Thanksgiving time kicks off the start of the great American holiday season. It is a time for gathering with family and friends to count our blessings and show gratitude for those in our lives. However, spending it in the cold may not be your idea of a good time. Why not head for a warmer climate for Thanksgiving down to sunny Orlando Florida? It is one of the country’s top travel destinations, and for good reason. Here are four fantastic fun filled events that will leave you and your whole family smiling.
Central Florida International Auto Show
The Central Florida International Auto Show will be going on from November 24th to 27th at the Orange County Convention Center. Admission is just $9 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, $3 for Kids age 7-12, and kids under 6 get in for FREE! This is going to be one of Florida’s largest auto shows ever. Its cars galore! Check out the latest models of cars, trucks, crossovers, and electric vehicles. Call 407-685-9800 or go to www.autoshoworlando.com for details.
Home for the Holidays
For music lovers this season there is Home for the Holidays at the Orlando Philharmonic on November 26, 2011 from 2pm-8pm. Admission ranges from $14.25 to $70. Change up the busy holiday week a bit by joining the Orlando Philharmonic and welcoming Maestro Albert George Schram and the Holiday Singers. There is no better way to get you into the holiday spirit this holiday season.
Harry P. Leu Gardens
If you are a nature lover, then the Harry P. Leu Gardens is just for you. It is an oasis in the center of the city situated just North of Center Downtown Orlando and just West of Baldwin Park. The Leu Gardens is fifty acres full of pathways that weave in and out of separate gardens all of which overlook a beautiful lake. Visitors can enjoy a variety of different garden environments including: a butterfly garden, an herb garden, a tropical stream garden, a rose garden and many more. For more information click here: Harry P. Leu Gardens
The Scenic Boat Tour of Winter Park
Another must see this holiday season. The Scenic Boat Tour of Winter Park is an hour-long guided tour throughout the Winter Park Chain of Lakes. During the tour you will see what living in Florida looked like 50, 60, and 70 years ago. For more information click here: The Scenic Boat Tour of Winter Park
With so much to see and do it’s easy to see why you and your whole family should spend Thanksgiving in Orlando. Carl’s Van Rentals is here to help make getting around to all these and other happenings as easy as possible. Contact our Orlando office Toll Free at 1-800-565-5211 to make a reservation, or go to our website http://www.carlsvanrentals.com. Happy Thanksgiving!
Higher demand as well as a reduced number of available seats will cause higher airfare prices next year, even in a slow-growing economy, based on the American Express Global Business Travel Forecast released Wednesday. But prices won’t jump as much as they did between 2010 and 2011, the forecast said. Business class airfares are anticipated to rise the most in 2012.
American Express predicts prices for shorter North American flights in coach will increase by about 2 to 5 percent, while prices for longer economy flights will rise by 0.5 to 3.5 percent. In business class, rates will rise between 5 and 7 percent on shorter trips and between 3 and 5 percent for longer ones.
These increases should stick even if some Americans opt to stay at home amid fears of another recession, as airlines target travelers which are willing to pay more, the forecast said.
American Express also predicts that hotel prices will be up in the low single-digits in 2012, much the same as last year.
However, consumers might get a break when renting a car. Car rental rates in The United States are anticipated to stay flat as the industry remains competitive and hold a high number of excess cars.
The 2012 Global Forecast is based on a number of data sources, including data from the American Express Business Travel Monitor, the American Express contracted rates database, transaction reports and other data sources including Smith Travel Research Global Hotel Reviews and Global Business Travel Association research on travel spending.
Independent Car Rental companies tend to be more flexible than large corporate, international chains in terms of renting a low cost rental vehicle. Independent business people who have a vested interest in making your rental happen make the rules in-house and are generally easier to work with.
There are lots of rules in the car rental industry. With all the big companies, a committee sets the rules. Staff at the service counters that have no real input in the operational policies and are much less flexible with upgrades, etc, and are required to enforce rules to a tee.
There are many reasons why you ought to choose an independent agency over one of the big names in the car rental business. You are more likely to be satisfied with your rental whenever you rent from a locally-owned and operated company than from one of the larger national or multinational corporations. The reason being is that with the smaller companies, you are going to receive better service and better prices; it is their goal to make you happy. They want you to keep coming back. With a major agency, you run the chance of being over-charged, as well as becoming one of their many ‘face-less’ customers.
