 Poster: A snowHead
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The last time I hired a car was in Italy. I did it through my ADAC membership and get the impression that ADAC watch that you are not conned. They gave me a copy of a letter sent to the hire car company insisting on 'good service' or some such thing. Its about 3 years back so I don`t remember the detail, but basically it said ADAC had my back.
Sadly, with Brexit I lost my membership entitlements and that option will no longer be available to me  But it may be for those on here residing in Europe?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
...we like Hertz Gold because we skip the counter entirely and just get into our car and drive away. No selling, no nothing.
... My wife just about leveled him and she is chill.
Entering into this with the litigious attitude seems unnecessary. One tends to get what one expects. |
I will check out the 1st point - thanks.
On the second, I guess you're not recommending violence against the rental company 
Certainly I would not recommend a "litigious" attitude in any transaction, but knowing which
of the rental companies financial penalties are legal and which aren't is pretty relaxing, I find.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
I must admit to having worked as a customer facing employee in a car rental company, albeit 20 + years ago. I have to laugh at all the people who are mortified at the "scams" that all the "conning" companies operate.
In my experience, which was over 10 years in post, 95 % of customers are trying to get one over the rental company in some small way, whether in "yes I've filled it up" to no, I didn't scrape the bumper on any wall.
In all honesty, you reap what you sow, and its the cumulative effect of decades of this sort of behaviour which puts in practice the elements you are now all so up in arms about. |
I guess I’m in the minority then. I treat rental cars with the same respect as my own, and I’ve never tried to get one over on a rental company. Yet I’ve had to fight off the hard sell at the rental desk dozens of times, and twice had to deal with what I consider scams by the rental company (exorbitant charge for a scratched panel, and a fuel charge added a month after returning the car where I was given a receipt showing nothing to pay). Maybe I’m just unlucky. |
Indeed, treating a rental with the same respect as your own is indeed a rarity.
As regards fuel : no idea why a charge should be added at such a long period.
However, we used to rent cars full/full.
We had a pump inside,and did not charge a premium for the petrol , however, EVERY car that we would refill on return took at least a gallon to full "as it went out" , yet almost every customer would swear it was full.
At least 30% who were asked " where did you top it up? " would produce a receipt- inevitably with a "nearest pound" figure on it, yet often they had driven a significant number of miles after filling it..
As far as the "exorbitant charge" for the scratch :
1 )presumably you admitted you had damaged the car
2 )how do you know what the repair cost for that scratch is ?
3 )while that car is off the road being repaired, the company can not rent it out to another renter, and will have " loss of use" costs to cover.
Insignificant damage would not put a vehicle off the road in most cases, but reputable companies would not wish to be seen to be hiring vehicles which were not of excellent condition.
For every person who is outraged at being asked to pay for damage they didn't do there are fifty sniggering to their mates about how they drove their rental and how they got away with not reporting that scrape/ding/scraped rim.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Roguevfr, I think we can all understand dishonesty cuts both ways but quibbling about the couple of quid's worth of fuel in the tank seems ridiculous - are you saying you topped off every vehicle even when the gauge was showing full?
The majority of rental car interactions I've had have been fine - I've even had some positively good experiences like when I drove the car out of the lot and the windscreen cracked a couple of miles down the motorway. I fully expected a bit of argy bargy about it being my risk once it was off the lot but they accepted that in all probability it was a pre existing crack that had propagated when jolted by road surface at speed. The point is the bad ones are bad because they feel like "every trick" is being played. And the nonchalence of a lot of staff doesn't help - too busy to sign off your car now or give you a proper pre-existing damage report but "trust us it'll be fine" doesn't cut it when so many people have bad experiences of overcharges.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
@Roguevfr, I think we can all understand dishonesty cuts both ways but quibbling about the couple of quid's worth of fuel in the tank seems ridiculous - are you saying you topped off every vehicle even when the gauge was showing full?
And the nonchalence of a lot of staff doesn't help - too busy to sign off your car now or give you a proper pre-existing damage report but "trust us it'll be fine" doesn't cut it when so many people have bad experiences of overcharges. |
" Quibbling about a couple of quid " ?
