Posts Tagged ‘automotive’

Car Rental Company Rules In The Use Of Credit Cards

September 22nd, 2011

If you are renting a car, you must be ready to produce your major credit card because car rental companies will not accept just any other forms of card or manner of payment. Yours would not be an isolated case because this rule applies to all car rental transactions as demanded by the car rental firms.

Asking for your credit card information is purely routine, what is not is the request for a credit card authorization and advance charge approval as security in the event of partial loss or damage to the car while it is on lease. The credit card therefore serves as a security deposit to cover expenses due to loss or damage.

It goes without saying that nothing will be charged against your credit card if the car is returned in the same condition when first taken. It will be a different matter if the car suffer some loss or damage, in which case the cost of the loss or damage will be charged to your credit card pursuant to the agreed terms of the rental.

The credit card authorization is a conditional term so there are no actual charges against your credit card at the time of the rental agreement.

The purpose of the advance charge approval is to protect the interest of the car rental company and cover any expenses that will be incurred in case the car suffer loss or damage due to causes that will be attributable to the lessee.

Talking of cards, there are a lot of differences among plastics. In the car rental business, a credit card gets priority over the check card or the debit card. Many car rental companies will not accept check cards or debit cards for rental car security deposits. Rental companies cannot process advance charge approvals against debit or check cards, and so do not accept such cards for security deposit payments.

Your conformity to charge your account for the cost of any loss or damage to the car while in your possession will be one of the conditions that will be imposed by the car rental company under the rental agreement. Your credit card therefore should be able to accommodate the required amount needed to satisfy the security deposit against loss or damage to the car.

Another thing that you must note is that the car rental company will be particular with your credit card. The ability to produce a major credit card is not enough. The credit card must be issued to you. This is necessary because the cardholder will be listed as the renter who will sign the rental document in person and the same person will have to receive and acknowledge receipt of the rented car. The person who will rent the car is therefore not allowed to use a credit card belonging to another person.

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Your Choice Of Used Car Should Match Your Lifestyle

September 17th, 2011

Your lifestyle at the moment would be the number one factor in shopping for a used car. For example, if you live in an area that is prone to harsh winters with a lot of snow, a 4-wheel-drive will likely be a good choice. But then again, a 4WD would use up more petrol than your average compact. This is why your best option, should you be concerned about the petrol used up by your automobile, would be to buy a compact car or any other similar vehicle.

The next thing you would want to figure in when buying a used car is how auto insurance can come into play. The insurance premiums for an SUV are definitely going to be higher, when compared to a compact automobile. The same is true of a sports car, which will likely garner an increased cost of insurance.

The next thing to consider is the style of the used car. Parents would be best advised to buy a station wagon, van or SUV, as these vehicles can fit a large amount of people inside while still leaving enough free storage. Single motorists can opt for smaller automobiles – they’re easy on the petrol consumption and do what is “asked of them”, which is serve as a simple mode of transport.

Mileage is another consideration – not to be confused with fuel economy, we are referring to the number of miles on the used car’s odometer. Then we have miscellaneous considerations, such as transmission – automatic or manual? Two-door or four-door? Would your vehicle serve you better with two or four doors? This is an option that most people don’t really think about right away, but it is an important one nonetheless. One of the advantages of a four-door used car would be the ease of exit and entry, and the ease of loading and unloading items in the boot, such as groceries or heavy equipment.

Cloth or leather – let us now discuss the used car options for the interior of the automobile. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so which one piques your interest the most? Consider that a cloth interior is extremely prone to getting stained, and leather is a simple and convenient choice for cleaning up spills. But on the other hand, cloth interiors provide the utmost of comfort when the weather hits 32 degrees and up, while leather interior can make you go “OUCH!” when you touch it in the summer months. Read up on maintenance requirements as both cloth and leather have their own.

When searching for the perfect used car to fit your lifestyle, carefully consider the cost before deciding to purchase. Monthly payments can be high even on a used car, so think about the budget and what you can afford prior to signing on the dotted line.

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Research And You Just Might Get A Vehicle At The End Of Your Lease?

August 25th, 2011

You’ve come to the end of your lease and you like you car enough you want to keep it in the driveway. Yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as keeping your car once the lease is up, but don’t do anything without doing your homework first!

