Terms of Service

Wisecars (collectively “we”, “our”, and “us”) is an international vehicle rental broker. These Terms of Service, together with our Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy, constitute our agreement with the user (collectively “you” and “your”) of the services we provide in mediating car rental. By using our website, you are declaring that you accept and understand all aspects of our Terms of Service and the Privacy Policy of our website. We may change these Terms of Service from time to time and you are advised to check the website to consider any changes to these Terms of Service which apply to you.

Wisecars does not own or operate any Car Rental Companies. The rental vehicle will be provided to you directly by our partnering Car Rental Companies in our capacity as acting agent. Your contract for car rental will be between you and the Car Rental Company. Your signature on any rental agreement is definite proof of the acceptance of the services and terms imposed by the Car Rental Company and to the respective laws of the country in which the rental will take place.

Both our Terms of Service and those of the Car Rental Companies we work with contain some exclusions and limitations of liability. If you do not agree with any part of them, you must not proceed with your booking. Please note that the car rental contract at the offered price will not be concluded until your booking has been confirmed and the necessary payment received. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

Wisecars is an online vehicle rental broker. Wisecars does not own any physical locations or offices.

Booking confirmation and voucher

The Wisecars voucher must be presented to the Car Rental Company when picking up your rental vehicle. Your voucher is normally issued 48 hours before the pick-up time. You can present the voucher either in a printed version or a digital form (such as from your smartphone). We cannot be held responsible for rentals rejected if a voucher or rental details are not presented.

Please read carefully the summary of the Car Rental Transaction detailed in the voucher. If you discover any discrepancies in the summary of the Car Rental Transaction contained in the voucher, please inform us of this as soon as possible.

Your rental agreement may require you to have mandatory local insurance, which results in additional charges at the time of rental. Please verify whether you have any transferable car rental insurance that you can prove with related documentation. If not, you will need to purchase the cover at the car rental company counter.

Car Rental Agreement

The Car Rental Transaction is subject to the terms of the Car Rental Agreement executed between you and the Car Rental Company at the time of the pick-up of the car. Please read carefully the terms of the Car Rental Agreement before signing it. Should you find any discrepancies between the summary of the Car Rental Transaction specified in the voucher and those specified in the Car Rental Agreement, you are requested to notify us of this as promptly as possible and before signing the Car Rental Agreement.

We recommend that you keep a copy of the Car Rental Agreement and any other document related to the Car Rental Transaction, including documents pertaining to the drop-off of the car, in case of a future inquiry related to the Car Rental Agreement signed by you.

Age limits for drivers

The policy relating to the age of the renter and any additional drivers and the minimum driving experience they hold is determined by the Car Rental Companies at their sole discretion, and according to the legal restrictions applicable in the relevant country. You must verify in advance that your age meets the renter’s age determined in the Car Rental Company’s policy.

In most locations, the minimum renting age is 21 years. Additional fees can apply with certain Car Rental Companies and in certain countries for drivers aged under 25 years or over 65 years. Minimum age requirements on larger cars may also be higher at some locations. In addition, most Car Rental Companies also require that the renter and any additional drivers have at least 12 months of driving experience.

Additional drivers

Only the main driver is allowed to drive the rental vehicle, but any number of additional drivers can be added to your booking. Fees may apply for additional drivers, payable at the car rental counter (unless specified otherwise on the Wisecars voucher). Please note that all additional drivers must also show a valid driving licence at pick-up.

Driving licence

Every driver must have a full, valid driving licence that they have held for at least 1 year (2 or more years required at certain locations; this will be confirmed during the booking process). Expired or provisional licences will not be accepted. When picking up the car, every driver must present their licence. Some Car Rental Companies in some rental countries may also require an International Driving Permit. All drivers must also keep their driving licence with them at all times throughout the rental, to present them to the local authorities, if necessary.

No refunds will be given if a Car Rental Company refuses to supply a car because of undisclosed endorsements or because you cannot provide a driving licence, its counterpart, or the required information about endorsements.

