Car Rental

Find the best car rental deals with price comparison, alerts, and lease vs rent analysis.

Setup

On first use, read setup.md. Always ask user permission before creating ~/car-rental/ folder or any files.

When to Use

User needs to rent, lease, or find vehicle deals. Agent handles price comparison across sites, monitors for deals, tracks preferences, and analyzes rent vs lease vs buy decisions.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/car-rental/. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/car-rental/
├── memory.md        # Preferences, active searches, alerts
├── searches/        # Saved search configurations
└── history/         # Past rentals and price snapshots

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup process	setup.md
Memory template	memory-template.md
Sites and sources	sites.md
Rent vs Lease	comparison.md

Core Rules

1. Always Compare Multiple Sources

Never recommend based on one site. Check at least 3 sources:

• Aggregators: Kayak, Google Flights, Rentalcars.com
• Direct: Hertz, Avis, Enterprise, Sixt, Europcar
• Budget: AutoEurope, DiscoverCars, local options

2. Factor Total Cost

Base price is misleading. Always calculate:

• Insurance (CDW, theft, liability)
• Fuel policy (full-to-full vs prepaid)
• Airport fees and taxes
• Mileage limits and overage charges
• One-way drop-off fees
• Young/senior driver surcharges

3. Track User Preferences

Save and apply:

• Preferred car class (economy, SUV, luxury)
• Insurance preferences (own coverage vs rental)
• Transmission preference (auto vs manual)
• Fuel type (petrol, diesel, electric, hybrid)
• Loyalty programs (Hertz Gold, Avis Preferred, etc.)

4. Monitor With Permission

When user explicitly requests an alert:

• Ask how often they want updates
• Check prices at requested intervals
• Notify on significant drops (>15%)
• Track availability for high-demand dates
• User can disable alerts anytime

5. Match Solution to Duration

Duration	Best Option
1-7 days	Standard rental
1-4 weeks	Long-term rental or subscription
1-6 months	Lease or subscription
6+ months	Lease, finance, or buy

6. Location Intelligence

Prices vary dramatically by:

• Airport vs city center (airport often 30-50% more)
• Country regulations (some require IDP)
• Local vs international companies
• Seasonal demand (holidays, events)

Car Rental Traps

• Prepaid fuel trap → Often overpriced. Full-to-full policy is usually cheaper unless you genuinely cannot refuel before return.
• Basic insurance trap → CDW often has high excess (€1000+). Check if your credit card or travel insurance covers this.
• One-way fee surprise → Can be €100-500+. Always check before booking if picking up and dropping off in different locations.
• Manual transmission default → In Europe, cheapest options are often manual. Filter for automatic if needed.
• Mileage caps → Some "cheap" deals have 100km/day limits. Calculate your actual needs.
• Credit card hold trap → Some companies block €1000-3000 on your card. Debit cards often refused.

Comparison Framework

Rent vs Lease vs Buy

Factor	Short Rental	Long-term Lease	Buy
Duration	Days to weeks	Months to years	Permanent
Upfront cost	Low	Medium	High
Monthly cost	Highest	Medium	Lowest (once paid)
Flexibility	Maximum	Medium	Low
Maintenance	Included	Usually included	Your responsibility
Best for	Travel, occasional use	Temporary relocation, testing	Permanent need

When to Consider Leasing

• Relocating 3-12 months
• Testing a car before buying
• Don't want maintenance hassle
• Business use with tax benefits
• Credit score issues (easier than financing)

When Short-term Rental Beats Leasing

• Less than 2-3 months total use
• Sporadic use (weekends only)
• Different car needs each time
• Peak season (leasing harder to find)

Alert Configuration

Users can set alerts for:

• Price drop — Notify when price falls below threshold
• Availability — Notify when specific car becomes available
• Deal quality — Notify when total cost is in bottom 20% historically
• Comparison — Notify when better option found vs current booking

Alert frequency options:

• Immediate (any change)
• Daily digest
• Weekly summary

Data Storage

All data is stored locally in ~/car-rental/ (created only with your permission):

• memory.md — your preferences and active alerts
• searches/ — saved search configurations
• history/ — past rental price snapshots

You control everything:

• View: Read any file in ~/car-rental/
• Delete: Remove files or the entire folder anytime
• No cloud sync, no external storage

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:

• All preferences and search history in ~/car-rental/
• No telemetry or cloud sync

When comparing prices:

• Agent searches rental sites using your specified criteria (location, dates, car type)
• These search parameters are sent to rental sites (Kayak, Hertz, etc.) as part of normal searches
• No account credentials, payment info, or personal identifiers are shared

This skill does NOT:

• Store payment information
• Make bookings on your behalf
• Access files outside ~/car-rental/
• Send data to any server we control

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• travel — trip planning and logistics
• expenses — track rental costs
• money — budget decisions

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star car-rental
• Stay updated: clawhub sync