I'm not a stranger to picking up a rental from Hertz with a fuel gauge showing as "full" and then a few short miles away from the lot the fuel gauge takes a dive. The reason for this is obviously (1) renters that did not fill up the car after low mileage/short rentals, (2) renters filling up far away from the rental lot, or (3) Hertz employees using the car for company errands.

What, if anything, can I do about the situation where you drive off the lot with a car on full, but obviously it isn't? Go back to the lot and claim 7/8 of a tank (am I really going to want to do that after arriving after midnight from traveling all day)? Call Hertz? Try to guesstimate the fuel mileage of the car I'm driving and then just pump in enough gallons before return to cover what I think I used?

Personally, I'm not worried about the few extra dollars I may have to put in the car before return as I am on company expenses. My company however....that might be a different story. My company is really cracking down on expenses and thoroughly examining every detail of every receipt submitted. I'm afraid the way things are going with my company and the extreme penny-pinching we are all being put through that someone in finance is going to notice a 1 day Toyota Camry rental of 35 miles, but 2.7 gallons of fuel was pumped into the car. If it is noticed then I am not reimbursed for anything that is considered an "unnecessary" or "extra" expense and I eat the cost. Considering I can have up to three rentals a week in three different cities, these extra dollars needed to bring the gas level of a rental that is not actually full up to full adds up quickly over time.

So when I pull off that lot and the fuel gauge takes a dive a few miles down the road, what if anything can I do about it?