Fuel policies

As part of our commitment to provide competitive, honest, fair and transparent pricing, we at Wisecars aim to only work with partners offering you a fair fuel policy so you will get no unpleasant surprises with hidden extras. This option is available in most countries, however, always check the fuel policy of the Car Rental Company. A fair fuel policy means that you return the car with the same amount of fuel you picked it up with.

Full to Full policy

You are given the car with a full tank of fuel and asked to bring it back with a full tank of fuel. If you do not bring it back with a full tank, you may be charged a refuelling charge plus an inflated cost for the missing fuel.

Return as received policy

On collection, your rental car will have a certain amount of fuel, which will be marked on your Car Rental Agreement; return it with the same amount of fuel as you collected it with. Always check that the fuel level in the rental car’s tank is the same as on the Car Rental Agreement before you leave the rental station.

Pre-purchase policy

If you choose this option, you pay for the fuel at the pick-up time and return the car as empty as possible. This option comes in handy if you are in a rush on your return to the rental station as you will not have to worry about finding a petrol station on the way to drop off the car.

Please note, under no circumstances is the fuel included in the rental price. We recommend that upon pick-up of the car you shall check the fuel gauge to ensure that the condition of the fuel tank is consistent with that specified in the Car Rental Agreement.

Wisecars products

Coverages

When you rent a car, you will usually need deductible coverage. Please read the following to know what is included/excluded in our coverage offers. Should you decide to purchase coverage directly from the Car Rental Company, we recommend that you check before or upon picking up the car what are the exclusions to the coverage included in the Car Rental Transaction.

Car Rental Company coverages usually do not cover damages to the tires, car glass and undercarriage, neither costs for the loss of car keys. You can safeguard yourself against such extra expenses by purchasing one of our Deductible Protection Products before your rental begins. Please note, in most cases Car Rental Companies will reserve a security deposit even if you purchase one of our Deductible Protection products. If you extend your booking directly with the Car Rental Company, only the period booked with Wisecars is covered.

Deductible Protection

Wisecars Deductible Protection provides coverage for the additional fee charged by the car rental company in the event of damage or theft to the rented vehicle.

Deductible Protection covers up to USD 1000 of your deductible. Deductible Protection also covers damages that are usually excluded from Collision Damage Waiver which is offered by the Car Rental Companies.

Deductible Protection covers theft, vandalism, and damage to the vehicle, including:

• the car’s bodywork
• roof
• undercarriage
• windscreen and other glass
• mirrors
• wheels
• tires.

Exclusions of Deductible Protection products

Wisecars Deductible Protection products do not cover the following:

• taxi or other transportation fees;
• charges that are not related to damage repairs, such as any administration fee;
• costs for the repairs that are not approved by the Car Rental Company;
• personal belongings or valuables;
• costs for the damage to car locks;
• cleaning charges or costs for damage to the car’s interior (unless caused by a collision);
• costs for the damage to / loss of child seats, GPS devices or other extra equipment;
• road tolls, parking and traffic fines;
• out-of-hours charges;
• one-way rental charges;
• delivery charges;
• car theft if the keys are left in the vehicle or if due care and attention is not taken.
• any charges related to loss of use.

Claiming Deductible refund

Should your vehicle get damaged during your rental, you must notify Wisecars within 24 hours of the date on which the incident took place and no later than 48 hours after the rental period is completed. This information must be sent via email and give Wisecars the relevant details of the incident. Failure to comply with the correct procedure will result in your protection coverage becoming invalid.

To claim a refund, you will need to provide:

• your car’s pick-up and drop-off documents which clearly show the new damage subject to the charge by the Car Rental Company;
• photo evidence showing the damage to the car;
• proof of the repair costs from the Car Rental Company;
• evidence of payments deducted from your payment card by the Car Rental Company;
• the Car Rental Company’s accident report form;
• a police report, if applicable;
• your bank account details, including account holder's full name, the account number/IBAN, bank’s name and postal address, SWIFT code or any other coordinates necessary for international bank transfers (if you provide incorrect bank details, a fee of EUR 25 will be deducted from the compensation for each repeated bank transfer made before the correct bank details are received).

