Comments on: No receipt for gas? Don’t even bother returning your rental car

By: Co41596

Co41596 — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 03:24:00 +0000

The issue is not whether you happened to have saved your receipt, the issue is that you’re being SCAMMED! The same thing just happened to me with Dollar Rent a Car at Chicago Midway Airport. I filled up 5 blocks from the airport. When I was checking in, the clerk asked if I filled up within 10 miles. “Yes”. “Do you have a receipt?” “No.” “Where did you fill up?” “At the Marathon station down the street”. I was handed a receipt charging an extra $8.79 for one gallon of gas since I didn’t produce a receipt, even though the gage was clearly to the right of “F”. Luckily the receipt was retrived from a garbage bag and the entire process had to be repeated. Even if the tank is two gallons short, what is the rental company losing? Nothing. Airlines scam passengers by charging to their carry bags. I guess car rental companies had to be a bit more creative to scam their customers.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:36:57 +0000

I recently had this absurd policy *attempted* t be enforced
on me. Dollar Rental in Charlotte insisted it’s been their policy
for 15 years that you need to produce a receipt when returning. I
returned filled up, but they said how do we need it’s topped off.
Of course I’m heated at this point, yet another senseless way to
get money out of customer. By this time, I was sick of airline
change fees, baggage fees, etc. so I was not going to be “fee’d” by
the car rental company. The big thing was the the rep when I rented
didn’t disclose, they said that he should have and even though it’s
in the contract they’d waive it. I told them I would actually pay
for the additional two gallons of gas at your rate *if* admit this
is a way to bully and deceptively get more cash from your customer.
Of course they wouldn’t be we all know that’s what it
is…

By: Magnamoo

Magnamoo — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:56:31 +0000

It just happened to us in Buffalo this weekend with Avis. The counter agent asked us if were were going to buy the refuel option or fill it ourselves. As always, we said we would fill it ourselves. She just said “fine,” not “if you’re going to refill it, bring your receipt.” WE DROVE LESS THAN 60 MILES and put 3 gallons in the car right near the airport. We returned it and were socked with a $13.99 charge because we didn’t have a receipt. Tell me how it’s possible in any world that we used $14 worth of gas driving 55 miles!
We always rent with Hertz (who doesn’t pull this one) and we won’t make this mistake again. I guess this fee was buried somewhere in the contract. It seems to me that if you ask the customer about refueling options, you have an obligation to tell them to bring a receipt. How stupid – the car was obviously full. We’ll protest with AMEX and I’m sure we’ll get our money back but it really bothers me that the car rental agencies are using this scam. I’m sure it’s more likely to hit the unsophisticated renter the hardest – they won’t know to fight it.

By: Jay Bernard

Jay Bernard — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:59:46 +0000

I’ve rented cars throughout my life and never had this problem. I just returned from a funeral in Orlando. I rented from BUDGET. Although I returned the tank full, they charged an additional $16+ to my credit card. After getting no where with a Customer Service Rep, then Supervisor, of BUDGET, I’ve now contacted the 7-Eleven to ask them to reproduce proof that I purchased the gas. I’m just happy I bought the $13.49 of top off fuel at 7-Eleven on credit card, rather than paying cash.
Ultimately, all of this aggravation is over $16. I told the Supervisor, “Do you realize how idiotic it is to lose a customer, and family & friends of a customer for life over $16?” I will never use BUDGET again, even after I get the charge taken off of my credit card. Someone needs to find who is running this Budget/Avis organization and give him a swift kick in the butt.

By: Ed

Ed — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:50:01 +0000

I’ve had bad experiences with Alamo (showing me accident photos with blood still on the scene in order to get me to purchase their coverage) and Hertz (refusing to look at the vehicle when I drove it off the lot to verify that the vehicle was not damaged in anyway). I never tried Enterprise or Dollar, but I did use Avis and was very impressed with the speed and efficiency of the checkout…I now use Avis always…I found one that works and I’m sticking with it.

