Originally Posted by LAX
To make more profits. With their lower rates (usually), they already have your business for that rental. Anything on top of that (ie: optional insurance, vehicle upgrades, refueling, etc.) is gravy. Plus, many people don't mind paying a few bucks to avoid hassles, which plays right into Budget's hands of padding its bottom line. Imagine how much revenue Budget would potentially lose if a roving agent can take that surcharge off with a click of a button.
LAX
dont forget the root cause of this issue to begin with. If people were honest about the gas levels on their car at return, this would never had been an issue. I have had people stare me square in the face and say "Yes I bought gas", looked at their gas guage and it read full, mileage traveld 56 miles, and put the car at the nozzle and squeezed off 2.5 gallons. It never hurt that person, it always hurt the honest person after him who filled up the car as thy were supposed to do. this fee just ensures that everyone pays their proper due.
People can blame the car rental companies. But the rental population as a whole, even the frequent renting population, is to blame.
Forums like this are to blame too. People talk about how they can get away with anything to save a buck, it repeats the process. So before everyone gets high and mighty about morality on this issue, look in the mirror.