Yes, we did top up EVERY car, and every car went out full to the brim.
That doesn't mean every customer was charged for the top up, far from it, but consider this : YOU rent a car that's showing " full" and only drive a short distance - knowing full well we can top it up on your return.
However , the previous customer left the car " full" on the gauge but in reality it was down 30 or 40 miles - are you happy to pay for THEIR fuel as well as your own ?
Don't know about your car, but my car still shows full on the gauge after 50-60 miles , but it doesn't run on fresh air for those miles.
Nonchalant staff ? Yeah, probably the same ones who are sick and tired of chancers asking them what they think they're doing looking over the car on return , in case they get caught out.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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@Roguevfr, it's natural to think that ones own industry is fine and it's all the customers fault, but in reality that's really not the case. I come from the construction industry which everyone generally feels is out to screw them. The reality is that most companies are operating on slim margins and working hard to make things work, but there are also those out there who are taking the p and some who are outright screwing people over.
And I've done the 'get the company to fill the car' thing, it's nearly always more expensive than the pump a mile up the road so you must have been the exception.
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
@Roguevfr, it's natural to think that ones own industry is fine and it's all the customers fault, but in reality that's really not the case. I come from the construction industry which everyone generally feels is out to screw them. The reality is that most companies are operating on slim margins and working hard to make things work, but there are also those out there who are taking the p and some who are outright screwing people over.
And I've done the 'get the company to fill the car' thing, it's nearly always more expensive than the pump a mile up the road so you must have been the exception. |
It was a long time ago, but yes, we had a pump on site, and we did charge regular pump prices, but we even had customers watch us fill their cars up and then claim the pump wasn't working correctly, or it wasn't petrol , or nothing was coming out of the nozzle. Just lying through their teeth basically.
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
Yes, we did top up EVERY car, and every car went out full to the brim.
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I have to ask why? I wouldn't dream of actually inspecting the tank and have better things to do with my life then immediately drive to a petrol station to score some petty point that the gas wasn't actually full. And almost nil customers would have an accurate view of the expected range of an unfamiliar vehicle. So it wasn't like you'd get any brownie points from customers giving them a full full car rather than a simply full one. I've had agents say to me as long as the needle is at or above the mark they are fine. My expectation is over time this will balance out - sometimes I'll end up being fuller than when I drove it off, sometimes the delta will be in my favour but in all events there is probably only 2-3l in it
As to why people don't do it as a matter of course I suspect it's less dishonesty more like convenience - I 'd rather fill up somewhere accessible within 20km than navigate complex road systems to get to the absolutely closest forecourt on an airport.
I've had a few Full to empty rentals too. I've no real objection over an extended rental period as you can usually get pretty close to running it down til near the light, but they are a tax on shorter term or local only rentals.
Last edited by After all it is free  on Tue 8-06-21 17:28; edited 1 time in total
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
I must admit to having worked as a customer facing employee in a car rental company, albeit 20 + years ago. I have to laugh at all the people who are mortified at the "scams" that all the "conning" companies operate.
In my experience, which was over 10 years in post, 95 % of customers are trying to get one over the rental company in some small way, whether in "yes I've filled it up" to no, I didn't scrape the bumper on any wall.
In all honesty, you reap what you sow, and its the cumulative effect of decades of this sort of behaviour which puts in practice the elements you are now all so up in arms about. |
I guess I’m in the minority then. I treat rental cars with the same respect as my own, and I’ve never tried to get one over on a rental company. Yet I’ve had to fight off the hard sell at the rental desk dozens of times, and twice had to deal with what I consider scams by the rental company (exorbitant charge for a scratched panel, and a fuel charge added a month after returning the car where I was given a receipt showing nothing to pay). Maybe I’m just unlucky. |
Indeed, treating a rental with the same respect as your own is indeed a rarity.
As regards fuel : no idea why a charge should be added at such a long period.
However, we used to rent cars full/full.
We had a pump inside,and did not charge a premium for the petrol , however, EVERY car that we would refill on return took at least a gallon to full "as it went out" , yet almost every customer would swear it was full.
At least 30% who were asked " where did you top it up? " would produce a receipt- inevitably with a "nearest pound" figure on it, yet often they had driven a significant number of miles after filling it..