Top 5 Reasons To Rent From An Independent Agency
1. Flexible Rates
2. Flexible Regulations
3. Cash Deposits (In some instances; this isn’t always the case)
4. Better Customer Service
5. Better Vehicle Selection
Following is an in-depth look at the reasons to rent a low cost rental car with an independent agency.
Policies and Rules are not necessarily set in stone
Independent car rental agencies are usually more flexible as opposed to large chains considering that the policies and regulations are made by the people you are dealing with, not the ‘head’ of the company, often located on the other side of the country. Since you are dealing directly with people who set the policies, you are very likely to be able to resolve most issues without any hassle. The independent agency cares about making you, the consumer happy so that you will return for future rentals.
The most frequent problem when renting a low priced rental car from a major company is negotiating a ‘deal’ if you are planning to utilize more than the allotted free mileage. With the majors, it will be difficult to get a better deal. However, when renting from an independent agency, you are renting from a business person who is interested in making the rental happen, and will therefore do their best to meet your mileage expectations.
Another extremely important problem is the cash versus credit card phenomenon. Almost all large car rental agencies won’t allow cash rentals, and require you to have a credit card. The reason behind this is because they don’t have the ‘time’ to do a credit check on the customer and instead count on the credit card company to do so. Some independent rental agencies however will rent you a cheap rental car with a cash deposit.
Customer Service: You deserve the best!
With a major company which has countless locations around the globe, suddenly you become a faceless person in a sea of countless customers. With the independent agency, however, you are an extremely important customer since smaller businesses depend upon the word of mouth. So if you are satisfied with your rental experience, and you spread the word, they get more business. It is because of this that the independents strive to make you as happy as they can. A recent survey by the Travel Industry Association of America determined that 43% of travel information was collected from a friend or from family referrals. If you’re happy then the rental company is happy.
When renting from an independent agency, you are more likely to have your concerns addressed. If you rent from a major chain and have a problem or complaint, it is quite common that this will become lost in a huge complaint pile and perhaps never be handeled. Since small business owners, however, have a vested interest in your happiness, they will do their very best to help you personally.
The Car Rentals Business is highly competitive, and sometimes a personal touch could make a big difference. Most large rental corporations do not depend upon individual customers, but instead on big corporations and business travel. Also large chains have a larger clientele, as they have many locations in various areas. On the other side however, the independent agency will try to please you, the consumer since they are not a big corporate chain and rely on repeat business from local customers. They want to make you happy so that you will return.
Why Rent From An Independent Agency?
To sum it all up, Independent agencies are locally owned and operated; they’ve got a superior selection of vehicles, more adaptable policies, better discounts and flexible rates, their own rules, and have a hands-on approach. They want to make you happy, and give you the best for your money.
Orlando has a lot of Halloween fun. The most fun is going to be at Sea World with their Halloween Spooktacular. Goblins of all shapes and sizes will certainly enjoy a different kind of Halloween adventure inside SeaWorld’s annual Halloween Spooktacular program! From the friendly and fanciful costumed characters to the exclusive Halloween entertainment, this annual holiday celebration has everything you need for a frightfully fun time! Held every weekend during the month of October, the SeaWorld Halloween Spooktacular provides families and groups with an exciting alternative to normal trick-or-treating programs. Bewitching shows and ghostly activities help kids burn off their constant sugar high, while parents can sit back and relax knowing that their children are in safe hands. Halloween will never be the same once you’ve experience SeaWorld’s Spooktacular event, so why wait! Grab your costume and get ready to celebrate Halloween with your friends at the SeaWorld theme park!
In case you are considering making your Spooktacular experience last even longer, you should consider participating in one of SeaWorld’s special Halloween Family Sleepovers. Dress-up in your favorite costumes and visit all the costumed creatures handing out goodies throughout the park. When you have collected all the candy you possibly can handle it’s time to head over to your final resting place – Shark Encounter, predatory polar bears, and stealthy stingrays are certain to haunt your dreams while you snuggle into your SeaWorld sleeping bag! Dates for this year’s Spooktacular Family Sleepover are October 20th, 21st, 27th and 28th. A fee of $75 is charged for every sleepover participant.
American businesses, and thus business travelers, still face two forces that combine to strain company budgets. Weak sectors throughout the economy have placed a considerable burden on business revenues along with the budgets that those revenues must support. And continuing fiscal difficulties have governments at all levels searching for additional revenue of their own.
Despite these challenges, however, business travel remains an indispensible section of American business life plus an important source of economic activity in its own right.To be able to more clearly understand the tax burden imposed on business travel throughout the country, the GBTA Foundation – the education and research arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) – engaged ERS Group to collect and report up-to-date travel tax data on 50 top U.S. business travel destinations. This is actually the fourth incarnation of the study that began in 2008.
