Hertz - Change drop-off location mid-rental

Hey folks,
I am flying into DCA next week. I live in RIC. However, I need to drive to BWI to my inlaw's to pick up a bed and take it to RIC. Hertz won't rent me an SUV (excursion, etc) for a one way rental. However, they will do it if I agree to drop it off at DCA.
What will happen if I take it, and call (or not) and just drop it off in RIC? Will they nail me with charges?
this happened once b/t EGE and ASP and they didn't care at all.

Thanks!
-N

i've been told that rentals can be returned to any location in the same "city" as your scheduled return with no penalty -- i called to change a dropoff from laguardia to newark, and was told it was no problem at all, and i didn't even need to call. but if you're returning to a different metro area, i'd fully expect to get nailed.

(i'd expect that ASE (assuming you meant aspen, and not alice springs :-) ) and EGE pull from the same rental pool, and therefore changing your return between those two was fine...)

If you change the drop off to another metro area they will definitely increase your rate, possibly by a large amount. There are inter-city rates they can apply even if the system does not accept a one-way reservation.

I put in a random date on the website and found Ford Explorer one-day rental from DC area to RIC for about $89 plus tax (AAA rate), $112 all inclusive. I could not get it to rent me a larger SUV than that.

If you get desparate, you could drive the SUV back to DCA and return it there and pick up a compact car on a one-way to get back to RIC (figure $75ish all told for the cheapest car).

Charles

If you get desparate, you could drive the SUV back to DCA and return it there and pick up a compact car on a one-way to get back to RIC (figure $75ish all told for the cheapest car).


...Absolutely the best advice.
And, don't feel the need to stick with Hertz.
Budget is often very inexpensive out of DCA.
In fact, it participates in Hotwire... I am sure.

i've been told that rentals can be returned to any location in the same "city" as your scheduled return with no penalty -- i called to change a dropoff from laguardia to newark, and was told it was no problem at all, and i didn't even need to call. but if you're returning to a different metro area, i'd fully expect to get nailed.

(i'd expect that ASE (assuming you meant aspen, and not alice springs :-) ) and EGE pull from the same rental pool, and therefore changing your return between those two was fine...)

This is true not all the time. It depends on rate. I had a two-day rental from LGA with a rate change when I dropped in Manhattan. The original reservation was for drop off LGA.