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camper van hire Australia
  australia payment & policies: maui

currency

Any special IdeaMerge discount we apply is applied to the entire, tax-inclusive rate. (Thus we effectively discount the tax as well.) And we do not require you to pay in full earlier than normal to receive this discount.

Our motorhome and campervan rental rates (apart from any special IdeaMerge discount) and policies match those of our vendor and therefore the rates are calculated in Australia Dollars (AUD). This means we do not inflate our rates to cover ourselves against the threat of our home currency, the US Dollar (USD), declining versus the AUD.

Moreover, we do not impose a credit card transaction fee. And we do not truncate the exchange rate (which is another way companies can favor themselves). Furthermore, we use the minimal retail exchange rate — alias the "credit card" exchange rate (as published on www.oanda.com) — to change from the vendor's currency into our currency (USD) for actual charging. Finally we present all this math in the detailed confirmation voucher that we e-mail to you soon after booking the rental. … In these and other ways we carefully save our clients from suffering hidden costs.

reservation

In accord with the automobile rental industry standard, reservations may be made for a vendor's particular vehicle category (what we might call a vendor's "group") only, not for a specific vehicle. Which is to say, although the various images, model numbers and vehicle specifications presented throughout the IdeaMerge motorhome rental pages — especially on the vehicle-specification pages — are carefully selected to accurately and precisely indicate the vehicle that you will get, the vehicle model (and layout) you get might not be identical to what is indicated by said information. In the very unlikely event that a vehicle in the reserved category is not available upon the pick-up date, the rental company reserves the right to substitute a comparable or larger vehicle with the same equipment and the capacity to accommodate the number persons you have delineated (in terms of, say, adults and children) as being in your party. In this case there will be no additional charge for a larger vehicle. However, the higher ancillary costs associated with a larger vehicle — such as ferry charges, tolls, and fueling costs — are to be borne by the customer.

Of course IdeaMerge will not charge your credit card unless the vendor you select does have availability in the particular vehicle category you select. After you place a complete online reservation request with IdeaMerge (i.e. including your credit card details), IdeaMerge will straightaway query the vendor. If a vehicle in the selected vehicle category of that selected vendor is indeed have available, we will immediately book the rental with that vendor and charge your card — binding you per the cancellation policy noted below. Either way, we will then inform you as soon as possible, often within an hour but most certainly within 24 hours (or perhaps 48 hours if you enter the reservation request on a Friday or Saturday, since the booking facilities of some vendors are closed on weekends).

downpayment

IdeaMerge charges a 20 percent downpayment upon booking a client's reservation request. This downpayment is fully refundable until 21 days* prior to the pick-up date. (These days are determined according to the time in Sydney, Australia.)

balance

The balance is charged or due 25 days prior to the pick-up date. (If a reservation is placed within that time window, the whole amount will be charged or due straightaway.) We require early prepayment because Maui requires prepayment and because Maui imposes further cancellation fees starting at the 6-day threshold. Necessarily and simply reflecting that schedule of fees, IdeaMerge's cancellation policy is as follows ...

cancellation fees

  • Cancellation 22 days* or more prior to pick-up date: no cancellation fee!
  • Cancellation 21 to 7 days* prior to pick-up date: 20 percent of rental amount.
  • Cancellation 6 days* to 1 day* prior to pick-up date: 50 percent of rental amount.
  • No-show or cancellation on (or after) the pick-up date*: 100 percent of rental amount.
  • Late pick-up: no refund.
  • Returned early: no refund.

    (* Again, these days are determined by the time in Sydney, Australia.)

  • changes

    Any change to a booking — especially of the rental duration, and whether requested before, during or after the pick-up — is subject to authorization by the rental company. Do not expect to be able to make such changes upon the pick-up occasion.

    A change to a booking may entail a change fee, the amount of which is usually modest/nominal yet is generally commensurate with the degree to which the change compromises the vendor's ability to rent out the vehicle. In most cases the fee is USD 25.

