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 Euros (EUR).
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 EUR.
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 & downpayment
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.
IdeaMerge and McRent are especially good about putting you into the particular vehicle model you choose.
However, in accord with the automobile rental industry standard, IdeaMerge and especially McRent reserve the right
to substitute another vehicle from the same category, what we might call the same vehicle "group".
Those categories/groups are titled by McRent as follows:
Compact Standard, Compact Plus, Family Standard, Family Plus, Family Luxury, Comfort Standard, Comfort Plus, Premium Plus, and Premium Luxury.
If the particular McRent vehicle model you order is indeed available for your rental location and dates, IdeaMerge will book that exact vehicle
for you. If that model is not available, IdeaMerge will book the most similar model available within that same McRent vehicle category
(i.e. group) for your rental location and dates. If there is no vehicle available within that category, IdeaMerge will inform you of the particular
best alternatives but will not book one of those for you unless you instruct us to. If upon the pick-up occasion
the booked vehicle is not available (e.g. because of malfunction, accident or such), McRent, in accord with the auto rental industry standard,
reserves the right to substitute a comparable or larger vehicle (i.e. perhaps from a different category)
with the same equipment and the capacity to accommodate the number of persons you have delineated (in terms of, say, adults and children)
as being in your party. In that 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 there is indeed availability for your chosen rental parameters,
as explained above.
After you place a complete online reservation request with IdeaMerge (i.e. including your credit card details), IdeaMerge will straightaway query McRent.
If McRent does indeed have availability for your chosen rental parameters, IdeaMerge will immediately book the rental 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).
IdeaMerge charges a 20 percent downpayment
upon booking a customer's reservation request.
One-half of this downpayment is refundable until 8 weeks prior to
the pick-up date. Within that 8-week threshold, the downpayment is not refundable.
balance
IMPORTANT: The balance is charged or due a full 60 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 such an early prepayment because our choice vendor
imposes considerable cancellations fees starting at the said 8-week
threshold. Necessarily reflecting that schedule of fees,
IdeaMerge's cancellation policy is as follows ...
cancellation fees
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.
breakdown cover, and insurance
For starters, the fleet of vehicles is modern and frequently upgraded,
the average age of a vehicle normally being about 6 months.
Clients are supported by the 24/7 Fiat emergency service toll-free hotline at tel. 00800 3428 1111.
In addition, all the vehicles are covered by an
international guarantee such that certain mechanical failure they may happen
to suffer will be repaired — free of cost to the renter — by
a member of the (very wide-ranging) Fiat service network. Also,
more than 300 Dethleffs dealers throughout Europe are enlisted to service
the vehicle. As for possible malfunction of living facilities, such would be
addressed — again, free of cost to the renter — by the
appropriate distribution and service personnel, located throughout
Europe.
See our "Insurance, etc."
page for details concerning the included insurance.
The motorhome rental agreement is a contract between the customer
and the vendor and of course involves the customer in certain
responsibilities relative to the vehicle. These responsibilities
are analogous but far from identical to those typically associated
with a car rental. Motorhome rental customers typically bear more
such responsibilities than do car rental customers. The nature of
the motorhome rental industry is such that replacement motorhomes
are usually not guaranteed (although in many cases a replacement
motorhome may be
effected), as is the case with this vendor and
virtually every motorhome rental company. Instead timely service of
the rental motorhome is guaranteed and in this case so are limited
hotel stays (5 nights) and replacement car rentals.
The customer remains responsible for returning the motorhome to the
rental depot, as contracted, unless relieved of this responsibility
by the rental company (i.e. the vendor).
extension or early return
Any extension of the rental duration (whether requested before
or after the pick-up) requires prior
authorization by the rental company. Refunds are not offered for early return of the rental vehicle.
age and license
The minimum age limit for renters and other drivers
is 25 years, and there is no maximum
age limit. However, said drivers must have possessed a valid drivers
license for at least two years prior to the pick-up date.
