Are unexpected fees the norm in the rental car industry?

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

We rented a car a couple of weeks back. (this was due to someone backing into the door of my wife's car) I was quoted one price for adding insurance, then the fellow at the counter pushed over a paper and said, "sign here, initial here, here and here", and we'll get you your car. I had my youngest son with me at the time, and he kept asking me questions and such, plus it took about twice as long as normal because they tried to give us a car with a VERY smoky smelling interior at first. Anyway, we dropped the car off at the car repair place like Enterprise's Employee instructed us to, and later we get a call telling us that we owe something like $430 "as of today". I couldn't figure this out at first, and then realized that because my wife lost the credit cards out of her purse again, we had to cancel all of the cards and get them replaced. Evidently Enterprise hadn't been able to charge it to us.

I looked over the paper, and the $16.99 a day for the insurance had magically changed to $18.99. Plus, the 3 places where I had initialed evidently added on extra fees of $3 per day, $5 per day, etc. that no one had ever discussed with me. This will teach me to try to take the time to read things over, even when I'm being distracted. Why would a business do this sort of thing, knowing that it would lead to bad word of mouth advertising and loss of return business? Evidently I was quite naive, because I thought they had to actually discuss additional fees with me before they could try to add any.

Have any of you folks ever had things like this added on, or prices changed from what they told you?

 

[dave_the_nerd]

That's typical. Also, they're randomly claim you drove twice the mileage you did, or claim the gas tank was empty when it wasn't.

Fuck 'em.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Or the new one I'm currently fighting. Sending me a bill ( 3 months after the fact) claming I went on a toll road 3 times...when I know I didn't. The icing on the cake is the 3x, when if I had actually done that, it would have only been 2x. No idea how I can win this though. I asked for photos...we'll see what they do.

 

[OutHouse]

when renting cars at Ohare, the fucking fees are as much as the rental.

 

[Cozarkian]

I've seen extras for the toll passes, GPS, and prepaid gas, but they were spelled out pretty clearly and were easy to refuse.

 

[dullard]

Yes, that is the norm. Look at the reviews of Fox Rent A Car rentals to see horror stories worse than anything Hollywood has been able to dream up.

When I rent a car, I look up the gotchas BEFORE I get to the car rental place and am steadfast in my refusal to initial or sign anything with extra fees. It might take 20 minutes of arguing, but you don't have to initial or sign things that cost you more. For example, your car insurance that you probably already have probably covers rental cars. Also for similar reasons, I take photos of all angles of the car and the odometer before I take the keys.

I'm pretty sure if I were in a distracted desperate state, that I'd just slip them a $20 to be done with it as the rental clerks basically pocket all the extra fees, so might as well just skip that whole process.


What bothers me far more is when you get there and the car is nothing like what you reserved. Last time I rented, I was going off-road and specifically rented a 4WD Jeep. When I got there, they said to pick anything out of a row of vehicles. No Jeep in the bunch. I got the only 4WD vehicle in the lineup and as I was trying to leave, they said it would cost me an extra $100/day (compared to the $30/day total that I signed up for) as I selected the wrong one from the lineup. I ended up with a 2WD and barely made it to my destination (on the way back, a tow truck was towing out a car that didn't make it and I had to drive over bushes to get around them).

 

[Murloc]

yes it's normal, car rental employees try to screw you in any way possible, it's really part of their business model because if everyone behaves like that, people at the airport who need a car don't have any choice other than taking the risk. Also the company gets blamed but it's the local franchise that pockets the money and new suckers are always coming.

You almost always take a hit you can't avoid on the gas tank already.

Also be very careful about the already present damage, it's a nice trick to hurry you up and then bill you the damage.

It's also a classic trick to not have the car you want available so that they can make you pay more for something you didn't want.
This is really bad when you're planning your holiday around having 4WD.

