Frequently Asked Questions
Have any questions?
Yes, unless you operate an Approved Trading Account with us you must pay with your credit card.
We only accept Visa, MasterCard or AMX card for payment. The Credit Card owner must be present in person at the time of pick up with their physical Credit Card and photo I.D. The maximum amount we charge online or by phone to secure your reservation is $100. Visa and MasterCard ‘Debit Cards’ may require a deposit and are only accepted for certain vehicles, enquire for details.
Full payment is required before we will release the vehicle.
There are NO credit card surcharges.
We Do Not Accept any of the following – Credit Cards on Smart Phones or devices, Savings &/or CHQ account cards, Cash, Cheque, Load &Go cards, Visa/MasterCard pre-paid or gift cards of any type, or any card that does not have an individual person’s name printed on it including any organisation’s card without an individual’s name printed on it.
No. The hirer must be present with their own credit card.
We don’t accept cash and we only accept VISA/MCA Debit cards to hire certain vehicles at certain times. It is easier to pay with your Credit Card. Contact us to enquire about using a VISA/MCA Debit Card. A deposit will be required and conditions apply.
Payment is made in full at the time of pickup for the advised rental period. Credit Card details are required to confirm your booking online however these details can be changed upon arrival. The Credit Card holder must be present at time of pick up. If this is not possible please contact us to discuss your individual needs. In some instances we may contact you for a holding deposit to secure your reservation.
The minimum rental period is 24 hours. Yes you can extend your rental if the vehicle is available. Hire extensions are subject to availability and additional hire fee’s.
No. We have a no refund policy on a pre-paid rental.
We recognise all current non-provisional Australian and current overseas licenses. The required driver’s license must be in English with photo and produced at the commencement of the rental. Should the license be in another language an International Driving Permit must accompany it.
No ‘Red’ ‘P’s are accepted however under certain circumstances Green ‘P’s are accepted with an additional fee. Contact us for details. We must sight and record the details of every driver. There are no additional costs for additional drivers.
Any cancellations made with at least 72 hours’ notice won’t incur a cancellation fee. We’ll keep your reserved vehicle for up to 1 hour past the booking time stated on your confirmation or until closing time, whichever comes first.
If you cancel your reservation without giving us the required notice, arrive more than 1 hour late, fail to show up, or arrive after we’ve closed, you’ll forfeit any deposit and be charged an additional amount equal to 50% of the booking value to the credit card provided. If no deposit was paid, we’ll charge 50% of the booking value to your credit card as the cancellation fee.
Please note: Bookings made for Lovedale Weekend require full payment upfront, and a refund will only be issued if the entire event is cancelled. No refunds will be provided for any other reasons.
We adhere to a strict no-refund policy for early returns of prepaid rentals.
It is your responsibility to be aware of the current regulations relating to your class of driving license. If you hire a heavy vehicle from us with a GVM greater than 8 tonnes, you are required to enter a heavy vehicle checking station (when sign-posted open). You only need to complete your Drivers Diary if you hire a 21 or 25 seat bus from us and intend to drive more than 100klms. Drivers who fail to stop or complete their Diary face heavy penalties. This info is intended as a guide only and was correct at June 2013. We recommend you go to www.rta.nsw.gov.au for current information.
Yes, every vehicle is fitted with a tracker so that we know where our vehicle is at all times.
The minimum driver age is 21 years. Drivers aged between 21 and 24 years pay an additional daily surcharge, enquire for details. You must be 25 years to hire some vehicles.
Vehicles are to be returned to the same location unless agreed to otherwise in writting by Newcastle Car & Truck Rental; fees may apply.
Yes, we do hire baby and booster seats at a competitive rate.
All vehicles are subject to availability. This means that we can’t guarantee the make, model or colour of the vehicle as we often have varying models within the same category. Just make sure you ask our friendly counter staff at the time of collection and we’ll see what we can do for you but unfortunately we cannot guarantee make, model or colour.
The average age of our cars is 2 years and 4 years for trucks, buses and 4WD’s.
We employ the services of the team of experienced fully qualified A-Grade mechanics at GSR Autotek Fleet Servicing who regularly service our vehicles every 10,000 klms. We also check the vehicle before each hire.
Our vehicles are all locally owned and serviced every 10,000 klms by our own A grade mechanics and meticulously checked by us before each hire however even the most ‘loved and cared for’ vehicle could fail, so should you be inconvenienced we apologise. Staff are not contactable after hours however all our vehicles are covered by NRMA Roadside Assistance, 24/7, Australia wide. Your vehicle is unlikely to fail because we take all possible care however if it does NRMA will try to repair the vehicle on the spot. If not possible a tow will be arranged to the nearest NRMA repairer. You will be transported with the vehicle if possible or alternate transport to the nearest facilities will be arranged if available at Your location but we can’t guarantee either. If you travel out of the Newcastle area or into a regional or isolated area you accept that you will be beyond our reach and subject the available resources at Your location. A replacement vehicle is subject to availability and is not available if you have travelled out of Newcastle therefore you would have to wait for repairs to be completed or make other arrangements to complete your journey. We offer to hire you the vehicle having disclosed the conditions regarding breakdown/accident assistance and you hire the vehicle having accepted them. The cost of any consumables or services supplied to you such as fuel or locksmith services that are not related to vehicle failure are at your own expense i.e. if you run out of fuel, battery is flat due to lights left on, keys locked in the vehicle or lost, vehicle is bogged etc.
Automatic Toll Road cover applies to every hire – you cannot opt-out. You are automatically charged the cost of the toll plus a service fee of $2.20 for each and every toll incurred. For more information see our Tolls page.
Yes. It is your responsibility to pay all road/traffic and/or parking infringements whilst you are using our vehicle. All infringement Notice’s for traffic or parking fines that we process on your behalf will attract a $30 administration fee per infringement regardless of the reason or fault.