When renting from non airport locations, DEMAND an employee walkaround and insist upon notes on every single nick and scratch. As far as gas, if they charge you for gas when the gas tank is full (Ford cars drop out of full really fast, including the escape), you can argue it all day long if you just claim you filled it up. The CAll center customer service will always credit the gas rather than lose a customer.
one more thing. If you truly want to draw attention to a location having issues, call the 800 number, and complain. Every complaint via 800 number counts against the location's budget and Quality assurance score. lower than 98 at airport locations denotes failure.
I will, however, reccomend that you use this for truly bad locations. I was one of the better managers and nothing pissed me off more than getting these complaints without giving me a chance to correct the mistake first.
However if a location deserves the bad pub....so be it. Some places just need to be brought to the attention of the upper management.
A location that has lots of gas complaints, for example, will get an accelerated visit from an inspector and he will concentrate on cars gas levels on the ready line.
Originally Posted by
IAHtraveler
I was in MBS (Midland, Bay City, Saginaw, MI) a few months ago when I rented an Avis car. They had a sign at the counter that if you didn't purchase the gas option, when you returned your car you must present a receipt to prove you filled up the gas within 5 miles. I returned the car before they opened, so I didn't have to have my receipt.
The crazy thing is, that just proves you put something in the tank at a local station. It doesn't prove that you filled the tank or drove directly from the gas station to the airport.
On another rental at my local (off-airport) location, they were closed when I returned the car. When I picked up the car, the windshield was cracked and the gas was 3/4. (Most local places I've been to don't fill the gas, just have you return it where it was)
The next morning I got called and told I had to fill out an accident report for the windshield and I was being charged for a tank of gas b/c I returned it 7/8 full, not 8/8. I explained the windshield was cracked when I picked up the car and the tank was 3/4 when I got it. She said a manager would call me back when they arrived. They never did & I got billed for the gas
. I called back & a manager never returned that call either. I emailed Avis.com and they refunded me my $$ and mailed me some coupons.
From that location, I now make the employee do a full circle on the car and note absolutely every imperfection in the car and write it on my contract. I'm to the point now, I make them note every spot on the seats, etc at that location just for spite.