What to do when your rental car gets stolen
We live in a beautiful country, however, one of the sad realities is a high unemployment rate that leads to a high crime rate in order for people to survive. Before you rent a car in Johannesburg, make sure that you are aware of what to do if it is stolen or damaged.
Before you even pick up the keys for the rental car, call your insurance company and ask them what kind of cover they can provide you with when you hire a car in Johannesburg. If they do not cover you comprehensively, then it is best to take the most comprehensive insurance offered by the car rental company.
When you are in the unfortunate situation of your rental car being stolen, the first thing you need to do is phone the police and provide them with all the information that you can. The second number you phone is the car rental company and inform them of the incident. Remember that the sooner you report the incident, the bigger the chance that the car will be recovered successfully.
If other items like your ID, driver’s licence, bank cards and cell phone have been stolen as well, phone the relevant parties and cancel your cards, cell phone contracts etc. It is also important to report your stolen ID and driver’s licence at the police station in order to apply for new ones.
The car rental company can hold you accountable for the damages in cases where it can be proven that the rental car was stolen due to negligence on your side and/or if the car was not sufficiently insured to cover the incident. Therefore, it is important to ensure that you are sufficiently insured and that you keep in touch with the car rental company with regards to the case.
Prevention is always better than a cure; here are some precautions you can take to minimise the risk of your rental car being stolen in Johannesburg.
- Ensure that you lock the car and close all the windows when you park somewhere.
- Do not leave any valuables in plain sight.
- Only park in safe areas with sufficient and visible security.
- Keep a safe following distance while driving, this will make a quick getaway in case of an attempted hijacking easier.
- Always be aware of what is going on around you – if you have a feeling that something is not right, listen to that feeling and rather go somewhere else.
At Pace Car Rentals we specialise in affordable long term car rentals – get in contact with us today if you are looking for a comprehensively insured car rental in Johannesburg that you can afford.
Call us on 011 262 5500 or send your enquiries to info@pacecarrental.co.za.