Rental Cars

If you came into DFW (Dallas) you could have gotten a PRIUS from Fox Rent a Car
http://www.foxrentacar.com/

 

You don't have to pay for their insurance. You can decline it. Make sure beforehand that your own insurance covers you while driving a rental car. They hard-sell it because it's such a big profit item. (read: a bad deal for you.)

You usually do better on gas with the take-it-full, return-it-full option. This means the slight bother of finding a gas station near the return site. But 5 or 10 miles probably won't show up on the gauge. The Return-it-empty option, they charge you about twice the going price for the gas.

Stores never include the taxes on the label price. That's always added at the cash register. But you can ask, when you make your reservation, what will be the price including taxes and fees.

I've experienced big differences in service renting from Hertz, Budget, and Avis:

Hertz and Budget took about half an hour to do the paperwork. Avis took about five minutes. Car rental agencies are notorious for promising a car and then when you get there they don't have it. And depending on your credit rating, they may refuse to accept a debit card. Apparently credit cards include automatic insurance (an additional protection for the agency) that debit cards do not.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(daniel @ Jun 11 2006, 06:12 PM) [snapback]269660[/snapback]</div>

Pretty much what Daniel says... Your policy might already cover you, as may some of your credit cards... You really have to take your time and go over everything line by line, lots of these places like to rush people out the door...

Funny, just today I was looking at car rental quotes online...

But hey, fwiw, I totally agree with you the definition of a "full" sized car in this day and age is a JOKE. Full to me means Crown Vic, something amongst those lines, not a 4 door GrandAm...

 

Why on earth did you accept their insurance (actually, it was probably an Loss Damage Waiver, which isn't exactly the same)?

If you've got your own insurance and collision and comprehensive on your main vehicle, you're probably covered for anything you rent (check your policy to be sure). Plus most credit cards offer coverage for free if you pay for the rental with the credit card. I asked my agent about this and she said there were no restrictions on the covered vehicles, unlike with credit cards (most credit cards don't cover rentals of exotic or rare vehicles). If I found a Ferrari Enzo for rent, I could rent it and I'd have the same coverage as I do on my Prius.

The only person you should be mad at is yourself for failing to educate yourself on the optional (and most likely unnecessary) coverage.

If you want to bitch about rental cars, bitch about the taxes approaching 30% in Houston, and exceeding 30% in Las Vegas. Those are real charges which are unavoidable, at least at on-airport locations. It may be possible to avoid airport fees at some locations if the lot is off the airport, and you do not take an airport shuttle to get to the rental facility.

 

I rent cars frequently on business. We use National and Hertz, and when you are already set up with them, you jump out of the bus, hop in your car, and sign for it at the booth at the exit. Very easy when you are already set up with them, but if you don't rent cars often, its not worth it to get set up.

When I rent cars for vacation, I usually research the rates myself, as I can't use the company's insurance, etc. for personal use. Expedia.com does include the "full price" with taxes, but they don't always get all the taxes listed. For instance, Florida has a "tire usage tax" that reimburses the state for the cost of cleaning up rubber that rubs off rental car tires and onto the highway. Its a few dollars. Some agencies have a "Facilities Utilization Fee" which means "we pay rent, so you help us pay it".

I've found Enterprise to usually be the cheapest, but they aren't always at the airport, so you have to ask. A cab fare from and to the airport can eat up the savings (most airports won't let them come and get you unless they have a contract with them). When I rented a car in Jamestown, NY, the Hertz dealer was twice the amount of the Enterprise dealer. The Enterprise dealer came and got us at our daughter's house, took us into town to their dealership, and we filled out the papers there.

 

zzz

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Straw @ Jun 11 2006, 09:36 PM) [snapback]269828[/snapback]</div>

And as we all know, with the Prius, you can fill the gas and drive a hundred miles or so on the freeway before it no longer shows full. :lol:

 

zzz

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jack Straw @ Jun 11 2006, 10:11 PM) [snapback]269847[/snapback]</div>

I agree on the morality basis and have yet to be tempted with returning a rental Prius. But, you are assuming the rental agency gave you a Prius with a “full†tank, and that some enterprising employee didn't siphon off a gallon or two for their own personal use. :huh:

The rental agency's rules state that you have to return the car registering a full tank, not drippin' fuel out the filler tube.

I wonder how many Prius renters have tried fueling the car and, due to the bladder peculiarities, return with a car several gallons less than “full.â€

So, I guess, morally speaking . . . 10 miles is OK? :lol: