I have been reading all kinds of " Rental Car News Stories " recently . The rental car companies were not ripping anyone off but the rental car company's rates and fine print with add ons reminded me of the airlines flight structure.
I have held off on posting any of the car rental news stories because I would have to put up with the Morons that crap on my post about them not being Vegas related . Car rental news is Vegas related . There are a huge amount of business people and tourist that rent cars in Las Vegas .
Lets use ACE Rent A Car as an example because there is a recent post asking about Ace in the transportation section.
The ACE Rent A Car website makes people think it's ACE Rent A Car and maybe it is ...somewhere ? but in Las Vegas SavMor Rent A Car is the ACE affiliate . Las Vegas is not the only city that ACE uses affiliate in . OK, I have no problem with that . ACE Rent A Car is either a reseller or part of a conglomerate . It does make me ask this question . If a problem occurs , will the clerk at SavMor refer you to Ace ?
The hidden charges . Again I am going to use Ace because of the recent post by jasonargo.
Read their Policy's
LAS
SavMor Rent A Car is the ACE affiliate in Las Vegas, NV.
Take McCarran Car Rental Shuttle to car rental center. Proceed directly to counter located in McCarran Rent A Car Center.
Rental Counter Hours Mon-Sun 0530-2330
Rates are for renters 25 years or older. A valid drivers license and a major credit card in the renters own name must be presented at time of pick up. Passport must be presented for all out of country residents.
Rates with unlimited mileage offered to customers flying into McCarran Airport and apply only within the state of Nevada. Renters driving outside of Nevada will receive 150 free miles per day and be charged .30 per additional mile. No Local Renters.
This location accepts AmEx, Diners Club, MasterCard, Visa, and Discover. Cash is not accepted. Minimum deposit will be $350 and must be $100 more than the cost of the rental. Funds will be withdrawn at the time of rental. Refunds may take up to 7 business days depending on the bank issuing the card.
Debit Card Renters- Must be 21 years of age; Card must have Visa or
MasterCard Logo. No Pre-Paid cards are accepted.
----->Customer must provide
proof of insurance on renters own vehicle (insurance card) and Airline
ticket that brackets rental car dates. Minimum deposit will be $350 and must be $100 more than the cost of the rental. Funds will be withdrawn at the time of rental. Refunds may take up to 7 business days depending on the bank issuing the card. May rent all vehicles except the full size SUV.
----->Renters age 21-24 will be subject to a $20.95/day underage fee.
All additional drivers must meet the same requirements as the renter.
----->Additional driver fee $10.95/day
One way rentals are not permitted at this location. All vehicles must be returned to the renting station.
All vehicles must be returned with the same amount of gas as when received to avois a per gallon refueling surcharge. Prepaid options are available, inquire at rental counter.
7.75% state sales tax, 10% registration tax, 2% county rental tax, 10% airport access fee, 3.00/day cfc fee, 2% security fee.
All additional taxes and fees are included in the estimate total price.
Coverages not included in rental rates.
Supplemental Liability Insurance -8.95/DAY
Personal Accident Insurance -4.95/DAY
Collision Damage Waiver -21.95/DAY
it is our policy to hold reservations for up to two hours beyond the scheduled arrival time. If arrival is delayed beyond that time, we will make our best efforts to honor the reservation. If you experience delays, please contact the rental location so that they can make their best effort to extend your reservation.
Any adjustments or changes to the reservation may result in a change of rate.
Also read the car rental's Frequently Asked Questions section .
Once again I am not picking on ACE Rent A Car . Everything is spelled out in their website.
Or is it ?
Hell on wheels: Four car rental scams
Never underestimate a car rental company's drive to make an extra buck. Amy Villa did when she rented a car from Alamo in Columbus, Ohio, recently, and she ended up paying twice as much as she expected.
Before you get behind the wheel of a rental car, read the terms and conditions on your company's Web site.
