Northwest Car Hire and Accident Management’s Terms & Conditions of Rental Agreement

Your Rental Agreement with us:
Hirers are requested to read and accept these terms and conditions carefully before signing the agreement and before the hire can be completed. If there is nothing you do not understand or do not agree with, please speak to any member of our rental staff for guidance.

Vehicle Availability:
Whilst every effort will be made to provide the exact make and model reserved, it may be likely that a similar, or better, vehicle will be offered.

Identification:
Your driving license must be produced each and every time you hire a vehicle from us. In addition, you must produce two further means of identification, which must include a utilities bill to you at your present address or an official letter to you at your present address. You will also be required to leave a landline telephone number where you can be contacted either during the day or evening. Note: Our rental staff reserves the right to refuse your rental if you do not produce your driving license, or for any other reason.

Driving License:
All British drivers must be in possession of a current, full valid driving license. Drivers holding the new photocard driving license MUST produce both the card and the paper counterpart detailing driver history. Drivers with foreign driving licenses must present their own national license plus an International Driving Permit. Non-EU residents in the UK may drive on their non-UK driving license for up to one year from commencement of residency. A passport is required for proof of entry date.

Additional Drivers:
In addition to the hirer, it is possible for one other person to drive the vehicle, provided they meet our insurance requirements.

Fuel:
Our rental staff will note on the pre-rental check form and rental agreement, the reading of the fuel gauge. You are requested to return the vehicle with the same amount of fuel as you commenced the rental. A re-fuelling charge will be made if it is necessary to bring the level of fuel up to where it was when the vehicle. No refund will be given for any fuel in excess of the original reading.

Hiring period:
This is calculated on a 24-hour basis. Rental times may be adjusted to suit individual hirers’ requirements subject to vehicle availability.

Payment:
The full cost of rental plus a damage deposit must be paid, to Northwest Car Hire and Accident Management before any vehicle is released for rental. Payment may be made either by cash, cheque – supported by a bank cheque card – most major credit/debit cards accepted.

Your Responsibilities:
You must look after the vehicle and the keys to the vehicle.

You must always lock the vehicle when you are not using it, and use any security device fitted to or supplied with the vehicle.

You must always protect the vehicle against the bad weather, which can cause damage.

You must make sure that you use the correct fuel, as you are responsible for any resultant damage.

You must not sell, rent or dispose of the vehicle or any of it’s parts.

You must not give anyone any legal rights over the vehicle.

You must not let anyone work on the vehicle without our permission. If we do give you permission, we will only give you a refund if you have the receipt for the work.

You must let us know as soon as you become aware of a fault in the vehicle.

What to do if you have an accident:
If you have an accident, you must not admit responsibility. You should get the name and address of everyone involved, including witnesses. You should also:

Make the vehicle secure.

Tell the police straight away if anyone is injured or there is disagreement over who is responsible; and

Call our office straight away.

You must then fill in our accident report form when you return the vehicle or if this is not possible, verbal details will be taken from you to then sign a copy of the information you have supplied. In any event this procedure must be taken into action within 24 hours whichever is sooner.

Conditions for using the vehicle:
Only you or a named driver on the insurance application may drive the vehicle providing a full valid driving licence is held and a cover note has been issued to you.

You or your authorised named driver must not:

Use the vehicle for hire or reward.

Use the vehicle for any illegal purpose.

Use the vehicle for racing, pace making, testing the vehicles reliability and speed or teaching someone to drive.

Use the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Drive the vehicle outside England , Scotland and Wales , unless we have given you written permission.

Load the vehicle beyond the manufacturer’s maximum weight recommendations and make sure that the load is secured safely.

If the vehicle is a commercial vehicle, use it for a purpose for which you need an operator’s licence if you do not have one.

Towing:
You or your authorised named driver must not use the vehicle for towing unless we have given you written permission.

