Terms and Conditions
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
subject to change without notice.
Renter’s Agreement with Us
Our terms and conditions set out below plus the Rental Agreement documentation will together be referred to as the “Rental Agreement” which is entered into by the Renter (as named on the Rental Agreement) and Us the Owner.
For reference the owner being SS Rent A Car 2008 Ltd, 20 Glyn Jones Road, PO Box 2282, Blantyre, Malawi.
The payee may not always be the Renter.
Rental Period
The renter has the right to use the vehicle until the return date specified.
Extension of hire may be done by contacting the hiring office on the numbers provided. This will affect the cost of the rental accordingly and involve additional fees.
Termination of the rental prior to the initial return date must be communicated to the hiring office as soon as possible. It is the Renter’s responsibility to ensure a safe and timely return of the vehicle during normal working hours at our premises. The renter might not receive a refund for any unused days.
We urge the renter to check with us first about any implications that may arise from an early termination of hire.
A day’s rental is considered 24hrs from the time of collection until the following day. Partial use of a 24hr period is still considered a full day’s rental.
Late Returns & Out of hours
If a vehicle is returned less than 3 hours late, no charge is applied
If a vehicle is returned over 3 hours late, this will result in a charge of a full day’s rental
Out of hour services may incur an out of hour fee depending on the requirements of the renter. Some out of hour services may not be possible to accommodate.
Delivery/Collections
Should you require your vehicle delivered or collected from a location other than our specified rental locations, this will need to be arranged in advance. The renter must communicate clearly the time and location. This will often involve additional fees.
For all Airport delivery/collection, the renter is responsible to communicate flight details for both arrival and departure. Any flight changes must be shared with us during normal working hours and as soon as they are known. As we operate a meet & greet service for the Airports, we are usually only there by prior arrangement.
Working hours
Our normal working hours are as follows:
Monday – Friday 0730-1200 and 1300-1700
Saturday – 0800-1200
Sunday & Public Holidays - Closed
All hours outside of this are considered out of hour.
Usage of vehicle
Driving licence – the renter must hold a valid unendorsed licence and this must be produced for inspection at the time of hiring. Foreign driver’s license are accepted. The driver must have held a licence for a minimum of 5 years.
The minimum driving age on all class of vehicles is 23yrs
The maximum driving age on all class of vehicles is 70yrs.
The age restriction can be waived at the discretion of management.
The renter is the official main driver on the rental. Additional drivers are permitted with prior permission from our office. We must hold a clear copy of a valid driver’s licence of the driver prior to them being allowed to drive.
Any other person is not permitted to drive the vehicle.
The vehicle must be driven with due care and diligence, the renter confirms that the vehicle will not be driven in any of the following conditions:
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By anyone not authorized by us.
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To smoke in the vehicle including e-cigarettes.
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To carry any passengers for reward or hire.
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To cause any injury or damage to people and property or any illegal activity purposely.
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Racing, testing of vehicle reliability or speed, or for any teaching purpose.
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To operate the vehicle in any manner deemed careless or reckless in any way.
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Under any influence of alcohols or illegal substance or under medication.
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To operate the vehicle whilst unfit in body/mind/health/ability.
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To leave the boundaries of the Republic of Malawi without prior written consent from us.
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Overloading the vehicle with either passengers or goods or exceeding the vehicle mass/capacity.
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To tow or propel any other vehicle or equipment without written consent from us.
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To drive or venture out onto unmaintained tarmac roads. In the event that a vehicle needs to go off-road, the driver is expected to be cautious, sensible and operate within safe limits of the vehicle capabilities.
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To transport flammable or toxic or dangerous substances outside the limits set by the relevant governing bodies.
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To drive through any body of water considered unsafe or that rises above the ground clearance of the vehicle.
Vehicle damage
Upon receiving your vehicle, please ensure that you check it thoroughly. Any damage noticed should be recorded on the provided check-list and signed for.
The same checks will be done on returning the vehicle.
Any damages caused by driver negligence and/or road conditions are chargeable in full for both recovery and repairs. Damage caused by plants, trees, animals & wildlife, etc are not covered by insurance and any resulting damages will be considered negligent/reckless.
Tire and windscreen damage is not covered by insurance and will be charged accordingly.
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Accidents
In the event that an accident occurs, please do your best to follow the following procedures once safe to do so:
Record the date, time and location of the accident
Details of the third party involved
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If it is another vehicle, a clear picture of the vehicle showing it’s registration, and a clear picture of it’s insurance on the windshield
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If it is a person or building or similar, their personal details in full
Their contact details and any contacts of witnesses if available.
The law of Malawi dictates that ALL accidents must be reported to the nearest police station immediately and a police report must be obtained. Insurance claims will NOT be processed if an official police report is not provided. It is the renter’s legal responsibility to follow the relevant procedures to obtain this report and provide it to us.
Do not allow a third party to convince you that it is okay and to leave any accident/incident unattended by the Police. This is illegal.
As soon as safely possible, please get in touch with us to let us know and to send all the above information through. We will be able to help or guide you through the processes where possible.
Breakdowns
Your rental includes breakdown cover caused by mechanical defect.
In the unlikely event of a breakdown, the renter may contact us on the emergency phone number provided on the rental agreement documentation.
It is important that the renter understands, recovery time will be determined by the location and time of occurrence. It may mean that we need to get our recovery team to come in after hours before they can set off.
Should the breakdown be caused by driver’s negligence, road conditions, accident, and or animals, a fee will be applied for the cost of recovery.
Should the renter force the vehicle onwards upon finding a fault, any further damage caused will be charged to the renter.