Villa's flight from San Jose, California, was delayed, so she phoned Alamo to let the company know about the holdup. A representative assured Villa, who works for San Jose State University, that her reservation and rate would be honored, "because I would be arriving within 24 hours of my original reservation," she says.
When she finally touched down in Columbus, an Alamo agent handed her the paperwork. "The contract and the price was essentially double what I was quoted, going from $268 to more than $400. And that's for one day less," says Villa. "Alamo never told me that the rate would go up."
Welcome to the tricky new world of rental cars. Unable to raise their rates or impose significant cancellation penalties on their customers, rental companies have always relied on fees and surcharges to eke out a profit. But they are doing so now with more creativity and zeal, leaving frustrated customers like Villa swearing they'll never rent again.
It doesn't have to be that way. Here are four of the latest car rental scams -- and how to avoid them:
Rules are meant to be enforced
The biggest car rental scam is technically no scam at all. Car rental companies are just enforcing existing rules more strictly than ever. In Villa's case, what Alamo did was perfectly legal -- and at the same time, completely wrong. Traveling with her husband and daughter last Christmas, she says she felt broadsided when the car rental company changed her price. In fact, car rental companies have different rates that are based on the length of your rental. These rates are disclosed on the agency's Web site. Not so long ago, companies used to look the other way when a customer picked up a car late or brought it back early. No longer.
So what, exactly, was that agent promising Villa? Alamo charges a $10 "no-show" fee for customers who don't cancel their reservations within 24 hours of pickup (it began doing that in 2005). Perhaps the company was assuring her that the $10 penalty wouldn't apply to her. Now that's the holiday spirit.
The only way to beat a car rental company at its own game is to know the rules. Read the terms and conditions on your company's Web site, and make sure you do your next car rental by the book.
Your needle isn't quite on "F"
Car rental companies have offered a "pre-pay" fuel option for almost as long as there have been car rental companies. But their definition of a "full" tank has apparently not always been the same.
Reader Penny McLain wrote to me recently about two recent car rental experiences. "Both times, the attendants had supposedly checked the gas gauge -- we saw them do it," she wrote. "And although we knew the tank was full, we were issued a receipt that reflected a big charge for gas."
After I covered the gas gauge scam in my blog (
http://www.elliott.org/blog/anyone-e...as-gauge-scam/), I decided to do a little research of my own. I returned a car I'd recently refueled (but hadn't topped off, which you're not supposed to do anyway). The needle was just below the "F" mark. Wouldn't you know it, they tried to charge me, too? I returned to the gas station and topped off the tank, as ordered.
But some car rental companies will even bill you if the needle is on "full". Several readers reported that when they drove less than 75 miles, they were subjected to a $10 surcharge from Avis or Budget. The fee was waived if they could prove they filled the tank before returning the vehicle.
To get around this scam, fill your tank immediately before bringing the car back and keep all of your gas receipts. Otherwise, you might find an unwelcome surcharge on your bill.
Someone dented our car, and you're going to pay
For several years, car rental customers have complained about bills for damage to a rental car for which they weren't responsible. A few car rental companies were even caught invoicing customers twice for the same damage. The industry at first seemed to back down, pursuing only the renters they were sure about. But it turns out that move was only temporary. Instead of leaving well enough alone, there's evidence that car rental companies were just quietly retooling their internal systems, adding technology that makes it easier to successfully pursue a claim.
Some of the applications -- for example, there's technology that automatically photographs a car when it leaves the lot and returns, allowing the company to monitor damage -- are helpful. Others, which have streamlined and automated the claims process -- whether the customer is responsible or not -- aren't.
In order to make sure you don't get stuck with a bill for damage someone else inflicted on your rental car, take pictures of the vehicle before you pick up the car and when you return it. If you see damage when you're handed the keys to your car, be sure it's noted on the rental form. Otherwise, you'll probably be asked to pay up later.
Is there a fee we haven't thought of?
