vendor
Apart from any IdeaMerge discount,
the prices and policies
presented on the IdeaMerge Website match the prices and policies of our
vendors. You aren't paying extra by going through IdeaMerge
— in fact you are likely paying less.
IdeaMerge facilitates the whole rental process, presenting
a single total cost you can count on and
acting for you as an accessible resource
and, if necessary, as a mediator.
With a foot naturally in the vendor's camp, we carefully
manage expectations so that the entire rental experience is maximally enjoyable
for all involved.
international rates / domestic rates
The IdeaMerge online reservation software uses geo-sensitivity technology to present to you the Road Bear rates which most likely apply to you.
Moreover, during the optional extras selection step our software requires you to enter a selection which informs us regarding your residency.
If that residency statement, as it were, entered by you does not correspond to the geo-sensitivity, our software overrides
the geo-sensitivity by recalculating the cost so that it is based on the Road Bear rates which correspond to your statement.
pricing and payment options with IdeaMerge
Please click here for an explanation of our excellent pricing and payment options.
reservation and booking
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 campground fees,
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).
The USA rental motorhomes presented on this Website are designed to
safely transport the number of occupants which equals the maximum number
of sleeping places stated as characterizing the vehicle.
To transport in such motorhome
more than said maximum number of people is to risk violating traffic
safety laws in this respect and, due in part to the cumulative weight of the
passengers, causing mechanical failure or accidental damage to the
vehicle and injury to the occupants and other persons. The
rental client (i.e. the customer) will be held fully responsible for
such damages and injuries. Of course all driver's seats and front
passenger seats of these vehicles have safety belts, and these devices
should be worn whenever the vehicle is in motion. Although many motorhomes
accommodate passengers in places where safety belts are perhaps not
required by law (e.g. at the dining table), any safety belts present in the
rear area are at least significant of a recommended rear seating position.
Rear occupants of a moving motorhome should oblige
themselves — and any rear occupants dependent on them —
to sit in such places only and to use appropriately the seatbelt gracing such
seat. Riding in a place which is not equipped with a safety belt increases
the danger of injury to one's self and others.
cancellation fees
We require the aforementioned downpayment and prepaid balance because the vendor
imposes a schedule of considerable cancellations fees. Necessarily reflecting that schedule of fees,
our cancellation policy is as follows:
changes
A. Authorization required. Once a rental is booked, any request to change any part of the booking,
such as adding or eliminating accessories or changing the dates, must be authorized by the rental company in advance.
Do not expect to make changes when you pick up the vehicle.
B. Cost. The vendor may charge a US$ 50 change fee.
C. Rates. Any rates and/or discount will be adjusted to the level valid at the time of name,
date, vehicle or location changes.
D. Cancellation Fee for Shortening. If you request to shorten your rental duration, you must pay a cancellation fee
on the days that you eliminate. For example, if you reduce the number of rental days by moving the pick-up date closer
to the return date, or the return date closer to the pick-up date, or both closer to each other, you must pay a
cancellation fee on the days you eliminate. The general cancellation fee schedule for this vendor applies.
E. Cancellation Fee for Shift of Rental. If a change involves a shift of both the pick-up date and return
date away from of their original dates, or of pick-up or return location away from the original location, it may be
considered by the vendor a full or partial cancellation rather than a mere change. The general cancellation fee
schedule for this vendor applies.
F. Delayed Pick-up. There is no refund for delayed pick-up of the vehicle.
G. Early Return. There is no refund for early return of the vehicle.
H. Unused Mileage. There is no refund for unused, pre-purchased mileage.
I. No Shows. There is no refund for "no shows".
J. Burning Man. For pick-ups at San Francisco in conjunction with the
Burning Man
festival, e.g. pick-ups there from 27 August 2012 to 4 September 2012:
K. Return Location. If after the rental has commenced the client wants to
change return location, the client should first obtain authorization
from the vendor and ascertain the additional charge that would apply.
L. Extension. If after the rental has commenced the client wants to extend
the duration of the rental, the client should obtain authorization
from the vendor. Failure to obtain such authorization will result in
a US$ 30 per hour or US$ 300 per night penalty.
taxes
The tax is determined according state and city in which the pick-up occurs:
4.85% at Denver (plus US$ 2 per night road safety fee,
maximum US$ 90), 8.10% at Las Vegas, 8.75% at Los Angeles,
7.00% at New Jersey (plus US$ 5 per night security fee,
maximum US$ 140), 8.75% at San Francisco.