    Minimum duration is 5 calendar days for 2-berth vehicles, 7 calendar days for other vehicles or when pick-up occurs in the span 15 December through 5 January, in which cases the minimum duration is 7 calendar days, and except for one-ways as noted below.

    One-way rentals are available for a fee of AUD 250. However, if the one-way involves the Alice Springs, Broome, Darwin, or Perth depot, the one-way fee is AUD 350. The minimum duration for one-ways is 7 calendar days.

    Refunds are not offered for early return of the rental vehicle.

    If after the rental has commenced the client wants to change drop-off location, the client should first obtain authorization from the destination depot and ascertain the additional charge that would apply, which charge could be as high as AUD 550. The Broome depot entails a remote-location fee of AUD 650 that applies separately to pick-up and drop-off and in addition to the one-way fee that may apply. Pick-up at the Hobart depot entails an AUD 16.50 fee.

    If after the rental has commenced the client wants to extend the duration of the rental, the client should obtain authorization from the destination depot. The extra cost must be paid by credit card over the telephone. Failure to obtain such authorization will result in a daily fee of AUD 150 in addition to the daily rental rate (which rate will be the present rate, not necessarily the rate the vehicle was booked at).

    security deposit

    Upon pick-up, the vendor requires of the client a security deposit. The form of the deposit (whether an actual charge to a Visa or MasterCard credit card or merely an imprint of such credit card) and its amount (whether AUD 7500, AUD 2500, or AUD 220, AUD 440 for 4WD) depend on the client's choice of insurance option: the default is AUD 7500 actually debited (i.e. charged); insurance option 1 reduces the amount to AUD 2500; insurance option 2 reduces the amount to AUD 220 (AUD 440 for 4WD) and entails a mere imprint rather than an actual debit. For security reasons, only a credit card (namely Visa or MasterCard) can be used to provide the security deposit. The card holder must be present upon the pick-up occasion and MUST BE THE HIRER.

    Maui and Britz impose a 2 percent credit card surcharge on the Visa/MasterCard transactions they themselves process — and a 4.5 percent surcharge on the American Express transactions they themselves process — i.e. insofar as they charge the optional items and/or the security deposit or possible traffic fines or penalities and such locally (that is, upon the pick-up and/or return occasions). Maui and Britz do not refund their credit card surcharges.

    The vendor is of course not responsible for any associated surcharges levied by the credit card company nor for any fluctuations in the applicable exchange rate (if any) between the time of the charge and the time that the vendor credits the charge (in full or in part) back to the card.

    Of course the security deposit is fully refundable provided the vehicle is returned on time, to the correct location, undamaged, with a clean interior and with appropriately full fuel tanks (fuel being gasoline/petrol, diesel, and LPG gas). The vendor reserves the right to retain an AUD 220 "soiling" fee if the vehicle is not returned with the interior in a clean condition. The toilet and waste water tank (if present) should be emptied prior to the return of the vehicle, or the vendor will retain a separate AUD 220 fee.

    age and license(s)

    The minimum age limit for renters and other drivers of Maui's vehicles is only 21 years. Maui requires from drivers 75 years old or older a written statement from a medical practitioner noting that the client is fit to operate the booked vehicle (the vehicle being characterized by its weight, dimensions, and transmission).

    Upon pick-up the vendor requires of the client a valid, non-provisional resident-country drivers license, held for at least one year. Moreover, if said license is not primarily or secondarily (i.e. in parallel) written in English, the vendor also requires of the client an international drivers permit (IDP). Such IDPs are available for a small charge (about USD20) from the automobile club offices in the client's country of residence (but not outside their country), and a person need not be a member of such club to obtain the IDP from the club. See the IdeaMerge "Resources" page for more about IDPs.

