TrojanHorse

b/c they get more the other way

ezmonee

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.

docmonkey

If they were willing to remove the charge upon showing a gas receipt without waiting in line, I would agree with what you said.

ezmonee

I dont know how some of the locations are, but why waste your time at the checkin outside if you have to go inside anyway. Just take your miles, gas level, and gas reciept and go directly to the counter. If they ask why you did that, tell them (your agent outside cant help me anyway).

Another option, Cant speak for Budget, but Avis perferred members can always go to the perferred counters. Ive even seen people take reciepts to destination counters when they pick up their next car and show the reciept for rover return and gas at once. Reciepts can be shown for 24 hours after check in. Its not a total answer for you, but its something to think about. Frequent renters always show me reciepts and give me the contract numbers for their last destination and it takes all of 25 seconds to remove. Also, while at the counter, ask for an upgrade or for a different car. May as well better your situation.

das

You are right that at some airports - ORD, TPA, SJC, SFO come to mind - I have to fill up several miles from the airport because there are no gas stations close to the airport. This is no doubt because rental car companies have pressured the airport authorities to keep gas stations off airport property.

Also given that I am routinely given cars that are not 100% full, I see the issue of people returning "almost full" cares more punishing to the next renter than the car rental agency.

That said - I agree with requiring a receipt. I disagree with a gun being held to my head to go inside.

I also think its dispicable that Budget lied to me in the email response to my complaint and then failed to follow up when I asked them to confirm that they did not require renters to go inside.

das

That would be the ethical solution, but given Budget has language on their contract that there is a "$9.50 surcharge for driving less than 75 miles" they have themselves legally covered. Screw the customer.

I say screw Budget.

LAX

You can "screw" Budget all you want (again, I am NOT defending Budget), but if you are paying a higher base rate at other rental agencies, what difference does it make? May be you won't feel "cheated" when ABC rent-a-car tells you up front that you will be paying $9.50 more than Budget so you won't get hit with the "hidden surcharge" when you return the car. However, at Budget, you at least have the option to have the charges taken off, unlike ABC. Honestly, if you can find comparable or better base rates else where, I say why bother with Budget, too!

LAX

Donna D

why do you keep insisting the $9.50 automatic charge is a good deal because budget is cheaper than everyone else. Not so. I have been a loyal budget customer for years but last week when I flew to FLL, I rented with someone else - its as $1.00 more and I DID NOT have to stand in line for 30 minutes to get the $9.50 removed from my bill. In fact, when I turned the car in, as a precaution, I asked the attendant if he needed to see my gas receipt and his response was, "no, we don't like to make the customer feel like we don't trust them." I just reserved another rental for next week - it was $30 cheaper than Budget and again, no line to stand in.

Donna D

that must be new language because last time I looked, I saw nothing to that effect.

Donna D

The reason that most of us belong to the various rental companies "fast service" is because we DO NOT want to stand in line. You have apparently never had to stand in line at a rental car company upon returning a car - it is not a fast process.

Donna D

Again, assuming you are correct, the proper solution would be to require the renter to show the gas receipt and if they can't show they filled the car, only at that point should a charge be added - it should not be a default that is difficult and time consuming to have fixed.

ezmonee

Im joe sshmo. i cant find my reciept. You then charge me money, I will fight it tooth and nail. If the charge is up front, known entity, its harder for me to fight the charge.

ezmonee

I am a rental car manager. Ive been and seen more lines than you. You cant argue that.

if you are concerned with "fast break" then you would chalk up the 9 bucks as time saved, and you wouldnt stop at a gas station to fill up, therefore saving you more time and hassle.

if the 9 dollars is so important to you, then time isnt nearly as much of an issue to you as you claim. its an age old question. time vs. money. many people rent with avis/hertz because it saves them time. many people rent with budget, alamo, dollar because it saves them money. Others must rent with specific companies because their own organization has preordained that company as "the best for our needs." Its a fine balance that you, the customer, needs to decide.

I regularly talk to customers who love the program. they hit anywhere from 5-6 airports a week, less than 75 miles each airport, and chalk up the 9 dollars to "saved time" in making connections and less hassles. They carry one less reciept, less paperwork to expense, dont spend the 10 odd minutes it takes to get gas, and make it to their lounges faster than in the past, often getting on standby on the commuter flight just before their scheduled one, giving them more time at home or at rest before their next assignment.

that bieng said, I hear from people like you, and others, who hate the program for the very issues you bring up. Before i worked for rental car, I was a steadfast hertz renter. Gold and all. Every time I rented from other companies i was dissapointed. I even was overcharged Gas Service option, body damage, and CDW through a con at SFO from dollar. Eventually I realized I put a higher value on consistent customer service, value added features, and fewer hassles at the expense of cost. Dollar sometimes was 30-40% cheaper than Hertz. But it wasnt worth it to me for all the hassles I went through.

I also have inside information on best ways to speed things up if you are stuck with the reciept quandry and in a hurry. For one, show your reciept from the rover and gas reciept within 24 hours to any budget location and they can remove the charge. In airports,there are often multiple rental counters. and theres always the 800 number. Granted the 800 number causes issues for locations (customer service points deducted) but if the line is long, dont stand in it. Tell the 800 number you couldnt stand in the line because it was too long and you would miss your flight.


you guys are saavy travelers. Its hard to believe that you cannot take a situation like this and turn it into an advantage or at the very least mitigate the issue.

JW74

Looking at this from a practicality standpoint, not that I am siding with Budget here, but if someone's gas guage showed "full" and someone didnt have a reciept, and the agent tacked on the gas fee at that time, what would you do? Argue my arse off.

doing it this way elminates the tempation to lie/cheat/steal. Sure its a lack of trust, but like Ezmonee said, we practically brought it onto ourselves. I have done that very thing before. Rented a Car at HNL drove to the mall, did my shopping all day, drove back, and then the car was still above full. I told them I bought gas and I wasn't charged. Shame on me.

Maybe because I am from Hawaii I am a bit more laid back than others, but I never have issues standing in line for a few minutes to save me 10 bucks. I do it all the time. If there is a sale at a particular store that will significantly save me money, I make the time and go to that store, knowing the lines will be brutal. If the savings wasnt that big of an issue, I would go to the mini mart 1 block from my house and be back before the commercial is over. Its all relative.

das

Point taken - I'll just call the 800 number during downtime in an airport and get the charge removed in the future. If needed, I'll fax in the receipt as backup. Sounds like a good compromise where it's virtually effortless for me to get my money back.

I actually like the program and expect to make use of it, now that I know there is an "out", seems like it's something I can live with.

Appreciate your insight.