Car Rental
A car rental agency or a rent-a-car ( car
hire in British English ) is a company that rents automobiles
for short periods of time (ranging from a few hours to a few
weeks) for a fee . It is an elaborate form of a rental shop ,
organized in numerous local branches , primarily located near
airports or busy city areas. The internet is changing the car
rental industry with companies that are now called online car
rental companies.
Car rental agencies primarily serve people who
have a car that is temporarily out of reach or out of service,
for example travellers who are out of town or owners of
damaged or destroyed vehicles who are awaiting repair or
insurance compensation. Because of the variety of sizes of
their vehicles, car rental agencies may also serve the self-
moving industry needs, by renting vans or trucks .
Car rentals are subject to many conditions which
vary from one brand to another. The vehicle must be returned
in a good condition and must not exceed a maximum driven
distance, otherwise extra fees may be incurred. Additionally,
some companies set up a minimum age for the vehicle driver,
which in some cases is as high as 25, even in countries where
the minimum legal age to hold a driver's license is much
lower. Recent conditions have utilised GPS technology to limit
maximum speeds or driving to specific regions. [ citation
needed ] The vast majority of car rental companies require the
use of a Credit card , not because they dislike cash but to
make it easier for them to trace a person after they have
stolen a car, or to charge additional fees at will if a defect
is later found with the car.