As far as the "exorbitant charge" for the scratch :
1 )presumably you admitted you had damaged the car
2 )how do you know what the repair cost for that scratch is ?
3 )while that car is off the road being repaired, the company can not rent it out to another renter, and will have " loss of use" costs to cover.
Insignificant damage would not put a vehicle off the road in most cases, but reputable companies would not wish to be seen to be hiring vehicles which were not of excellent condition.
For every person who is outraged at being asked to pay for damage they didn't do there are fifty sniggering to their mates about how they drove their rental and how they got away with not reporting that scrape/ding/scraped rim. |
I return cars with a gauge which reads full, just like when I pick them up. As for adding a fuel charge a month after the rental, as I said, I think it was a scam. I only spotted it when the receipt for the rental was posted to me, and unusually I checked it. Took a couple of emails and a phone call to the USA to get it refunded.
For the scratched panel, it was a minor ding, the kind you get if a door is opened in a car park. I did not admit I’d damaged the car, mainly because I didn’t think I’d caused the scratch. As for the cost, I let insurance4carhire argue over €900, and vowed never to use that rental company again.
I like to think I’m a reasonable consumer, with reasonable expectations and happy to pay a fair price. The car rental industry is the only one where my initial thought is that they are hoping to catch me out and I need to pay particular attention to ensure I don’t get ripped off. Why do you think that is?
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1) get hire insurance arranged through a 3rd party before travel
2) go over the car upon collection the same way the hire company will when you return. Insist everything is marked on the damage report.
Take photos! Make sure every wheel has it's own photo! Upon return, inspect the vehicle with the rep.
3) sign up to schemes that have car links. Hilton for Hertz, Accor for Europcar. - They usually have their own scrapers & show different vehicles. 9 seater auto van for €450 from Lyon & if you have 'status', you may even get a free upgrade. In las Vegas I was given a Lincoln MKZ when I ordered the cheapest basic saloon possible.
4) if possible do not hire from airport, it can cost a lot more. If people are in no rush, then someone can do a car run & drive it to the airport.
In Boston I saved several $$$ by collecting downtown instead of the airport & returning to the airport (albeit in Washington DC) instead of downtown, where demand is higher & saves them the trouble of moving stock.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
I must admit to having worked as a customer facing employee in a car rental company, albeit 20 + years ago. I have to laugh at all the people who are mortified at the "scams" that all the "conning" companies operate.
In my experience, which was over 10 years in post, 95 % of customers are trying to get one over the rental company in some small way, whether in "yes I've filled it up" to no, I didn't scrape the bumper on any wall.
In all honesty, you reap what you sow, and its the cumulative effect of decades of this sort of behaviour which puts in practice the elements you are now all so up in arms about. |
I guess I’m in the minority then. I treat rental cars with the same respect as my own, and I’ve never tried to get one over on a rental company. Yet I’ve had to fight off the hard sell at the rental desk dozens of times, and twice had to deal with what I consider scams by the rental company (exorbitant charge for a scratched panel, and a fuel charge added a month after returning the car where I was given a receipt showing nothing to pay). Maybe I’m just unlucky. |
Indeed, treating a rental with the same respect as your own is indeed a rarity.
As regards fuel : no idea why a charge should be added at such a long period.
However, we used to rent cars full/full.
We had a pump inside,and did not charge a premium for the petrol , however, EVERY car that we would refill on return took at least a gallon to full "as it went out" , yet almost every customer would swear it was full.
At least 30% who were asked " where did you top it up? " would produce a receipt- inevitably with a "nearest pound" figure on it, yet often they had driven a significant number of miles after filling it..
As far as the "exorbitant charge" for the scratch :
1 )presumably you admitted you had damaged the car
2 )how do you know what the repair cost for that scratch is ?
3 )while that car is off the road being repaired, the company can not rent it out to another renter, and will have " loss of use" costs to cover.
Insignificant damage would not put a vehicle off the road in most cases, but reputable companies would not wish to be seen to be hiring vehicles which were not of excellent condition.
