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How to avoid car rental scam

  • How to avoid car rental scam

workingman
#1May 21st, 2010
There is this news about this Edmonton man who rented a car from 'Budget Rent a Car' in Vancouver. He was billed with a $1,100 bill to repair a windshield chip. CBC News Feb 9, 2010.

How do you avoid being 'scammed' by car rental companies? Will buying insurance coverage from the car rental company makes me not responsible for such charges? Or should the insurance coverage be purchased from a company other than the car rental company?

Is a credit card required for renting a car? Is a it safe to use the credit card? Will I get a charge from the car rental company long after I return the car and left the city I was visiting?
 
VanIsle
#2

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
workingman's story is very true. There is more to it that I feel is important for everyone to know regarding renting from Budget so I've copied "the rest of the story". The moral being - Don't rent from Budget.
CBC News surveyed windshield repair outlets Crystal Glass and Speedy Auto Glass, which quoted a price of $25 to $60 to repair a small chip with no cracks. The repair shops also estimated a windshield replacement on a Kia Rio should not cost more than $750.
"I think [the Budget outlet] could have picked up an extra $1,000 or $1,100 in revenue and never bothered replacing the windshield — or just spent the $25 or whatever it is to do the chip repair and kept the rest."
CBC News tried to contact Chang and CEO Bill Ung, who run several Budget franchise outlets in B.C.'s Lower Mainland under The Phelps Group, but they didn't respond.
Records from the Better Business Bureau show more complaints have been filed about Budget agencies than any other car rental company in the Vancouver area — 66 in the last three years. In nine recent complaints to the bureau about car rental companies, the consumers claim they were overcharged for damage.
In one case last April, involving a Budget outlet at the Vancouver airport, the customer complained of being billed $575 for a small chip on a windshield.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2010/02/08/bc-budgetbill.html#ixzz0ob2NDgai
 
Ron in Regina
Avatar
#3

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Holy Mackerel! I had a new windshield put in a 1978 Cadillac for just over $300.
A Buddy replaced his windshield in his Alero for $240. Windshields for One-Ton
Dodge & GMC 3500's out here run less than $300 installed.

P.S. The Cadillac's windshield was going to be about $400 but I ordered the
windshield for a 1978 Chev 1/2 ton (long) which is the same windshield and that
saved me $100....and yeah, the costs above are installed.
Last edited by Ron in Regina; May 21st, 2010 at 03:27 PM..Reason: Added the PS
 
VanIsle
#4

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Come buy your gas on Van. Is. It went up yesterday to $1.13.9 a litre.
 
Liberalman
Avatar
#5

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
All car rentals are scams like 10 years ago they charged me $200.00 for a half a tank of gas and that's why they ask for a credit card before you drive the car off the lot.
 
bobnoorduyn
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#6

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
I have rented vehicles, (and airplanes) for many years and have not run into too many problems, though I have had to put my foot down a couple of times when I knew I was being scammed. I usually rent from Budget, Avis, or National. Budget did ding us about $45 when my wife hit the curb and lost a wheel cover in Wales, (neither of us were used to driving on the wrong side of the road). They also dinged us $75 in S'toon when I broke a key on a Ford Explorer, but I know Ford keys, since they are electronically coded, are expensive.

My last rental was an SUV in Calgary from National, I noticed several stone chips in the windsheild on my initial inspection and brought the form back in to indicate where they were, (approximately). No problem.

The other scam is the insurance they want you to buy, either your own policy will cover what they do, or else your credit card company will at no extra charge, but you have to make sure of this before you leave.

BTW, I busted two windshields in my Chevy 1/2 ton, they cost $190 installed, but the insurance company was billed $350, you wonder who's doing the scamming.
 
YukonJack
#7

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
The BEST way to avoid car rental scams is to own the vehicle you drive and avoid any situation where and when you can't do that.
 
bobnoorduyn
Avatar
#8

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Quote: Originally Posted by LiberalmanView Post

All car rentals are scams like 10 years ago they charged me $200.00 for a half a tank of gas and that's why they ask for a credit card before you drive the car off the lot.

Uhhh, save yourself the grief dude, fill it up before you return it, even if it's the day before and you have to drive 5 miles afterward. As long as it reads full you're covered. They really hit you if they have to fill it for you.

Quote: Originally Posted by YukonJackView Post

The BEST way to avoid car rental scams is to own the vehicle you drive and avoid any situation where and when you can't do that.

