help contents

• general
• getting started
• finding items for rent
• questions for rental businesses
• online reservations
• other questions
• contact

general

q. what is rentcycle?
a. rentcycle lets you discover, compare and book goods for rent online. we promote renting as a viable form of commerce by helping people discover all the things they don’t have to own. rentcycle connects consumers with rental businesses in the first online marketplace purely for rental goods.

q. what can you rent?
a. rentcycle’s goal is to raise awareness for renting as an alternative to buying. as such, rentcycle can help you find anything—yes, anything—you’d like to rent online. from power tools to party supplies to sporting goods, rentcycle is your one-stop-shop for rentals. whether you’re looking for a designer handbag or a pair of snow skis, you can find it here. discover rental options in your area with our browse feature.

q. how does it work?
a. rentcycle is free for consumers to use. we make money through commission and promotional fees, both paid by the rental businesses. each rental business gets a listing in the rentcycle marketplace with free access to our reservation and inventory management tools. for converting an online lead into an online sale, rentcycle takes 10% of the transaction cost. rentcycle gets no commission until a reservation is made.

q. why rent?
a. save space | save your wallet | save your planet

q. why now?
a. two trends are currently emerging in the space of consumer Internet. first is the movement to bring local service providers online. second is the gravitation toward renting as a viable option for exchange because of its economic and sustainable benefits. rentcycle delivers on both of these trends by giving consumers direct access to rental business inventory in real-time. we do this by serving local businesses in order to increase efficiency. to date, we are the only company doing this.

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getting started

q. do I have to pay to use rentcycle?
a. no way! rentcycle is 100% free for consumers to use.

q. do I have to register to search rentcycle?
a. nope! rentcycle is open for all to search and will never ask you to register an account.

q. how do I get started?
a. that's easy—if you’re looking for rental goods, watch the demo. if you’re a rental business or looking to post items for rent, visit the business solution page to learn more about what rentcycle can do for you.

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finding items for rent

q. why is using rentcycle better than renting stuff the old-fashioned way?
a. besides being faster and easier, rentcycle is the web’s most comprehensive directory of rental businesses. we’re the only online resource where you can search specifically for rental goods. rentcycle currently has over 30,000 stores represented from across the united states and growing. plus, we let you do everything in one place—once you find the item you want to rent, rentcycle walks you through the reservation process too.

q: what if I don’t quite know what I’m looking for?
a: don’t sweat. the rental industry is huge and filled with options—sometimes too many! that’s why we’ve categorized and subcategorized every business in the system. using our browse feature, you can sort businesses by category and location. on the results page, you can further filter according to subcategory and item by clicking the hyperlinks that appear for each listing.

q: what if a business I like is missing from the results?
a: let us know! although we’re the largest directory of rental businesses, we’re bound to miss a few. please click the add a new business button if you don’t see your favorite shop represented in the search results. the rentcycle team will then verify your request and update the marketplace within 24 hours.

q: what if a business I like has inaccurate information?
a: correct us! no one is perfect, including us. when you find inaccurate information for a listing, use the “edit biz” button to adjust accordingly. the rentcycle team will then verify this request and update the marketplace within 24 hours.

q: what if a business is listed that doesn’t rent stuff?
a: tell us about it! we want rentcycle to be as accurate as possible. eliminating non-rental businesses is very important. use the “delete biz” button to remove a listing and be sure to tell us your reason in the text box provided. the rentcycle team will then verify this request and update the marketplace within 24 hours.

q. what if I can't find what I'm looking for?
a. no worries. if you can't find what you're looking for, simply email us your location and what you’re looking for. we’ll find something within 24 hours.

q. when I’m ready to make a reservation, how can I pay?
a. rentcycle accepts all major credit cards and allows you to take care of payment beforehand. this means less time at the store and more time enjoying your rental.

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questions for rental businesses

q. how do I know if my business is already in the marketplace?
a. that’s easy! start by searching for your business name on the homepage. as you type, the text box will start predicting based on the letters you provide. you should see your business appear if it’s already in the system. if not, finish typing, input your zip code and click “find.” if your business does not show up in the results, it is not yet in the system. you can easily add it by clicking the add a new business button.

q. what if my business is already in the marketplace?
a. good news! being in the marketplace means someone likes your business and thinks it’s worth being found. now it’s time to claim it! simply click on the “claim biz” button on your listing and provide your contact info. within 24 hours, the rentcycle team will verify your account and grant you access to tools to manage your online presence.

q. my business is not yet in the system. how do I sign up?
a. getting your business in the rentcycle system is easy. click on the add a new business button to provide details on your store. within 24 hours, the rentcycle team will verify your account and grant you access to tools to manage your online presence.

q. how do I manage my account?
a. first, register your business for an account. once you’re logged in, click on the my rentcycle link (on the top of each page) to manage your account. from here, you can edit your listing, upload inventory, adjust pricing, check your reservation calendar, open new reservations and run reports to track business activity over time.

q. can I use rentcycle’s reservation system to book items from my existing website?
a. of course! each business in the rentcycle marketplace has a custom URL for their business page. this can be linked directly from your website to allow your web visitors to conveniently book online. in fact, if you visit you’re my rentcycle page, you can use one of the widgets we provide to direct customers to book reservations.

q: what if I don’t have a website?
a: you don’t need one! once you setup a rentcycle account for your business, you automatically get an online presence and will get discovered. you can edit your rentcycle business page to include everything you’d want the world to know about your business.

q. will people find me if they search for me in google and other major search engines?
a. yes. listing your business in rentcycle lets the world know more about what you offer. it's a great benefit, and all you have to do is upload your inventory. we'll take care of the rest.

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online reservations

q. what happens when a reservation is made?
a. when a customer books a reservation, you’ll receive an email with details about the reservation—item details, length of reservation, payment type, renter contact info, etc. the customer receives a similar email. this ensures both parties are on the same page with regard all orders.

q. my customers are asking about paypal. how does that work?
a. paypal is low-cost way for your customers to pay you online using their bank account or credit card. simply go to paypal.com to create a free account, and be sure to check the box saying that says "I accept paypal" when you setup payments in your account. some customers prefer to use providers that accept online payments, so this will give you an edge in landing more customers.

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other questions

q. why haven't I received an activation email after signing up?
a. be sure to check your spam folder and add info@rentcycle.com to your address book. if our message got flagged as spam, please let us know.

q. what browser should I use?
a. rentcycle supports all modern browsers, including recent versions of internet explorer, firefox, safari and google chrome.

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contact

q. still can't find what you're looking for?
a. send us an email, give us a call or engage with us right now on live chat. it’s always great to hear from our users, and we're happy to personally help.

email: support@rentcycle.com
toll-free phone: 866-947-RENT (866-947-7368)
office: 1635 california street #33, san francisco, ca 94109

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