The tax does not apply to the optional insurance nor to any city
transfer fee.
Of course the IdeaMerge online reservation software
includes the tax in the total cost it computes.
pick-up & return constraints
The minimum official rental duration is 7 nights.
However for persons who reside outside North America and thus take advantage of the international rates,
the minimum duration for rentals out of San Francisco and in conjunction with the Burning Man festival is 10 nights.
The IdeaMerge online reservation
software figures this minimum into the total price.
Clients arriving on flights from overseas (i.e. outside North America)
are not allowed to pick-up on the day their flight arrives,
this constraint being imposed by the vendor's insurance company
in recognition of the naturally fatigued state of such clients
upon flight arrival.
The depots are open for pick-up Monday–Friday,
noon to 4 pm, i.e. weekdays in the afternoon; and
on Saturdays from noon to 1 pm and perhaps (by special appointment)
later on Saturdays.
Morning pick-up is not bookable.
The depots are open for standard return Monday–Saturday, 8 am to 10:30 am, i.e. mornings.
A non-standard return time (i.e. an afternoon return) entails an extra night's worth of cost,
and a Saturday afternoon return entails charge for Sunday night as well.
The vendor imposes these standards such 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 Saturday afternoon return means the vendor doesn't have time to prepare and rent the vehicle to someone else for Saturday night; and because the vendor is closed Sundays, the vendor cannot rent the vehicle Sunday night too.
The IdeaMerge software accounts for non-standard pick-up and non-standard return times.
Sorry but Sunday pick-up or return is not possible with Road Bear RV.
A fee of US$ 30 per hour or US$ 300 per night applies to late return of the
vehicle. The depots are closed during certain holidays, which are accounted for
by our online reservation software.
security deposit
When you pick-up the vehicle,
the vendor will authorize an
US$ 1000
security deposit
on the Visa, MasterCard or EuroCard credit card or American Express card you present.
That authorization only blocks that amount of credit; it is not an actual charge.
The person whose name is on that card must be present upon said pick-up occasion and be one of the persons
signing the vendor's rental contract on that occasion.
(However, the credit card can be different than the card that was used to pay us for the rental.)
Debit cards, cash or travelers checks are not accepted for the
security deposit; only Visa and MasterCard and EuroCard credit cards and the American Express card are accepted,
and the amount cannot be split between credit cards.
Said blocked amount — minus the cost of
any damages (up to the relevant insurance deductible or deductibles), fuel charges,
and traffic or parking tickets — will be
returned to the customer's credit within a month after the customer returns the vehicle.
The vendor reserves the right to retain a fee (on the order of minimum US$ 50) if the vehicle
is not returned with the interior in a clean condition, as posted at the return location. The toilet and
waste water tank should be emptied prior to the return of the
vehicle, or the vendor will retain a further such fee, as posted at the return location.
Exceptions regarding the security deposit:
what's included
The vehicle will be delivered with an ample amount of engine fuel in the tank;
you should try to return it with this same amount.
The water tank, propane tank,
and any toilet chemical repository will be full; but you will not be
charged if they are returned less than full.
The client is responsible for checking all vehicle fluid levels
at each refueling during the rental. Refills of all these fluids
— except of course the engine fuel and the propane (LPG) — will
be reimbursed if the client presents receipts for such.
All the Road Bear RV rentals include
the minimum legal amounts of liability
(i.e. third party) insurance.
These minimums vary between state, province and territory.
(If you own and operate an automobile, please check with your auto
insurance provider to determine the coverage which that insurance extends
to you while you are operating a rented recreational vehicle in
the United States, Canada, and so forth.)
All the Road Bear motorhome rentals also include collision and
comprehensive insurance inhering a deductible
(a.k.a. excess; applicable per claim/occurrence not per rental) of
US$ 1000.
The term comprehensive here signifies
accidental damage due to vandalism, fire, theft, break-in, and weather,
as well as animal impact, accidental damage to windows,
and towing and recovery costs. Of course said deductibles/excesses
are void if the client/customer fails to file a relevant and timely accident/damage
report with the police and/or Road Bear RV or fails to inform the Road Bear RV pick-up depot within
24 hours with a full written report.
Also included by default is 24/7 assistance.
All the vehicles have a gasoline engine,
automatic transmission, dash and roof (110 V) air conditioning,
stove burners, microwave oven, sink,
refrigerator, freezer, furnace, toilet, and 110 V hook-up.
