If you have any questions about hiring a car in Christchurch or Queenstown from Touchdown Car Rentals, please take a look at some of our frequently asked questions.
If you can’t find the answer to your questions below, please contact us to speak to our team.
When hiring a car from Touchdown, your vehicle will come with mandatory insurance included. This comes standard with a maximum excess of $4,000. This excess can be reduced by purchasing one of our excess reduction packages:
For $30 per day the maximum excess will be reduced to $750
For $45 per day the maximum excess will be reduced to $0
Only the $45 excess reduction package includes complimentary windscreen and tyre damage repairs.
For our premium cars the standard excess is $5,000 and can be reduced to $750 for $45 per day. There is not zero excess option for premium vehicles.
The insurance coverage pertains only to the vehicle hire. Damage to any accessories hired will be the liability of the hirer. Touchdown Car Rentals takes no responsibility for damage caused to any equipment that is mounted to roof racks on our vehicles. It is the hirer’s responsibility to ensure skis and any other equipment are safe and secure.
Please do not leave any of our convertible hire vehicles unattended in the Arthurs Pass National Park area. Local birds called Keas will likely damage the soft top of the vehicle and this damage will not be covered by your rental insurance.
When hiring a car from Touchdown, we require pre-payment for the hire of your vehicle, plus a returnable bond of either:
$500 authorisation of a credit card
a cash bond of $2,000
Your bond will not be cashed (credit card) or will be refunded (cash) if no damages or fines have occurred during your hire period. All our hire cars go through a pre and post hire inspection to check for existing and new damage.
If you are picking up a hire vehicle late in the evening or after a long haul flight we recommend that you rest before driving outside of Christchurch or Queenstown. Our country roads can be hazardous, and driver fatigue is a key element in many road incidents.
It is not recommended to drive late at night to other destinations, especially in the winter months. If you need accommodation in Christchurch our friends at the Commodore Hotel will look after you with a special deal if you are hiring from Touchdown Car Rentals.
Take a look at some of our recommended Christchurch and Queenstown Accommodation options.
One-way hires between Queenstown and Christchurch and vice versa are available for hires over 5 days, a one-way fee of NZ$300 applies.
If you are hiring a car with Touchdown and have made a booking, but wish to cancel, the following charges are applicable:
More than 7 days before hire – No fee applicable
Within 7 Days of hire – 1 day’s hire
Less than 24 hours – 100% of the entire car hire fee
An admin fee of $35 is charged for any vehicles returned without a full tank of fuel on top of the cost of the fuel.
An admin fee of $35 is charged on top of any infringements or fines issued during the hire.