First, you need to know the cost of buying out your lease. Check for the purchase option price and go through every minute detail of your contract – you have to be very anal here. Simply add up the residual value of your car to the purchase-option fee dictated by the dealer (this usually costs a few hundred smackeroos) and you get the above price. Think back to the time you put your John Hancock to paper and started the lease – your monthly payments would have been the difference between a) the sticker price at the start of the lease and b) the vehicle’s estimated value at the lease’s expiration plus c) a monthly financing fee.

This estimated price of the car value at the end of the lease is what is termed in leasing jargon “residual value”. It is the expected depreciation – or loss in value – of the vehicle over the scheduled-lease period. For example, a car with a sticker price of $40,000 and a 50% residual percentage will have an estimated $20,000 value at lease end.

So all right, you now know how much it would cost to buy out your lease, so your next mission, should you decide to accept it, is to find out how much is the actual, or market value of the vehicle. So, how much does your car retail for in the market? Ah, it’s time to call on that good friend of ours, Professor Research, to help you with getting a ballpark figure. Crunch them numbers and size up your car, seeing how it stacks up against other vehicles that have similar stats in terms of mileage and similar condition. Go surf the ‘net and check out sites like Edmunds.com, Cars.com and Kelly Blue Book for the most reliable and detailed pricing statistics.

Culling information from as many sources as you could would certainly help you get a retail value that can be considered realistic. All you have to do now is compare the two amounts. If you get a low residual value as opposed to a high retail value, then you’re going great guns – give yourself a pat on the back! But in most cases, the chances of getting a high price for a car once the lease expires are quite formidable. Don’t despair though. Why so, because leasing firms are well-informed about the fact that residual values will be, in most, if not all cases, greater than the market value, and will always be looking for a good offer. It’s easy to bargain for a lower price on your leased car – be Mr. Suave, or Ms. Suave, and come up with a negotiation strategy that you know would work. Put forward a price that is below your actual target and negotiate hard until you wind up near that figure.

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Calculating Your Lease Payment

August 13th, 2011

Understanding how to calculate your monthly lease payment makes it easier for you to make an informed decision. Yet, most of us shy away from the “complicated” math on our lease contract, leaving it up to the dealer to do the payment formula.

The truth is, it’s not that difficult. Once you understand all the figures involved in calculating your monthly payments, everything else falls into place. Here are the key figures:

MSRP or the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: This refers to the list price of the vehicle or the window sticker price.

What is the Money Factor? This is the factor that determines the interest rate on your list. Before you enter into a lease, you need to insist that your dealer discloses this rate.

What is a Lease Term? The number of months the dealer rents the vehicle.

The Residual Value: At the end of the lease, the value of the vehicle is called the residual value. Again, you can get this figure from the dealer.

Now we have to calculate a sample lease payment that is based on a vehicle that has a money factor of 0.0034 (this is usually quoted as 3.4%) and an MSRP or sticker price value of $25,000. The scheduled lease is over 3 years and the estimated residual percentage is 55%.

First, you would need to calculate the residual value of the car. What you do is multiply the MSRP by the residual percentage:

For example: $25,000 X .55 = $13 750.

The car will be worth $13,750 at the end of the lease, so you’ll be using:

Formula: $20,000 – $13,750 = $11,250

The amount of $11,250 will be used over a 36 month lease period so you will have a monthly payment of:

Your monthly payment: $11,250 / 36 = $312.50.

The monthly depreciation payment is what the first part of the monthly payment is called.

Factoring the interest charge is the second part of the monthly payment and it’s called the money factor payment. By adding the MSRP figure to the residual value and multiplying this by the money factor, you will be able to calculate this:

For instance: ($25,000 + $13,750) * 0.0034 = $131.75

We finally get the approximate monthly payment when we add the two figures together:

For instance: $312.50 + $131.75 = $444.25

Your monthly payments for the 36 months of the lease will be around $444.25

Keep in mind that this is a simplified calculation that does not take into account taxes, fees, rebates or any other incentives. The calculation gives you a ballpark figure or a rough idea of what your lease payments for the vehicle in question should be.

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Why van leasing offers financial great benefits

July 11th, 2011

There are an increasing number of reasons why people choose to lease a vehicle today. While vehicle leasing has always been popular, these reasons are why a growing number of individuals and companies have begun to lease their vehicles, in particular their vans, more than ever before.