Included in the preparation fee are the first tank of propane,
the first supply of toilet chemicals, the operator's manual,
a water hose, sewer hose (and sewer connector), fire extinguisher,
and the final cleaning of the outside of the vehicle.
Also included are a Woodall's North American Campground Guide
(about 800 pages), KOA Campground Guide, and KOA discount card
(giving customers a 10% discount).
There is no charge for additional drivers.
The vendor provides free storage of luggage at their depot (at the
client's own risk).
age and license(s)
The minimum age limit for Road Bear RV's motorhome and campervan rentals
is only 21 years for non-USA residents, 25 years for USA residents, and the maximum age is 79 years.
Upon pick-up the vendor (Road Bear) requires of the client
merely a resident-country drivers license.
But if said license is not primarily or secondarily (i.e. in parallel)
written in English, the vendor suggests that the client carry
an international drivers permit (IDP).
(Regarding such permits, see the country listings posted on the New Zealand Automobile
Association's Website.)
Basically an IDP is a means by which police in a foreign
country can know — in terms of translations in nearly a dozen
different languages —
that your domestic driver's license is indeed recognized as being valid by
the proper authorities in your country. (See the
excellent article at
Drivers.com.)
The local office of your auto club (AA, AA, RAC, ADAC, etc.) sells IDPs for
about US$ 20. If you need an IDP, take
your license, two passport-sized photos and the requisite cash to the club office. (Though for about US$ 6 the
club may snap Polaroid photos for you.) If you
plan to operate a motorcycle, be sure to have the auto club certify your
qualification to do so.
Web searches will bring up a host of Websites selling documents that conform
to the model delineated in annex 10 of the United Nations Convention on Road
Traffic (1949); but according to Article 24 of that convention,
a truly valid IDP is one which is "issued .. by the competent authority of
another Contracting State or subdivision thereof, or by an association duly
empowered by such authority ...."
Good news: In the USA the standard domestic drivers licenses of foreign states
are, in connection with foreign tourists, considered equal to a standard USA
drivers license.
Therefore the foreign drivers license allows the holder to drive the same
range of vehicle types as does a USA license. This means, for instance,
that the 3500 kg permissible-weight constraint that applies to European
Union licenses in Europe is effectively raised in the USA to match the
USA standards, which are invariably so high that all the vehicles
represented on IdeaMerge's USA "Rates & Reservations" page may be driven
by a standard-European-drivers-licensed client.
(See en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Driver's_license and, say,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Driving_Licence_codes.)
breakdown
If a mechanical breakdown of the vehicle renders it inoperable
for the 12 consecutive working hours after the client initially informs the
vendor about the breakdown, the client will be reimbursed for (the greater
of) (a) the daily rental rate or (b) expenses for hotel rooms up to US$ 25 per
person per night and car rental up to US$ 50 per night per rental (to a
maximum of US$ 1500). Receipts, of course, are required in these respects.
The term breakdown as used above does not refer to a vehicle's
air conditioning, GPS navigation system, refrigerator, slide-out functionality, awning, radio,
TV/VCR/DVD, generator, and cruise control, among other functionalities not
essential to travel.
For maintenance and repairs exceeding US$ 50, the customer must call
the vendor to get authorization. Non-authorized repairs over US$ 50 will not
be reimbursed. Again, receipts must be presented for reimbursement to occur.
See our "Insurance, etc"
page for details concerning the included insurance.
restrictions
accident
In the event of an accident, the customer must obtain a local police
report as provided by the attending police officer investigating the accident.
An accident report form is supplied in the vehicle. The client should notify
the vendor about the accident as soon as possible. On said accident report form
the client should make a full, written report including the other
party's name, address, phone number and driver's license information. The client
should submit that form to the vendor upon returning the vehicle. All documents
relating to the accident should include a police report number or other
pertinent identifying number. Insurance coverage may be void if these
measures are not performed.
parking tickets, etc.
Upon returning the vehicle the client should report and pay to the vendor
all parking/traffic/toll-road violations
(and the documentation thereof,
i.e. the ticket itself)
levied on the vehicle or driver
during the rental.
Per such violation unreported on that occasion, the vendor will levy upon
the client a US$ 100 administration fee — in addition to the fine
itself. The vendor takes these fines and charges and fees very seriously,
so you are advised to be forthcoming in this respect upon returning
the vehicle.
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