Many travelers, when planning a U.S. driving trip or business trip, often look for various "cheap car rental" or "discounted car rental" options on the Internet in order to save money, such as comparing prices on travel platforms such as KLOOK, rentalcars.com, or kkday, which at first glance appear to be very cost-effective and seemingly much cheaper than going directly to the websites of large car rental companies. However, while attracting attention with the price or discounts, travelers may not notice that there are many hidden risks behind these ultra-low car rental prices, resulting in the actual cost being higher than imagined, and even causing the travel experience to be greatly diminished.
In this article, we have compiled seven risks that travelers are likely to encounter but may overlook when booking cheap car rentals in the United States on the Internet, and at the end of the article, we share Sky Horse's high-quality service, which will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the planning of your trip, and also give you more peace of mind before you leave home.
Risks of Cheap Car Rental 1｜ Poorly rated car rental companies, unknown car dealers
When purchasing a car rental plan on the internet, you may be tempted to buy a car rental plan because some of the prices seem to be very favorable, so you may have the mindset of "It's okay if the reviews are bad, right? However, if you only look at the price, you may not realize that the car rental company is not as good as you think. However, if you only look at the price and ignore the quality of the rental company, you may end up with a lot of unforeseen and difficult situations when you pick up the car on site, such as the car being in bad condition, dirty, poor service, billing disputes, or even worse, having no car to rent, or being forced to move up, and so on.
These reviews are the most honest customer feedback, and people don't usually take the time to leave a strong negative review if they don't have too many problems, so negative reviews are mostly traceable. If you find a particularly cheap option on a car rental platform, it's usually from a small, obscure dealership with less than three star ratings. Although it may seem cheap at the time of booking, if something happens in the U.S., not only will your travel mood and itinerary be significantly affected, but you may also use the money you saved initially to make up for other expenses.
It is highly recommended that in addition to reviews on third-party car rental platforms, you should also check online reviews of lesser-known car dealerships, such as from Google Maps, Reddit, or Facebook communities.
Risks of Cheap Car Rental2｜No insurance, extra charge at counter
Some car rental programs show a very cheap price, but when you arrive at the scene, you realize that "insurance" is not included and you need to pay a high additional fee, and in the United States, you will be asked to add the basic insurance. For example, on the KLOOK website, the rental car will show "insurance not included", but it does not tell you how much the actual insurance premium is, or what kind of insurance you need to take out. On rentalcars.com, the page where you book the car does not show anything at all, and you need to click into the "Important Information" section to get the details in English, but I believe that a lot of people are still confused after reading this!
Before renting a car, it is recommended to read our compilation.U.S. Rental Car Insurance ArticlesIf you choose to rent a car on the platform you can at least slightly understand the definitions of insurance terms and acronyms.
If you rent a car on a cheap car rental website, you may be informed of additional fees or handling charges at the check-in counter for young drivers, adding a second driver, etc. Some rental companies even subtly indicate a "Winter Service Fee" in the notes. Some car rental companies even subtly indicate that they will charge a "Winter Service Fee" at the check-in counter, which makes you feel helpless and like you're being scammed, but at the same time, you feel like you have no choice but to pay!
Risks of Cheap Car Rental 3｜Uncertainty of the car model and car type
Most cheap car rental programs guarantee a "class of car", but there is no way to know what model you will actually get. When driving in the US, if you have a specific need for a car model, such as needing more luggage space, preferring a certain brand of car, etc., it is very difficult to fulfill your wishes on these platforms. It is possible that there are not enough cars to choose from, or if the dealership is poorly managed, there are no cars even in the same class, so you are forced to accept an alternative small car, or forced to upgrade to a higher class of vehicle at the counter.
When encountering these situations on the spot, whether it is your wallet, mood, or booking a trip, you may be greatly affected by the accident, and even consume a lot of time and energy.
Cheap Car Rental Risk 4｜Not able to modify or cancel the order
When traveling, unexpected situations may occur, such as flight delays or cancellations, traffic conditions on the road, etc. Most low-cost car rental plans will tell you that "no refunds are accepted" when you make a reservation, or that no refunds or changes can be made after a certain point in time. If there is a change in the itinerary before departure, or if you need to cancel the order, you may have to bear the full cost, which is a huge risk. Sometimes, if there is a change in the trip and you need to extend or shorten the rental period or modify the time, there is no flexibility to adjust the rental period, which will cause inconvenience to you during the trip.
Risks of Cheap Car Rental 5｜No one to talk to in case of a situation
When driving in the U.S., if you happen to be involved in an emergency or accident, such as a serious vehicle breakdown, a moving violation, a car accident, or an accident such as the recent one, you may have to pay a visit to the U.S. to find out what happened.Los Angeles WildfiresThe most common problems are natural disasters, such as roadside problems, tolls, parking fees, and billing details. When choosing a small or poor quality rental car company, in the sparsely populated U.S. and with high labor costs, these companies often fail to provide a clear and reliable support channel, and travelers often have to deal with road problems on their own, or sacrifice a lot of travel time waiting for help, and sometimes even customer service is not available, so travelers have to struggle to solve the problem on their own.
This is not only time-consuming, but it can also cause communication problems due to language barriers or incomplete customer service information. In addition, many car rental companies do not provide 24-hour support, which can leave travelers at a loss during the night or on a holiday, making the trip unnecessarily confusing and unsettling.
