Important Things to Know Before Signing Off For Your Rental Car

Before you sign the contract and drive away with your rental car, you need to make sure you really know what you have agreed to by signing that agreement. If something were to go wrong while you had the rental car, who would be responsible? How much are you really going to be charged when you return it? What happens if the car gets scratched while you are driving it? You need to consider each of these questions before signing a rental car agreement.

Rental Cars and Insurance

One of the first things you will be asked when you head to the check out counter to pick up your rental car keys is whether or not you want to purchase the rental agency's insurance policy. Do not say no without thinking first. If something were to happen to your rental car, would you be responsible for the damages? Without insurance, you would.

However, this does not mean that you need the rental car company's insurance policy. Do you have car insurance on your own vehicle? If so, find out what your current car insurance company covers on rental cars. You may have full coverage on rental cars with your current insurance provider.

Are you paying via credit card? If so, check with your credit card company. Many of them automatically put rental car insurance on the cars that are rented using their cards.

If you do not have insurance with either of these sources, then you need to consider buying it. Also, keep in mind that you will not only pay for the damages to the rental car if you are in an accident. You will also have to pay for the lost time on that car. If it takes three days to fix the car, you will pay for three days of rental on that car, since the rental car company cannot make money during that time frame.

Keep in mind that the damage to a rental car does not have to occur in an accident. If the car is scratched, you could be charged. Be sure to inspect the car thoroughly before driving it off of the rental car lot. Have any damages that you notice noted on your contract.

Hidden Fees and Charges

You may think that you know how much the rental car will cost when all is said and done, but you likely will be surprised when you get your final bill due to additional fees and charges. Of course, you will have to pay taxes on your rental car. Be sure you plan for this when budgeting for a rental car.

You may also be charged for gas. Some rental car companies charge a flat fee for gas and instruct their renters to return the car close to empty. Others will not charge the gas fee if the car is returned full. If you can fill the car up yourself, do so, because the rate the rental car company is going to charge for gas will be more than the gas station down the street.

If a driver on the contract is under 25 years old, expect to pay an additional fee, if the rental car company will even allow this driver to drive the car. Also, adding additional drivers to the agreement will cost extra. Finally, be sure to inquire about late fees, and turn the car in on time unless you absolutely cannot do so.

Renting a car seems like it should be an easy task, but there are many considerations that you need to make before signing the contract. Make sure that you know exactly what you are agreeing to do, and follow through with your end of the contract. This will protect you from unexpected and expensive fees when you return the car.

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Car Rental Cape Town

Find Addo B&B Accommodation and Addo Guest House Accommodation Easily

Addo is in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa and world renown for its elephant attraction. To have an amazing and awe inspiring time, find your guest house accommodation or Addo B&B accommodation in a perfect setting. You will learn that the Eastern Cape is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in the world.

It is attractive in that it is malaria free and offers an abundance of animal viewing of elephants, Rhinos, buffaloes, Lions and Leopards. You will also be able to experience and witness both whales and sharks - a truly remarkable opportunity. The climate is quite moderate all year around, so a great holiday destination. The sea in the Eastern Cape is also relatively warm, making it an absolutely ideal choice - Wildlife, sea life, moderate temperature, super sea and friendly people.

The area offers truly South African hospitality and culture. You will certainly get a feel for the country and its vibe by acquainting yourself with this part of the land. Your guest house/ Addo B&B accommodation hosts are also passionate about the Eastern Cape and will be able to refer you to the ideal local hot spots - including having an elephant ride nearby.

It is quite a tropical area, so fruit - particularly citrus will be in abundance - just like every thing else good. Great food, really quality and affordable accommodation. Your accommodation establishments will ensure you have adequate privacy along with tending to your hospitality needs. Add to your life experience by taking in this special opportunities offered.

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Addo Accommodation

Experience Cape Town

Undoubtedly one of the most spectacular cities in the world and a regular on any list of ‘top tourist attractions’, but why? ‘Tired of London, Tired of life’ goes the expression - well the same applies to Cape Town.

A gourmets delight. Fresh seafood & international cuisine with a decidedly South African twist, and a huge range of eateries ranging from cheap & funky to award-winning fine-dining. Great value too – anything from £7 per person !

Think of South Africa and I am sure wine comes to mind at some point. Home to the very full-bodied Pinotage grape variety and some other great wines, ports and brandies.

If you are in town at the right time why not try and get a ticket for a Curry Cup or Tri-Nations rugby match at Newlands or any game at the Newlands cricket ground, surely the most scenic test ground in the world.

Table Mountain is so much more than just a flat-topped mountain. You can climb it, fly over it, walk up it, abseil down it, have breakfast on it, get married on it or just look at it.

On the coast, amongst vineyards, in the mountains – the Cape’s 70 golf courses offer spectacular golf. Can your golf match it do you think?

