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
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.
And on the other hand, should a smaller vehicle be offered to and accepted
by the client upon pick-up, the difference in price between the two
vehicles will not be credited to the customer.
The Touring Cars Group L and Group XL categories are limited legally to carrying no more than
5 passengers, this because the weight of a motorhome in conjunction with the typical weight of a maximum number of passengers must be under a certain
threshold according to a new Scandinavian law. In contrast, the Touring Cars Group Family category is light enough that it can legally carry up to 6 people.
IdeaMerge charges 20 percent
upon confirming a client's reservation request. This downpayment is refundable
up to 45 days prior to the pick-up date.
The duration of the rental is calculated by calendar days, i.e., regardless
of time of pick-up and return. Therefore both the pick-up day and the
return day count as a full day. However, a return time must
be set upon placing a reservation. A charge of EUR50 per hour
will be levied for each hour that the client is late returning the vehicle.
A client may request a modification to this return appoinment, provided
he or she gives a minimum 24-hour notice; but the vendor is not obligated to
approve such a change.
balance
The EUR balance is charged by the vendor in two parts: an EUR 200 portion upon making the booking (i.e. in conjunction with the
20 percent charge by IdeaMerge),
and the final balance a full 30 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.)
The vendor's, and hence IdeaMerge's, cancellation policy is as follows ...
cancellation fees
Cancellation 45 days or more prior to pick-up date: NO CHARGE.
Cancellation 44–30 days prior to pick-up date: 25 percent of rental amount.
Cancellation 29–16 days prior to pick-up date: 50 percent of rental amount.
Cancellation 15 days through 1 day prior to pick-up date: 100 percent of rental amount.
Cancellation no-shows or cancellation on the pick-up date: 100 percent of rental amount.
If upon cancellation the balance has not been paid, the vendor reserves
the right to charge the customer's credit card according to the above schedule.
late payment
If the payment is late the vendor reserves the option to apply
a 13 percent annual percentage rate, compounded periodically
rather than daily, to the amount due. The vendor will send a reminder
within one week after the due date, and if this reminder must be sent by mail
an EUR8 charge will furthermore be applied. If the customer requires
an extra copy of the orginal invoice, this will cost EUR5. If such
a fee or fees have been levied but the client has not paid such
prior to pick-up, said fee or fees will be charged upon pick-up.
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.
age and license
The minimum age limit for renters and other drivers of the rental vehicles
is only 18 years; there is no maximum
age limit. However, said drivers must have possessed a valid
drivers
license for at least one year 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 Austria, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Italy, Portugal, and Spain.
additional drivers
Each additional driver must present their own credit card upon the pick-up occasion. For security purposes the vendor will make an imprint of each such additional card.
geographic limitations
The included insurance is effective throughout the entirety of Europe —
Western (including Scandinavia) and Eastern, and the UK and Ireland —
except for regions experiencing general and
violent political crisis. You are welcome to transport your
rented vehicle by ferry and/or the Channel Tunnel.
However, if you plan to take the vehicle to countries outside Scandinavia,
you must list these countries upon placing a reservation. Moreover,
special terms apply to the coverage in the Baltic States,
Belarus, Russia, and Poland.
See our "Insurance, etc."
page for more details concerning the included insurance.
breakdown cover, and insurance
For starters, the fleet of vehicles is modern, under warranty,
and frequently upgraded. The customer is responsible for checking
engine oil, fluids, and coolant levels at each refueling, as well as
reporting mechanical failures immediately. Instructions and
procedures for maintenance expense reimbursement are provided upon
pick-up. Kilometers driven in order to secure a vehicle repair are
exempt from the rental kilometers, but the client is required to travel with
their rental vehicle to the closest repair location stated by the vendor.
Customers may be held responsible for mechanical damage that is
due to negligence in vehicle operation or failure to provide normal
maintenance. In the event the vehicle is in breakdown repair through no fault of the customer, the vendor's responsibility to
refund the customer for lost time is limited according to the following matrix.
pick-up and return
A security deposit will be held in two senses, as follows.
