Frequently Asked Questions

Special COVID-19 cancellation and refund policy

You may cancel your booking free of charge:

  • If your flight is cancelled by the airline due to COVID-19
  • If you or members of your travel group are tested positive for COVID-19
  • If you need to go to quarantine or self-isolation
  • If you need to end your holiday early due to COVID-19
  • If you cannot use the car due to a government lockdown

Furthermore, as usual you may cancel your booking free of charge up to 48 hours before.

All our vehicles are Safe Tourism Certified by the Seychelles Tourism Board.

You are looking at a generic version of our FAQ. If you want an adapted version for your destination, please choose your destination from the top menu.

1. The online booking process

1.1 How do I make a booking at Maki Car Rental?

The booking process takes only about five minutes. First, you need to select the pickup and the return location, the booking period, and then click the "SHOW OFFERS" button. You will see a list of all available cars together with the total rental price, including pickup and return fees. You can then choose any of the available cars by clicking on the "BOOK NOW!" button, which is directly below the price of each car. On the following page you can supply further details like payment and insurance options and, of course, your name and address. The next step will let you confirm all your data before finalizing the booking process. Immediately after, you will receive a confirmation of receipt via email. One of our local partners will be informed about your booking, too. As soon as we get the green light, we will send you a booking confirmation and invoice via email.

1.2 How can I pay?

We can receive payment through a number of different methods. Currently you can pay via bank transfer, credit card (Visa & MasterCard) and PayPal (all major credit cards). Accepted currencies depend on the chosen payment method. More about accepted currencies
Please note: bank transfers are not available for last minute bookings (less than 3 days before pickup).
In some cases, it is also possible to pay the rental fee in cash upon delivery. If available, this option will be displayed throughout the booking process. However, if you want to pay upon delivery, you would need to book our travel cancellation expenses insurance. The fees for this insurance must be paid within 2 days after receiving the invoice.

1.3 Will I receive the exact vehicle that I chose?

We try to deliver the exact vehicle model that you booked; however, there are rare cases when this is not possible because of accidents, repairs or simply bad planning. The good news is you will always receive a vehicle of equivalent or higher value than the one you have chosen. Cars that have the same daily rate on our website are defined to have equivalent value.

1.4 Is there a minimum booking duration?

Our minimum booking duration depends on country, model and availability. You can see an overview of the bookable vehicles using our automated availability request form. For short rentals, we might also impose a surcharge. Such surcharges, if any, will already be included in the quoted prices.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): Mauritius, Seychelles.

1.5 How do I add extra features?

You can add extra features like child seats or satellite navigation (GPS) during the booking process, in the same step when you also supply your name and address. Please note the loss or damage of extras is not covered by the insurance.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles, Réunion.

1.6 What exactly is the premium option?

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): Mauritius.

1.7 What are the cancellation terms?

If you need to cancel your booking, you can do it free of charge 48 hours before the rental period without any restrictions. If you cancel your booking after that period or give the car back before the end of the booking period, we will charge 30% of the remaining rental fee or one day’s rental fee or €49, whichever is greater. See also: travel cancellation expenses insurance.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand.

2. Crashes and breakdowns

2.1 What happens if I am involved in a car accident?

In case of an accident, please inform the hotline mentioned on your booking confirmation as soon as possible. A friendly employee at Maki Car Rental is available 24 hours a day. He or she can organize a replacement car for you and help with other issues like filing a police report, which is mandatory for insurance reasons.
If the police determine that it was 100 % the fault of the opposing party, you will not have to pay for the damage. If the accident was your fault and the damage exceeds or equals your deductible, we will still only retain the maximum amount.

2.2 What happens in case of breakdown?

Even though we only broker well maintained cars, we cannot eliminate the possibility of a breakdown. We can understand your frustration if this happens during your holidays. Therefore, we will try to get you a replacement car or roadside assistance as soon as possible. On your booking confirmation you will find the telephone number of our 24-hour hotline, where our friendly employees are waiting to help you out in any situation.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand.

3. Traffic rules

3.1 Which special traffic rules apply?

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles.

3.2 Do I need an international drivers licence?

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles, Réunion.

4. Insurance and liability policy

4.1 Which insurances are included?

All cars under Maki Car Rental have fully comprehensive insurance coverage (CDW), which includes theft protection (TP) and third party liabilty (TPL). The insurance covers all cases except accidents caused from driving under the influence, violation of the rental terms or culpable negligence. Loss or damage of the car keys as well as personal belongings are not covered. Further items not covered by the insurance (e.g. tyres) may be presented to you during the booking process upon selection of the insurance package.

4.2 Is there a deductible in the event of damage or loss?

You can choose from different insurance packages during the booking process once you have selected a particular car. The deductible is the maximum amount you have to pay in case of an insuranced damage. Packages with reduced deductible (SDCW) or even zero deductible may be available at a daily surcharge. Please note that the deductible applies on a per-incident basis.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles.

4.3 Do I have to pay a deposit?

The deposit you need to pay depends on your chosen car type and insurance option. The amount will be shown during the booking process. If you choose an insurance option without deductible, you still have to pay a (small) deposit. This is to account for e.g. damages not included in the insurance, refueling, and late returns. You can pay the deposit when you pick up the car either in cash (in the currency shown; other currencies upon request) or by credit card. The amount will usually remain blocked on your credit card throughout the rental period, effectively lowering your spending limit. Therefore, please make sure that the full amount is available on your card and that the owner of the card is present at the time of pick-up. If the car is brought back in the same condition as when you picked it up, you will receive the full amount back.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles, Réunion.