    Drivers must of course possess their valid domestic drivers license. The Australia and New Zealand motorhome and camper van rental vehicles presented on the IdeaMerge Website are designed such that relative especially to the laws of Australia and New Zealand virtually all non-provisional domestic drivers licenses suffice for operation of these vehicles, even in nearly all cases where the inherent limits of such license (i.e. relative to your domestic laws) would preclude the holder from driving the vehicle in his/her own country. (Which is to say, standard foreign drivers licenses are translated by the laws of Australia and New Zealand such that these licenses basically function in Australia and New Zealand as standard Australia or New Zealand drivers licenses.) Nevertheless, you might be interested in researching the inherent limits of your drivers license. To do so you can check the back of your license and visit the Website of the governmental agency that issued your license. You can also see the following Wikipedia articles: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_license and, say, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Driving_Licence_codes.

    There is no charge for additional drivers.

    no animals

    No animals other than humans and guide dogs are permitted to use the vehicles.

    no smoking

    Smoking is not allowed in the vehicles.

    what's included

    All Maui Australia camper rentals include unlimited kilometers and 24/7 nationwide roadside assistance via a toll-free helpline. All the Maui prices include the 10 percent federal tax (GST) and Maui's 3 percent "stamp duty and local tax surcharge." Moreover, the total rental cost computed by the (highly specialized) IdeaMerge online reservation software includes any applicable one-way fee and other charges that might apply, even if those other portions of the total will actually be paid locally by the client upon the pick-up occasion instead of up-front to IdeaMerge — e.g. charges for optional extras, Broome's remote-location fee, Hobart's airport surcharge, and said 3 percent local surcharge insofar as said extras and fees are indeed paid for locally instead of pre-purchased as part of the vendor's "premium package" of optional extras. The IdeaMerge online reservation software automatically determines whether the vendor's premium package is the best deal for the client, this based on the particular options selected by the client. …

    All Maui Australia camper rentals include liability insurance (i.e. third party) which also covers (although very partially) personal injury to the client and to members of the client's party). Meanwhile the included collision and comprehensive insurance inheres a deductible (a.k.a. excess; applicable no matter who is at fault) of AUD 7500, but clients can reduce this by purchasing one of two optional damage waivers (a.k.a. excess reductions):

    damage waiver 1:

  • AUD 22/day (maximum total cost of AUD 1100) for 2WD vehicles, reducing excess/deductible to AUD 2500
  • AUD 27/day (maximum total cost of AUD 1350) for 4WD vehicles,
    reducing excess/deductible to AUD 2500
  • damage waiver 2:

  • AUD 40/day (maximum total cost of AUD 2000) for other 2WD vehicles,
    reducing excess/deductible to zero
  • AUD 49/day (maximum total cost of AUD 2450) for 4WD vehicles,
    reducing excess/deductible to AUD 440
  • These insurance options also have positive effects in terms of the security deposit charged by Maui upon the pick-up occasion: the default security deposit is AUD 7500 to be actually debited, i.e. charged; damage waiver 1 reduces the amount to AUD 2500; damage waiver 2 reduces the amount to AUD 220 (or AUD 440 for 4WD) and entails a mere imprint rather than an actual debit. For security reasons, only a credit card — namely Visa, MasterCard, or American Express — can be used to provide the security deposit. The card holder must be present upon the pick-up occasion and is jointly and severally liable for any damage to the rental vehicle.

    If the deductible/excess is reduced to zero, one windscreen and two tires are covered for accidental damage.

    Damage to the overhead or underbody of the vehicle is not covered unless the customer buys damage waiver 2 (noted above) and enhances that waiver by purchasing the …

    no worries cover (instead of premium cover):

  • AUD 50 per 2WD rental or AUD 120 per 4WD rental, in addition to damage waiver 2. The no worries cover is included in Maui premium package; it covers overhead and underbody damage but remains subject to the exclusions noted farther down this page. For 4WD vehicles the no worries cover furthermore reduces the deductible/excess all the way to zero.
  • Clients will be reimbursed for taxi fare (with receipt) to the pick-up depot, insofar as that fare is equivalent to the typical fare from the airport to the depot. Clients incur the cost for their travel from the depot upon completion of the motorhome rental, although the depot personnel will of course call a taxi upon request.

