Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) and Association of Latvian Car Rentals (LANA) recommendations for successful short-term car rental in Latvia and abroad
Before reserving a car!
LANA
Pay attention to car rental requirements regarding age limitations and driver’s length of driving experience. Mostly, cars are leased to persons of at least 21 years of age and having at least 1 year of driver’s experience, whereas the most expensive cars – only from the age of 25. Also, make sure your driver’s licence and credit card are still valid. If you only have a debit card, then the car rental may refuses to service you. Upon planning the budget of your trip, you must take into account that, in addition to the rental fee, funds equal to the amount of insurance deductibles will be reserved on your credit card.
E-CAR
Throughout cooperation with insurance companies E-CAR follow their guidelines, in accordance to which the E-CAR rental cars may only be used by persons who are at least 21 years old and have a valid driver’s licence that has been issued at least 2 years prior to the respective E-CAR rental car reservation. Taking into account the general practice in the car rental services segment, upon signing the car rental agreement and upon handing over the car to the renter, E-CAR will reserve a security charge in the amount from 150.00 to 300.00 EUR, depending on the class and model of the car being rented. This sum is smaller than the standard renter insurance deductibles amount which is 430.00 EUR.
What car will I receive?
LANA
Upon selecting and reserving a car based only on its photo placed online, you have to take into account that car rentals guarantee you a car of the appropriate class instead of a car of specific make and model. If the reserved car class is no longer available, the car rental has to offer you a higher class car for the price previously agreed upon. Specific model car you will only receive if it has been specified in the car rental offer, usually – for a higher price.
E-CAR
E-CAR car fleet currently only has TOYOTA make cars. E-CAR customer service policy provides for the possibility, as far as possible, for the customer to receive the car of the class he/she initially selected, without applying a higher rental fee for the said selection. If the car model selected by the customer is unavailable on the lease day (for example, due to a traffic accident or unscheduled repairs), E-CAR shall offer a car of an equivalent class for the same price or apply a car rental service discount.
What does the rental fee include?
LANA
Upon making a car rental reservation, pay attention to what is included in the car rental fee – what is the permitted mileage of the car; whether or not it has all of the required equipment and services (winter tyres, child seat, additional driver etc.), and – are there any hidden costs?
E-CAR
E-CAR car reservation window shows all services included in the car rental fee, as well as additional services that can be selected in the reservation window. E-CAR car reservation system precisely calculates the total costs for all rental period (with an exception of the car mileage – it can only be recorded at the end of the car rental period).
Get acquainted with the agreement terms?
LANA
Before signing the agreement, make sure you have a full understanding of the contents of the agreement. Thoroughly familiarize yourself online with the car rental provisions of the respective country in which you plan to rent the car. If you want to return the car at a different rental location, additional fee shall be applied for such service.
E-CAR
E-CAR car rental agreement includes responsibility and security guarantee provisions, general and those approbated in the European Union car rental market. Upon making the initial reservation within the E-CAR system, the customer is offered a selection of 3 toll-free car pickup/return locations in the city of Riga.
Perform a visual inspection of the car!
LANA
Before you start using the car, make sure that acceptance-transfer certificates are drafted upon receiving and returning the car, which are signed by both parties and are an integral part of the agreement. Make sure these certificates have all the existing damages and scratches of the car marked in them. Keep in mind that you have the right to make marks of the technical condition of the car in the acceptance-transfer certificate.
E-CAR
Upon signing an agreement on renting an E-CAR rental car, an acceptance-transfer certificate is drafted up, in which the defects of the car body (if such exist) are marked. The visual condition of the car is evaluated both upon its handing over for use, and upon its return. The customer has the right and is obliged to make marks in the acceptance-transfer certificate if they are justified, as well as to make photos of the damages of the car.
Make sure you have insurance!
