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Rental car add-on fees are already out of hand. But leave it to a Dollar Rent A Car franchisee in New Hampshire to kick it up a notch:

Some rental car locations are charging an extra fee to consumers who return their cars with a full tank. This “top-off fee” is being charged even if consumers present evidence they have that the tank is full.

Wow. Just… wow. Charging extra for a full tank??! Every time you think they’ve tapped out the possibilities for new fees, they come up with a new one.

And it was in the fine print of the e-mail confirmation that was e-mailed to the customer:

“Gasoline Policy: Vehicle must be returned with full tank or local refueling charge applies. If car is returned full a $2.00 top off fee will be applied.”

Topping off what, exactly? It’s full!

This isn’t a standard policy across any and all Dollar locations. Rather, “the fee was being test-marketed by Dollar at select locations in New England.” Well, great, then.

Note to Dollar Rent-a-Car: Customers don’t care if it’s a franchisee or a corporate-owned site. They just care that they’re getting screwed. If it’s the Dollar name on the door, customers will blame you.

If you want to charge a higher rate, fine, but don’t BS the customer with charges for fuel they aren’t using.

Related:
- Low mileage, 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 periods?
- Rental car agent blows smoke up my backside, redux

(via Consumerist)
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Two readers wrote in regarding late returns and grace periods when renting a car. Reader Francine writes:

When I rented a car from National recently, there was no grace period for late returns. None! Is this the latest way they get you?

And reader Peter offers this story, and advice, from his recent rental with Budget Rent-a-Car in Montreal:

I was late getting out of Vermont and late getting the car back to the airport. When I arrived I discovered that I had signed a contract that stipulated $33.xx CAD/hour for being late on a $55/day rental. Further, since I was 2hrs 15 minutes late they claimed I was 3 hours late (the grace period disappeared) and they charged me for another DAY, stating it would cost me less than 3 hours of the late charge.

I haven’t had any luck getting Budget to discuss this with me. If you rent from anyone be clear at pickup 1) what constitutes late and 2) what it costs when you are.

Indeed, grace periods are no longer a given when it comes to late returns. Hertz cut their grace period in half a year ago, and others soon followed suit. Nowadays, you really need to know what you’re signing (and initialing).

In Peter’s case, I see only one possible “violation” here on the part of the company: The forfeit of the grace period. But even then, if he returned the car two hours late (instead of three), he’s better off paying a full day extra, rather than two hours’ overtime. It sucks, but those are the terms.

With contracts like this, if you signed for it, you’re on the hook. These hourly rates are one of the items you’re often asked to initial.

Not all companies are the same, though: Late-return policies vary by chain, with some chains offering no grace periods whatsoever.

Perhaps even more importantly, some companies reserve the right to retroactively change your rate to a higher level — for the duration of the entire rental — if you return the car late. If anything, Peter was lucky they didn’t change his rate for the earlier days as well!

The policies of each major U.S. chain, with key points highlighted, after the jump:
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Just two weeks ago, in a post about rental car upgrades, I mentioned how some car rental agencies will first try to upsell you. Then, if you decline the extra charge, they give you the higher-class car anyway, at no extra charge.

Well, it happened to me again. The scene of the crime: Dollar Rent-a-Car. San Antonio Airport. March 14.:

Agent: I see you’ve reserved a compact. We’ve got a 2-door Suzuki Forenza.

me: That’s fine, thanks.

Agent: The Forenza doesn’t have power windows, power locks, or power steering. For only $45 more for the duration of the rental, we can put you into a nice new Nissan Sentra, that’s a midsize.

me: (incredulously) The Forenza doesn’t have power steering?!!?

Agent: No, it doesn’t. We buy them with no options for $8000, that’s how we can rent them out so cheap.

me: (skeptically) But no power steering?? I’ll still take the compact, thanks.

Agent: You’re sure? It’s not much more for the Sentra!

me: I’m sure.

[type type type]

Fact Check, upon returning home:

1) The Suzuki Forenza doesn’t come in a 2-door.
2) All Suzuki Forenzas (sedans and wagons) come with power steering.

Here, have a review.

Back to the bamboozlement!

Agent: We recommend that everyone take our Loss Damage Waiver [I started tuning out for a bit here]… and we charge for loss of use, which your insurance doesn’t cover.

me: I know all about loss of use. I’m covered. I’m declining all coverage.

I love how the agent knows all about my personal auto insurance and the coverage provided by my Visa card. Nice.

After more typing, and some harrumphing by the agent, I get the contract, get on the shuttle bus, and get dropped off at my car…

A 2007 Nissan Sentra.

I looked around the lot, and how many Suzuki Forenzas — especially the mythical 2-door model without power steering — did I see? None.

On a previous post, commenter Jason wrote about attempts like this to upsell the customer when a free upgrade was pending. Jason said such practices were a fire-able offense at Alamo/National. Apparently not the case at Dollar…

In the end, I was fine receiving this upgrade, since it’s a decent ride with solid fuel economy. It’s not like they gave me a minivan.

But the outright lies that were told to me at the desk were atrocious.

Related:
- Reader mail: Why would I want to upgrade my rental car?
- Loss of use? Get lost.

What is it that people from the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens are actually doing to their rental cars??

Following the revelation earlier this week that Hertz and Dollar have surcharges for residents of these three boroughs of New York City (but not Manhattan or Staten Island), I decided to write to Dollar and Hertz and ask why some New Yorkers were worthy of higher rates than others.

Within a few hours, Donna from Dollar Rent-a-Car replied:

Unfortunately this is the locations policy. According to the location, rentals from people in these areas who have rented from Dollar have proven to be more of a liability.

Hmm. Well, at least Donna wrote back quickly. Still no reason why New Yorkers renting at a location in another state (e.g., in Philadelphia) get smacked with surcharges.

How about Hertz? 36 hours after the original inquiry, Rhonda wrote back:

Hertz does apply residence based rates for residents of New York City renting locally, that take into account the extraordinarily high liability costs associated with local rentals in the New York area. These rates are based on borough of residence. The same residence-based rates apply equally to all residents of a borough. The residence-based rates are not applied on the basis of race, ethnic origins, age or sex. Rather, they are based on historic liability costs associated with local rentals to residents of New York City boroughs.

“Extraordinarily high liability costs” ? Personal liability, as in running people over, or loss of the car? And if liability is higher, then isn’t that what insurance is for, instead of raising the base rate?

I once rented from Advantage Rent-a-Car in Seattle, and they demanded a copy of my insurance policy before they would let me waive their CDW, LDW, etc. I had to call USAA and have them fax a copy over. As obnoxious as that was, perhaps Hertz and Dollar should demand proof of insurance before they slap $55 a DAY in surcharges on the base rate!

New Yorkers, you’ve been warned!

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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tags: travel | car rental | Dollar Rent a Car | Hertz

I know that car rental companies are getting more onerous in their restrictions on rentals. (Like low-mileage charges…)

I also previously discussed the reduction in the grace period from 59 minutes to 30 minutes at Hertz.

But yesterday, when I picked up a car from Dollar Rent a Car at Salt Lake City Airport, I was treated to two conditions in the contract that I’d never seen from a major rental agency at an airport:

- No grace period at all. None. Pick up the car at 12 noon, return it a week later at 12:10? Pay an extra hour.

- No taking the car out of state. I’ve seen this at Enterprise Rent-a-Car for insurance rentals, but at an airport? From a major agency that deals with tourists, businesspeople, etc.?

Dollar should consider this my last patronage…

tags: travel | car rental | Dollar Rent a Car