DebitNM

Wow!

So now they will be charging us fractional amount of gas usage at triple pump cost, even when gauge says FULL!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifest...89d_story.html

deladeb

Who sits around and thinks of these ways to nickel and dime people and not realize you're making customers mad.

Rastaguytoday

DebitNM - are you renting or just bitching?

gail

I read this as well. Next will they start charging us for bags we put into the trunk?

DebitNM

Both.

clarkgriswold

I don't get it. If someone returns a car not quite full, but showing "full" on the gauge, isn't it the next CUSTOMER who loses, not the rental company?

NewbE

If you prepay for a full tank of gas and return the car as close to empty as you can, they do not charge you triple pump price, they charge you the going rate. They only jack up the price if you fail to return it full when you contracted to do so. I have prepaid for a full tank for years now, I don't know why anyone would bother with the return-it-full gig, sorry!

If customers rebelled against nickel and diming, the airlines would be out of business. But they don't. Where customers aren't all that brand loyal, nickel and diming doesn't matter all that much.

NewbE

I guess I should add that when we rent a car, we usually spend a lot of time driving, which makes it easy to return it near empty.

emalloy

Do you think the rental company put .8 gallons of gas into the tank before renting it to the next person? I doubt it.

NewbE

I would assume they do, emalloy.

DebitNM

We often rent a car for just a day trip [8 am pick up and 7 pm return] while visiting a city and don't use anywhere near a full tank, so that buy a tank full up front won't work for us.

So, if we pay $40 for the car and then get hit with either a $14 refill fee or the like, it makes a big difference.

dwdvagamundo

Newbe--the reason not to prepay (in my single experience) is the conflict between trying to drop the car with about half a gallon of gas versus running out of gas on the way to the drop off. Since then, we've always filled it up before dropping it off. But of course there is never a station right next to the dropoff so if the rental companies are going to play this game, we're going to lose. Loved the quote "This is going to be good for customers."

Guess I won't be renting from Avis if this is the kind of treatment I'll get.

NewbE

Half a gallon of gas costs less than $2.00; I am OK with losing the cost of a whole gallon if it means not having to seek out a gas station right by the airport, where prices are usually higher anyway. Modern cars tell you how far you can go before you run out. It's just not that risky!

fmpden

Recently rented a truck from Budget that had to be returned full. Stopped at station less than two blocks from the rental return, filled it until the handle repeated turned off, had the receipt, but was still charge a refill fee because the truck fuel tank had a long neck and they could not see any gas in the neck. So they took a watering can of gasoline and poured it down the filler neck until it ran over. That is what they meant by full. I give them the extra ten dollars and decided it just went into someone's pocket.

tomfuller

fppden: I would report what the rental truck company did to the Fire Marshall immediately. Within an hour after overfilling to the top of the neck if the sun shines on the tank it will start spilling onto the ground. They need to be charged a big fine for doing this. One carelessly tossed cigarette could burn the whole fleet if there is fuel in an unapproved container or spilled on the ground.

gail

Coming soon (in addition to baggage in trunk of rental car fee) - fees for each radio station used, $1 per piece of trash left in vehicle, extra charge to use upholders, and extra passenger fee.

Brian_in_Charlotte

They'd make a lot more money if they'd charge renters a penalty for smoking in cars.

Keith

The article says that Hertz is doing this as well. I will not use Avis or Hertz.

vjpblovesitaly

"They'd make a lot more money if they'd charge renters a penalty for smoking in cars."

The last few cars I've rented had a notice on the window that they will fine the renter $250 if the car smells like it's been smoked in. Are you saying they don't do it?

DebitNM

It figures - we just got an Avis business account and they give a nice discount making them the lowest priced rental, that is, until this popped up! Perfect timing...