Returning rental vehicles:
Before you bring back the vehicle you must check that you have not left any personal belongings in the vehicle. Vehicles must always be returned back to us during opening hours. We will not accept responsibility for vehicles damaged or stolen from outside our premises if dropped-off after hours. If we have agreed that you may return the vehicle outside business hours, you will remain responsible for the vehicle and its condition until it is re-inspected by a member of our staff.

If you do not bring the vehicle back on time you are breaking the conditions of this agreement. We can charge you for every day you have the vehicle after you should have returned it to us. Until we get the vehicle back we will charge you the daily rate you have rented the vehicle at.

You will have to pay Northwest Car Hire and Accident Management for reasonable costs of repair:

We have to pay extra costs to return the vehicle to its condition when the pre-rental inspection was carried out (for example, if extra valeting time or special material or equipment is needed to restore the vehicle to its pre-rental agreement.) Or the vehicle has been damaged whilst in your care.

Overseas travel:
With prior approval, it may be possible that our vehicles may be taken abroad, although there are restrictions regarding taking them into some countries. A surcharge will apply when taking a vehicle outside the UK and extra charges will be made to provide a green card and foreign breakdown service.

Our responsibilities are that we have maintained the vehicles to at least the manufacturers recommended standard. We assure you that the vehicle is roadworthy and suitable for renting at the start of the rental period.

Property:
We are only responsible for loss or damage to property left in the vehicle if the loss or damage results from negligence or breach of contract.

Charges:
We work out charges using our current pricelist.

You will pay Northwest car Hire and Accident Management the following charges:

The rental and any other charges we work out according to the agreement.

Any charge for loss or damage due to you not keeping to your responsibilities.

A refuelling service charge if you have used, and not replaced, the quantity of fuel that we supplied at the start of the original rental.

The charge will be based on the rates printed on this rental agreement.

All fines and court costs for parking, traffic, or other offences (including any costs which arise if the vehicle is clamped). You must pay the appropriate authority any fines and costs if and when the authority demands this payment. If you do not, you will be responsible to pay a reasonable

Administration charge, which arise when we deal with these matters on your behalf. A loss of income charge, when we demand it, if we can not rent out the vehicle because it needs to be repaired, it is a right of (can not be repaired) or it has

Any publish rates for delivering and collecting the vehicle.

Interest which we will add every day to any amount you do not pay us on time, at the rate of 10% a year above the base lending rate of Barclays Bank PLC.

Value Added Tax and all other taxes on any of the charges listed above, or as appropriate.

You are responsible for all charges, even if you have asked someone else to be responsible for them.

Ending the Agreement:
If you are an individual, we will end this agreement straightaway if we find out your belongings have been taken away from you to pay off your debts, or a receiving order has been made against you. We may end this agreement if you do not meet the main requirements of this agreement, if you are a company, we will end this agreement straightaway if:

You go into liquidation.

You call a meeting of creditors.

We find out that your goods have been taken away from you until you pay off your debts.

Or you do not meet any of the conditions of this agreement.

If we end this agreement it will not affect our right to receive any money we are owed under the conditions of this agreement. We can also claim reasonable costs from you if you do not meet the main requirements of this agreement. We can repossess the vehicle (and charge you a reasonable amount) without using unreasonable force or causing damage.

Data Protection:
You agree that we may use any information you have given us to carry out our own market research if you break the agreement we can give this information to credit reference agencies, the driver and vehicle licensing authorities (DVLA), debt collectors and other relevant organisations.

We can also give this information to our insurance brokers who may inform the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA), who can pass it on to any of its members for any purpose shown in the Data Protection Act 1998.

Government Law:
The laws of the country in which it is signed govern this agreement. Any dispute may be settled in the courts of that country.

Severance:
If any provision of this agreement is held invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason by any court of competent jurisdiction such provision shall be severed and the reminder of the provisions here of shall continue in full force and effect as if this agreement has been agreed with the invalid illegal or unenforceable provision eliminated.