Damage claim investigation process takes up to 28 calendar days. If additional information is required, the process may be extended for another 28 calendar days. If no further information is required, your claim will be sent to our refunds department and the refund will be made within 28 calendar days.

Please note, it is your responsibility to provide all the above-mentioned documents. If you do not contact Wisecars and do not provide any documents or evidence within the time specified, the case will not be considered. Only when all documents are present and severe negligence can be excluded, a refund will be processed.

Please note, all Deductible Protection Products become invalid and no refund will be made when:

• damages/accidents occurred due to a violation of local traffic rules;
• any persons are found to be driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs, wilfully causing damage, off-road driving and driving in a careless and negligent manner;
• breach of the rental agreement occurs;
• any third party involved refuses the settlement of the claim.

In some cases, if you follow the Car Rental Company’s instructions and they determine that you are not responsible for the damage that occurred to the vehicle, the deductible fees might be returned to you directly by the Car Rental Company and you do not need to claim a refund from Wisecars.

Cancellation Protection

Usually, you can cancel your booking up to 48 or 24 hours before the pick-up. With Wisecars Cancellation Protection, the cancellation time frame will be extended to 2 hours before your pick-up time. Cancellation Protection can be purchased only at the time of booking and is not refundable.

Amendments and changes

Amendments can only be made up to 48 hours before the pick-up time.

No charge will be made for amending your booking before the start of your rental. This excludes any changes to the booking which result in the change of the price of the booking, such as changing the duration of the rental period or the rental car’s class, or the Car Rental Company changing its rates following the original booking. With certain Car Rental Companies, amending the driver’s name or the pick-up location may require cancelling and rebooking the rental. Please note, Terms and Conditions vary per Car Rental Company but these will be clearly communicated during the booking process.

The rental period can be extended by either arranging it with the Car Rental Company or making a new booking via Wisecars. Please note, making a new booking may result in the change of the Car Rental Company. The extension of the rental period and a delayed return of the vehicle will be calculated and charged in accordance with the local daily price (which can be higher than the daily price of your original booking) by the Car Rental Company and penalty fees may apply. If the customer wishes to drop off the car earlier than stated in the voucher or the rental details, Wisecars will not refund any amount for the unused days. It is entirely up to the Car Rental Company whether they decide to do so or not.

Cancellation

If you wish to cancel a booking, the only accepted method is doing so by contacting Wisecars customer support. Do not cancel your booking with the Car Rental Company directly as additional fees may apply. Depending on the Car Rental Company, you can cancel your booking up to 48 or 24 hours before the starting date of your rental period. In the event that your booking is cancelled by the Car Rental Company, a full refund will be made to the person that originally paid for the booking. You can also extend the free cancellation time frame by purchasing our Cancellation Protection.

No refund will be made if:

• the rental is terminated early;
• the pick-up is delayed;
• you fail to appear to pick up the car;
• a cancellation is made less than 48 or 24 hours before the starting date of the rental period (depending on the Car Rental Company);
• you do not have a valid driving license that is accepted by the Car Rental Company;
• you cannot present an accepted credit card in the main driver's name for the security deposit.

Please keep in mind that different Car Rental Companies have different requirements for accepted methods of deposit authorisation and payment.

All bookings include free cancellation up to 48 hours before the pick-up time. If a cancellation is requested more than 48 hours before the pick-up time the customer will receive a full refund minus non-refundable Cancellation Protection and/or Protection Package. There might be differences based on offers. In that case, the special cancellation terms are presented during booking.

We reserve the right to cancel your booking in the event we have reasonable grounds to believe it is fraudulent. In such circumstances, we will cancel your booking with no liability whatsoever.

Wisecars will process your cancellation refund in a minimum of 14 days. It might take your bank extra time to settle the amount. In that case, please contact your bank for additional details.