    There is no charge for additional drivers.

    Again, the IdeaMerge online reservation software will determine whether the vendor's premium package is the best deal for the client, based on the rental parameters chosen by the client.

    Maui premium package:

  • AUD 58 per day (max AUD 2900) for 2WD motorhomes, or
  • AUD 68 per day (max AUD 3400) for 4WD motorhomes, includes:
  • reimbursement for taxi to the depot
  • any one-way fee
  • damage waiver 2
  • no worries cover option
  • camping table and chairs
  • 1 child or booster seat
  • vendor's LP Gas refill fee
  • outback safety kit (4WD only)
  • The following items are included by default at no extra charge:

    personal: towels, pillow and pillow case, duvet/comforter/doona and sheet (extra linens are available upon pick-up, for a charge).

    kitchen: plates & bowls, cups, glasses, cutlery (knives, forks, spoons; a.k.a. silverware), bottle/can opener, mixing bowls and colander, saucepans, frying pan, cooking utensils, chopping board, kettle/teapot, coffee plunger (sorry, no automatic coffee maker), toaster.

    general: dustpan, broom, brush, bucket, hose, fire extinguisher, toilet chemicals, matches, ice cube tray, coat hangers, pegs/clothespins, and in the vehicles that have a shower and toilet a floor safe.

    starter kit: toilet paper, tissues, sponge, soaps, dishwashing detergent, shampoo/conditioner sachets, bin liner, disposable gloves, and mosquito coils (i.e. burnable repellent)

    travel wallet: large-scale map of Australia with driving tips and travel information.

    multiple rentals

    If via IdeaMerge — and at the same time — a client rents consecutive Maui and/or Britz vehicles in Australia and/or in New Zealand and the pick-up dates are within 92 days of each other, IdeaMerge will effectively combine these otherwise separate rentals by not charging twice for any overlapping day or days (this by waiving the lessor cost or costs of the overlapping days) and by applying to each rental a rate or rates based on the sum of the durations (thus perhaps effecting long-term discounts). Moreover, only one security deposit need apply to combined rentals if the pick-up occurs in the same country and no damage or claim occurs to the rental(s) preceding the final combined rental.

    If multiple hires are within the same country and the total, combined days exceed 50, only the maximum charge applicable to the excess reduction option of the premium package will apply, this maximum being the higher of all such maximums that happen to be involved. However, in the case where a Maui hire is being combined with a Britz hire and the packages have either the premium package or the bonus pack these components cannot be combined to have a maximum charge applied, but the vehicle rates can have a long-term discount applied.

    If a client makes such a set of bookings but does not place all the bookings at the same time, the booking or bookings placed later, i.e. the new one or ones, qualify for such discounts relative to the original booking but they do not qualify the original booking for such discounts as well.

    Note: Given this policy and the cost of transporting a vehicle between Australia and New Zealand, such transport is prohibitively costly. Our online reservation software, although highly specialized, does not allow customers to place more than one reservation at once. Therefore IdeaMerge will manually and at the client's request account for multiple rentals as described above.