 

[Exterous]

Its pretty typical for them to ask you all kinds of things when you pick up your car. Do you want hazard insurance? Additional collision, pre-paid gas, tolls, upgrade, extra mileage etc? Depending on your answers they will tell you to initial in different places. Its probably a good habit to assume that a if a business is asking if you want something you are probably going to pay something for it. Generally I've found Enterprise to be pretty honest although they won't necessarily tell you that your answer means your rental costs more. One of the reasons I like National so much is because you can skip all the BS at all the locations with an Emerald aisle. Just go to the correct aisle, pick a car, drive it to the gate, hand over license and car tag, Drive off. Takes like 2 minutes and the only question I sometimes get asked is if I need a GPS. Some other rental comapnies have automated kiosks which are almost as nice but its not as wide spread, or at least thats what it seems from my travel habits

You almost always take a hit you can't avoid on the gas tank already.

I've probably had a good 40 car rentals on several different continents and have never gotten hit with a fee for the gas tank.

 

[Humpy]

We have a corporate account with one of the bigger agencies where we rent around a hundred vehicles a month with limitations on what we can be charged written into the contract.

They still try to screw us over any chance they get. These are usually airport locations too, so they should be used to corporate travelers.

The whole rental process is designed to obscure and confuse to squeeze out a little more profit.

 

[Ns1]

The cheaper the rental agency the more BS you gotta deal with.


Never had an issue with Hertz, Enterprise Truck, or Penske; YMMV.

 

[GunsMadeAmericaFree]

>I've probably had a good 40 car rentals on several different continents and have never gotten hit with a fee for the gas tank.[/QUOTE]

I've heard of people being charged a lot for gas, but always tried to fill to the brim just before turning it in. I wonder, if I left a gas can with a couple of extra gallons on the floor of the front seat area, would they charge me a "cleanup fee" to remove it from the vehicle, rather than applying it to make sure there was no gas charge?

 

[Murloc]

I've probably had a good 40 car rentals on several different continents and have never gotten hit with a fee for the gas tank.

I meant that when you get it it's sometimes not at the level you're required to take it in (or rather, at the level at which you actually take it in to make sure they don't try to make you pay an extra fee) so you're losing some gas money too.
The fee for a gas tank that is filled to the required level isn't something I have encountered either, although I'm sure it happens.

 

[MrDudeMan]

It's easy to avoid the fees. You just have to think about what you're doing and be both patient and focused on the task at hand. The less expensive companies definitely try more shenanigans, but all of them do it to some degree. The only one that has bitten me in the last decade is the extra driver fee. I rent a lot of cars and I am always diligent about avoiding fees, but I was on vacation and I ignored my own advice: I hurried through the process and didn't ask about fees at the end of every statement, which is pretty much required sometimes. Lo and behold, I was charged $65 to add my wife as a driver and the asshole made no mention of this.

When I walk up to my car, I always record a video with an agent from the company visible in the frame while I inspect the car, gas needle, and mileage. When I drop the car off, I do the same thing. Two times in the last 5 years I've had to put a video to use and the company left me alone immediately. It's a PITA, but it saved me who knows how much money.

 

[purbeast0]

I pretty much always use Avis when renting cars now a days in the USA at least. I've never had an issue and I really like how they have the "self serve" type of service, where you just pay for a class of car, and then you go pick out which one you want from the lot. I also have never used insurance nor will because every credit card I've ever had covers the insurance as a perk. I always also fill up the tank myself before returning it. I've never had any extra or hidden fees.

The last one I did at LAX actually had a kiosk to handle everything so I didn't even have to talk to a person until I was leaving the parking lot in the car. It was really nice and intuitive, and spedy.

 

[OverVolt]

Refuse everything. The insurance is pretty much double the rental cost and your primary insurance should cover your rental anyway.

Weekly rentals are usually much better rates. You're either renting for like 1-2 days tops, or a week, or a month.

If you rent for like 5 days with the insurance you might as well just buy the car.

 

[OutHouse]

We have a corporate account with one of the bigger agencies where we rent around a hundred vehicles a month with limitations on what we can be charged written into the contract.

They still try to screw us over any chance they get. These are usually airport locations too, so they should be used to corporate travelers.

The whole rental process is designed to obscure and confuse to squeeze out a little more profit.

yea we do as well (National). and my last trip the assholes tacked on insurance. i didn't notice until i was doing my expense report the following week. yea i let one slip past me, it was my fault and ill be damned if i let that happen again.