Picking up and dropping off the rental vehicle

Please note, the Car Rental Company is not obligated to wait for your arrival, and if you fail to arrive at the pick-up station at the time indicated in the voucher, it may constitute a No-Show on your part. At the end of the rental period, you must return the vehicle undamaged and in a clean condition to the correct location and at the agreed time. Please make sure you return the vehicle to the same rental company from which you collected it.

In the event the car is dropped off unreasonably dirty, as determined solely by the Car Rental Company, the Car Rental Company may charge you for special cleaning fees.

No-Show

A "no-show" is when you

• wish to cancel your booking but do not tell us until your rental is due to start;
• fail to pick up the car at the arranged date and time;
• fail to provide the documentation that is required to pick up the car;
• fail to provide a credit card in the main driver's name with enough funds to cover the deposit;
• fail to meet supplier terms or requirements;

In all these cases, you will receive no refund of the money you have paid.

The Car Rental Company reserves the right to refuse to rent a car to any customer who fails to arrive on time and does not have the necessary documentation and a credit card with enough funds. In such a case, unless the rental has been canceled in advance, the customer will not be entitled to a refund.

Out-of-hours service

Please note, if the car is delivered to you outside the pick-up station's operating hours or is dropped off by you outside the drop-off station's operating hours, you will be charged an additional fee for this service in accordance with the rate indicated in the voucher. We will let you know whether an additional fee will apply when you confirm your pick-up and drop-off time in your booking request. We can accept no further responsibility when there is no out-of-hours service available.

Force majeure

Force majeure events, which may include acts of God, war, government actions, pandemics, or other extraordinary and unavoidable circumstances beyond Wisecars' reasonable control, absolve Wisecars of liability and any obligation for refunds or additional expenses.

In the event of force majeure or other circumstances beyond Wisecars' control, Wisecars reserves the right to provide a partial refund, generally retaining a minimum 10% of the booking value; however, in severe circumstances, Wisecars may choose to retain the full amount and shall not be held liable for any additional expenses incurred. Please note that there may be delays in processing refunds due to the exceptional circumstances involved.

Wisecars will make reasonable efforts to notify affected customers promptly regarding the force majeure event and its impact on their bookings. Such notifications will be sent via email or any other means of communication provided by the customer. Customers are encouraged to regularly check their communication channels for updates.

In the event that the local provider is unable to fulfill its obligations due to force majeure, Wisecars will endeavor to redirect bookings to other Car Rental Companies. However, please understand that alternative arrangements may not always be achievable, especially during peak periods or in situations where suitable alternatives are limited.

If permitted by the circumstances, Wisecars may offer customers the option to modify their reservations or explore alternative booking options, subject to availability and any additional costs incurred.

Please note that this force majeure clause is subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Complaints

Contact methods:

If you are not satisfied with any aspect of our service or products you can tell us about your experience in the following ways:

• Via email: support@wisecars.com
• Through our self-service: https://customer.wisecars.com/
• Via telephone or messaging platforms: https://www.wisecars.com/en-us/faq#contactSection

Please note that we might request you to contact us additionally via email if you initially contacted us via telephone or messaging platforms and include a reproducible statement about the complaint with any applicable documentation attached.

Complaints related to the car rental companies' responsibilities should be addressed directly to the car rental companies. Wisecars will inform the complaint submitter on how to proceed if needed.

Complaint procedure:

We aim to resolve your complaint straightaway and we will confirm our resolution or continuing investigation within 3 business days of receiving your complaint.

Wisecars has the right not to process complaints sent later than 28 calendar days after the drop-off date. 

Claims will be reviewed and a decision will be made within 28 calendar days from the date the claims were received. Please note that waiting for a partner's comment or documentation might extend this timeline in rare cases. Wisecars does not take responsibility for partners’ response times.

If you do not reply within 15 calendar days to any of Wisecars’ emails, the case will automatically be closed without any resolution and/or compensation.

Technical problems

In case of technical problems with the vehicle, you must inform the Car Rental Company immediately. You will find the telephone number in the Car Rental Agreement. The Car Rental Company must give its consent to repairs and replacements. If you are involved in an accident, the local police and the Car Rental Company must be contacted. Keep copies of all relevant documentation you are asked to complete. They may be needed if you wish to make a claim.