For every person who is outraged at being asked to pay for damage they didn't do there are fifty sniggering to their mates about how they drove their rental and how they got away with not reporting that scrape/ding/scraped rim. |
I return cars with a gauge which reads full, just like when I pick them up. As for adding a fuel charge a month after the rental, as I said, I think it was a scam. I only spotted it when the receipt for the rental was posted to me, and unusually I checked it. Took a couple of emails and a phone call to the USA to get it refunded.
For the scratched panel, it was a minor ding, the kind you get if a door is opened in a car park. I did not admit I’d damaged the car, mainly because I didn’t think I’d caused the scratch. As for the cost, I let insurance4carhire argue over €900, and vowed never to use that rental company again.
I like to think I’m a reasonable consumer, with reasonable expectations and happy to pay a fair price. The car rental industry is the only one where my initial thought is that they are hoping to catch me out and I need to pay particular attention to ensure I don’t get ripped off. Why do you think that is? |
So you returned a car damaged, didn't report it, and then got upset when you were legitimately charged for it ?
Hmm.
Are you sure you've got the right side of this grievance?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Before Covid I was flying Turin Gatwick a fair few times a year and hiring a car in the UK, so sort of the reverse.
I tried quite a few companies, but in the end settled on Sixt as a few mates used them in Spain / Portugal and I found them alright. I even have a Sixt membership card though just as that came through so did Covid.
Have to admit to not knowing anything about them prior.
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@Roguevfr, does a minor ding warrant a 900euro fee? I mean, I know it would probably cost that to have it properly repaired (given that the rental company will expect the best of the best for a repair) but does it damage the rental value if it's not repaired? I'd expect that kind of wear and tear to be part of the standard hire fee tbh. Same as if I was hiring anything else.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Dave of the Marmottes wrote: |
| ... give you a proper pre-existing damage report but "trust us it'll be fine" doesn't cut it ... |
That's the attitude which makes me photograph the entire machine at start and end of rentals and save the images with
location & timestamps in a non-fungible manner (into the cloud).
The rental company must at least clean and safety-check the vehicle, so they know where the damage is.
Not recording it honestly looks like preparation for fraud. If I own the evidence, then even if they later produce it,
why did they hide it from me, and how secure/ fungible are their own systems?
If a rental company charges a debit card fraudulently, I'd ask the bank to reverse the charge, and provide evidence.
Then, if they rental company was litigious, they could come and argue that I'm "pathetic" and "mental" in my local
court and we'll see how that plays out. They will never do that, because we both know they'd lose: I'm a careful honest driver.
Hence I think the fraud angle is mostly commission selling of insurance by fear, and maybe some repeat charging for existing damage
if people look like soft targets.
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I'm not convinced that the fancier rental companies will be any less corrupt though, but I like the idea of
avoiding the hard sell at the desk. Maybe I should just pretend I'm Finnish. No, that won't work, I've a UK
driving license.
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With minor dings, my advice is to demand to see the repair receipt and pay only on that. I've done that with
screen damage, worked a treat.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
So you returned a car damaged, didn't report it, and then got upset when you were legitimately charged for it ?
Hmm.
Are you sure you've got the right side of this grievance? |
I didn’t report it because I didn’t see it. It was very small, just a car park ding, and at no point during the rental was I aware of anything that might have caused it. The issue was the scale of the charge, first and foremost. Fortunately I had supplementary insurance, which is helpful as it allows me to be a bit more relaxed about the “document everything in sight” recommendations above, because apparently I’m not the only one who thinks the car rental industry has a tendency to scam customers.
Am I on the right side of this grievance? I think so, but that’s probably not the most important point. What is pertinent is that I’ll never use Dollar again.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
So you returned a car damaged, didn't report it, and then got upset when you were legitimately charged for it ?
Hmm.
Are you sure you've got the right side of this grievance? |
I didn’t report it because I didn’t see it. It was very small, just a car park ding, and at no point during the rental was I aware of anything that might have caused it. The issue was the scale of the charge, first and foremost. Fortunately I had supplementary insurance, which is helpful as it allows me to be a bit more relaxed about the “document everything in sight” recommendations above, because apparently I’m not the only one who thinks the car rental industry has a tendency to scam customers.