Come face to face with one of the most feared predators on the planet and dive (in a cage) with the Great White Sharks.Hit the beach in Camps Bay, Clifton, Hout Bay or Blouberg.

The beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and Groot Constantia Estate are lovely days out. Take a picnic and sit amongst the vines or gardens and take in the beauty.

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Car Hire Cape Town

Online Shopping Tips

{mosimage}Selection and convenience are two of the primary reasons for shopping online. Why should I get dressed, get in my car, drive through the traffic, and struggle to find a parking place to get to a brick and mortar store that may or may not have the item I want? Instead, I can sit in comfortably in my own home, in my robe and furry slippers and purchase the item I need online and arrange for overnight delivery.

Well, it really isn't as cut and dried as I've described. There are definite advantages and disadvantages to online shopping. For instance, if I really want to purchase a gift for the birthday party that I'll be attending later today, I'd better warm up my car. Even with express service, there is no “instant” delivery. While the Internet can give you more information about a product than you'd get in a store, sometimes that information just isn't enough. For example, I can read that the new perfume is a combination of gardenia, freesia and sandalwood with a delicate top note of vanilla, but nothing can substitute for actually smelling the fragrance.

Is Online Shopping Really Safe?
The first question that I am often asked about online shopping is this: "Is it really safe to use your credit card online?" The answer is that it is often safer to use your credit card online than paying for dinner by giving your card to a waiter or waitress who disappears for a given period. However, there are ways to confirm that you are protected when shopping online.

Shop Only at Secure Sites
Always make sure that you shop only at secure sites. Before you provide a credit card number or personal information, make sure the site has been authenticated as a secure site. Sometimes, you may click from one site to another and may wonder whether the current site is really secure. There is an easy way to tell. The address of the secure page will begin with "https" instead of "http". The extra "s" stands for "secure." At the lower left-hand corner or bottom-middle of your screen depending on your browser, you will also see an icon in the form of an unbroken key or a closed padlock. Both of these represent secure sites using SSL or Secure Socket Layering, which is a particularly reliable encryption process that scrambles credit card information once it is entered and before it is transferred. Remember, the entire site does not have to be secure, but you should see the https and the lock or unbroken key on the page requesting your shipping and credit card information.

Use Reputable Companies
Be sure to shop with reputable companies. Because credit card fraud takes a bite out of their bottom line, most reputable companies have devoted a great deal of effort to ensure that your personal information is safeguarded and that your transactions are secure. Always read the security information as well as the refund, restocking and return policies of the company even if they are a well-known business.

Remember that anyone can set up an Internet site. If you are unfamiliar with this particular company, see if they have a toll-free telephone number that you can use. Ask friends and neighbors for feedback about the company, and place a few small orders with them before you make a large purchase. Always remember to look for a valid physical address and/or telephone number for the company that you will be dealing with.

Return Policy
When shopping online the return policy can be very important. Can you return the product if you don’t like it? Is there a restocking fee? Will the company pay return postage if the product arrives damaged? If the Web site also has a brick and mortar store can you return the product there?

Pay by Credit Card
If you pay online by credit card, the Fair Credit Billing Act will protect your transaction. Under this legislation, consumers have the right to dispute certain charges and temporarily withhold payment; generally customers are held liable for only the first $50 worth of unauthorized credit card charges. The type credit card used can also make a difference. Some cards provide supplemental warranties or other purchase-protection benefits.

Keep Good Records
Always print a copy of all your purchase orders and confirmation numbers. If the company sends an e-mail confirmation of your transaction, be sure to read the fine print on the e-mail. Also promptly check your monthly bank and credit card statements. Reconcile these statements with the records of your transactions to make sure that any billing errors or unauthorized purchases are reported within the required timeframe.

Sandy's Favorite Shopping Spots
With my busy schedule, I do a lot of my shopping online. HSN.com is one of my perennial favorites for jewelry and household items. You can watch the television presentations right on your computer and get a lot of information about the products before you make your purchase. HSN is very large. They use their purchasing power to negotiate good prices and often use value-added items to entice you to buy. For instance, I saw a printer on HSN selling for the same price as Best Buy, but on HSN the printer also came with paper and software making the value-ad more than offset the shipping charges.

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Life Insurance South Africa

Home Value Calculator - Ideal Way To Know Your Property's Worth

Are you planning to buy a new home? Or is it necessary for you to sell off your old home? No matter what you are doing, in both the cases one thing can help you save a lot of money. That is using a home value calculator which can be found free in the online sites. However, even if you are interested in getting a home value calculator, still you might not be able to use it since you have very little idea of where to get it. This is where this article will come to your help.

Those of you who are planning to sell their homes, it is absolutely necessary for them to know the real worth of their property in the real estate market. Otherwise you may not get the real value of your house. It often happens that many of us make the mistake of listing our house for sale without even knowing its real value. It is always necessary that when you are listing your house for sale, to price it a bit less than the market value. This is because it will help you have the much needed buyers and will also help you get many offer. To know the real value of your house, you should use the free online home value calculator. For these you can go to the sites having these calculators. These sites are easy to use and within few seconds, based on the historical sale data, you would get to know the real worth of your home. For knowing it all you have to do is to give your address and some other information about your home.