ERS Group calculated the amount of taxes paid by travelers who lodge at a hotel, rent a car and eat restaurant meals for one day and one night as well as for an extended stay of three days and two nights. The average prices used in this research take the 2010 study prices as a base and increase them by the appropriate component of the Consumer Price Index.Each 50 cities examined in this report is represented by both a central city and airport location. Within two locations, taxes are presented for hotels, restaurant meals, and rental car transactions – individually and as a combined expense. Finally, these breakouts are provided for both a one-day and three-day scenario.
Tax calculations begin with general sales taxes at the state, county, city and special tax district level. Next, discriminatory travel taxes and fees are incorporated. These taxes can include a bewildering mix off charges for instance excise, occupancy, transportation, tourism, special, facility and capital improvement taxes, along with a long list of other taxes and fees frequently imposed by overlapping jurisdictions. Continued from last year’s study, the base cost of rental cars is discounted to mirror the negotiated rental car discount among GBTA members, at an average daily car rental rate of $55.22. The study offers many different sets of travel tax data condensed for this article.
Taxes Drop?
The tax rate on car rentals has been increasing steadily since the mid-90s, owing to increases in sales taxes as well as a compilation of politically expedient excise taxes to finance non-car rental specific projects like stadiums, light-rail systems or city capital improvements.
The first three years of the GBTA tax study reflect this. The average overall effective tax rate on car rentals (excise taxes plus sales taxes) in 2008 was 13.04 percent across the 50 destinations in the study. That figure climbed to 13.39 percent in 2009 and then to 13.73 percent in 2010. However, in 2011, the standard tax rate adjusted down to 13.21 percent.
“From 2008 to 2010 we saw a fairly steady increase in the tax rate on car rentals,” says Joe Bates, director of research, GBTA Foundation. “This year is the first of the four years that we’ve seen a decline in that average tax rate.”
However, the study contends these particular changes don’t represent an affirmative decision to actually lower tax rates. They all came about because previously enacted taxes were legislatively mandated to expire – and there simply wasn’t the political support to keep them in place.
The most significant was the cut in California’s state sales tax by a full percentage point. Eight of the 50 cities in the 2011 study are in California, and in past studies California cities have appeared among the top 10 highest taxed locations in the hotel and restaurant categories.
Similarly, the North Carolina state sales tax fell by one percentage point on July 1. The adjustments in both California and North Carolina reflect the expiration of temporary increases that each state enacted in 2009.
Renting vehicles overseas contains a few more pitfalls for Americans than picking up an automobile in the U.S. Besides insurance coverage, you’ll deal with higher fuel costs, language barriers, and various driving habits. Ever watched the traffic circle around the Champs-Élysées in Paris? (It is very scary). Additionally, many regions have such extensive train and bus networks that having your own car is usually an unnecessary expense. In Europe or Asia, you will even find airfare that’s cheaper than an automobile rental, especially if you’re heading between major cities. But sometimes you will want to explore quaint and historic areas which are inaccessible by public transit. Leasing a car in Europe, Mexico, or elsewhere can be done without incident, so long as you protect yourself. Here are a few things to consider:
Local or global?
The first decision can be the toughest. You’ll find better deals from local rental car providers, particularly if you have to have a car for an extended time period. The local agency will also help you with itinerary planning as well as other tips. On the downside, you could possibly face inconvenient hours, varying customer care standards, and employees who may not speak English.
Get it in English.
Never sign something that you do not understand, and have the company point out where the collision coverage and policies are in your contract. Then ask the company for a full English copy — and make sure you keep it through the end of your trip and beyond, recommends Deborah Lyon of Carrara LLC (www.carrara.us.com), a company that rents villas in Italy.
Look at the type of fuel.
Many cars overseas use diesel fuel as opposed to unleaded. Just in case you put the wrong kind in, you’re in for an unpleasant and expensive surprise, as Pete Meyers of EuroCheapo (www.europcheapo.com) discovered traveling to Lake Como, Italy. What was a pleasant day turned into a $300 mess that involved towing, fuel charges for a new tank of gas and the wasted one, as well as good-natured heckling from the locals, said Meyers, who documented the ordeal.
Check the type of car.
Anyone who has watched drivers suffer on The Amazing Race knows that a standard car in most countries has a stick shift. If you don’t drive stick shift, be sure your rental is an automatic before getting there.
