The Consumerist points to a nasty punitive provision in the Dollar Rent-a-Car rental agreement.
1.O Higher rental rates for New York City (Brooklyn, Bronx, and Queens) resident renting in New York, Newark, NJ and Philadelphia may apply as follows:
* For Brooklyn residents the rates will be $55.00 higher per day.
* For Bronx residents the rates will be $53.00 higher per day.
* For Queens residents the rates will be $11.00 higher per day.
I’ve heard of rental rates varying depending on the country of the renter’s residence (obnoxious enough in its own right, frankly). But varying by city borough?? (Manhattan and Staten Island residents are in luck, no surcharge And $55 per day surcharge for Brooklynites?!!?) This sounds a heck of a lot like redlining.
But the shocker, for me at least, is that Dollar isn’t alone. Similar policies, with different surcharge rates, exist at Hertz for NYC rentals:
Higher rental rates for New York City residents may apply as
follows:- for Queens residents rates are USD 15.00 per day higher
- for Bronx residents rates are USD 56.00 per day higher
- for Brooklyn residents rates are USD 34.00 per day higher
Hertz and Dollar must be run by Mets fans.
I couldn’t find outer-borough surcharges on Budget or Avis. Anyone out there know of other redlining car rentals?
Dollar already alienated me with their no-grace-period policy. That, plus the New Yorker Tax, suggest that they won’t be satisfied until everyone in America is offended.
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January 18th, 2008 at 1:01 pm
As of January 18, 2007, Dollar is still charging $55/day surcharge to Brooklyn residents. I think they have such a tiny share of NYC business that they’re already past what they can handle–why else turn down rentals from Brooklyn? Crazy, and probably illegal.
March 17th, 2008 at 1:07 am
Seriously, it seems like it ought to be illegal.
Does anyone know the rationale behind such a policy? Maybe the wear and tear on their cars tends to be greater for New Yorkers statistically. But even the differences between prices for different boroughs is pretty outrageous. And I almost rented a car from Hertz without knowing about this policy — the “New York Tax” is not reflected in the price quoted on their Web site.
March 25th, 2008 at 3:34 pm
Ugh. This better not catch on with the other car companies in NYC. I am a Queens resident, and even though my surcharge is lower, it’s still a burden. Never mind that NYC rental rates are often double the national average….
It’s still just Hertz and Dollar, right?
May 24th, 2008 at 10:35 am
I think so – I always use Avis, Alamo, or National, and they have no borough surcharges. Dollar’s have gone up, by the way, it’s now as follows:
For Brooklyn residents the rates will be $77 higher per day.
For Bronx residents the rates will be $65 higher per day.
For Queens residents the rates will be $7 higher per day.
Un-f-ing real.
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:38 am
[...] the revelation earlier this week that Hertz and Dollar have surcharges for residents of these three boroughs of New York City (but [...]
April 23rd, 2009 at 7:41 am
[...] high surcharges – Car rental companies find new and innovative ways to screw good drivers – Car rental companies hate New Yorkers — unless they live in Manhattan or Staten Island – Wanted: Kinder, gentler gouging? – Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace [...]
July 13th, 2009 at 6:03 pm
Hertz still has the surcharges as of July 2009. I just reserved a one-way rental in Pennsylvania — nowhere near New York City — and I was told my rate would be about $30-40/day higher because my home zip code is in Brooklyn.
They don’t bother to tell you this until after you make the reservation, and even then it’s buried in the fine print.
It looks like their competitors will be getting my business.
March 24th, 2010 at 11:01 am
Dollar, on 52nd St. at least, adds $55 a day. Last time we ever use them (here or anywhere).
March 24th, 2010 at 5:36 pm
Confirmation from a Hertz spokesman that “Hertz no longer charges the rates described in the NY Times article.” I’d sent him the following 1992 article to help explain my question:
http://www.nytimes.com/1992/01/03/nyregion/hertz-imposing-stiff-surcharges-on-new-yorkers.html?pagewanted=1
August 11th, 2010 at 8:37 am
There is a proposed bill in the NY state senate that would make illegal the practice of adding rental car fees based on place of residence:
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/api/html/bill/S5030
September 13th, 2010 at 10:13 am
[...] Are you looking to rent locally (i.e. in the same city as the address on your license)? At least in New York, rental car companies will often have significant (~$50/day) surcharges for, say, Brooklyn residents renting in New York City, vs. people from out of town, for local liability law reasons. http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2…nd-apparently/ [...]