Here you’ll find the most common questions asked by Redspot Car Rentals renters. The answers may not apply in all circumstances, but they do give you a general heads up about how things work around here.
(PS: our legal guys want you to know that what’s found in the Rental Agreement will always take precedence over what’s covered in our FAQ’s.)
It doesn’t matter how new or old a car is, breakdowns happen and you need to be prepared for when they do. When you rent from Redspot Car Rentals you automatically receive 24-hour roadside assistance for any mechanical faults that may occur for the duration of the rental period. The details of who to contact are on the car key tag. If you’d rather be covered for everything from lost keys to punctured tyres and running out of fuel, you can pre-pay for our Premium roadside assistance. It’s a small daily fee for complete peace of mind. Refer to our table of standard fees and charges for more information. The most common causes of vehicle breakdowns, what the symptoms are, and what you should do if they happen to you can be read here.
Tell us about it as soon as possible, definitely within 24 hours.
Our cars are covered by 24-hour Roadside Assistance. The details of who to contact are on the car key tag.
Our cars come with a spare tyre and we ask that you change the tyre yourself (vehicle manual in the glove box). If you need to use our Roadside Assistance service, the call-out fee will be passed on to you. Or you can pre-pay for our Premium Roadside Assistance package, at a minimal daily fee. Refer to the table of standard fees and charges for more info.
Call 1300 668 810 and we’ll give you the number to call for Roadside Assistance. Note that you aren’t automatically covered for non-mechanical defects like keys locked in the car, lost keys, flat battery due to lights being left on and so on. If this situation happens, we ask that you pay the call-out fee and $24 for admin.
If you lose the keys, we’ll of course provide a replacement key. Delivery time depends on location and a fee will be charged.
Or you can pre-pay for our Premium Roadside Assistance package, at a minimal daily fee. Refer to the table of standard fees and charges for more info.
Yes, but to be covered by insurance they must present their driver’s licence to us and be included in your Rental Agreement (before driving the car!).
Not if you’re renting on our all-inclusive rates. A surcharge applies on certain rates, and a higher surcharge applies if the additional driver is younger than 25. Call 1300 668 810 (+61 2 8303 2222 international) or review the table of standard fees and charges.
We provide baby, child and booster seats for a small daily fee. For liability reasons, our staff are not allowed to install child or baby seats in a car. Instructions for installing child seats and capsules will be supplied by our staff.
Unsure about which size seat is best for your child? Have a read of our child seat safety tips.
Yes, we can usually deliver to city hotels. A charge may apply so please just ask when you next make a booking. Please be aware that certain conditions apply, and this service is subject to peak seasons and staff availability on the time of day you need the car.
Typically at airports we will hold the vehicle from being re-rented for up to 2 hours, and up to 3 hours in downtown and regional areas. If you have arriving flight details in your airport reservation we will track any delays and update your booking accordingly. Same goes if you have contact information, we will attempt to call you before reassigning the vehicle again, just in case your arriving time has suddenly changed.
Your car will be full of fuel when you collect it. When you return the car, it’s up to you if you want to refuel or not:
As petrol prices fluctuate daily, we can’t give you a definite cost. What we can say is that it depends on the refuel option you’ve selected (see above FAQ) and the retail cost of fuel in the city the car is returned to.
If you have questions that we haven’t been able to answer for you in our FAQs, here’s how to reach us:
Credit/charge card and/or purchase order or pre-paid voucher. You’ll also need your driver’s licence and the driver’s licences of anyone wishing to drive. If your driver’s licence does not display a current home address, you will also need to supply identification that shows this, i.e. a utilities bill, etc. If you are an overseas driver’s licence holder, have a read of our article that discusses the requirement with international licences.
Rental charges are payable when you collect the car. If using a credit card for payment, we’ll charge the rental and pre-authorise it for the security bond.
Please ensure your card has at least $200 funds available in addition to the rental cost. (Note that we don’t deduct this amount from your card.) If you have prepaid your rental to a travel agent or on a website (including ours) please show us proof of payment with you when collecting your car.
If you have a burning desire for a particular car colour please let us know at the counter. If we have your preference available, it’s yours.
If there’s a particular car you want please let us know when booking. If we have your preference in our fleet and it’s available on the day, it’s yours.
No, the credit card must be under the same name as the main driver of the vehicle. However, if the the credit card holder is willing to sign the rental contract, and become the legal hirer of the vehicle, you can then easily be added as an additional driver to the agreement.
No, you will need a credit card for the rental cost and security bond.
Sorry, no. Please keep seats where they are in all vehicles from our fleet.
It’s a surcharge to cover our vehicle registration and compulsory third party insurance costs. This fee is generally snuck in as a hidden cost by our competitors but with us, it’s part of our all-inclusive rate quoted up front.