There are several reasons why van leasing has become popular; the first is that you are not required to undertake any maintenance costs. Also, leasing is considered to be the more financially feasible option, as leasing doesn’t require additional expenditure, for example taxing, insurance and maintenance are included in the monthly leasing costs.

Van leasing is often the best option for a number of people compared to purchasing a van, nevertheless, if you are still a little unsure about whether leasing a van will be more beneficial to you, there are a number of positive aspects to van leasing. Firstly, the financial benefits of van leasing helps you to avoid depreciation costs. Vehicles, in particular vans have depreciated more in recent years than ever before, van leasing guarantees that you do not own the van therefore you will not be the one who is shocked at the depreciation cost.

The low monthly payments are another financial benefit to van leasing, which in turn are dramatically lower than owning a van. The low monthly payments also allows you to lease a more expensive make and model, you would not have been able to afford otherwise.

Another great financial aspect of van leasing is that it doesn’t require you to provide a large deposit. Often van leasing only requires a small deposit, which usually amounts to 3 monthly payments. This small financial deposit ensures that you can begin using your van instantly. Also, the low, fixed monthly price and no unexpected additional costs is another positive aspect of van leasing, which allows you to accurately budget your finances throughout the year. Many businesses, both small and large, would also benefit financially from van leasing. In fact, it is often the most financially viable option for a number of companies.

Another benefit of van leasing is that it is more convenient. A large number of leasing companies include additional costs within the fixed monthly payments as well as organise the various different aspects of using their van. For example, the cost of road tax is often included within the monthly payments, while most leasing companies will also organise the paperwork and replacement of your current road tax, sending the tax disc to you via the post. This aspect of van leasing is extremely helpful, especially to companies who possess a fleet of vans. Additionally using a van leasing company is that you can upgrade to a newer model at the end of your lease. The benefit of this is that you aren’t required to advertise and sell your current van in order to purchase the latest model, making it the most convenient option available to van drivers.

A large number of leasing companies also offer a manufacturers warranty on the van, so if any faults occur to your van you can simply use the manufacturer’s dealership for any repairs. Additionally, a number of leasing companies also offer a maintenance package; these maintenance packages are often included in the monthly payments and include routine servicing and tyre replacement as well as many other regular maintenance services. These maintenance packages guarantee that you don’t face any daunting service or repair bills.

A number of van leasing companies offer cheap vans as well as reliable, well known van makes and models. The most renowned manufacturer who offers a fantastic array of vans is Volkswagen. Many van drivers consider VW vans as one of the most reliable makes available today. Their extensive range includes the VW Caddy, which was awarded the Best Small Van at the 2008 Fleet News Awards. The VW Caddy is one of the most economical vans on the road today, whilst also offering a generous amount of storage space. With a variety of makes and models available for lease as well as an array of benefits, it is easy to understand why an increasing number of businesses and individuals choose to lease rather purchase their vans.

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How to Choose the Best Car Rental

January 6th, 2011

Among the factors to consider when renting a car are your budget, the type of car you want, and convenience. Taking the time to do a little research can get you a better deal on a rental car. If you know where to look, you can even find discounts. The following tips will help you save money on your next car rental.

You want to insured when driving a rental car, same as when you drive your own. Many car rental places will sell you insurance to cover the rental. Rental may be covered by your insurance already, however. But you need to check if there are any exceptions to what your insurance will and won’t cover. If your insurance provides sufficient coverage, than you can save by not purchasing additional insurance.

When renting a car, your best strategy to save money is to plan ahead. Go online and search for the area where you need to rent a car and look at several offers. If you have questions about the terms, call the company before giving them any money. you will get a better deal if you reserve a car at least a week in advance. Not only do you usually have to pay more if you wait until the last minute but there is also the possibility that there won’t be a car available. Comparing prices and terms of the different rental companies online makes it easier to find the right car.

In some cases, the car rental company will offer you an inexpensive or even free upgrade, giving you a larger car for the price of an economy model. Remember, however, that you will still be responsible for fuel costs, so it might not be worth it. You don’t need a large vehicle even if traveling with the family, you only need one that is comfortable for everyone.

Most of these tips we’ve discussed have been ways to save money on car rentals but sometimes you want to treat yourself and drive the car of your dreams. With a little research, you may notice that this isn’t as expensive as it sounds. Some car rental agencies offer a variety of specialty and luxury models. The extra expense of a luxury car may be worth it for a special vacation. Some people also like to rent a certain type of car they are thinking of buying to see how it feels.

