It can be frustrating to get a charge, even when you filled the tank just before leaving for the airport, particularly at those airports that don't have a gas station anywhere close to the airport (like GSO for example). Sometimes, Avis will have a flat rate for gas if you drive <75 miles. If you buy gas, be sure to keep the gas receipt and show the person at the counter (or include it in the envelope when dropping your car off after hours). You can do the math based on local gas prices whether it's worth it. Generally, you have to be pretty close to 75 miles. (My record was returning with 74 miles once.). I've disputed a gas charge after renting, and they ask for the name and location of the station where you filled up, so save that receipt (or at least a photo).

Taking photos of the odometer, fuel level, license plate, any existing damage, etc. should be standard practice for everyone.

Thanks, but it's easy enough to tell how much to add. My original question was when will they care. And it seems there are varying answers, some are specific based on on-board sensors and connected cars. Others are less specific, perhaps for cars that aren't connected.

As for "Easy Peezy", I never find having to call in and fight a claim as "Easy Peezy".

thanks, I agree with all this, though I often fail to do all of the steps that I should.

I would also add VIN number. I had a rental car stolen once. The first thing police asked for was the VIN. I left the rental agreement in the car and had to retrieve it from Budget website. Without a rental agreement number or a VIN number, police will not file a report.

Avis in Houston
 

I rented an Avis electric car in Houston in 2022, they told me I had to bring it back 70% full. For three days I searched all over for a charging station that would get me to 70% and failed. When I returned it the woman at the counter laughed and said not to worry, that I never would have been able to find a good charging station since they were all in residential buildings. The public ones were slow and worthless. She didn't charge me for returning with 50 miles left on it.

I rented a car a couple of years ago because my wife rear-ended another car at an intersection, writing our car off. Two days later, I managed to have not just the exact same crash, but at the exact same intersection, in the rental car (it's a terrible intersection - you have to look almost behind the car to see approaching traffic, which is coming over a hill, so isn't visible until it's quite close: people will often start to drive off then unexpectedly stop, which is what happened to both of us. You're still looking almost backward for traffic and you can't see the stopped car in your peripheral vision).

Anyway, the car was still drivable in my case, so I took it back to the rental agency and told them what had happened. The guy pulled up the car's logging on his computer and said "OK, you came off the freeway at the Maroochydore exit doing 95 km/h, you slowed to 58 in the 60 zone, then came to a complete stop at the intersection. Then you accelerated to 17 km/h and impacted the car in front".

So yes, I'd say they're tracking a LOT of data about your activities with the car. And this was a smallish Australian-only agency, not one of the big multinationals, who I assume collect even more.

In my case, fortunately, even though I was at fault in the accident, they could see from the data that I wasn't an irresponsible driver, so they had no issue with me renting with them in future.

Creepy? You mean like how Google and Amazon (Alexa) listen to all of your conversations and serve you ads on the things you discuss?

You should assume you are being tracked all the time, always, by somebody.

Yes, I do understand that.

I wonder what laws exist in each country, related to rental cars specifically, to allow/prevent tracking. The personally identifiable information (location would be one) would have to be anonymized for a phone. I don't know about a car though.

Just to note, this is factually incorrect. If you wake the devices up at the trigger word and ask a question, yes, they will take that into account when serving ads. Otherwise, no.