Car Rentals - check your contract!!

[pacman]

A little background first. Been to Hawaii probably 50 times in my 64 year-old life. We go to the Big Island twice each year. Probably have rented a car 40 times there. Never had an issue until now. Rented from Budget/Avis in Kona for our usual 2 weeks. We always decline all coverages as we have rental insurance through our car insurance at home. This time, before signing, I saw the total was almost $400 more than our quote (through Costco). When I asked the agent about it, she said it was a damage deposit. I really didn't think too much more about it. After our holiday - once we were home, I asked about why it hadn't been credited back, and to my surprise, when looking at my contract, I see that I was charged a damage waiver charge of $28 per day. Wow! I never really look at the contract when signing, just assume that it is as per quote with no optional coverages.
I am writing this post as a warning to everyone to read their contract, the charges before signing. This is an expensive lesson for me. I have reached out to Budget and they have refused to do anything. In my opinion this is pure fraud on their part as the agent right out lied to me at the counter. I'm moving on and hopefully can save someone from the same fate.

 

[easyrider]

A little background first. Been to Hawaii probably 50 times in my 64 year-old life. We go to the Big Island twice each year. Probably have rented a car 40 times there. Never had an issue until now. Rented from Budget/Avis in Kona for our usual 2 weeks. We always decline all coverages as we have rental insurance through our car insurance at home. This time, before signing, I saw the total was almost $400 more than our quote (through Costco). When I asked the agent about it, she said it was a damage deposit. I really didn't think too much more about it. After our holiday - once we were home, I asked about why it hadn't been credited back, and to my surprise, when looking at my contract, I see that I was charged a damage waiver charge of $28 per day. Wow! I never really look at the contract when signing, just assume that it is as per quote with no optional coverages.
I am writing this post as a warning to everyone to read their contract, the charges before signing. This is an expensive lesson for me. I have reached out to Budget and they have refused to do anything. In my opinion this is pure fraud on their part as the agent right out lied to me at the counter. I'm moving on and hopefully can save someone from the same fate.

Bummer. It's easy to miss crap like this, especially after a long flight.

Bill

 

[klpca]

A little background first. Been to Hawaii probably 50 times in my 64 year-old life. We go to the Big Island twice each year. Probably have rented a car 40 times there. Never had an issue until now. Rented from Budget/Avis in Kona for our usual 2 weeks. We always decline all coverages as we have rental insurance through our car insurance at home. This time, before signing, I saw the total was almost $400 more than our quote (through Costco). When I asked the agent about it, she said it was a damage deposit. I really didn't think too much more about it. After our holiday - once we were home, I asked about why it hadn't been credited back, and to my surprise, when looking at my contract, I see that I was charged a damage waiver charge of $28 per day. Wow! I never really look at the contract when signing, just assume that it is as per quote with no optional coverages.
I am writing this post as a warning to everyone to read their contract, the charges before signing. This is an expensive lesson for me. I have reached out to Budget and they have refused to do anything. In my opinion this is pure fraud on their part as the agent right out lied to me at the counter. I'm moving on and hopefully can save someone from the same fate.

I had that exact issue with Dollar car rental in Phoenix. I specifically declined the coverage but it was still on there when I read through the contract as we were driving away. I called immediately and their customer service said that we had to return to the counter at the airport. PITA. Luckily we had time so we drove back and the same woman who checked us in before tried to ignore me until I gave up but after 15 min I said loudly "I have all day and if that's what it takes I'll wait". Finally another desk agent offered to help me and the entire transaction took about 3 minutes.

I suspect that there are some commissions in play here for the agents, but it is ridiculous that the companies allow their agents to lie with no consequence. Now I go over the bill before we leave the counter.

 

[PigsDad]

I suspect that there are some commissions in play here for the agents, but it is ridiculous that the companies allow their agents to lie with no consequence.

That's probably because their manager gets a cut of those commissions, so who would fire them over this? Slimeballs!

Kurt

 

[jp10558]

Well, just like timeshares, it's what's written in the contract that matters. I wish I could just tell the agents "don't talk to me, hand me the paper, I'll read through it, and sign or ask for changes or walk, cause what you say doesn't matter and often isn't true".

You can't even trust online, cause the "bundles" often offered are not actually through the rental agency, so the "cheaper insurance" often won't actually cover you either - the one we got in England was $35,000 coverage, which wouldn't cover the car in many cases. Forget about being a reimbursement coverage (cause I have $35,000 to hand the rental agency and wait for the insurance to pay out).

 

[pacman]

I suspect that there are some commissions in play here for the agents, but it is ridiculous that the companies allow their agents to lie with no consequence. Now I go over the bill before we leave the counter.