Wisecars will not refund any vehicle repairs, unless the customer has bought deductible protection and is eligible for a refund based on the related terms.

Breakdown/Accident

In the event of a breakdown or an accident, you must contact the Car Rental Company immediately for instructions and assistance. It is highly recommended to call the police even for the smallest of damages. All related documentation must be kept if an insurance claim is submitted. If you fail to act accordingly, the Car Rental Company may charge you for damages incurred to it as a result. Please note, if an accident is caused by your negligence or in any other circumstances in which the insurance coverage of the insurer is excluded, you shall be responsible for all the damages incurred to the Car Rental Company.

Fleet Failure

While we strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information on the vehicles available through our car rental partners, there may be instances of fleet failure that are beyond our control. Fleet failure refers to situations where a specific vehicle is not available for rental due to unforeseen circumstances.

In the event of fleet failure:

• We will make every effort to notify you as soon as possible regarding the unavailability of the selected vehicle.
• We will work diligently to offer you alternative vehicle options that match your preferences as closely as possible.
• You will have the choice to either select an available alternative or cancel your booking with a full refund.
• We are not responsible for any additional costs incurred due to the unavailability of a specific vehicle, such as transportation or accommodation expenses.

If you believe that the fleet failure is a result of the rental supplier's actions or negligence, please share any relevant documentation, photographs, or other evidence with us. This information will be valuable in assisting us with our inquiry.

If we identify a consistent pattern of such issues at a particular location, we take the necessary steps to ensure the quality of our service by removing the concerned location from our site.

Jurisdiction

These Terms of Service and Wisecars’ services are construed and enforced in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of California.  The sole and exclusive venue to settle any claim or dispute which might arise out of or in connection with these Terms of Service or Wisecars’ services is in a California state or federal court of competent jurisdiction.

Privacy

Wisecars believes in protecting your privacy. We respect and take the privacy of our customers very seriously, which is why we do NOT sell or rent any information collected through our website to third parties. Sensitive data, such as personal details and credit card information, which we receive from customers, is encrypted and secured for use on the Internet. Due to this protection, it cannot be read by any third party. Wisecars does not store credit card details. If you choose to pay for the service using a credit card, your credit card details are not stored by us.

Cookies

To improve our service and website, we may use small data files known as Cookies. Some Cookies are strictly necessary for the website to function correctly and others are there to improve our website’s efficiency and the user experience. Wisecars employs limited use of cookies for your safety and does not store any personal data. Your browser settings can be set to inform you before receiving a Cookie.

Termination of usage

User access to all or part of this website may be terminated or suspended at any time, without notice and for any reason.

Copyright

It is forbidden to use the website of Wisecars for any purpose other than for the personal use of booking a car rental. We continually control the activity on and usage of our website and any abnormal activity on our site deemed as suspicious will result in access being denied. The use of our website signifies your acceptance of these Terms of Service.

Third party disclosure

Wisecars never discloses personal information about its customers to third parties without prior consent, except if legally obligated to or in case of an emergency. Wisecars will not sell or rent any personally identifiable information. We may provide statistics about our customers, sales and booking patterns and related information to third parties but in such cases, this information will not contain personally identifiable information. Please note, we only delete personal data on the request of the individual. We do not delete personal data on the request of a third party.

Car images

The Wisecars website contains images from izmo, Inc.: Automotive Images, Copyright [2000 – current year] izmo, Inc. All Rights Reserved. The automotive images contained herein are owned by izmo, Inc. and are protected under United States and international copyright law. Access to and use of these images is restricted by terms and conditions of a separate license agreement. Any unauthorised use, reproduction, distribution, recording or modification of these images is strictly prohibited.

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Please note, due to fluctuating foreign exchange rates and other possible banking charges, Wisecars cannot be held responsible for any difference in the amount displayed on the webpage and amount paid for the reservation.

Wisecars can not be held responsible for bank fees or smaller refunds due to currency conversion.