Terms & Conditions

Cleanliness and damage policy

At the start of rental you must inspect the vehicle to make sure that any pre-existing damage is noted and shown in the Rental Agreement – “Vehicle Condition – Damage Report”.

Animals are not permitted in any of our vehicles. You will incur an additional charge for any damage caused by animals, or any special cleaning required as a result of shedding, soiling or accidents.

You and any authorised driver must not smoke in the vehicle and you must prevent any passenger from doing so.

Food and drink is not permitted in the vehicle with the exception of water.

At the end of rental you must return the vehicle:

  • In the same condition it was in at the start of rental, fair wear and tear excepted
  • In a reasonable state of cleanliness, and;
  • with a full tank of fuel

Cleaning standards and associated costs we define as follows:

Acceptable no charge

  • Minimal amounts of trash
  • Small amounts of crumbs, sand, grass, or dirt on floor mats that can be easily shaken off or vacuumed out
  • Small marks that can be cleaned off easily by hand

Moderate cleaning up to $95

  • Car exterior is returned significantly dirtier than it was received (e.g. dirt or mud on car panels or underbody, wheels, or windows)
  • Floor mats or upholstery are returned significantly* dirtier than they were received (e.g. requires more than a shake-out or light vacuum to be restored to original condition)
  • Large amounts of food, dirt, or mud that cannot be shaken out and must be heavily vacuumed or chemically cleaned to remove
  • Light stains or residue on hard surfaces (e.g. liquid spills or sticky substances)

Heavy cleaning up to $500

  • Major stains or residue on seat fabric or other hard to clean surfaces
  • Stains on car exterior as result from leaf matter, bird excrement that require paintwork to be polished or roof cover to be chemically cleaned
  • Situations in which the vehicle would require steam cleaning or a full detail
  • Smoke scent removal and physical remnants of smoking (e.g. ash, cigarette butts) or removal of any offensive smell that requires deodorizing. If there is damage to the vehicle (e.g. a burn mark) the cost of rectification of the material will be charged to you as damage.

Damage standards

Damages with no charge

  • Minimum damages from normal wear and tear that do not require to be fixed such as lower body panel stone chips or scuffs to body panels that can be polished out
  • Any damage such as scratches, or bumps less then 5mm in diameter and 2mm in depth
  • Minor chips to windscreens or wheels

Damages that wil be charged

  • Any damage such as scratches, or bumps in excess of 5mm in diameter or 2mm in depth.
  • Any cuts, tears, or stains in the car interior or convertible roof
  • Cracks or multiple chips to windscreens
  • Any wheel scuff or chips in excess of 5mm
  • Repair or replacement of tyres due to puncture, tear, or excessive use, or braking causing tyre tread scrub, or bald patches
  • You will be held liable for any unathorised repair

Tips to avoid car hire cleaning fees

  • Empty the car the day before returning so you can clean any obvious marks/soil/sand, etc.
  • Sweep or shake out any sand, dirt or grass from footwells, and boot where possible – vacuum if possible
  • Don’t park under trees if possible (leaf matter stains and bird excrement)
  • Wipe with clean sponge and water any obvious dirt/bird excrement marks from bodywork/windows, be careful not to scratch paintwork. If in doubt just rinse with water and point out the stain to APV staff on return so it can be professionally treated. If you have used best measures to rinse stains off body work then this will viewed favorably by APV staff and minimize cleaning fees (or most cases may in fact be waivered)
  • Remove as much sand from beach or dirt from shoes as possible before getting in car
  • Do not eat or drink in the car
  • Have the car hand car washed before returning/roadside car wash

Can I put a rental car through a car wash?

Yes you can if the vehicle gets excessively dirty however any damage caused would be your responsibility. If you do need to get the car washed before you return it, we’d recommend a road side hand car wash, a quick shampoo and vacuum should be more than enough, no need for a full car detail. This will likely cost less than $20.00 and be significantly cheaper than the rental agreement cleaning fees.

What if I return my rental car dirty?

If the car is considered excessively dirty, either inside or out you’ll likely find yourself on the receiving end of a cleaning fee. Whilst this can sometimes be subjective we have provided guidelines of what we consider acceptable or excessive states of cleanliness. We recommend you take photos of the car inside and out for reference and resolve any issues at the time of return with one of our staff so there is no dispute later on.

Booking & cancellation policy

Prior to collection of your rental vehicle you will need to present a current driver’s license and a valid credit card for the security bond. If you have questions about your form of payment, please call Australian Prestige Vehicles.

Changes to reservations

  • We will allow you to make changes to a reservation only by agreement in writing after calling and speaking with one of our booking agents.
  • No modification administration fee will be made for changes made 21 days prior to your rental pick up date. Australian Prestige Vehicles reserves the right to charge an administration fee for any changes made within 21 days of the rental start time and date.
  • Any change made to a booking will be recalculated based on the availability and prices at the time the change is made. This may be greater or lesser than the price originally booked. This applies to changes made to:
    • Vehicle type
    • Nominated driver
    • Pick up date and time
    • Delivery location
    • Pick up or return location
    • Any other additional products or services
  • You cannot transfer the hire/booking customer name on a booking. If you wish to change the name of the hirer/booking customer then you must cancel your reservation and make a new reservation (see terms and conditions for Cancellations).

Cancellation

If you wish to cancel your reservation for any reason you must call Australian Prestige Vehicles to discuss and confirm. You will receive follow up confirmation, and acknowledgment in writing of your cancellation, and any charges if applicable. Cancellation is not valid by any other method.

If you cancel your reservation within 7 days of the date of the Reservation Confirmation a full refund will be made to you.

If you cancel your reservation after the 7 day period from date of Reservation Confirmation we will charge a Cancellation Fee of AUD$75 including GST (to cover our administration costs).

If you cancel your reservation within 72 hours of the rental hire start date a 100% cancellation fee applies of the total rental amount.

If you cancel your reservation within 21 days of the rental hire start date a 50% cancellation fee applies of the total rental amount.

If you cancel your reservation within 22 days or more of the rental hire start date a 25% cancellation fee applies of the total rental amount.

Refunds will be paid to the method of payment made by you for the booking. Eg. If you paid by credit card the refund will be paid back to your credit card. If you paid by EFT the refund will be paid back to your nominated bank account. Please allow up to 10 days for processing of your refund.

No show – lost rental

If you fail to cancel your reservation prior to the pick up time and do not collect the vehicle on the pick up date, or if you fail to comply with the pick up terms (see below), we will charge a No Show/Lost Rental Fee of AUD $150 including GST which recovers our administration costs, and compensates us for our inability to rent the vehicle when it was reserved for your use. For bookings made to rent in Australia, we will refund your prepayment in full and the No Show Fee will be charged to your preferred method of payment within 14 days from pick up/no show date.

Changes at time of pick up

If at the time of vehicle collection you wish to upgrade the vehicle or extend for a longer rental period, you may do so, subject to availability, on payment of additional charges. Such charges or difference in cost will be at the current published rate at the time of pick up.

Early return

Please note that we are unable to give a refund if you return the vehicle early.