tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post6113531296485462956..comments2024-03-13T09:47:40.487+00:00Comments on Cockpit Conversation: Highway and RavensAviatrixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-12655743443144875982008-11-07T22:59:00.000+00:002008-11-07T22:59:00.000+00:00I think I will remember Avis. The name always make...I think I will remember Avis. The name always makes me smile, because it's French for "Warning" but I'll think of it as "Warning, do not rent from Hertz!"Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-68989123327668478232008-11-07T22:51:00.000+00:002008-11-07T22:51:00.000+00:00A family of four visited us the other day, at our ...A family of four visited us the other day, at our country house. Neither of us own a car but they got a ride to us. Our country house pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but there's a bus just half an hour's walk away.<BR/><BR/>When it was time for them to leave, I called Avis and asked to rent a car. I asked if there office were anywhere near the bus station, but it wasn't. But they offered to pick me up and drive me to their office, so I could rent a car. We agreed on a price, and I asked if I could get a baby seat and a cushion for the boy.<BR/><BR/>"Of course", they said. The baby seat and the cushion is even free of charge, included in the rent.<BR/><BR/>Arriving to bus station a few hours later I was met by a very confused girl having a baby seat in one hand and a cushion in the other. Not a car in sight.<BR/><BR/>"Uhm", she says, very much not sure of herself. "Were you the one who would like to rent a baby seat?"<BR/><BR/>"Absolutely", I respond. "But I acctually expected them to be surrounded by a car."<BR/><BR/>"Oh".<BR/><BR/>But it worked out fine. As it turns out, she was driving one of the spotlessly clean rental cars. She apologized for a while that it hadn't been cleaned properly, allowed me to give her a ride back to the office and promised me that I could leave to carkeys to the café that opens "early, around five at least" next morning.<BR/><BR/>Of course, when we came to the station at 5.30 am, catching a train at 5.45, the café was closed.<BR/><BR/>And I prefer them to Hertz every day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-2435215047562184522008-11-07T07:08:00.000+00:002008-11-07T07:08:00.000+00:00I've spent countless hours in rentals, too, and I ...I've spent countless hours in rentals, too, and I have to agree with Jack on the LDW thing. I returned a rental car a few years back (ironically, from Enterprise) and the agent found a microscopic scratch roughly the width of a human hair on the lower part of the front bumper. Miraculously, he managed to walk directly to this scratch and found it within seconds.<BR/><BR/>I won't bore you with the details, but this ended up costing me a lot in exactly the scheme Jack describes, despite my excellent auto insurance coverage. My insurance guy (who is a personal friend) told me to start getting the LDW (especially since my customers ultimately pay for my rentals).<BR/><BR/>Since I <I>used</I> to rent from Enterprise so much, I would've thought they wouldn't have pulled such a stunt with me and wouldn't have risked losing my business. Yet it happened. The $600 they made on "downtime" was nothing compared to the thousands they lost in my future business. I now go out of my way to avoid Enterprise.<BR/><BR/>In another incident, I had to return a car for a co-worker who was unexpectedly put in the hospital. The agent was peeved that the person returning the car was not on the contract. Alas.<BR/><BR/>I do recommend with or without the LDW that you walk around the car and meticulously note even the most trivial flaws on the car, walk back inside, and get someone to sign the form with your findings, and make sure you keep a copy. On the occasion that they tell you the little damage slip doesn't matter, or that you don't need to get it signed, or that you don't get to keep a copy, do not fall for their BS. If they roll their eyes because you insist on getting the slip signed, tell them it wouldn't be necessary if they didn't pull the kind of stunts described above.dpiercehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03397601206317363858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-79474235875076285632008-11-07T00:21:00.000+00:002008-11-07T00:21:00.000+00:00In the States, a Hertz gold membership allows you ...In the States, a Hertz gold membership allows you to have other drivers without paying or notifying them (at least that's what they told me).<BR/><BR/>Also, very few personal insurance policies will cover "loss of use". If you wreck a rental car, even if your insurance covers the repair, you're still responsible for the rental car agency's loss of use of the car for the entire time of repair. That's at full, 100% non-discounted rates. And they can take as long as they want to repair the car. (Been there, done that, had the LDW to save me).