If the vehicle is rated as having a "total permissible weight" of
greater than 3500 kg (i.e. 3.5 metric tons), the driver must be
at least 25 years of age and have held a valid
license for at least three years prior to the pick-up date.
Drivers must of course possess a valid drivers license
relative to the weight of the vehicle.
Most domestic licenses suffice for operation of the vehicles presented on
the IdeaMerge Website, for most of the vehicles are rated at 3500 kg or less.
Relative to vehicles exceeding this threshold, our online
software will usually elaborate —
but you the driver or drivers are obliged to check your licenses and the vehicle's
specs page in this important respect (the latter by clicking on the vehicle
image on the "Rates & Reservations" page or during the online reservation
process). Also see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_license and, say,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Driving_Licence_codes.
Regarding the vehicles rated at over 3500 kg
(i.e. 3.50 metric tons):
Almost all typical (i.e. class C) USA drivers licenses, for example,
suffice in this respect.
(In fact such licenses usually cover vehicles up to 13,000 kg.)
The same is true of, say, typical "old" British licenses
(i.e. class B issued prior to 1 January 1997).
But the typical new "European Union drivers license"
(i.e. class B) limits its holder to vehicles of 3500 kg or less; and as such,
a holder of an EU license must possess a class C license to operate in Europe
one of the European motorhomes which are rated at over 3500 kg.
On the pick-up occasion the vendor will not release a rental vehicle
to a party unless a driver among them is licensed to operate such vehicle.
IdeaMerge is not responsible if such licensed driver is not present
to operate the vehicle upon the pick-up occasion and throughout the duration
of the rental. No refunds will be extended to the client if such absence precludes
the actual use of the rental.
See our "Resources" page for a discussion of the international
driving permit,
which is required of certain drivers in by certain countries.
There is no charge for additional drivers.
wintertires
Depending on your dates and on whether you
indicate that you plan to travel in a mountainous region, but
not depending on whether you order the snow chains, the vendor may
determine that your vehicle needs their special wintertires. Because
these tires are relatively expensive and because they likely would have to
be specially added to the vehicle, the vendor charges 75 Euros total for
their application of such tires, this in addition to the possible snow chain
charge(s). The IdeaMerge software does not work this 75 Euros cost into the
otherwise total cost it computes.
geographic limitations
Entry to the following countries is allowed without authorization from McRent
as of 1 January 2008:
Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,
Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg,
Malta, Monaco, Netherlands (i.e. Holland), Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom (England, Scotland, Wales, N. Ireland).
Authorization from McRent — i.e. to be signed in the rental
station upon the pick-up occasion only — is required for entry to the
following countries: Albania, Algeria, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria,
Macedonia, Moldova, Morocco, Romania, Russia,
Serbia and Montenegro, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine.
Entry to the following countries (among others, of course) is forbidden:
Israel, Iraq, Iran.
The domain of the insurance and hence the lists presented in this paragraph
are of course subject to change without notice.
You are welcome to transport your
rented vehicle by ferry and/or the Channel Tunnel.
Again, see our "Insurance, etc."
page for more details concerning the included insurance.
pick-up and return
An EUR1500 security deposit will be charged to the customer's credit card
when the customer picks up the vehicle. This amount — minus the cost of
damages (which cost is limited only by the relevant,
per-occurrence insurance deductibles) and traffic or parking tickets
— will be
credited to the customer's card within a month after the customer returns the vehicle.
A thorough explanation and demonstration of the rental vehicle will be provided
upon pick-up. This orientation, together with completion of the relevant
paperwork, requires approximately one hour.
The vehicle will be delivered with an ample amount of motor fuel in the tank;
you should try to return it with this same amount, lest you be charged for the
refueling (including a labor cost of EUR25).
The water tank, propane tanks,
and toilet chemical repository will be full; but you will not be
charged if they are returned less than full.
The interior and exterior
will be clean, and the toilet tank will be empty of waste. Likewise the vehicle
should be returned clean inside.
(The rental company will clean the outside.)
Vehicles returned in an unclean condition will be
subject to the cleaning fee ranging from at least EUR50.