    Our online reservation software, although highly specialized, does not allow customers to place more than one reservation at once. Therefore IdeaMerge will manually and at the client's request account for multiple rentals as described above.

    infringements

    The vendor reserves the right to charge the client for any speeding or parking fines, associated administration costs and/or accidents including third-party property damage not reported by or upon the termination of the rental duration. The administration fee will be AUD 60 per fine.

    road restrictions

    The 2WD campers may be driven on sealed/bitumen/macadam/paved roads only, the single exception to this rule being well maintained access roads to designated motorhome campgrounds and the roads on Kangaroo Island (South Australia). The 4WD vehicles can also be driven on recognized tracks. The 4WD vehicles may only travel to the following areas with the written permission of Maui: Simpson Desert, Strzelecki Track, Gunbarrel Highway, Old Gunbarrel Highway, Cape York, the Bungle Bungles, Oodnadatta Track, Birdsville Track, Tanami Track, The Plenty Highway, and Gibb River Road. Maui vehicles are NOT permitted on the Canning Stock Route, the Lost City in Litchfield Park, and the Telegraph Road section of the road to Cape York during the months December through May. Maui reserves the right at its sole discretion to restrict vehicle movements in certain areas due to adverse road or weather conditions. Maui also reserves the right at its sole discretion to restrict the distance driven to nominated destinations in relation to the hire duration.

    breakdown cover and repairs

    For starters, the fleet of vehicles is modern and frequently upgraded, the average age of a vehicle normally being less than 1 year.

    All the vehicles do include 24/7 roadside service nationwide.

    Call toll-free 1300 363 800.

    Any problems associated with the vehicle, including equipment failure, should be reported to the vendor as soon as possible and within 24 hours, this to give the vendor the opportunity to rectify the problem as soon as possible. Failure to report as such will compromise any client claims for compensation. The vendor does not accept liability for claims submitted after this duration. In the event, please contact the vendor toll-free at tel. 1300 363 800.

    Repairs costing up to AUD 100 may be effected without authorization from the vendor and will be appropriately reimbursed if the client provides the repair receipt to the vendor. For amounts estimated over AUD 100, the client should obtain authorization from the vendor. Receipts relating to any repair should be sumbitted to the vendor.

    See our "Insurance, etc" page for details concerning the included insurance.

    a slight disclaimer

    IdeaMerge takes special care in representing our vendors (i.e. the actual rental companies) so to maximally benefit our clients. Thus we present such information using various careful emphases and an overall style which is decidedly complementary to the legalistic style that necessarily constrains the terms and conditions presented by our vendors. The information on the IdeaMerge Website is merely designed to assist our clients. Yet in asking IdeaMerge to make a booking for you, you agree to the relevant cancellation policy presented to you by IdeaMerge. In accord with the auto rental industry standard, you will be obliged upon the rental pick-up occasion to sign a contract directly with the vendor and to thereby agree to their terms and conditions. Thus the terms and conditions of the vendor supersede the information presented by IdeaMerge. Likewise in accord with the auto rental industry standard, the vendor’s terms and conditions are subject to change without notice prior to the rental pick-up occasion. Such modifications to a vendor's terms and conditions as these apply to a booking are rare, and when they do occur they are usually very minor. The vendor nonetheless reserves the right to make such modifications without informing the client. In practice, however, if a modification to the vendor's terms and conditions is likely to be consequential for a client, the vendor typically informs IdeaMerge about it and we in turn endeavor to inform the client. In contrast to terms and conditions, the rental rates and various mandatory and optional prices are, like the cancellation policy, officially agreed to by you and IdeaMerge when you ask IdeaMerge to make a booking for you; in this sense they are not subject to change. If applicable, certain fees and taxes imposed by governments and charged by the vendor upon the pick-up or return occasion (rather than upfront by IdeaMerge) are of course subject to change. For similar reasons, insurance coverages are also subject to change — although such a change affecting a booking is truly rare.

    maui australia's terms and conditions

  • Maui Australia terms and conditions for non-residents of Australia or New Zealand.
  • Maui Australia terms and conditions for residents of Australia or New Zealand.

    warning

    The vendor always reserves the right to refuse, at its discretion, to rent to a particular client.

    Although motor travel in Australia is not generally considered prohibitively dangerous, there are, of course, associated risks — including death. For quantitative measures of these risks, please see the Association for Safe International Road Travel (ASIRT) http://www.asirt.org.