The car rental suggestions covered above can help to make your travels hassle free.

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Leasing used cars explained

December 30th, 2010

Leasing a used vehicle can be an attractive deal in many ways, no least getting you into that luxury model or SUV, for lower monthly payments than a brand new one. Be prepared, however, to do some more homework to dissect a good deal.

As with new car-leasing, your price research should pinpoint the key figures which are the initial market price and the estimated residual worth of the car or truck. This is harder to calculate since there is no factory-set car or truck on used cars, and also the residual percentage is extremely much pegged to some subjective current retail value. Use different sources to obtain a rough concept of the value from the used car: the local dealerships, internet car-evaluating tools, for example edmunds.com and Cars.com, to mention but a few.

A way to pin down an excellent estimate is always to compare the lease on your own given car with a lease over a new-car with the same model and make. This should offer you a better picture with the difference between leasing new all night for used. Exactly like leasing a fresh car, used motor car leasing is a lot more attractive when residual values depreciate the smallest amount of. You stand an improved chance of locating a bargain inside the high-end, luxury vehicles that keep their values better as used cars.

Next, you have to check the initial mileage and also the overall vehicle condition. The most mileage on the used car should not be a more than 12,000 miles annually. A 3-years old car with 50,000 miles about the clock is extremely unlikely to create a good used-vehicle lease.

Check for signs of excessive use, like worn seat fabric, worn pedal pads and dirty engine, which might indicate that the odometer has been rolled back. If the car is not certified, you need to get it thoroughly inspected. Ask your dealer for a manufacturer-sponsored certification program or have your car certified by a qualified mechanic or inspection service.

Most used-car deals don’t include gap coverage. This can be a special kind of coverage, normally offered on the new auto-lease, to pay for the consumer when the leased vehicle is lost, stolen or damaged. Typically, auto-insurance policies only cover what your vehicle is worth during the time of loss, not that which you still owe about the lease. The main difference could encounter thousands of dollars. For satisfaction, do not enter any used-car lease without gap-coverage. Arrange it separately with either the lease dealer or your auto-insurance company.

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The remainder price of leasing

December 28th, 2010

If you are in the market to lease a vehicle, you will hear the term residual value recur like a leitmotif. A residual value does not only affect your monthly payments, but is equally used by leasing companies to determine any penalties should you break your lease early and how much to pay if you decided to buy the vehicle at the end of your lease.

Let’s first start by exploring the meaning of residual value. The word residual value, refers to the worth of something once it has been used for a while. In leasing lingo, it refers back to the depreciation from the vehicle’s value within the life of its lease. Just how does it exactly affect your monthly obligations? When you lease an automobile, you pay for that car’s value that you employ over the lease length.

Suppose you leased an $18,000 car for 2 years: the leasing company needs to estimate the value of this car in two years time in order to know how much of the car you will be using during your lease term. That’s where the residual value comes into the equation. If the residual value is estimated to be $13,000 at the end of your lease, then your monthly payments will be calculated on the $5,000 you will use over 24 months, giving an average monthly payment of $208.3 (plus interest, tax and fees).

How about in the event the car is predicted to lose half its value on the same period? Within this scenario, you will end up using $9,000 on the same period, bringing you a higher payment per month of $375 (plus interest, tax and charges).

As you can see, residual values really are a key factor in determining how much cash to pay in your lease and also the higher the rest of the value, the low your fees each month. This works backwards if you develop a bond together with your car and choose to purchase it at the conclusion of your lease. If we stay with the same example above, the low monthly payments within the second scenario come at the expense of paying substantially more to purchase your car at the conclusion of the lease.

So, since the residual value is so important, how do I know which one is best for me? Well, it all depends whether you want to purchase the car at the end of your lease. If you don’t want to make a large down payment and you want low monthly payments, then a car that holds with a higher residual value is a good deal. If you are thinking of purchasing the car at lease-end, then you need to balance low-monthly payments with a moderate residual value.

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Leasing Guide

December 22nd, 2010

To get a good leasing deal, you must know leasing jargon. Go through this leasing glossary to obtain an overview of the fundamentals:

Acquisition fee: A fee charged by way of a leasing company to begin with a lease. Its not all leasing companies charge an acquisition fee however , if charge it starts at about $300 and is also seldom negotiable.