FYI the difference between Corporate rates and consumer rates is amazing. we are allowed to use the corporate account for personal rentals but have to pay for it with personal credit card.

 

[Ns1]

yea we do as well (National). and my last trip the assholes tacked on insurance. i didn't notice until i was doing my expense report the following week. yea i let one slip past me, it was my fault and ill be damned if i let that happen again.

who gives a shit, the company is paying for it. tack on insurance every time plz, I need the CC points.

 

[OutHouse]

who gives a shit, the company is paying for it. tack on insurance every time plz, I need the CC points.

corporate account, the accountants very much care when its in the travel policy and its not my credit card used to rent the car. points are irrelevant.

 

[Ns1]

corporate account, the accountants very much care when its in the travel policy and its not my credit card used to rent the car. points are irrelevant.

your corporate policy sucks.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Unexpected fees are not normal. If you had ever rented a car before you'd know to expect them.

 

[RockinZ28]

Fees are normal for suckers. Feel bad for the people at the counter when they get duped into paying a ton extra.

I try to be courteous as I know it's their job to upsell that crap, but some days I'm impatient and just flat out say when I get to the counter that I'm self covered, don't want any upgrades/extras and I'll bring it back full. Then there's usually just silence until they're ready for me to sign.

 

[BUTCH1]

Here in FL the state tacks on a "battery and tire disposal fee", geez, I'm only renting for 3 days, I promise I won't do that many burn-outs!. They should just be honest and put "we're gonna f*** you for a few bucks here" fee.

 

[BoomerD]

The only "unexpected fee" I've ever been hit with while renting a car is when the rental got rear-ended by a drunk driver while I was on my way to turn it in...I had to fork over my insurance deductible...which I FINALLY got back from my insurance company got it from the drunk's insurance company.

Otherwise, every dime I was charged was spelled out plainly in the contract. (but I've often been surprised at the taxes and fees charged by the local governmental agencies as a way of getting MORE tourist dollars.

 

[DesiPower]

OP, I rent cars on line atleast 3 to 4 times every year, last time was last month. I have NEVER in my life seen ANY unexpected fees. When I book online the final price is shown, I have never paid a single penny extra over that. Trick is to ignore any advertised, not look at the price at all until it starts showing the total price.

Rental companies are aware of the crazy fees you are talking about and that's why they start showing the final price pretty early on in the booking process.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Yes, that is the norm. Look at the reviews of Fox Rent A Car rentals to see horror stories worse than anything Hollywood has been able to dream up.

When I rent a car, I look up the gotchas BEFORE I get to the car rental place and am steadfast in my refusal to initial or sign anything with extra fees. It might take 20 minutes of arguing, but you don't have to initial or sign things that cost you more. For example, your car insurance that you probably already have probably covers rental cars. Also for similar reasons, I take photos of all angles of the car and the odometer before I take the keys.

I'm pretty sure if I were in a distracted desperate state, that I'd just slip them a $20 to be done with it as the rental clerks basically pocket all the extra fees, so might as well just skip that whole process.


What bothers me far more is when you get there and the car is nothing like what you reserved. Last time I rented, I was going off-road and specifically rented a 4WD Jeep. When I got there, they said to pick anything out of a row of vehicles. No Jeep in the bunch. I got the only 4WD vehicle in the lineup and as I was trying to leave, they said it would cost me an extra $100/day (compared to the $30/day total that I signed up for) as I selected the wrong one from the lineup. I ended up with a 2WD and barely made it to my destination (on the way back, a tow truck was towing out a car that didn't make it and I had to drive over bushes to get around them).

For me it's more simple: Avoid the bullshit and go with a NORMAL (what you typically think is "high price") rental car company. That is... Hertz, Avis.... Alamo and Enterprise can be ok as well.

I used to always go for the bottom of the barrel ones like Fox Rent A Car, and it was always a PITA because I could never trust them on trying to nickel and dime me. So what did I do? EVERY time that I rented the car I would take pictures before driving off in it. So they can't come to me later and say this scratch wasn't here or something along those lines. Since switching to the normal companies, I have zero worries. I also never pay for the added insurance bullshit.

Also if you want a lower price on the normal car rental companies, I recommend Costco Travel, awesome site to compare the costs for all 4.