xienon

Apparently this has been in force for 3 months now but I was just told that National now can remotely read the fuel levels on their cars. So they will charge you for the exact amount of fuel used if you return the car with less fuel than you started with. I just got charged for half a gallon on a recent rental...

Anyone know whether this is systemwide now?

Edit: Seems like this is currently enabled on GM cars. Didn't get charged on a Subaru Outback I had a few weeks ago.

Altaflyer

So how does this work? You return 1/2 gallon short, they don’t refill. Next person gassed up next to the return lot and it’s 100% full. Do they get a credit? This seems like a shady practice to me. Another reason to run to anyone else for a rental.

Often1

No.

The remote sensor reads the fuel level on the way out and the way in. The renter would be responsible for the difference. Does not matter whether he picks up at 3/4 or Full and returns at 3/4 or Full.

Auto Enthusiast

A while ago, Alamo had a return fuel at any level, pay pump prices for the difference, option, if it was selected at reservation or in advance. It's been gone for a while, though. I presume the half gallon charge now is at $10/gal or whatever the prevailing punitive rate happens to be?

aww3583

I'd be curious to know how these sensors are calibrated. Anything is possible with software, but this seems shady. The measured fuel level can fluctuate 5% either way depending on the outside temperature, slope of the parking lot, etc.

How granular of a detail will they be billing?

Let's say the "range" displayed on the dashboard for the what-appears-to-be-full fuel tank is 500 miles at pick up. I fill it up immediately before returning but the gas station is 5 miles from the airport and the range displayed at drop-off is 495 miles, do I get billed for 5 miles of fuel? One would then have to take into account the fuel economy of the vehicle. Five miles in a Fusion Hybrid is a lot less fuel than in an F150.

If this is the plan moving forward, then why even offer the fuel service option at time of booking (or pickup)?

xienon

On the last rental I got charged $2.48 per gallon which is what my corporate code gives me. On another rental using the standard emerald club contract ID, it's was 3.65 per gallon. At 2.48 per gallon, I'm just not going to bother filling up anymore.

I do wonder how much margin of error there is in the fuel sensor: I know cars where the fuel gauge would move up to 1/8 based on the slope of the road.

Avis/Zipcar has this technology too. When you book a car via the Zipcar app, you can see how much fuel is in the tank.

Auto Enthusiast

Don't forget that even at $2.48/gallon, the total will be subject to local and airport taxes. It's not like at the pump, where the price includes everything.

AutoSlash

This cannot be overstated. Airport taxes and fees can be up to 25%. This means that if the rental company tells you the average pump price is $2.25 per gallon and they are offering you a price of $2.00 per gallon, what that means is that you actually could be paying up to $2.50 per gallon because of taxes/fees, AND even then, you’re paying for a full tank of gas so unless you return it on fumes...

Auto Enthusiast

I think the $2.48/gal example given was a corporate contract that replaces only the used fuel, not prepaid for a whole tank. Everyone else might be slapped with a punitive $10/gal times say 1 or 2 missing gallons, assuming the rental was short.

xienon

Good point on that although strangely I didn't notice any local taxes added to the fuel charge (this was picked up at an off-airport station). The tax was only on the daily rate + a tiny 'vehicle cost recovery fee'.

I do however remember previously when I prepaid for fuel at an airport location, I was charged massive tax on that.

I will ask the agent for more details next time I pick up.

AutoSlash

They don't break out the taxes/fees on the fuel separately. Anything tax/fee that is a percentage of the total cost is going to get assessed on the total rental transaction amount and that includes prepaid fuel.

xienon

I did my own tax calcs and the tax that was charged was: state tax rate * daily rate. If I was taxed on the fuel, the total would have been a bit higher.

AutoSlash

That's pretty good then. We often see airport concession recovery fees and the like assessed on the prepaid fuel as well.

GreeNYC

I've rented a couple of times recently in the NY metro area & haven't encountered such a practice. The return agent still had to do a physical gas/milage check upon return. (and I know I was a little shy of a full tank filling up locally around a 10 mile drive from the branch)
​​​​​

m907

I was running late and didn't have time to refill fully before returning. The return agent didn't even check the fuel gauge. He just scanned the car and gave me the receipt, and the refueling charge was on there. The car was a 2021 model.