Capitalized cost: The whole selling price with the leased vehicle And also this accounts for taxes, title, license fees, acquisition fee and any optional insurance and warranty stuff you elect to fold in to the lease and pay overtime rather than upfront.

Depreciation fee: Forms the main monthly lease payment charge and makes up about the loss within the value of the vehicle at the end from the lease. The vehicle’s list price without the expected residual value at lease end is divided through the number of months within the lease to provide the depreciation fee. Suppose you choose to lease an automobile with a retail cost of $23,500. The leasing company estimates any time a three year lease, the automobile will be worth 35% of their original retail value, or $8,225. The main difference, $15,275, divided through the number of months within the lease, Three years, gives us the depreciation fee ($424)

GAP insurance Settles the lease balanced in the event the vehicle is wrecked or stolen.

Inception fees any fees which can be due in the beginning of a lease. These typically add a security deposit, acquisition fee, first payment per month, taxes and title fees.

Mileage allowance The utmost number of miles a leased vehicle may be driven per year without incurring the surplus mileage penalty. A normal mileage allowance is 12,000 to 15,000 miles per year, although this is negotiable along with your leasing company.

Mileage charges a penalty that you incur if you exceed your mileage allowance on a leased vehicle. Typical mileage charges are 10 to 20 cents per excess mile.

Money-factor A fractional number, for instance 0.00043, found in calculating your monthly lease payments. You can obtain a rough estimate with the annual percentage rate on your own lease by multiplying the amount of money factor by 2,400. In case a dealer quotes a money factor for instance 3.4 than you may get the equivalent APR, 8.16, in the event you multiply by 2.4.

Residual value Residual value will be the amount of money the leasing company says your leased vehicle will probably be worth as soon as your lease ends. Higher residual values cause lower monthly premiums but higher lease-end purchase cost if you opt to keep the vehicle.

Security deposits an up-front amount that your leasing company required at the beginning of a lease to safeguard against non-payment. This is generally refundable at the end of your lease. Termination or Disposition fee The amount you have to pay the leasing company at the end of your lease if you decide not to purchase the vehicle.

Wear-and-tear charges Extra charge have to pay by the end of your lease for almost any wear and employ the leasing company considers above normal

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Personal Car Leasing : Tips For First Timers

December 1st, 2010

Acquiring a vehicle on a personal leasing contract can be a financial minefield of conditions and stipulations if you do not do your homework. By negotiating a personal car lease well, you can end up saving yourself a large amount of money, and by negotiating you are not losing anything, so you may as well at least try!

Although it may sound easy to say, negotiating a car lease is anything but simple, even for experienced pros. This is because although it is easy to negotiate one main purchase price, when negotiating a lease, you need to know exactly what terms and conditions the dealer is modifying when a price is adjusted, otherwise you could end up paying more in total over the full course of the lease than before you started negotiating.

But what do you need to know in order to negotiate a personal car lease? All the answers you need are detailed below.

Let the salesman know your situation – Although many people advise against tipping your hand to the salesman, in the current market, withholding the fact that you wish to lease as oppose to purchase outright gains no benefit. As long as you let the salesman know that you have already chosen what vehicle to lease, that you are well informed about car leasing and the vehicle in question and that you want to discuss selling price as opposed to monthly payments then you will be on good grounding.

Work out how much you are willing to pay – Before you start negotiating a price, you must calculate how much you would pay for the vehicle if it were new. A common misconception with car leasing is that the outright purchase price is not negotiable, this is simply not true. The outright purchase price is actually part of the lease and therefore can be negotiated on. As a rule of thumb, try to negotiate the cost of the vehicle up from the dealerships invoice costs as opposed to down from the MSRP. Also, ask the dealer if there are currently any rebates, discounts, factory to dealer incentives or advertised specials that would reduce your cap cost (the outright purchase price of the vehicle).

Check the prices – After you have decided on how much you would be willing to pay and what length and type of lease agreement you require, ask the salesman to calculate your potential monthly payments. Once the salesman leaves in order to get the necessary details from their finance manager, then you must do your own calculations on the probable monthly payments. Work out your figures based on the same cap cost, residual and term as the dealer is using, therefore when they return you can check their numbers for errors. Any mistakes or differences will probably be due to extra hidden costs or possibly even a difference in trade-in value on your previous vehicle, so it pays to be aware.

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