Upon pick-up an imprint will be made of the client's credit card
(Visa, MasterCard, American Express, or Diners Club). However,
no amount will be associated with this imprint upon pick-up and the
imprint will be destroyed upon return (i.e. no amount will then be added
to it and it will not then be finally charged)
provided that the cost of damages
to the vehicle (plus parking tickets and the like) does not exceed the
insurance deductible. Moreover, to cover themselves with respect to this
deductible, the vendor will upon pick-up authorize a single charge onto
the client's credit card, the amount of that charge being equal to a
single full insurance deductible (which depends on the insurance option
chosen by the client).
Therefore, we emphasize, the client's credit limit on this card should be
commensurate with this deductible amount and of course with the amount
the client plans to charge on the card during the rental.
Naturally this single charge will be appropriately credited back to the
client's card (i.e. in full or in part or not at all, depending on the
aforementioned cost of damages and parking tickets and such) upon return
of the vehicle.
Each additional driver must present their own credit card upon the pick-up occasion. For security purposes the vendor will make an imprint of each such additional card.
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 a full tank of diesel fuel and
should be returned with a full tank, otherwise a refueling charge
of EUR26 + EUR2 or more per liter will be levied upon return.
The water tank and the two 11-liter propane (i.e. gas, LPG) tanks
will be full upon the pick-up occassion. The client must pay EUR50 for
each propane bottle that is not returned full.
Toilet chemical is sold for EUR15 per bottle.
However, during the winter, i.e. where/when the ambient temperatures of the low-altitude regions near the
depot are expected to be below the freezing point during a client's rental,
the vehicle will be delivered to the client
with its water/waste system drained, hence neither the sink, the
shower nor the toilet can be used; and if the client re-hydrates this
system during the rental, the client takes full responsibility for consequent
damage to the water system.
In contrast, if such temperatures
will or may be encountered only at higher altitudes or otherwise sporadically
during a client's rental duration the vehicle may or will, respectively, be
delivered to the client with its water/waste system hydrated.
Regardless, in all cases the client is responsible for any damage to the water/waste system
due to freezing. Which is to say, the client should be sure the water/waste system
is drained of water before using the vehicle where that water system might freeze.
Of course upon the pick-up occasion the vendor can provide instruction regarding
the draining and rehydration of that system.
Winter tires are mandatory in Scandinavia between 12 January and the
end of February only. Such tires are included in the price
of rentals which occur entirely in that duration; if a client requests
winter tires for a rental that does not occur entirely in said duration,
an extra fee of EUR60 plus EUR5/day will be applied to the rental price.
The interior and exterior
will be clean, and the toilet tank will be empty of waste. Likewise the vehicle
should be returned with a reasonably clean interior and and an empty toilet tank,
otherwise a minimum EUR172 cleaning charge will be levied (unless, that is,
the client pre-purchased such final cleaning for EUR147).
This charge consists of an EUR150 base charge and a labor charge of EUR60 or more per hour.
The vendor will clean the exterior free of charge.
Smoking is prohibited in the vehicle. An EUR850 penalty applies.
Likewise animals are prohibited, the penalty being EUR400.
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.
Regarding one-way rentals which terminate at one of the
return-only depots, the vendor reserves the right to inspect the vehicle
after the client departs the return depot and to charge the client
appropriately for damages then discovered.
Cooking utensils, dishes, silverware, kitchen towel, dish soap and cleaning sponge are included in the
rental.
A bicycle rack is also included, per your request.
Also included are maps and a printed guide to campgrounds in Scandinavia.
Exactly 300 kilometers per day are included in the price.
Beyond that amount, kilometers cost EUR0.40 per kilometer if paid for
upon the pick-up occasion, EUR0.60 if paid of upon return.
See our "Accessories" page to learn about optional extras.
a slight disclaimer
IdeaMerge takes special care in representing
our vendors (i.e. the actual rental companies) so as maximally to
benefit you, our clients. Thus we present such information using
various careful emphases and an overall style which is decidedly
complementary to (i.e. in contrast with) the legalistic style
that of course constrains the actual terms and conditions
of our vendors. The information on the IdeaMerge Website is
therefore designed to resonate effectively and thoroughly with but
not be simply identical to those terms and conditions, which
terms and conditions nevertheless override the information presented by
IdeaMerge and are naturally subject to change without notice prior to the
rental pick-up occasion, on which occasion at the rental depot
the client will be obliged to sign and thus agree to them.
See the bottom of this page for links to Touring Cars' terms and conditions.
touring cars' terms and conditions
Click here for Touring Cars' terms and conditions.
Click here for Touring Cars' damage report form.
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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