe driver discounts, and often the longer your driving record remains clean the higher discount offered on your car insurance. In addition you can take defensive driving – as long as it’s not because of a ticket – and receive additional safe driving auto insurance discounts.2. Did you know your credit rating can affect your auto insurance rate? It can be depending on the rules in your state, so work toward maintaining a clean credit rating. Also check with your auto insurance provider to find out just how much your credit score factors into your car insurance rate.3. Bundling your auto insurance with your home insurance or other types of insurance will almost always provide a discount on your entire insurance package. Even if you find auto insurance from a different provider than your home insurance that is less expensive than a bundled package, make sure you look into the extra benefits you may be offered when buying auto insurance and home insurance from the same insurance provider. Very often you will be offered more than a simple discount when buying all your insurance from one provider.4. What is your occupation? Did you know if you are employed in certain occupations, such as engineers, educators or scientists, you may be eligible for an auto insurance discount. Check with your car insurance provider to find out if you quality for an occupational discount.5. If you don’t drive very much, shop around for an insurance provider that offers low-mileage discount programs.

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Questions To Ask When Buying A Used Car – Part 1

admin — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:11:28 +0000

When you are shopping for a second hand vehicle, you will want to carefully pre-screen the cars you are interested in buying before you leave home. If you have a list of questions to ask when buying a used car, you can save a lot of time and energy. The reason for this is that it is much more efficient to call ten people who have a car for sale and ask them the right questions, than it is to drive across town to look at one vehicle for sale.
My first tip to you when interviewing car sellers is as follows. When you call, it’s important to begin by saying, “I’m calling about the car for sale”. If the answer is “Yes”, then ask them to tell you about it. If they have more than one car, they may be hesitant to answer. If they are hesitant, or if the answer is “Which one?”, they may be a private car dealer, also known as a curbside car dealer, or curber.
If they respond with something like “The ‘91 Jetta?”, then you would say, “Do you have more than one car for sale?” If they do, you want to know. Don’t buy a car from a curber! If instead you ask, “Do you have a Silver 1991 Jetta for sale?”, and they have more than one vehicle they are trying to sell, all they have to do is say “Yes”, so make sure to ask your first question right. Maybe they just happen to be selling 2 cars, but it should raise a red flag.
Ask if they are the registered owner. If not, who is? This is important. You want to be dealing with the owner. You should ask them how long they have owned their car. Generally speaking, longer is better. If they haven’t owned it long, they may be selling because it has issues and is giving them grief. If they have owned it a long time, it may be an indicator that they have been happy with its service, or conversely it may indicate that they are masochists!
When buying a used car from someone, it is always worth it to ask why they are selling. Ideally they have bought a brand new car. This often indicates that they are well enough off and have maintained their old car regularly. People who are well off, often got that way by taking care of what is in their care. It’s not always true, but it is often the case.
People will have lots of other reasons for selling, but by asking this question, you can get a better feel for who they are and what they are up to. They may not tell you the truth, but pay attention to the subtle sense you get in their answers. It may help you to get a clear feeling about where they are coming from in trying to sell you their car.

Mike Willis has authored articles published on many automotive websites. You can receive more solid used car buying advice by visiting his website at http://www.carsopia.com

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Questions To Ask When Buying A Used Car – Part 2

admin — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 15:05:27 +0000

Welcome back to part two of my article series. This mini-used car buying guide is a compilation list of my most important questions to ask when buying a used car.
To recap from part one, over the phone we want to make clever inquiry to see if we can establish with some certainty that the seller is not a private car dealer. Then we ask them questions to determine whether how long they have owned the car and if they are the original owner. The final area covered in part 1 was to pay close attention to the sense we get from the seller’s response to our asking about their reasons for selling. If we are satisfied with the outcome of this initial round, it is time to get a bit more specific.
One of my top questions to ask about buying a used car is whether it has a gas or diesel engine. This may not be applicable unless you are looking for a diesel, as the vast majority of cars only come with a gas motor. However, if you are looking for incredible economy and bulletproof reliability, you will want to consider buying a car equipped with a diesel or even better, a turbo diesel engine. VW Jettas and Golfs are and were and still are built with both gas and diesel motors, and those motors last a long, long time!
Ask them how many kilometers or miles are on the car? For a gas engine, anything much over 250,000 km or 150,000 miles is a bit too much, unless the car has been meticulously maintained. In the case of a diesel engine, 300,000 km or 180,000 miles is just getting going. If it has been meticulously maintained, a diesel can go for a million kilometers.
Determine whether your potential future companion has a standard or automatic transmission? Which would you like better? Generally, a standard 5 speed transmission is the best choice, as it is less complex and more fuel efficient. C’mon! Stick is more fun anyway!
Find out it they have service records. If they have no service records, it is a strong indication that the car has not been well maintained. By looking at the service records, you can see the maintenance history, and any repairs. For example, a receipt for a new engine adds value to any car. When the time comes to sell your car, this can be handy evidence to present someone to backup your request for top dollar.
No list of tips on buying a second hand car can be complete if it doesn’t include being sure that you ask the seller if it has ever been in an accident. If their answer is yes, ask them if it was a write off. If yes, move on. There are lots of other cars to choose from. If their answer is no, find out how long ago the accident was, and what area of the car sustained damage? You will want to look carefully at these areas when you go to see the car.
If the damage is recent, it may be difficult to tell how well the repairs will hold up. If it was a long time ago and it still looks okay, that can be a good sign. If the doors were affected, there is a good chance that they don’t close perfectly anymore, and may make whistling sounds at highway speed. Very annoying on long journeys!
Okay, we are getting some good information from our seller! That’s it for part 2. Stay tuned for part 3 where I will dive into the nitty-gritty of how to narrow down your search for the perfect used car.

Mike Willis writes articles on the subject of smarter used car buying. Visit his cars blog and check out the acclaimed Car Buying Tutorial for solid tips on buying a second hand car.

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