4.4 What is covered by your cancellation expenses insurance?

If you take out this insurance, you don’t have to pay cancellation fees as long as you cancel your booking until noon of the day of pick-up (local time). Even if you cancel later than that, you will only pay for one day’s rental. If you have to return the vehicle early, the insurance will also cover the cancellation fees if you can proof that you were unable to continue your rental. As proof we accept for example a flight ticket that was issued after the day of pick-up. The cancellation expenses insurance can be purchased for a price of €16 regardless of the duration of your rental.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand.

5. Pricing and other rental terms

5.1 How are the prices calculated?

The prices quoted on Maki Car Rental are seasonal. Furthermore, we automatically apply discounts depending on the rental duration. The exact pricing depends on the car type; for details, please follow these instructions: Navigate to the "Cars and Prices" page and hold the mouse cursor over the quoted price for the respective car. Of course, our booking system calculates the total price automatically once you provided your rental period details.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Romania, Seychelles.

5.2 Which currencies are accepted?

Payment by credit card online can be done in Euro, Pound Sterling, Swiss Francs, US Dollar, Australian Dollar, South African Rand and Mauritian Rupees. Payment by bank transfer and PayPal can only be done in Euro. Payment on site is typically only available in the countries own currency. Any prices shown on the website in other currencies are for your convenience only. We try to automatically guess your preferred currency by the country you are viewing the page from. You can change the displayed currency at the top right of every page.

5.3 Where can I pick up my vehicle?

You can either pick it up at the airport or it can be delivered to a place of your choice. Just tell us the time and the pick-up/drop-off locations and a driver will wait for you there. For some areas the delivery is already included in the price and unfortunately for more remote areas we have to charge a little extra. The delivery price is already included in the quotes you see on our website.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Réunion.

5.4 Can I supply different places for the pick-up and the return of the vehicle?

Yes, in general we do accept one-way rentals. Fees will depend on the country where you rent the car. In case there is a fee for your one-way rental, our system will automatically include it in all quoted prices.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): New Zealand, Mauritius, Seychelles.

5.5 Will the tank be full when I take over the car?

We do not guarantee a full tank at the time of pick-up. However, we guarantee that there is enough fuel in the tank to reach the next filling station. The car must be given back with the same amount of fuel as it had when it was handed over to you.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): Mauritius, Seychelles, Réunion.

6. Payment terms

6.1 Do I need a credit card?

No, you can also pay with a bank transfer or through PayPal. Please note, that if you do not own a credit card you might be obligated to pay a deposit in cash. More about the deposit

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): Réunion.

6.2 How do I pay via PayPal?

After you send your booking, you will receive a confirmation email. Included in the email is a section with the PayPal logo on the right side. On the left side you find a link, which will take you directly to PayPal, with the payment data already set. The transaction will proceed after you have entered your log-in information. If you do not already have a PayPal account, you can either sign up (It's free!) or try PayPal as a guest.

6.3 Can I pay the car upon delivery?

The prices mentioned on our site are prepaid prices, so usually the payment needs to be made upfront. However, there are two exceptions:

If you choose to book our travel cancellation expenses insurance, you have the option to pay for your car upon delivery in cash. The fees for this insurance have to be paid in advance. You can choose one of the usual payment methods for that.

For last minute bookings (less than 48 hours before delivery), it's usually possible to pay on site even without purchasing the insurance.

Please understand that we need this policy to ensure that your booking is serious. Keep in mind that we are blocking a car for you and that we will deliver it to the place of your choice.

6.4 When and how do I have to pay the deposit?

See Do I have to pay a deposit?

7. About Maki Car Rental

7.1 What are the advantages of Maki Car Rental?

Maki Car Rental stands for reliable service. We achieve our high standard because we work closely with a select group of partners; sometimes these partner companies also work for the well-known international car rental brands. With the international brands, customers pay a premium mostly because of costly marketing programs, prestige locations etc.; we at Maki Car Rental can provide you with the same car and pass the savings on to you.

But we are not just another broker. Typically, car rental brokers just pass through the policies of their partner companies which makes the process quite cumbersome for diligent customers. Because we work closely with our subcontractors we are able to standardize the rental process as much as possible and make it easier for our customers to rent their vehicle with a peace of mind. Even though we are mainly an “internet company”, our operations are hyper-local. We personally know all our subcontractors and sometimes even co-own cars with them or loan them money to fund their growth. We monitor customer satisfaction closely and have a zero-tolerance policy for any shenanigans when it comes to damage claims and insurance cases.

This FAQ entry contains additional information for the following destination(s): Mauritius, Seychelles.

7.2 Who are the people behind Maki Car Rental?

Maki Car Rental is a brand of Indian Ocean Travel. We have been in the car rental market and travel industry for over 15 years and started out in the Mauritian car rental market. The company’s headquarters are located in Mauritius but we have expanded around the world and have employees in Germany, Romania, and Madagascar. Our employees speak English, French, and German fluently.

7.3 Is it safe to book a car online with Maki Car Rental?

We can honestly say that booking a car with us is 100% safe and your money is guaranteed. Here is why:

a) If any of our suppliers runs into financial difficulty, your money is still safe. At Maki Car Rental your funds are not released to our suppliers until you return your vehicle.

b) The risk of us going bankrupt is very low, because as a broker we have much less financial commitments than a car rental company. We have a lot of experience in handling large amounts of money that is not ours. We would never fund our own operations with customer money. We have demonstrated this at the onset of the corona crisis in 2020: all our customers have been refunded in full. And not just many months later as with air tickets, but within a few days.

c) Your payment info is save with us. In fact, we don’t directly process or store your payment details. If you pay with a credit card or through PayPal, the payment is made directly with the servers of our bank. Anybody who says they are hacker proof, lies or does not know better. But if there is nothing to gain for a hacker, we can all sleep better.