Hire terms

1. Eligibility and handover

Our standard self-drive requirement is age 25 or over with a valid unrestricted licence held for at least three years. The chosen vehicle’s agreed minimum age and any additional conditions are recorded in Part A of your agreement. Bring the original identification and licence requested for collection.

Every driver must be approved in writing, named in the agreement and meet the legal and insurer requirements for the actual car. Additional drivers must complete the required acknowledgments, signatures and insurance-page initials before driving. Inspect the vehicle at handover and immediately report any unrecorded pre-existing damage.

SAL verifies identity, licence, age, payment, safety and insurer requirements before release. The renter and each approved driver must be legally entitled and medically fit to drive the actual vehicle. Record the agreed vehicle, hire period, permitted area, kilometre allowance, fuel and bond in Part A.

2. Bookings and payment

To book, pay 50% of the hire charge by bank transfer. Staff confirm the booking after verifying that funds have arrived. The remaining rent is due before collection. A website enquiry is not a confirmed booking.

Pay the security bond by bank transfer. It must be received in full by the day before vehicle collection.

The exact vehicle-specific bond and verified bank details are provided in your written booking confirmation. This payment is separate from the 50% rental payment.

All displayed hire prices include GST; no additional 10% GST is added. Any agreed extras and the separate weekend handover fees are disclosed in your written quote.

3. Why a bond is collected

A bond is refundable security for amounts properly payable under your rental agreement, such as vehicle damage, excess kilometres, late return, fuel shortfall, extra cleaning, tolls or fines. It protects against rental obligations left unpaid; it is not an extra hire charge.

The bond is separate from rent and the insurance excess. Paying a bond does not cap your liability under the agreement.

4. Bond return — clause 9

After 30 business days have elapsed following actual vehicle return, SAL initiates the refund of the unused and undisputed bond balance on the next business day — day 31 — unless earlier release is required by law or agreed in writing.

The first business day after actual return is day 1. The return date, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in Adelaide, South Australia are not counted.

After day 30, only a reasonable amount needed for a specific unresolved rental-related toll, infringement, claim, damage assessment, insurer enquiry, inspection, quote, chargeback or payment dispute may be retained.

SAL must provide written reasons, the amount retained and available supporting details, and release the remainder on day 31. The mere possibility of a future notice is not enough. Retained amounts are reviewed and any remaining balance is promptly reconciled and refunded once the matter is sufficiently resolved.

Refunds go to the original payment method unless another method is agreed after verification. Bank processing may affect when funds become available; SAL provides refund confirmation. A card pre-authorisation is released rather than refunded, subject to the payment provider’s rules.

5. Insurance excess and protection

Under the v9 rental agreement, the insurance excess is A$25,000 per incident, claim or separate damage occurrence for every vehicle. Maximum available insured protection is A$200,000 per claim, subject to the policy, insurer acceptance, lawful use and compliance with the agreement.

The excess is separate from the bond and does not increase the A$200,000 protection limit. Cover is conditional; neither amount caps your total liability. Properly payable uninsured or excluded loss, amounts above the protection limit and other agreement charges may remain payable, without double recovery for the same loss.

The agreement does not provide separate personal accident, passenger or personal property insurance. Compulsory third-party and other non-excludable rights remain unaffected. Read and initial the dedicated insurance acknowledgment before driving.

6. Permitted use and mileage

Only written-approved drivers may drive. Use is limited to South Australia unless SAL gives prior written interstate approval. Racing, drifting, track or off-road use, beach or water driving, rideshare or delivery use, smoking or vaping and unauthorised drivers are prohibited under the agreement.

Each 4-hour, 8-hour or 24-hour self-drive hire includes 150 km. Additional distance is A$8.80 per km including GST. Confirm multi-day allowances and any chauffeur or wedding itinerary in the written booking.

7. Return, fuel and cleaning

Return at the agreed time and place, with all keys and accessories and in substantially the handover condition, allowing for fair wear and tear. Wheel, tyre, glass, underbody and interior damage may fall outside fair wear and tear as described in the agreement.

Use the fuel specified in Part A (98 RON petrol or diesel as selected), return full unless otherwise agreed in writing, and provide a satisfactory receipt from the return day or a reasonable period immediately before return. A determined shortfall costs A$5.50 per litre plus an A$55 administration fee, including GST.

Standard post-rental washing is included. Contamination or cleaning beyond ordinary careful use may be charged at the reasonable actual cost of cleaning, detailing, deodorising or rectification, with any proven loss of use handled under the agreement.

8. Late return and extensions

Request any extension and obtain SAL’s written approval before the original return time. Approval is not automatic and may require additional payment or verification.

Up to 60 minutes late is normally a grace period, without an automatic fee, unless SAL notified you before the due time of operational circumstances requiring strict punctuality or the delay causes specific additional loss. More than 60 minutes to 2 hours: up to 25% of the daily rate; more than 2 to 4 hours: up to 50%; more than 4 hours: up to 100% for an extra rental day. Continuing delay may attract a further daily rate for each additional 24 hours or part thereof. Reasonable additional loss may be recovered without double recovery.

9. Incidents, evidence and charges

Report accidents, theft, damage, warning lights or other incidents immediately, follow the agreement’s incident procedure and preserve relevant details and evidence. Do not arrange unauthorised repairs. SAL assesses charges using reasonably reliable inspection, photo, diagnostic, repair or other evidence.

The renter is responsible for rental-related tolls, fines and other properly payable amounts under the agreement. Administration fees must reflect reasonable costs and must not duplicate another charge for the same work. Non-routine post-rental charges are explained with reasonable efforts to provide supporting records. A bond shortfall remains payable where properly due.

Overdue properly payable amounts attract interest at 10% per annum, calculated daily, plus reasonable recovery costs to the extent permitted by law.

10. Changes, cancellations and availability

Your booking confirmation or accepted quote sets the applicable cancellation, no-show and rescheduling terms. Our booking-credit arrangement must be recorded in those terms, with cash refunds where required by law. If no applicable cancellation schedule was provided, retention is limited to reasonable loss and what the law permits. Early return does not automatically create a refund or credit unless agreed in writing or required by law.

Where a vehicle cannot be supplied because of an event beyond SAL’s reasonable control, SAL may reasonably offer a substitute, reschedule or refund the services not supplied, subject to the agreement and non-excludable rights.

11. Tracking, privacy and safety

Vehicles may use GPS and telematics for fleet security and agreement purposes. Any immobilisation or recovery must be lawful and safe; a moving vehicle must never be intentionally immobilised. Identity, licence and payment information is handled for verification, insurance, security and other agreement purposes in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.

12. Questions, disputes and your rights

Read the complete agreement before signing, including the key terms and insurance acknowledgments. This website summary does not replace it. Written particulars of a dispute should normally be supplied with at least 7 days for a response and a good-faith resolution attempt, subject to the agreement’s urgent-action exceptions.

Nothing in the agreement or this summary excludes consumer guarantees, statutory remedies, compulsory third-party rights or other rights that cannot lawfully be excluded. Standard agreement updates apply to future rentals; they do not automatically change an existing hire or increase its agreed financial obligations.