It’s a surcharge for those rentals collected from airport and certain downtown locations. This fee is generally snuck in as a hidden cost by our competitors but with us, it’s part of our all-inclusive rate quoted up front.
We make every attempt to recover and return items left behind, but accept no obligation or responsibility. Any costs incurred are the renter’s responsibility. If you believe you have left something behind, submit a Lost Item Report and someone from our branch will get in contact with you.
Items found in vehicles will be held for no more than 4 weeks if no arrangements are able to be made with hirer.
The minimum age is 21. Note that drivers younger than 25 are required to pay a surcharge and can only rent out small to medium sized sedans and hatchbacks. For more information have a read of our article about young drivers and hiring a car.
It’s all explained on our Damage Cover Options Page.
If you choose not to purchase any liability reduction options, this makes you liable for the full cost of the liability that applies to your rental in the event of an accident or damage to the car.
Yes, some credit card providers do offer protection if you present their card at the time of rental. If unsure please look closely at the terms of this coverage, protection is often supplemental and certain limitations or restrictions may apply.
In the event of an accident or damage to the car you are liable for the damage liability shown on your Rental Agreement (even if you have credit card cover). You’ll need to claim this back from the credit card provider yourself to be reimbursed.
Yes. We understand that things do happen, and sometimes you will need to cut your trip early. In these cases we will refund the remaining unused credit back to your charge card. The only exception to this rule, is if you have prepaid using a 3rd party tour operator of which you would need to contact the booking provider, or have booked as part of a discounted rate prepaid offer with an agreed no-refund policy.
If a car is available we’re happy to extend your rental (and yes it may change your rate). Simply contact the location where the car was rented to arrange, or call 1300 668 810 (+61 2 8303 2222 international) to find out more.
Rentals are charged on a 24-hour basis. A 59-minute grace period applies to most rentals, after which additional hours or days will be charged.
It’s a pre-authorisation on your credit card for a bond we use as security against further charges while you’re renting with us. Read more about security bonds.
Yes. There are toll roads in many cities. They’re all clearly signed and are operated by a number of organisations including State Government and private companies.
If you happen to drive through a toll road you will be charged the applicable fee the toll road charges and a Redspot administration processing fee of $1.43 p/toll charge. This can take up to 4 weeks depending on the toll road operator. You also have the option to pre-pay your toll charges by purchasing a Toll Pass Waiver at time of collection.
You may bring your own device, but if you do, you risk being charged twice.
If we receive a fine on your behalf we complete a statutory declaration and the fine is sent on to you at the address provided. We charge a $55 admin fee for this service (without notice) to the card provided at the time of rental. Unfortunately we can’t accept your payment for the fine, only the admin fee.
Vehicles can only be driven in Australia. The renter or authorised driver must only use the rental vehicle on a road which is properly formed and constructed as a sealed, metalled or gravel road.
• On beaches, through streams, rivers or flood waters;
• On fire trails;
• In the snow;
• To enter in to, or leave, the Northern Territory, Western Australia or Tasmania;
• Or Outside the Permitted Area of Use, listed below.
– The Old Telegraph Track section of the road to Cape York,
– Boggy Hole (Finke Gorge National Park);
– the Old South Road from Maryvale to Finke;
– Fraser Island at any time;
– The Bloomfield Track north of Cape Tribulation
– Beyond Cooktown to the north or Lakeland to the west
– On Highway No.27 beyond Chillagoe in a westerly direction
– On Highway No.1 beyond Normanton in a southerly direction and no further north than Karumba
– The road to Jim Jim Gorge and Twin Falls
– North of the Oodnadatta Track, including Mount Dare, Dalhousie Springs, Witjira National Park and Pedirka Desert.
– Arnhem Road and Arnhem Land/Gove Peninsula in general.
– Vehicles hired from Perth branches, does not include travel further north or East than Exmouth; further east than Kalgoorlie-Boulder Township or further east than Esperance.
– Non-4WD vehicles hired from any other Western Australia location are not permitted to leave the local area without written consent from the hiring location.
– Cannot leave the state of Western Australia without written consent from the hiring location.
– Non-4WD vehicles hired from Karratha, Port Hedland or Kalgoorlie are not permitted to leave the local area without written consent from the hiring location.
– Vehicles hired from Adelaide cannot exceed north of Wilpena or west of Ceduna.
If unsure please email [email protected] or call 1300 668 810 (+61 2 8303 2222 international).
At most locations and most vehicles, the standard rates we offer include unlimited kilometre use. However we do have some known restrictions as follows:
Any additional kilometre use that exceeds the amounts is an additional charge. Specific restrictions do vary, but will be included at time of booking.