<BR/><BR/>All the rental agencies' LDW policies cover loss of use (the L in LDW).<BR/><BR/>On the other hand, Amex is currently offering a promotion that includes an LDW policy for a $20 flat rate (not daily rate) for each rental.<BR/><BR/>If you do have an issue, and have purchased the LDW, when they ask you for your personal insurance information, you can (and should) refuse. That's why you paid for the LDW in the first place. (Been there, done that - twice.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-37684716430386559532008-11-06T20:10:00.000+00:002008-11-06T20:10:00.000+00:00As you probably figured out, it's not about the le...As you probably figured out, it's not about the legality of the other driver, it's about charging you the "additional Driver" charge. <BR/><BR/>That's where the rental agencies make a bunch of thier money, extra charges and upgrades. I've had counter people tell me after I'd declined the Collision Damage Waiver that it was required by state law. I knew that it wasn't, but anyone whit a brain would see that it wouldn't be offered as an option if it was required by law. <BR/><BR/>The most comical attempt(in a pateetic way) was the kid in Portland Oregon, in late October, who as he was clutching his hooded sweatshirt around himself and visibly shivering telling us that we were really going to regret not upgrading to a model with air conditioning.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-44539763654234392482008-11-06T19:36:00.000+00:002008-11-06T19:36:00.000+00:00I TOLD you to get a Pathfinder! ;)I TOLD you to get a Pathfinder! ;)Buzzoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17015194503075989426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-50513603483612620492008-11-06T16:46:00.000+00:002008-11-06T16:46:00.000+00:00I also find it's often cheaper to rent a econo box...I also find it's often cheaper to rent a econo box than it is to cab from the airport in many cities. Las Vegas is one, Honolulu HI is another. (Of course renting via hotwire, or travelocity saves even more...) <BR/><BR/>Recently I rented a car in Kona, HI. The rate quoted for gas at the counter was $3.85/US Gal. "and you'll not find it cheaper anywhere on the island!" she said. I happily declined. The first Aloha gas I passed had gas at $3.60. I ended up filling at Costco for $2.26!!! <BR/><BR/>Caveat emptor they say...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-68000879140057727712008-11-06T15:23:00.000+00:002008-11-06T15:23:00.000+00:00In places where I have rented repeatedly, I have f...In places where I have rented repeatedly, I have figured out whether to buy the fuel or not. In Las Vegas my tour of projects usually used enough fuel that it was worth buying the tank because it saved me the time (stopping to fuel the car) on my way home. It wasn't more expensive, or only marginally so.<BR/><BR/>The other two tips I agree with.Colinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16656070367444324340noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-37854181795456069322008-11-06T15:21:00.000+00:002008-11-06T15:21:00.000+00:00Second that. Enterprise is the way to go if you ca...Second that. Enterprise is the way to go if you can. They probably would have been very happy to pick you up at the Hertz desk too!nec Timidehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03017143602023726206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10000144.post-53279801243640857922008-11-06T13:44:00.000+00:002008-11-06T13:44:00.000+00:00Having spent countless hours in rental cars you wi...Having spent countless hours in rental cars you will find one common thread. They want your money and your blood but they don't generally offer anything but a car in return. Here are a couple of great tips.<BR/><BR/>1: NEVER take the "loss damage waiver" or whatever they try to sell you for $19.99 per day. You can easily add "rental car coverage" to your own car policy for about $19 per YEAR which will protect you better than theirs. (Note the fine print where the LDW they sell you simply will go after your insurance first anyways)<BR/><BR/>2: Go ENTERPRISE! They don't care who drives the car (As long as they are licensed), will often bend over backwards to get you as a customer and for what it's worth dealing with them never "Hertz".<BR/><BR/>3: Never "pre-buy" the fuel. They have this game where they will claim their price is cheaper. The catch is you will always pay for the full tank. Regardless of how full it is when you return. They will claim "oh just bring it back empty" but how often do we feel comfortable running on empty? They know this too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com