Exactly my thoughts. I'm sure it was an upsell. But for them to outright lie - I am actually surprised at this. Maybe I shouldn't be.

 

[pacman]

Well, just like timeshares, it's what's written in the contract that matters.

lol. I actually never thought of that. I guess the car rental counter people must have had some lessons from the timeshare salespeople

 

[cowboy]

What was the agents name?

 

[echino]

They are sneaky. Sometimes they ask about the insurance - "Just the basic?", which sounds like no extra cost, but what they really mean is adding some basic insurance that costs a lot. A correct answer would be "No, I don't want anything extra".

 

[RX8]

Seems like I always have to initial the section about damage waiver. What did the contract say in that section? Did you initial?

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Whenever I rent a car, after they locate the reservation I always say I decline all coverages and will return the vehicle with a full tank of gas. Then I make sure the waivers I initial agree with what I said.

Occasionally I get someone who tries to talk me into buying the coverage so it won't affect my primary insurance, and I politely inform them that primary rental insurance is covered by my credit card, and that it provides more coverage than their insurance. (I have AmEx with car rental coverage that I have specifically to cover car rentals.) Sometimes they try to tell me that my credit card does not cover loss of use, and I have to tell them that mine does.

When this happens, it's obvious that the person has been trained on selling insurance coverage, and is just responding with what they have been trained to say when the encounter a renter who is using credit card insurance.

 

[pacman]

What was the agents name?

No idea. I didn't take note at the time.

 

[pacman]

Seems like I always have to initial the section about damage waiver. What did the contract say in that section? Did you initial?

I probably did, but as I said in my post, I wasn't really paying attention, as I verbally told them I did not want any extra coverages. This is the whole point of my post - to tell people they should not do like I did and just sign without checking the charges.

 

[Chrispee]

Fighting to decline extras is frustrating even when they’re not being outright deceitful like in this case. Nowadays I wont rent unless I know I can skip the counter with an online check in.

 

[TolmiePeak]

I've been renting from Alamo more lately. You just walk straight to your car and show your driver's license and credit card when you are exiting the lot. No dealing with the people at the counter.

 

[artringwald]

I've been renting from Alamo more lately. You just walk straight to your car and show your driver's license and credit card when you are exiting the lot. No dealing with the people at the counter.

Same is true for National Car's The Emerald Club. You can set your preferences in the options and decline all the extra cost ones.

 

[pacman]

I've been renting from Alamo more lately. You just walk straight to your car and show your driver's license and credit card when you are exiting the lot. No dealing with the people at the counter.

Oh wow, I love that. Even in Kona? That sounds completely stress-free.

 

[Ken555]

Yet another reason why renting from Autoslash, prepaid, works great. Though I haven't had this particular issue from Costco rentals, which I also use when it’s lower.

 

[TolmiePeak]

Oh wow, I love that. Even in Kona? That sounds completely stress-free.

It worked that way on Kauai. I also like it because I can avoid driving one of the lousy vehicles.

 

[rickandcindy23]

We had a ridiculous issue at Charlotte, NC, but it was NU Car, which we have used in Orlando without incident. We weren't allowed to take the car without paying for insurance, which was about $400.

We brought our proof of insurance required by CO law, which we brought just in case. He said we had to have the declarations pages. They wouldn't accept our proof of insurance and also said Rick's Chase Sapphire credit card wouldn't cover the cost. When I reserved the car, they had certain types of insurance they would accept. We have Safeco insurance. They wouldn't accept it. It wasn't listed. The credit card was worthless in that company's opinion.

 

[WorldT]

Same is true for National Car's The Emerald Club. You can set your preferences in the options and decline all the extra cost ones.

Second that on National. I think the same company owns Alamo now. (National, Enterprise and Alamo).

 

[artringwald]

Second that on National. I think the same company owns Alamo now. (National, Enterprise and Alamo).

They have been sharing the same building in Kauai since the pandemic.

 

[Tia]

I think this is catching on and agree they most likely get a %. Posted a couple years ago in the Caribbean forum it happened at Avis in St Thomas, declined and initialed in an electronic screen with nothing in it, but the agent put the initials in the accept box in the system. Only way is to read it after they give you the paper copy to verify, then make them correct errors right then. People waiting said it had happened to them also.

 

[WorldT]

View attachment 103514They have been sharing the same building in Kauai since the pandemic.

I haven't used Alamo before. However, I use enterprise regularly and collect my points as credits inside my National account. I use national at airport locations.

 

[linsj]

I'm another National fan. Have never had any of the problems people have posted about, even at locations with no Emerald aisles. And the price has always been less than or equal to prices at other companies, including Costco.