Private Car Rentals are not the same as renting from a renta-car agency. These are done on a very personal basis with a lot of trust involved. The Wet Nose has used private car rentals as a way to fund the project since early 2019. Each car is owned independently and privately and The Wet Nose receives a commission for managing the full rental process. All of the proceeds go towards managing The Wet Nose.

Renting privately is much like borrowing a friend's car; there's something in it for you and something in it for your buddy. Much like your buddy we ask that you make every effort to take care of these cars as you would a car belonging to a friend.

Each of these cars belongs to someone who has entrusted as at The Wet Nose with their vehicle. The car is insured in the name of the owner and the owner will write you explicit permission to use their vehicle for the time you need it. In Costa Rica this is all the insurance needs to cover a claim.

All cars have the very best insurance that they qualify for. They all have roadside assistance, accident and theft cover and come with a deductible of 300,000 (more or less $500).

A copy or picture of the drivers licenses of each person that will be driving the car.

A copy or picture of the passport of each person that will be driving the car.

A copy or a picture of the most recent entry stamp in your passport.

$500 deposit to cover the collision deductible payable either via PayPal or in cash in US dollars at the time of pick up.

In some cases a small holding deposit may be required

The first and most obvious benefit is price and not only price but you have a better chance of being able to negotiate a better deal. Especially if you are looking at a long term rental.

The next most obvious benefit is a personal service. You are renting a car from someone and not a business. You are renting a car that belongs to someone who can tell you if there are any tricks or give you hints to enjoy your driving.

You are renting from a member of the community and not from a big corporation.

Finally, in the case of CR Cars, you rental is benefiting The Wet Nose which is a rescue and sanctuary in Costa Rica that is not only home to almost 50 animals but is also actively involved in rescuing dogs and cats from the streets.

If you are involved in an accident in Costa Rica, do not move from where you are, even if you are in the middle of the road blocking traffic. Do not move the car to see what the damage is.

Call the police. Regardless of what has happened the police need to come and give a report. Do not move your car until the police have given you the go ahead.

Call your insurance company and let them know what has happened. They will send someone out to assess the damage. If the police have given you the authorisation to move the vehicle, you may move it before the representative from the insurance company arrives.

If there was another car involved, the case will go to court to determine who was at fault. If you were at fault the owner will be summoned to court and sentenced. In this case we will retain your deposit and you will have no further liability.

If the car cannot be driven or repaired there is no guarantee that we will have a replacement car for you. If after going to court it was declared to not be your fault you will receive both a refund for the remaining time and your deposit.

You are not responsible for mechanical repairs. If the car cannot be repaired to allow you to continue making use of it you will be refunded the unused portion of your rental.

You are not responsible for any damages caused by wear and tear. Most of these cars are slightly older which means that things can happen. These should be small things since the cars are checked regularly to make sure that nothing is about to break and that the cars are in top notch condition.

You are not responsible for any fines relating to the car's paperwork.

You are responsible for any damages to the vehicle while it is in your care up to a maximum of 300,000 colones or $500. This excludes wear and tear related damages.

You are responsible for any damages caused by improper use. In other words for things that happen when you use the car for what it is not meant for. Standing on the bonnet, using the steering wheel as a support, etc.

You are responsible for all fines that were accumulated during the period you had the car. These include speeding fines, parking fines, fines for driving in restricted areas at restricted times.

You are responsible for towing only in the case of a rescue. If you drive the car into a ditch and are unable to get it out for example.