Insurance
Our rental insurance is 3rd party only.
With 3rd party insurance it is simple, the hirer is responsible for all damages caused by driver’s fault/negligence or where no other 3rd party is involved. The hirer is responsible for all loss. Damage and recovery is chargeable.
In the case that fault lies with another vehicle, their insurance will cover the costs to our vehicle.
Tyre and windscreen damage is not included and the hirer will be charged for replacement in the case of damage.
Comprehensive cover is available on request only and may only be arranged in advance as this can take up to 24hrs to arrange during working days. In the case that the hirer wishes to take out a comprehensive cover, they are required to request this in writing by email to the reservations team where a quote will be obtained and shared. Only after a letter is issued by our insurer confirming the cover will it then be in effect.
Costs and Charges
The renter agrees to pay in full on collection of the vehicle, the amount due for the rental or if not stated, then the amount estimated by us.
The renter agrees to pay a security deposit on collection of the vehicle. The amount of the security deposit varies according to the size and class of your vehicle choice.
This deposit is refunded at the end of hire in the same manner in which it had been processed. ie. Card to card. Cash to cash.
Card refunds may take anywhere up to 5-7 working days to reflect in your account once processed. This is dependent on bank processes and is not in our direct control
Local companies may use a Local Purchase Order (LPO) in lieu of a deposit upon acceptance in writing by us and subject to our requirements.
Chauffeurs
The renter may take the advantage of reserving one of our friendly and professional English-speaking chauffeurs with their rental. This will need to be communicated in advance and is subject to availability
Charges for our chauffeur will be determined by the renter’s itinerary and length of hire and will be quoted accordingly.
In the event that the renter chooses to rent a vehicle with a chauffeur, liability and responsibility for all vehicle damage remains our own and not that of the renter.
Off Road Driving
Driving of our vehicles is to be operated on regularly maintained tarmac roads. In the event that the renter needs to travel off-road they are expected to be cautious, safe and sensible at all times. Reckless driving off road is not permitted nor tolerated. Damage incurred off-road is chargeable in full.
Traffic Offenses
The renter is required to obey all the traffic rules and laws of Malawi. Any fines, penalties, tolls or the likes issued by relevant authorized bodies must be paid up in full immediately and a copy of both the fine and receipt to be sent to us within 24hrs of occurrence. Failing which we reserve the right to recover these costs from the renter plus any administration fees not exceeding USD 150.00 over and above the costs incurred.
Valet service
All vehicles are provided to the renter clean and spotless. They are to be returned the same way. If a vehicle is returned with a soiled, dirty or foul interior our minimum charge for valet is USD 50.00
Fuel
Your vehicle comes with a full tank of fuel and should be returned the same way.
Fuel that is consumed along the course of the hire is at the expense of the renter and does not form any part of the rental agreement.
The renter is responsible to refuel the vehicle along route at any designated petrol station. The renter is responsible in ensuring they have fuel available for the entirety of their journey and itinerary and plan accordingly.
Refueling from unapproved sources is not permitted and may result in damage to the vehicle and will be chargeable to the renter in terms of recovery and repair.
Should the renter run the vehicle dry at any point of the journey, recovery costs and refueling of the vehicle will be charged to the renter.
Taxes
16.5% VAT
1% Tourism Levy
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Termination of Agreement
The rental agreement will terminate at the end of the hire as stated and as recorded unless an extension has been officially communicated and agreed upon by ourselves.
The agreement may be terminated earlier than scheduled at our offices during normal working hours and must be communicated to us to ensure someone is available to safely receive the vehicle. We reserve the right to refund or not to refund any amount already paid whether utilized in full or not.
The renter is responsible to ensure safe handover to an official of our company at the end of the hire. Failing which if the renter fails to handover the vehicle as agreed with us, we may repossess the vehicle by use of any legal means available to us and all charges incurred will be passed onto the renter.
Either party may terminate the rental agreement if there is a breach of the agreement or if for any security risk/reason that the vehicle must be returned.
The Malawi Police or Road Traffic Directorate of Malawi or any relevant Government Body at the time may be engaged if deemed necessary in the breach of the rental agreement.
Liability
Unless expressly officially communicated in writing, we reserve the right and full discretion to have sole decision making on all repairs to the vehicle. This may or may not include multiple damages that have been caused on previous rentals.
The renter is responsible to pay the costs and chargers incurred which may include legal fees, court fees, collection fees any and all outstanding payments due to us.
The renter may reduce their risk/liability on vehicle damage/loss/theft by purchasing of the relevant insurances.
Should the renter provide their own insurance cover, they understand that they will be liable to us for all the costs and charges due which they will then claim back from their own insurer without withholding any portion due to us whatsoever.
In the event of damage/loss/theft the renter agrees to work together with us with haste, fairly and ethically without prejudice in obtaining a legitimate quote for repairs/replacement of similar quality and standard from a minimum of three reputable suppliers identified by us.
Should the repairs fail to fully restore or satisfactorily restore the vehicle to the condition it was prior to the hire, or in the case of a write off, a value will be determined by an independent assessor/engineer/garage for the vehicle.
The resultant loss of business will be calculated at the average rate per day (rental, mileage, insurance plus taxes) of the renter’s usage over the course of the agreement for a maximum of 30 days or until the matter has been concluded by both parties.
The owner will not claim for loss of business if already compensated for loss of vehicle or write off within the 30 day period.
Governing Law
The rental agreement along with all terms and conditions of hire are subject to the laws of the Republic of Malawi.
Should the rental agreement at any time be voided for any reason under the laws of Malawi, it will be immediately omitted and no longer enforced.