What to do while renting?
 

Ok, So I have a week long rental coming up in August that the forum advised and helped me with earlier.

It is a one week points rental - premium car

I have used my employer's cdp and declined all hertz coverage during the booking.

I am using amex credit card. It was used to book the rental and is my primary card on file.

I have enrolled in $25 amex rental insurance program

I have my own car insurance. Carry a copy of this with me.

During check out process:

1. I will inspect the car.
2. Request pre-rental vehicle inspection form and have it duly filled out with the rental agreement #, dings and stuff on the car and have my signature on it with the original given to the attendant an I will retain the bottom two copies.
3. I am going to add my partner (unmarried) as an additional driver. As a 5-star member do I get this for free? We do not have same address on our DL. Do I need to visit the counter for this or may I drive off of gold canopy and deal with this at the exit?

Hopefully, I have covered most of it. Any help with my questions is appreciated.

1. Never inspected car as a 5*
2. Never filled out any forms as a 5*
3. It's only free if you are married/civilP. I think it would be dealing with it at the counter, but not 100% sure

I have. As a Presidents Club member even.

If they give you a car with dents on it, mark the heck out of that pre-existing damage form. If the clerk at the exit gate refuses to give you the form, demand it. I had to do this once at PHL when Hertz assigned me the most beaten up rattletrap imaginable. No way would I drive that scheiss car off the lot without a lot of documentation as to just how banged up the thing was at time of rental.

Hertz 5*/PC status provides absolutely nothing in the way of real benefits. Why would you think that being 5*/PC would protect you from shady attempts by Hertz to recover from you for damage?

AAA membership waives the additional driver fee for anyone as long as they are also an AAA member and you have the AAA CDP reflected in your reservation. I've added my mom as a free additional driver on a rewards points rental so apparently the AAA CDP can still be added on a free rental.

Are you allowed to use your employer's code for personal travel?

Per our company discount travel document, yes. I have marked my trip as leisure during booking.

I've used my camera on my cell phone to get phtographic evidence with time/date on the photos. As a PC I do this.

Some locations are honorable and some are scammers.

Also check the fuel level. If it is less than full take a photo showing the odometer and tell someone if it is a location with a exit guard. I reset the mpg and trip meters so I know exactly how much fuel I used when I refuel.

Thank you all for your guidance. This was my first points week long rental and it went well.

1. I received VW CC Sport 2016 with 14K miles on it.
2. It was not washed and had some scratches on it. It was ABQ so I did not expect a washed car.
3. I filled out a preinspection report
4. I was charged LIS, PAI and PEC even though I had declined it in reservation and at the exit gate. After a quick call to Hertz who transferred me to rental location, I came back to the airport and got it removed.
5. As a gold member my partner was included and not charged additional driver fee. But the name was not on the contract.
6. Return was breeze, they did not check fuel receipt or the pre-rental inspection.
7. I was charged $33.50 in total for airport fees & taxes. I will get charged $24.95 for Amex insurance. Surprisingly, the charges haven't yet shown up on my card.
8. Car got about 31.5 mpg. It was ok ride with good acceleration to pass slower vehicles. Not a fan of German air conditioning. The car took a while to cool down in the hot summer desert.
9. In all this was a good experience. I would say Hertz delivered well.