The reason most of us rent is because our vehicles won't fit in our checked baggage, and we like to be able to get around at will at our destination.
 
weaselwords
#9

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
The easy way to stay from expensive rental scams is to go for less exxpensive scam by buying their insurance. I've been in crashes & had new rentals delivered to me at crash sites, I don't have to drive as if I'm in a bubble, I don't have to park in Outer Slobovia worring about carelessness of other parkers or vandals & I've never paid a dime in extra charges. The extra 20 -25 bucks a day is worth the piece of mind.
 
YukonJack
#10

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
bobnoorduyn figured he was wise and thought he could teach me a lesson on travelling, with this response:

"The reason most of us rent is because our vehicles won't fit in our checked baggage, and we like to be able to get around at will at our destination."

As long as I don't have to cross an ocean, I DO NOT FLY. I let the masochists and self-destructing papooses go through the agony of airport inspections by swarthy characters who are far more likely to be terrorists than me.

As long as my destination is in North America (mind you i would not touch Mexico with a ten meter pole) I DRIVE. I set my own schedule, I stop when I want, I eat when I want and in addition I enjoy the scenery.

And THAT IS a sure way to avoid rental scams.
 
JLM
Avatar
#11

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Quote: Originally Posted by workingmanView Post

There is this news about this Edmonton man who rented a car from 'Budget Rent a Car' in Vancouver. He was billed with a $1,100 bill to repair a windshield chip. CBC News Feb 9, 2010.

How do you avoid being 'scammed' by car rental companies? Will buying insurance coverage from the car rental company makes me not responsible for such charges? Or should the insurance coverage be purchased from a company other than the car rental company?

Is a credit card required for renting a car? Is a it safe to use the credit card? Will I get a charge from the car rental company long after I return the car and left the city I was visiting?


There is one way to fix those bastards, first of all you find out at the beginning what the total charge is going to be and before you take it anywhere get pictures of it. That in itself should tell them you are the wrong guy to pick for a sucker. If when you return they try any bullsh*t tell them you will settle with them after you've gone to the B.B.B. and the local media. Business people don't like media types with cameras showing up on their doorstep......................
 
Risus
Avatar
#12

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Quote: Originally Posted by YukonJackView Post

The BEST way to avoid car rental scams is to own the vehicle you drive and avoid any situation where and when you can't do that.

Thats not always possible, especially if you have to fly on business and rent a car at the destination city...

Quote: Originally Posted by bobnoorduynView Post

Uhhh, save yourself the grief dude, fill it up before you return it, even if it's the day before and you have to drive 5 miles afterward. As long as it reads full you're covered. They really hit you if they have to fill it for you.

Yes, that is a cheap, simple fix.
 
bobnoorduyn
Avatar
#13

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
Quote: Originally Posted by YukonJackView Post

bobnoorduyn figured he was wise and thought he could teach me a lesson on travelling, with this response:

"The reason most of us rent is because our vehicles won't fit in our checked baggage, and we like to be able to get around at will at our destination."

Ooooh, someone p*ssed in your FrootLoops. No, I was pointing out that there are times when we have to rent. You choose to drive, fine, I wish we all had that kind of time. I personally hate travelling, but I like to get to my destination as quickly as I can. If I had to drive to Calgary on my days off I would have to leave before I got there, and I'm sure I'm not the only one with such time constraints. The only other option is to stay home.
 
YukonJack
#14

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 21st, 2010
bobnoorduyn, I will not be so vulgar as to use the vivid imagery, or anything even similar, that you did.

I agree, not everyone has he time that a retired person, such as myself, has.

I simply stated my preferred way of travelling. I just thought that as long as you can be sarcastic, so can I.
 
workingman
#15

Re: How to avoid car rental scam

May 22nd, 2010
Quote: Originally Posted by LiberalmanView Post

All car rentals are scams like 10 years ago they charged me $200.00 for a half a tank of gas and that's why they ask for a credit card before you drive the car off the lot.

Nowadays we have the prepaid credit card that we can buy off the shelf.

I wonder if the car rental companies will accept them.

Quote: Originally Posted by weaselwordsView Post

The easy way to stay from expensive rental scams is to go for less exxpensive scam by buying their insurance. ....... The extra 20 -25 bucks a day is worth the piece of mind.

Sounds like this less expensive scam is worth it.
 

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