Am I on the right side of this grievance? I think so, but that’s probably not the most important point. What is pertinent is that I’ll never use Dollar again. |
I'm happy you're ambivalent about damage to someone else's property .
You're of the opinion that it's not your fault if the damage occurs during your rental, so long as its minor or falls into the "nothing to do with me guv" category - or can be passed off as such.
I wonder if you have the same laisse faire opinion about damage to your rental property ?
I can see why there's a tendency to want the cheapest possible price for any commodity, but surely the simple expedient of taking the offered insurance cover and considering it part of the cost makes all this argument moot?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| @Roguevfr, does a minor ding warrant a 900euro fee? I mean, I know it would probably cost that to have it properly repaired (given that the rental company will expect the best of the best for a repair) but does it damage the rental value if it's not repaired? I'd expect that kind of wear and tear to be part of the standard hire fee tbh. Same as if I was hiring anything else. |
A minor ding is a matter of opinion. Whether it damages the rental value of the vehicle is another. If you run a back street rental company then no, probably not.
However if you buy a flight on a BA Dreamliner and turn up at the airport to be shown onto an Aeroflot zukalev plane you're probably not going to be best pleased.
Same with car rental.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| ... does a minor ding warrant a 900euro fee? I mean, I know it would probably cost that to have it properly repaired (given that the rental company will expect the best of the best for a repair) but does it damage the rental value if it's not repaired? I'd expect that kind of wear and tear to be part of the standard hire fee tbh. Same as if I was hiring anything else. |
If it was a minor ding on a new 911 with metallic paint it would not cost that much, so it sounds fraudulent.
I would demand three quotes. Then ask to see the actual invoice for the work, which will need to specify precisely what's done.
I'd also like to see high resolution photographs of the panel before and after.
If the panel had other damage, then I'd negotiate about who pays for which bits.
It's an expensive process for a small ding, but I self insure. That makes fraud really hard.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
I'm happy you're ambivalent about damage to someone else's property .
You're of the opinion that it's not your fault if the damage occurs during your rental, so long as its minor or falls into the "nothing to do with me guv" category - or can be passed off as such.
I wonder if you have the same laisse faire opinion about damage to your rental property ? |
Im not ambivalent about damage, and ensure I have appropriate insurance to cover any accidental damage that I am responsible for. What I objected to is cost of repair, which in this case I felt was disproportionate and part of the usual scams that seem common in this industry.
As for my own property I expect a reasonable amount of wear and tear, and ensure I have some spares for glasses and plates for when the inevitable happens. Without fail, anyone who has rented my place has been apologetic when minor breakages happen, and appear grateful when I tell them not to worry about it. I do have a high proportion of repeat guests though, unlike my relationship with Dollar who won’t get my business again.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@philwig, I dunno, if it's a fill and spray job then it's still a whole panel which needs doing to do it properly, plus the fact the car is unrentable during that time.
Is it expensive? Absolutely. Is it unreasonably expensive? Possibly not. Is it needless? Almost certainly.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
I'm happy you're ambivalent about damage to someone else's property .
You're of the opinion that it's not your fault if the damage occurs during your rental, so long as its minor or falls into the "nothing to do with me guv" category - or can be passed off as such.
I wonder if you have the same laisse faire opinion about damage to your rental property ? |
Im not ambivalent about damage, and ensure I have appropriate insurance to cover any accidental damage that I am responsible for. What I objected to is cost of repair, which in this case I felt was disproportionate and part of the usual scams that seem common in this industry.
As for my own property I expect a reasonable amount of wear and tear, and ensure I have some spares for glasses and plates for when the inevitable happens. Without fail, anyone who has rented my place has been apologetic when minor breakages happen, and appear grateful when I tell them not to worry about it. I do have a high proportion of repeat guests though, unlike my relationship with Dollar who won’t get my business again. |
There's a difference between smashing a €2 plate and causing a car to be off the road for a week while it's repaired or resprayed.
You also seem to be missing the point about admitting to the damage.
Maybe if someone was to cause damage that prevented you renting the apartment to the next week's customers, for whom you had to find alternative accommodation at your cost, that might stick somewhat in your throat, especially if they failed to mention it ..