The search for new fees continues. For example, car rental companies used to give their best customers big breaks when they rented from them. Warren Atwood used to rent from Hertz in Los Angeles County and return his vehicle to Orange County. Technically, he would have incurred a drop-off fee, but because he was a frequent renter, that fee used to be waived. Not anymore. "Now I have to pay (a drop-off fee)," he says. "I guess I don't rent from them enough." Maybe. But maybe Hertz, like many other car rental companies, is just looking to make the most money from its cars.
Nothing wrong with that, of course. But, when it comes to these clever fees, I have a feeling the car rental industry is just getting its second wind. In the past, they've found ways of passing along the cost of everything from their car registration (vehicle license recoupment fee) to getting rid of old tires (tire disposal fee). This kind of creativity puts them in a league with the airline industry.
The only way to avoid these surcharges is to check your rate quote to make sure the fee is disclosed. If it isn't, you can -- and should -- argue to have it removed from your bill.
With a few common-sense precautions, you can steer clear of the latest car-rental scams. I'm happy to report that Villa's rental nightmare had a happy ending. A few days after I contacted Alamo to ask about her case, she received a check for the difference between her first rental price and the second one. There was no apology, no letter explaining what had happened.
"I was shocked," she says. "I'm a very happy person."
by Christopher Elliott
What is "Super CDW" ?
What is "Super CDW" -- and why is it on Rick Murai's credit card bill after he rents a car from Alamo in Madrid? The car rental company's Web site is less than clear about the fee, and Murai's credit card company refuses to get involved. Is he stuck with the bill?
Q: I'm trying to get a refund for my car rental insurance and I could use a hand. My wife rented a car online through Alamo for pickup in Madrid. The agreement clearly stated that the daily charges, taxes and collision damage waiver, were included.
We returned the vehicle without a problem. But weeks later I discovered that we had been charged and extra $300 for something called a "Super Collision Damage Waiver." We had never requested this Super CDW coverage and it wasn't reflected in the original rental agreement.
In fact, I didn't think insurance of any kind was necessary, since my credit card offers coverage. After a lengthy argument to try to remove the regular CDW feature, the Madrid counter staff insisted that I retain it. And they never said I would be charged for another policy, which, strangely, was submitted as a separate unsigned credit card slip.
I've contested this bogus Super CDW charge with my credit card company, but it won't help because they state that they don't dispute foreign transactions. I think that travelers should be made aware of hidden charges, especially when fraudulently imposed because of language barriers. But more to the point, am I stuck with this extra insurance charge?
-- Richard Murai, Penn Valley, California
I went through the reservation process for an Alamo car in Madrid through its Web site, hoping to learn more about your mystery charge. When you book a car, collision damage waiver insurance and theft protection are included in the total price. But "Super CDW" is listed as an optional "additional" item. In order to buy it, you would have to check a box.
You wouldn't know what "Super CDW" is by reading the site. Access the hotlink to the 11.50-euro per day option, and it takes you to a page about child booster seats. Its comprehensive page on insurance products is unhelpful, too.
When you have a question about insurance, don't allow language barriers to stand in the way of getting a clear answer. Ask an agent to explain it or remove it, and if that's not possible, call a manager. That's particularly important when you're overseas, and a credit card company can't or won't get involved in a dispute. Once you sign that bill, you're finished.
Well, almost.
I contacted Alamo on your behalf, and it turns out that your bill was more messed up than you thought. After the company reviewed your case, it found that your original reservation was for 11 days, but that you had returned it a day early. The original 384-euro rate included insurance and taxes, but for some reason, the insurance charges were removed at the time of the rental. "The location should have honored the original rental agreement," says Diane Wilson, a company spokeswoman.
by Christopher Elliott
Finally if you have a legitimate problem that you can not resolve...Try this guy. I have read many stories about him helping people .
Christopher Elliott is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine
celliott@ngs.org.
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