You can also use the method of going to a realtor and asking them to give you an appraisal. You would get it free from these agents and once you know the real value of your home, then you should go to any of the sites having the home value calculator and use it to get the real amount. Then while listing keep the price less than one or two percent. This will act as magic and your house will be sold quickly.

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Cape Town Rental Accommodation

Cape Town’s Hidden Hotspots

Most tourists on Cape Town holidays will visit the city’s major sights, which are indeed well worth seeing. But beyond Table Mountain, the V&A Waterfront and Cape Point, lie a host of fantastic and interesting places that only the locals tend to know about. Here are some of the city’s best kept secrets…

The Old Biscuit Mill: Organic Market

Each Saturday morning, Capetonians flock to an industrial warehouse in the small suburb of Salt River just outside the city centre. Salt River is not an area that tourists are likely to visit, lying just below the world renowned District Six area. But they’re missing out on one of the most fashionable affairs of the week. If you find yourself near the city centre one Saturday morning while on a Cape Town holiday, you should pay a visit to the Old Biscuit Mill. Go hungry, for an array of delicious organic food awaits you.

Situated in an old warehouse, seating is a problem and goes fast, so it’s best to get there as early as possible. You can order an organic pizza made in front of your eyes, with rocket, mozzarella and fresh tomatoes forming the base. And bold as the statement may be, it will probably be the best pizza you have ever had! Homemade cocktails and interesting live music complete the scene, where you can sit on a bale of hay, munching away happily in the bright sunshine. And bring an empty bag, because you’re unlikely to be able to resist buying a treat or two for the road.

Kalk Bay: A Fisherman’s Corner

One of the most pleasant ways to spend a day on a tailor made holiday in Cape Town, is to take a drive along the False Bay coast and visit Kalk Bay. A sleepy fishing town about 45 minutes outside the city centre, you can spend a good few hours wandering around this little village. You can enjoy lunch at a seaside restaurant, where fresh seafood straight from the ocean can be munched under the hot sun.

After a scrumptious lunch, you can peruse the many quaint antique shops lining the main road. And once you’ve satisfied your curiosity, you can make your way to the ice cream parlour where home made ice cream of all flavours will top off a fantastic summer afternoon.

Mzoli’s Street Café
Some of the most culturally rich and vibrant areas of Cape Town are in the townships. Of course, you need to know where you are going and seek advice before setting off into one of these areas, but provided you are cautious, a great day out can be had. Mzoli’s lies on the outskirts of Gugulethu, offering a street side barbecue, bar and dance club all rolled into one. Most vibrant on a Sunday afternoon, it is well worth a lunch time visit. The set up is quite simple. You pick a roadside table, go to the butcher, buy whatever meat you want, and take it to the man who will barbecue if for you. The next step is to pop over to the shebeen across the road, where you can buy a six-pack of beer for next-to-nothing, and you’ll be set for the afternoon. With a DJ to set the mood of the day, you can enjoy your barbecued meat and bottles of beer at tables on the pavement, while locals dance in the street around you.

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Car Hire in Cape Town

Watch out for sneaky online shopping scams

(Natural News) After over a decade of complaints to Better Business Bureaus and state Attorney Generals (AGs), a Senate Commerce Committee finished a full scale investigation of "questionable business practices" in e-commerce this past November.

The Committee exposed devious methods the third party marketing groups of Affinion, Vertrue, and Webloyalty use with online ordering sites to get your credit card information for their own revenue. Those three companies have represented high profile businesses. A few examples are: Barnes and Noble, Orbitz, 1-800-Flowers, Continental Airlines, and US Airways, among others.

You may think those reputable companies were conned. But after questioning over a dozen of the retail partners associated with them and reviewing emails between the retailers and those marketing groups, it was discovered that the retailers knew exactly what was going on. After all, those three marketing groups were offering kickbacks from their revenue as part of the deal.

Not all retailers went along with this. After receiving so many complaints from customers who had been duped, a few other companies withdrew their partnerships from the marketing groups.

How They Do It
If you go online to order from a retailer of your choice that happens to be a partner with one of those three marketing groups, pop-ups or confusing messages appear before finishing the order. It could be a cash back offer for leaving your email address, or confusing yes and no buttons that can lead you into unfamiliar territory.

These confusing displays lead unsuspecting online purchasers into unknowingly becoming paying members of the third party's "buying club". If not canceled within a short time, the third party marketing group bills you up to $20 a month on the same credit card used for your legitimate online purchase. Some of those who had complained were billed for months before they knew what was happening.

It appears this investigation may lead to positive action against these scams. Until then, be on the lookout for confusing end-of-purchase arrangements online.

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Internet Shopping