- I have my own insurance; do I still need to have yours?
a) The insurance is provided at no additional charge and would be supplemental to your own insurance or credit card should you have an accident.
2. Do you have any insurance deductibles?
a) Yes, we do; $2500 for collision and $1500 for comprehensive. Most credit cards or your vehicle insurance will either pay for the deductible or pay for the entire incident. Please check with them before you leave home.
3. Do you take debit cards?
a) We do accept debit cards along with your proof of insurance from your insurance company stating you have rental car coverage on your policy, along with a $500 deposit.
4. Do you have a minimum age to rent a car?
a) Yes, we do; you must be 25.
5. Why should I rent a car rather than take a taxi?
a) We always recommend renting a car for your entire visit; it is by far the best way to get to know the island. Taxis are very expensive and charge per person and per bag. It would easily pay for a car, if not every day, then almost every day, and you would have more freedom and flexibility.
6. Can I take the car to St. John?
a) Of course, and we encourage it; we appreciate your desire to visit our beautiful islands.
7. Do you have AAA?
a) No, we do not, but we do recommend advance towing in St. Thomas after hours at 340-513-1322, or if you are on St. John, Reliable Mobile Auto Repair at 340-227-9574. Please text us during working hours if you have a problem. If the service is mechanical, the fee is paid for by Paradise Rental Car; if it is anything else, such as a collision or flat tire, the fee is paid for by the renter.
8. Do you offer any discounts?
a) Our prices are competitively priced, and we offer discounts on monthly rentals.
9. What happens if we get a ticket?
a) You must let us know immediately if you receive a ticket. The police will give you a court date, which is stated on your ticket, for a date sometime in the future, which you will obviously not be around for, so this will need to be taken care of before you leave the island.
10. How old are your vehicles?
a) We have late-model vehicles, no older than 3 years old.
11. How do I know I will get the vehicle I rented?
a) We have a finite number of vehicles. We match you to the vehicle you have chosen. If for some reason, we do not have your vehicle available, you will receive a free upgrade.
12. What is the procedure if I am in an accident or have an incident?
a) Make sure you obtain a police report if another vehicle is involved in the accident. We need the card the police will give you so we can pick up the police report. If you are not at fault for the accident (as indicated by the police report), we will contact the other person’s insurance company and the case will be closed. If you are at fault, you will need to contact your insurance company or credit card company immediately to open a case file. We will obtain an estimate on your behalf and provide you all the necessary documentation requested by the company. If you have an incident, we will obtain an estimate, and you should also contact your credit card company or insurance company. Again, we will provide the necessary documentation for you to get reimbursed.
13. Are the vehicles automatic or standard?
a) All of our vehicles are automatic.
14. Do you offer one- or two-day rentals?
a) We are no longer able to provide one- or two-day rentals at this time, due to the worker shortage on the island.
15. Where are you located?
a) We are conveniently located in St. Thomas, USVI, very close to the airport!
16. What happens if we arrive after hours?
a) When you have a scheduled flight during daylight savings time, we are one hour ahead of you, so the 4:00 flights (during spring forward) come in at the 5:00 hour. We are on Atlantic Standard Time year-round. We will meet any scheduled flight in the 5:00 hour during daylight savings time, with the exception if the flight is late, arriving after 6:00 pm. At that point, we will either leave your vehicle at our shop (we are located at the end of the runway) or you may pick it up the next morning from our shop. We will give you explicit instructions for the pickup. If we see that your flight is running late, we will be in touch with you before you leave your stateside location.
17. Are you open 365?
a) We are not open on Easter, Thanksgiving, or Christmas.
18. Do you have car seats or boosters available?
We do offer boosters for free. The airlines usually let you check the car seats for free, or we recommend Caribbean Nanny Services (340-473-7500) if you want to rent on the island.
19. Do you charge any additional fees?
a) Yes, upon returning the vehicle or if you misplace the key. If you receive the vehicle full and do not return it full, there is a $25 fee plus the cost of the fuel. If it takes more than an hour for our car washers to clean a vehicle, there will be a $50 sandy or muddy fee, plus any additional fees based on the condition for each infraction. If you lose the key or get it wet, it is $75 plus the cost of the key. If you lock yourself out, we will charge you $75 to open the door. If you smoke in the vehicle (any type of smoking), there is a $250 fee.
20. Do you have a late return fee?
a) We agree on a time to pick up the vehicle upon your arrival. We then text you two days in advance of your departure date and agree on a time to meet you in front of your airline ticket counters. If you want to change the time, it is no problem for us. Let us know at least 30 minutes before your arrival if you are going to be late. As you know, we are not located at the airport; we try to arrive 15 minutes before the agreed-upon pick-up time and give you 15 minutes after the agreed-upon pick-up time. Any additional time after the 15-minute grace period will result in a $25 per 15-minute fee.
21. How do you calculate the rentals?
a) If you are arriving to and from the airport, we count nights. So, for instance, if you are arriving at 2:00 p.m. on the 1st and leaving at 4:00 p.m. on the 8th, we count that as a 7-night rental. If you are already here and want a rental, we base it on a 24-hour rental period. Say you want to pick up at 1:00 on the 1st and you would need to return at 1:00 on the 8th; it is still a 7-night rental. We do make case-by-case acceptances based on availability.