I almost ran over my daughter.
CAR
Remember the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, where a valet takes a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT out for a joyride? Brandi Mahoney claims it happened to her when she stayed at the Embassy Suites Portland – Downtown in Portland, Ore., recently.
That’s not an academic question, given all the recent stories about excessive car rental claims on this site. And yes, it still is the weekend. I’m in another time zone. (But I’ll be back on the mainland tomorrow.) Here’s the link to the survey. I’m also interested in your comments. Should car rental companies go [...]
Your rental car is fine — just sign here.
Here’s a novel idea for eluding a bogus car rental damage claim while you’re overseas: cancel your credit card and change your email address. That advice comes to us by way of reader William Muto, who used the strategy to fend off a fraudulent claim in Frankfurt recently.
The allegation that car rental companies have turned the damage claims process into a profit center is so common, I could probably write an entire blog on it.
Amy and Kevin Roeder are stuck with a $1,600 bill from Thrifty Car Rental for damage they say they didn’t do. Thrifty insists they’re responsible, and isn’t backing down. And now I’m stuck, too. What do I do next?
If you thought airlines had wacky rules, try renting a car. Like airlines, car rental companies don’t think twice about changing your rate. Except that they sometimes raise the price after you’ve driven off the lot. Like airlines, car rental companies are astonishingly creative with their fees, from additional driver add-on costs to premiums for [...]
Or having kids. That’s not to understate the tragedy of hyperthermia in parked cars, which kills at least 27 children every year. It’s the number-one, non-crash vehicle-related cause of death for of our nation’s kids, according to the Transportation Department.
Kathleen Murphy Skolnik is blocked from seeing her broadway show after an attempted car bomb attack in Times Square. Her theater refuses to give her a refund. Is her ticket lost?
Everyone likes to take a day off. But should you pay for your car rental company’s vacation?
The estimate for a nine-day car rental in Panama was just $177, a bargain that Lawrence Lubertozzi couldn’t say “no” to. But maybe he should have: When Lubertozzi and his wife returned the vehicle to National Rent-A-Car in January, they were charged $376.
Matthew Stephens is a humanitarian aid worker in Tbilisi, Georgia, but after renting a car from Advantage last Christmas, he found himself in need of assistance.
The food may be terrific at Mama’s Fish House in Maui, but on a recent visit to the restaurant, Marie Ochadleus claims she got a lot more than that. Someone stole $2,500 worth of personal items from her cars, and she believes the business is responsible for her loss.
Like most travelers, Bette Waterstreet doesn’t expect much when she rents a car. A clean, running vehicle that’s in the same car class she ordered will do just fine. But that’s not what she got when she rented from Thrifty in Ontario, Calif., recently.
Regular readers of this site are familiar with car rental companies’ no-rent lists. But did you know that there are other instances in which a company might refuse you a car — even if you have a completely legitimate reservation?
“We are all too familiar with the sometimes draconian policies and less-than-stellar customer service,” Clay Hawley’s e-mail began. “This story is the opposite of that.”
The government has some good news for you: The number of traffic fatalities is at its lowest level since 1961. Injuries are down, too. That’s according to a new report (PDF) from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The bad news — and calling it that may be a stretch — is that not all [...]
When Paula Robbins picks up her rental car at the airport, an agent tells her not to worry about the small nicks and scratches on the vehicle. But when she returns the car, the company wants her to pay for the damage. What should she do with the $319 bill the company has sent her?
Kristin Luna reserves a car in Austin, Texas but when she checks in, her car rental company is out of vehicles. She’s free to rent from another company, but will have to pay an extra $245. Shouldn’t her car rental company or travel agent help her?