By: SeaJimm

SeaJimm — Tue, 12 May 2009 17:22:15 +0000

I had a very similar thing happen just recent at CDG Paris. I returned my car to National at around 23:00. Of course there was no one to check in the car but there was someone at the desk. I noted the mileage, fuel and parking space. I received my rental receipt and was charged €11.47 for fuel “since I did not return the vehicle full”. I had filled the car at the Total station just outside CDG and had driven approximately 2 km back to the airport. I received an email stating that if I faxed the fuel receipt the charges would be removed. I asked for a toll-free fax. They said they did not have one and that I would have to pay for the fuel. I contacted American Express and was told that this was a common ploy at the CDG airport. They did a chargeback. I was then contacted by National CDG as to why I refuted the charge. I just forwarded my previous email. I also contacted the National corporate offices here in the US and filed a complaint. National Corporate sent an apology letter and a voucher for $50.

By: Surabaya

Surabaya — Sun, 10 May 2009 15:38:05 +0000

It sounds funny and peculiar for me that refueling a car could be a problem. At least it can be a new and valuable experience for me. By the way, I agree that honesty should be showed up.

By: Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell — Fri, 08 May 2009 20:06:32 +0000

Hey, I have ANOTHER idea – why not make up customer discounts not disclosed.

Lets say that we got a car that was black inside and its summer? I have a “black interior 2% discomfort discount.”

Or if I reserve a compact and they give me a huge freaking gas guzzler – my fee is a “excess fuel discount fee.’ where I reduce the cost of my rental between the cost of gas for my 28mpg compact using 87 and the volvo luxo wagon I get needs premium fuel and gets 16mpg.

The car company is gonna tell me that “hey, you can’t do that, its not in the contract.”

Well, there you go.

By: Joe Farrell

Joe Farrell — Fri, 08 May 2009 19:59:32 +0000

@Bela – uh, no. it was small claims until I discovered proof of the scam and then moved it to Superior Court . . .

This company tried really hard to settle this – they offered me almost free lifetime rentals – I admit I did make some money in the final settlement for attorneys fees but this company has agreed to not chart top-off fees. The other companies stopped as well – they did not want any part of me after that. Yes, it is very hard for me to rent a vehicle now – the company I settled with agreed to rent to me for life at a fixed fee. Some times I make money, sometimes they make money.

By: Carver

Carver — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:46:41 +0000

@Art

Sorry to hear about the scam. But at least the credit card company caught it. There is NEVER a legit reason for someone to photocopy a credit card.

@Daniel

Unfortunately, not true. If its part of the contract, the car company can ask for adequate proof that you filled up the tank. If you don’t provide the proof, they can charge you accordingly. I find it a bit overreaching, but not illegal.

By: Rob S.

Rob S. — Fri, 08 May 2009 03:57:32 +0000

@ the other Chris;

You’re projecting the company’s problems on the customer. As a customer, I frankly don’t give a tinker’s d*mn about the rental company’s problems with other customers.

And if you seriously pulled $6 out of your pocket to calm an angry customer, we now now know which Chris has his brain turned off.

By: Daniel Wilson

Daniel Wilson — Thu, 07 May 2009 19:39:58 +0000

“A rental company has EVERY right to ask to see your gas receipt, IF THAT’S INCLUDED AS A TERM IN THE RENTAL CONTRACT.”

No they don’t, that transaction is a private one with you and the gas station, not you and the car company. Just because something is included in a contract doesn’t validate it.

By: noah

noah — Thu, 07 May 2009 18:41:14 +0000

A rental company has EVERY right to ask to see your gas receipt, IF THAT’S INCLUDED AS A TERM IN THE RENTAL CONTRACT.

By: Chicky

Chicky — Thu, 07 May 2009 17:08:37 +0000

Like I said: I’m suspicious and paranoid. NO ONE would get my card to copy, and I usually black out all traces of my card number on a receipt if someone wants to copy it. Most receipts, however, just have the last 4 digits of the card used to purchase the gas.

I’ve never had a problem like this, thank goodness, and like Bill, hope it stays that way.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:46:56 +0000

The other issue is the increasingly common practice of companies to add “secret” rules that are not clearly disclosed to customers, and not even a part of their contract.

From a legal standpoint, if a particular “requirement” (e.g., to show a gas receipt) is not a part of the company’s contract with its customer, the requirement does not exist. Companies cannot make up imaginary “rules” any more than customers can.

From a customer service standpoint, if a requirement is not clearly disclosed to a customer in advance — so that a well-intentioned customer knows what rules he or she is expected to follow — that rule should not be enforced. “Secret rules” (buried in fine print), which are disclosed only after they have been broken, are sneaky and unethical.