I guess " it wisny me " wouldn't cut much slack there.
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@Roguevfr, did you read the part where I said I had no idea of the damage, so was not in a position to “admit it”.
Is it any wonder why so many people think the car rental industry is out to stiff their customers if their unofficial spokesman in this thread starts with the premise that the customer is always wrong?
Anyway, I’ve made my contribution, and learned to take a few more photos upfront as they can’t be trusted.
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except that for the ever so slight door scuff caused by inattentive occupants of a neighbouring car in the carpark won't have the car off the road for a week for a respray.
but it might well end up on multiple invoices where it was not spotted at pick up.
at best it'll be about 3 seconds of the time of the guy on the desk pointing out all the prior damages, and at worst, it'll be billed for multiple times against multiple customers that deem a barely visible scuff as not worthy of note. If I get such an invoice, I'll be requesting full evidence of all previous and subsequent notes of damage, and for them top prove it was first detected during my rental. I expect that the issue will be dropped pdq when someone in a position of management realises that there is a potential fraud case.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Most of the entire car co in Europe ( I'm convinced ) rent at a discount (or loss leader), sometimes rentals are 10 to 15 eu a day winter
To make a profit, they charge excessive amounts for customer caused damage
Lets imagine you drop a car back with a chip on the windscreen, barely visible to you (and not caused by you)
they will claim windscreen needs to be be replaced,
you or your your car hire excess insurance pay for for the windscreen to be replaced, lets say 1500 e
Windscreen is not repaired
next week another renter hires car, he/she too could be billed for the same damage, and another e1500 goes to the rental co
This goes on for several months/years until the car is sold
In general the bigger renters < hertz etc are more scrupulous. Avoid Goldcar , Firefly etc
It is annoying , but lets me honest hiring a car for 10 to 20 e a day (same price as bicycle hire ) , can be too good a deal
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| rob@rar wrote: |
@Roguevfr, did you read the part where I said I had no idea of the damage, so was not in a position to “admit it”.
Is it any wonder why so many people think the car rental industry is out to stiff their customers if their unofficial spokesman in this thread starts with the premise that the customer is always wrong?
Anyway, I’ve made my contribution, and learned to take a few more photos upfront as they can’t be trusted. |
Because, sadly I've seen it all before, and know with 100% certainty that people will try to get away with it , if they can.
I've had brand new cars returned with 1200 miles done in a day hire, with the bottom of the body flattened because its been rallied across a field . I've had spare wheels stolen and replaced with shitters off a 10 year old car, I've had all 4 wheels removed and replaced with the wheels off an old car. I've even had the entire top end of an engine stolen and replaced with a blown one.
Not to mention carpets, mats , exhaust systems , stereos , wiper blades in fact, virtually anything that can be removed.
Not to mention the hires which may not be theft of some sort as such, but where there are a surprising number of people driving the car without permission, often with the same or very similar name, and in possession of a seemingly communal driving licence.
If you didn't cause the damage then fair enough, but somewhere else in a parallel forum, there's a guy laughing about how he never told Dollar that he damaged the car and some other poor schmuck got the blame.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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@Roguevfr, you're doing a very good job of making me more against the car hire industry 
Here's an idea, the damage wasn't caused by any of the clients of the business and was actually a 3rd party in a car park smacking their door against the hire car. To my mind that kind of damage is all wrapped up in the price I'm paying for the hire.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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and well wrapped up in total budget for new car acquisitions and expected price at disposal at auction
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
| If you didn't cause the damage then fair enough, but somewhere else in a parallel forum, there's a guy laughing about how he never told Dollar that he damaged the car and some other poor schmuck got the blame. |
And if your posts had been in response that comments of that kind in this thread then I'd think you might have some justification. As it is, you're just reinforcing the view that plenty of people seem to have that the car rental industry is run by a bunch of chancers.
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You know it makes sense.
