So I recently rented a car one-way from LAS to LAX with Alamo. At the counter, the clerk recommended the prepaid fuel option at $2.87/gallon for this trip. I almost never accept prepaid fuel -- the savings are usually modest at best and that trying to draw down your tank to near zero is more stressful than just filling the tank. But for this rental, the option seemed reasonable because I was driving the car to California, where gas tends to be expensive. Also, returning a car at LAX is hassle enough, so not looking for a gas station might be more pleasant. So I accepted and paid $39 for a tank of gas.

Or so I thought.

What I didn't realize was that, first, the gasoline fee was not limited to $39. If the car you select yourself on the lot has a bigger tank than average, Alamo automatically adjusts the bill at the time of your return. In my case, that added an extra $4. Second, in what seemed bizarre to me, your prepaid fuel bill is subject to many of the crazy "taxes" that almost all airport car rentals are subject to. In my case, they charged me a 10% "concession recovery fee" on the gas purchase, as well as a 2% Clark County tax. Mercifully, there were other taxes that didn't seem to apply to the gas purchase. The end result was that I paid about $3.14/gallon for my gas -- including the stuff I left behind in the tank. Not much of a deal. And kind of a scam I think. Certainly, the company should be required to prominently disclose that you will have to pay additional tax on your gas purchase. Americans, like me, are accustomed to buying gas with all taxes already included.