Cheap Rental Car Risk 6｜Extra markup items (e.g. tolls, snow tires, child seats, etc.)
In addition to rental fees and insurance, driving in the U.S. may require additional equipment in the local area, such as snow tires, snow chains to go up the mountain, the rental of toll collection machines have to pay an additional fee, the rental of GPS for a number of days of extra billing, as well as children forced to ride in the child seat is also required to pay an additional price. The cheap car rental prices shown on the Internet only show the "cost of renting the vehicle", excluding other items, and the platform does not necessarily know how much it costs, often when the car rental company only adds a line when you come to pick up the car at the counter, and these costs may also be subject to taxes in different states ranging from 6% to 12%, so consumers have no choice but to accept the high costs on the spot. The consumer has no other choice but to accept the high fees at the scene.
Cheap Car Rental Risk 7｜Difficult to reach the pick-up point and complicated procedure.
Some super cheap car rental companies or pick-up locations are so far away from the airport or city center that you need to take your own car to get there, and you may not even be able to find a clear way to get there. Some car rental platforms will show the advantage of "very easy to find car rental counters" on the rental page, but do not give special reminders or emphasis to those that are hard to find. It is difficult for foreign travelers to know where the actual rental counter is located. For example, at LAX, most car rental pickup locations are accessible by the car rental company's buses, so travelers need to carry large bags, find the transfer building, and wait for the car rental company's shuttle bus before arriving at the pickup location.
Even after arriving, there is a long queue of people who have to communicate or fill in all the complicated procedures in English. Car rental comparison platforms remind travelers of the need to double-check the terms and conditions of the rental when they pick up the car at the counter. It's a waste of time and energy to read through a dense and anxiety-inducing English contract at the beginning of a trip, and it also affects the overall mood of the trip.
Extended Reading:Things to note when renting a car at the airport
Who is a good candidate for cheap car rental?
Even so, the option of cheap car rentals in the US has its advantages, so if you have the following qualifications, you can still try to look at comparison platforms to find a cheap car rental:
- Fluent communication in English, good reading comprehension skills
- Familiar with U.S. driving and rental car procedures and habits
- Have a U.S. credit card with car rental insurance
- Plenty of travel time and adjustability
- Don't care much about the model or condition of the car
If such a traveler has more time and the ability to cope with unexpected situations, then renting a car at a cheap price will help to solve the above risks.
If you don't want your trip to be a surprise, choose Sky Horse for peace of mind!
The seven risks mentioned above often come from "lack of transparency" and "lack of service quality". In contrast, Sky Horse understands the difficulties foreign travelers face when renting a car in the U.S., and provides a more transparent, secure, professional and convenient car rental experience and service:
- No hidden fees
Sky Horse has clearly labeled all the fees. Insurance coverage and price increases are clearly indicated on the website, so that you can have a complete understanding of your budget at the booking stage, and avoid being asked to pay extra fees at the check-in counter or after you return home. - Real-time Chinese language support
Not AI, not canned messages, full Chinese language service provided by specialists, any questions during the trip can be answered through the LINE Contact us directly for status and assistance, whether it's modifying an order, asking for directions, or even a temporary vehicle situation, you can get support right away without the hassle of language barriers or jet lag. - Free Order Modification and Cancellation
More flexibility in travel planning! Travelers who encounter unforeseen circumstances can simply use the LINE By contacting us, you can modify or cancel your order to minimize the losses caused by unexpected situations. - Pick up your car outside the terminal building and save yourself the hassle.
Instead of taking a shuttle bus and dragging your luggage to a remote location to pick up the car, Sky Horse will drive the car directly to the terminal building and pick up the car directly after the passengers have collected their luggage, which is a simplified and easy procedure, and saves the cost of round-trip transportation and time. - Stable model and condition
All Sky Horse vehicles are regularly maintained and kept in optimum condition, with advance notice of the class of vehicle booked, and space to accommodate the number of travelers and their luggage, enhancing the overall quality of the trip. - Real 5-star reviews from travelers
Many travelers who have experienced Sky Horse rentals as well as theCelebrities and KOLs leave 5-star reviewsWe are also publicly recognized for the quality of our services in online social clubs and personal communities, where the most genuine feedback and communication stories can be found by searching for keywords.
When looking for car rental options in the U.S. on the Internet, although platforms such as KLOOK, rentalcars.com, and kkday can provide a reference for price comparison, "price" is only part of the car rental consideration, and more important is the quality of service and integrity. If you step on a hidden landmine or take a huge risk because you want to save a little bit of money, you will have to deal with disputes throughout the trip, or your travel mood will be dampened because of unanticipated costs. By choosing a reputable and guaranteed car rental service like Sky Horse, not only can you avoid the seven risks mentioned above, but you can also feel the professional and warm care during the whole trip. Whether you're traveling on one of California's most beautiful highways, national parks, or on aLos AngelesSky Horse allows you to enjoy the freedom and fun of America's road trips, business trips, and school trips without the hassle of traveling to and from major cities like San Francisco.
🎉 2025 Spring and Winter Vacation Car Rental Rebate [ sh2025 ] Offer Countdown is on!🎉
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