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| Here's an idea, the damage wasn't caused by any of the clients of the business and was actually a 3rd party in a car park smacking their door against the hire car. To my mind that kind of damage is all wrapped up in the price I'm paying for the hire. |
Which I think is what caused the damage on my rental car, which was parked in a multi-storey for a week while I was skiing. The damage was so minor that I had to look closely to spot it - it really was a very small ding. The most minor of indentations and the paint surface wasn't even broken on an economy grade car. For that, a bill of €900. Does anyone seriously think that is acceptable?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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That's proper chancing it imho.
We've had some serious damages to cars on 6 week rentals in Cayenne, and the tab there was nothing like that. Can get away with a lot there though. Wheel snapped off due to hitting a pothole cost nothing, as did a crack in a windscreen that split to cover the entire glass from top to bottom. But then they still chanced it by trying make one colleague pay for 2 new rear tyres and accused him of doing burnout round the roundabout outside the foreign legion barracks... in a renault clio. Still wondering to this day how one manages to wear out 30,000 miles worth of rear tyres in 6 weeks in a FWD car They dropped that one from the final tab, unsurprisingly. We handed back wrecked cars that either had to be rescued by recovery or would be a visible MOT failure (or whatever the French equivalent is), and never had a real invoice for more than a €100 or so.
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Poster: A snowHead
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
@Roguevfr, you're doing a very good job of making me more against the car hire industry
Here's an idea, the damage wasn't caused by any of the clients of the business and was actually a 3rd party in a car park smacking their door against the hire car. To my mind that kind of damage is all wrapped up in the price I'm paying for the hire. |
Which is why there is an option given to purchase insurance against such happenings. Why is this so difficult to understand ?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@Roguevfr, What if it was hit in the car park off-hire - i.e. whilst in the care of the hire co?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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| andy wrote: |
| and well wrapped up in total budget for new car acquisitions and expected price at disposal at auction |
Assuming the cars are disposed of in that way. Its incredible how so many people here know the ins and outs without having any actual knowledge of the truth.
In fact, the large majority of cars bought by LARGE car rental companies are sold back into dealerships , and that 1- owner low mileage car you're buying off the forecourt might well have someone like Arnold Clark as the owner.
Virtually no cars from major rental companies go to auction UNLESS there is some reason that they will not be put directly onto dealers forecourts , such as excessive repair work. Very often cheaper cars with a fair amount of damage will be simply written off , as its not economical to repair them if they would then go to auction.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Roguevfr, I dunno, maybe because they seem to be the only industry which effectively forces the customer to take extra insurance at a hidden cost to cover what pretty much any normal person considers normal wear and tear.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@Roguevfr, so... you work for Enterprise then? or otherwise in the industry?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| MorningGory wrote: |
| @Roguevfr, What if it was hit in the car park off-hire - i.e. whilst in the care of the hire co? |
Then the company would be liable for the repair costs, of course. Accidents do happen, particularly in slack periods when there are many vehicles in the depot.
I think I know where you're trying to lead this - oh, the next customer will end up being done for this . No reputable company would operate in this manner in my opinion, what some back street operator would do is a different matter.
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| Roguevfr wrote: |
| Then the company would be liable for the repair costs, of course. Accidents do happen, particularly in slack periods when there are many vehicles in the depot. |
Of course every company would be aware of which parking dings were done in their own lot and what was done by customers
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| @Roguevfr, I dunno, maybe because they seem to be the only industry which effectively forces the customer to take extra insurance at a hidden cost to cover what pretty much any normal person considers normal wear and tear. |
Any normal person would not consider the damages we're discussing to be wear and tear. I'm sure you wouldn't be happy if I dented YOUR car door in a car park and said " oh, that's just wear and tear".
There's no hidden cost. There is a price which you can pay, or choose not to pay.
You have an excess on your own insurance policy, if you choose not to have one, your insurance costs more.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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| SnoodlesMcFlude wrote: |
| Roguevfr wrote: |
| Then the company would be liable for the repair costs, of course. Accidents do happen, particularly in slack periods when there are many vehicles in the depot. |
Of course every company would be aware of which parking dings were done in their own lot and what was done by customers |
They would, if customers and staff reported them honestly, and the car was checked in and out properly.
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| under a new name wrote: |
| @Roguevfr, so... you work for Enterprise then? or otherwise in the industry? |
The information is in the thread.
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FAQ