If the chemical toilet must
be emptied by the rental company, a further EUR50 fee will be charged.
If the wastewater tank must
be emptied by the rental company, a further EUR50 fee will be charged.
Smoking is not allowed in any part of the vehicle.
Only with special permission from the vendor are dogs or
other pets allowed in the vehicles. If such
permission is indeed granted, the client should return the vehicle
thoroughly cleaned of pet hair and odors
lest the vendor levy a special cleaning fee.
The rental includes unlimited kilometers.
Pick-up (or return) at the McRent Portugal location noted above is not possible directly at airports, city centers (i.e. downtowns) or rail stations.
However, McRent does offer optional shuttle transfer to and/or from the rental depot, for EUR 75 each way.
The rental depot is open for standard pick-up Mon-Sat, 4 pm to 6 pm (i.e. afternoons; closed Sundays); there is no surcharge for Saturday pick-up.
The depot is open for standard return Mon-Sat, 10 am to 12 noon (i.e. mornings; closed Sundays); there is no surcharge for Saturday return.
A non-standard pick-up time entails an extra night's worth of cost.
The same is true of a non-standard return time.
(The vendor accounts for cost according to standard pick-up and return times
so that most vehicles can be prepared during regular business hours and
delivered to a client on the same day that the vehicle is returned by the
previous client. Thus the vendor doesn't lose out on renting that vehicle
for that night.)
A thorough explanation and demonstration of the rental vehicle will be provided
upon pick-up. This orientation, together with completion of the relevant
paperwork, requires approximately one hour.
You are welcome to transport your
rented vehicle by ferry and/or the Channel Tunnel.
Again, see our "Insurance"
page for more details concerning the included insurance.
Generally the minimum rental duration for our Portugal rentals is 7 days.
If return occurs after the reserved return time, a charge
of EUR26 (up to the daily rate) will be levied for each extra such hour; and the customer will assume
responsibility for claims made against the rental company by subsequent renters
due to delay. Again, any extension of the rental duration requires prior
authorization by the rental company; and no refunds are offered for early return of the rental vehicle.
Upon or after the return occasion, the vendor will charge to the client all traffic fines (including parking tickets) which the
rental vehicle received during the rental.
Upon returning the vehicle the client should report to the vendor any such fines
the client is aware of; but generally the client is responsible for
paying such a fine,
even if the entity levying the fine reports it neither to client nor to vendor
until after the return occasion (relevant statutes of limitation notwithstanding).
in the event of an accident
After an accident, fire, damage caused by theft, or damage caused by colliding
with wildlife, the renter must inform the local police and
the rental company. The client should inform the rental company
in this respect no later than the end of the business day immediately
following the day of the accident.
In this case, call the rental depot
(dropping the country code and the leading zero if calling from within Portugal)
and perhaps also
McRent's Germany headquarters (listed immediately below).
You could also call the 24/7 Fiat emergency service toll-free hotline at tel. 00800 3428 1111.
The rental company's headquarters in Munich, Germany, can be reached at the following numbers:
tel. (+49) 07562 987 850 or 0800 0627 368, fax 07562 987 214.
(Drop the country code and the
leading zero if calling from within Germany.)
In all cases of damage, the renter should as described above inform the rental
company by phone and submit a detailed written report,
including a sketch of the accident situation(s).
The accident report must include
the license numbers of the vehicles involved, the names and addresses of
the persons involved (including any witnesses), and it must be signed by
both parties.
If the renter expects that an immediate repair is necessary and
that the cost of the repair will
exceed EUR150, or if the vehicle is not fully roadworthy as a result
of the accident, the renter must immediately inform the rental company of
this (or these) fact(s) in order to obtain permission for the repair.
a slight disclaimer
IdeaMerge takes special care in representing our vendors (i.e. the actual rental companies, the suppliers) so to maximally benefit our clients (renters, hirers, customers, tenants).
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.
mcrent's terms and conditions
Click here for McRent Portugal's terms and conditions in English.
Click here for McRent Portugals's terms and conditions in Portuguese.
warning
Although motor travel in Europe 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.
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