Before Steven Barlow returned his rental car at Orlando International Airport in December, he did what most rental customers do who are trying to avoid a fuel surcharge: He found a gas station and topped off his tank.
car rental
Gordon Houston is offered a $9.80-a-day rate for a rental car in Mexico. But an agent refuses to rent the car to him without insurance, which more than doubles the price of the vehicle. Now neither his agent, nor the rental company, will refund the difference. Is he stuck with the bill?
Ready for Round 2 of car rental companies vs. cities?
Should Congress limit the taxes a city or municipality can impose on a rental car?
Oh, how creative! Here’s a surcharge I’ve never come across — a $10 “transaction fee” for a car booked through Thrifty’s website in San Francisco.
The late-model Chevrolet that Sukumar Thanawala rented from Thrifty Car Rental in Munich in the spring looked “absolutely fine” when he returned it, he said.
Free drinks. Room upgrades. Better restaurants. That’s what the travel industry thinks you want from your next travel experience.
We’ve had quite the discussion about car rental damages this week, but now it’s your turn to sound off. A weekend poll asked when you think it’s appropriate for a car rental agency to come after you with a damage claim, and a majority of you (about 75 percent) said the only time it’s OK is when you acknowledge the damage and sign a claim form.
Bogus car rental damages seem to be a recurring theme on this site. This week’s edition of “can this trip be saved” takes one of those cases in its crosshairs.
Be nice to your car rental agent. Otherwise you could end up like Hank Jeffries.
Frivolous car rental damage claims are a hot topic. Not a day seems to go by that I don’t hear from someone complaining about a bogus repair bill from a car rental company.
Eric Johnson returns the keys to his Budget car in a drop box with time to spare. But he’s charged an extra day when the car rental company claims he brought the car back nearly five hours later. Who’s right? And does Johnson owe Budget anything?
If you think the recent series of stories about car rental companies charging customers for “damage” to their vehicles is troubling, then you’re not alone.
I don’t think I would have believed it unless I saw it for myself. I would have guessed that airlines or hotels would be the leading generators of surprise fees. But no — it’s car rental companies.
Ah, the ol’ Mexican car rental scam.
Elliott is consumer advocate 
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