LANA
Make sure the car rental fee includes insurance against damages, theft etc. Make sure that the included insurance deductibles amount meets your needs, and find out what are the exceptional cases the causes losses of which are not covered by the insurer. For an additional fee the insurance deductibles amount can be decreased. In some countries that have poor car parking culture, we recommend selecting insurance without deduction.
E-CAR
E-CAR car rental fee includes insurance against damages, theft and other standard insurance risks. The included insurance liability deductibles for all E-CAR rental cars is 430.00 EUR, with a possibility of decreasing it to 0% by making an appropriate selection with a payment in the E-CAR reservation system. The car lessee is fully responsible for allowed theft, scam or appropriation, thus violating the insurance terms, as well as for damages caused to the car that have been caused in the result of conscious actions or unconscious negligence actions of the car lessee that are not covered by or the CASCO insurance company refuses to cover.
What fuel to use!
LANA
Make sure you know what type of fuel to use, as well as other regulations regarding the fuel. Mostly, car rentals ensure a car with a full fuel tank and prescribe that the car must be returned with a full fuel tank; otherwise an additional fee is applied.
E-CAR
All E-CAR rental cars are equipped with petrol engines only, using grade 95 petrol. The cars are handed over and returned with a full fuel tank (and making a mark of this fact in the acceptance-transfer certificate). In order to reduce customer inconvenience and possible additional costs, including returning the car with a full fuel tank, E-CAR offer the possibility to pick up and/or return the car in 3 toll-free pickup/return locations in the city of Riga (Neste gas stations).
If you are going abroad…
LANA
If your travel plans include beyond the borders of the country where the car was rented, inform the car rental of it because some car groups may be prohibited from going to specific countries. When leaving the European Union, additional documentation is necessary.
E-CAR
E-CAR cars are not for use outside the territories of the member countries of the European Union and European Economic Zone. Upon making a reservation, make a mark in the E-CAR online system that you will be leaving the Baltic States; also, in the rental agreement you will have to specify the exact countries you are planning to go to. It is an additional service with a fixed price – 70 EUR for the entire rental period.
Returning the car – devote time to it!
LANA
Plan a sufficient time for returning the car, especially if you are going to return it at one of the busiest airports. We recommend returning the car during the car rental working hours, and you will receive an acknowledgement from an employee of the car rental stating that no additional damages have been caused to the car during your use of the car. Thus you will be able to avoid a situation when you are requested an additional fee for car damages you have not caused.
E-CAR
We recommend to pick up and return the car on weekdays during E-CAR working hours from 8:00 – 18:00, as well as on Saturdays and Sundays from 9:00 – 15:00. We are closed on public holidays. Rental cars can be picked up or returned also outside the working ours, for an additional fee. After visual inspection of the rental car, a representative of E-CAR and the customer will make a mark in the both copies of the acceptance-transfer certificate on the condition of the car.
Additional fee. What for?
LANA
If you have received an invoice in which an additional fee is charged, for example, for damages or missing fuel, check whether the invoice is accompanied by additional documentation certifying the need to make additional payment. If you have received a fine for violating road traffic rules, but have not paid it, the car rental has the right to add the amount of such fine to the car rental services fee. Most car rentals will also charge additionally for administrative expenses.
E-CAR
Because we respect the interests of our customers, E-CAR never charges additionally once the rental car has been returned with an acceptance-transfer certificate. Of course, car lessee’s fines for violating road traffic rules (for example, exceeding the permitted speed limit) received by E-CAR is an exception. If fines are not already paid, or if the customer avoids the fine payment, E-CAR will pay hem and charge the customer for fine payment and for administrative costs (40.00 EUR).
Cash reservation dispute?
LANA
How should a consumer act in case the car rental service provider has unjustifiably (or the justification is under dispute) reserved amounts of money of the credit card? This issue should be addressed and is very topical, especially when using car rental services outside Latvia.
E-CAR
Having high regard for own reputation E-CAR never makes unjustified reservations of money. E-CAR invites to resolve any dispute situations with the mediation of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (PTAC) of the Republic of Latvia.
