Car Hire - standard practise

agent_orange_2

Hertz car rental seem to have hit on a new way to make a bit of extra cash. Previously,
you would pick up the car with a full tank of fuel and upon return of the vehicle you would fill the car up with fuel - so basically paying for the fuel you use. Their new policy - you pay the car hire fee and on top of that you are charged for a full tank of fuel (amount charged is dependent on size of vehicle) the relevant amount is charged to your CC once car is picked up. They suggest you return the car with as little fuel as possible.

Although we had to have a car, it wasn't our intention to do hundreds of miles and
we ended up returning the car with over half a tank of fuel - about 40 Euros worth of fuel, which we had paid for. It seems a very annoying little trick to me.:mad:

I wondered if this is now standard practice?

richardw

I think it is called an additional revenue stream in business speak.

headpin

agent_orange wrote: »

Hertz car rental seem to have hit on a new way to make a bit of extra cash. Previously,
you would pick up the car with a full tank of fuel and upon return of the vehicle you would fill the car up with fuel - so basically paying for the fuel you use. Their new policy - you pay the car hire fee and on top of that you are charged for a full tank of fuel (amount charged is dependent on size of vehicle) the relevant amount is charged to your CC once car is picked up. They suggest you return the car with as little fuel as possible.

Although we had to have a car, it wasn't our intention to do hundreds of miles and
we ended up returning the car with over half a tank of fuel - about 40 Euros worth of fuel, which we had paid for. It seems a very annoying little trick to me.:mad:

I wondered if this is now standard practice?

This is pretty common practice by Car Rental Companies now. However, the more consumer friendly companies will still offer the start with a full tank and return with a full tank option if the rental period is only short (i.e often no more than 2 or 3 days) as they recognise that many people will not use a full tank in such a short time. However, the money grabbing companies that try and make as much as they can from all aspects of the rental do not offer that option.

I suggest that companies that are not flexible enough to offer option to customers are boycotted in favour of those that do.

greyteam1959

I'm afraid it is standard practise now in Europe......another way of extracting money.
If you find a company doing full out / full in be careful cos the price of their cars will be more to compensate for the loss on fuel revenue.
On 2 / 3 day hire most companies will if you ask do full / full

mad_rich

Would be interested to hear which country this was.

I would expect Hertz to be a little better than this. All the rentals I've taken with them in the UK have been full-full, with the option to prepurchase or pay through the nose for them to refuel.

Nordictat2

mad_rich wrote: »

Would be interested to hear which country this was.

I would expect Hertz to be a little better than this. All the rentals I've taken with them in the UK have been full-full, with the option to prepurchase or pay through the nose for them to refuel.

I'm guessing it's Spain :P

agent_orange_2

mad_rich wrote: »

Would be interested to hear which country this was.

I would expect Hertz to be a little better than this. All the rentals I've taken with them in the UK have been full-full, with the option to prepurchase or pay through the nose for them to refuel.

Hi, Yes this was Spain, Alacante in fact. As mentioned in some of the previous posts, Hertz use this new method of fuel charging on hires over 3 days in duration.

Nordictat2

Heh I figured it was.

kit_saver

I recently used malagacar.com and their policy is only to put 1/2 tank of fuel in which I guess makes it a more manageable situation.

mad_rich

LOL. "We're still gonna screw you, just not quite so much as the other guys."