Ask about local roads.
Consider hiring a driver if the roads are too hazardous. That’s what a friend and I did on Italy’s Amalfi Coast one year, after realizing that neither of us had the gumption to navigate the area’s steep cliffs. Those euros were well spent on the car service, and was bargain, considering the peace of mind we had — while avoiding the stressful speed demons around us.
Document, document, document.
After hearing horror stories about unscrupulous rental car companies in Mexico, I photographed every inch of my vehicle, making certain the images were date and time stamped. That attention to detail made a difference at check-out, when an agent tried to say that I had caused a small dent in the fender. The photographic proof with the time and date stamp made them back off.
Electronic toll payment is a hugely convenient time-saver, especially if traffic backs up in the cash-payment lanes. Unfortunately, if you’re vacationing in a rental car, the add-on service fees for e-toll tags can be hefty.
Hertz customers who use that company’s PlatePass e-toll transponders pay $2.50 per day in addition to the price of any tolls, up to a maximum of $10 per rental month. Avis and Budget charge $2.50 per day or $10 per week in fees, as well as the tolls.
Dollar/Thrifty e-toll rates vary by location, however they can add $6.99 per day or $36.99 per week in Miami. Although that price includes the cost of tolls, in case you drive down the “Alligator Alley” Everglades Parkway toll road from Miami to Naples just once, a $2.50 toll, you’ll still pay Dollar/Thrifty $36.99 on a weeklong rental-a 1,380 percent markup on the actual toll. (Jim Glasheen, a Rent A Toll spokesman, counters that you can also conceivably rack up $38 in Florida tolls in one day yet still pay only $6.99.)
E-toll tag fees are among many rental-car gotchas utilized by national and local chains you need to know about. For example, one Consumer Reports reader felt duped when his credit card was charged $9.50 for $2 in New Hampshire tolls through PlatePass earlier this year. A Consumer Reports editor was similarly surprised to find $10.78 in Budget toll charges and fees on his credit card statement a month after he settled payment on a Texas car rental last year.
What you can do
Car renters who wish to zip through the electronic toll lanes can take several steps to prevent being gouged: Use your existing e-toll account. If you currently have an EZ Pass, FasTrak, or SunPass account with a portable transponder, bring it with you whenever you rent a vehicle elsewhere inside those e-toll systems. For example, an EZ Pass account holder in New York can use his transponder in 13 other northeast states, from Maine to Illinois to Virginia-but the device won’t work on California’s FasTrak or Florida’s SunPass systems, says Ken Philmus, a senior vice president with Affiliated Computer Service, the organization that operates the EZ Pass system.
Get a temporary pass.
Some states allow you to buy a temporary e-toll account, so search the web for the transportation department of the state or states you’re visiting and check their bridge and highway e-toll options. The North Texas Toll Way Authority, for example, will let you set up a temporary Zip-Pass account with a minimum $20 credit card deposit, and unused deposits are refunded as soon as your account lapses. The Florida Department of Transportation also sells temporary SunPass mini stickers that work the same way. But Nicole Kalil, a department spokeswoman, cautions travelers to ask their rental car agency when they are allowed to affix the light-adhesive sticker to the windshield, and consumers should be certain to take off the tag whenever they return the automobile.
Demand a refund.
Check your credit-card statements in the month or two following a car rental. If you find e-toll charges that were never properly disclosed to you, agree to pay the tolls but demand a refund of the hidden service fees. Consumers shouldn’t be charged without proper prior notice of the threat of fees, their amount, and when and exactly how fees are triggered. In the event the rental agency or e-tolling company won’t budge, dispute the charge with your credit-card issuer as an unauthorized charge.
Wait ’til next year.
In case you rent a vehicle in states not covered by the tips above, be patient. Electronic tolling authorities from across the country are creating a system that will allow one e-toll system to bill another system’s customers directly, without penalty. The government-run system will be tested this fall which is anticipated to be operational at the beginning of 2012.
“If there are any consumer fees associated with our system, they will be small. We’re looking at cents per transaction,” says J.J. Eden, president and CEO of the Alliance for Toll Interoperability. That exposes how much rental car consumers are overpaying today for e-tolling services.
Youth is usually a paradox: For anyone who is age 18 or older you’re considered mature enough to be able to vote, pay taxes, and also go to war. But, until recently, if you were under 25, many car rental companies wouldn’t trust you to drive their vehicles. Because drivers under 25 statistically get into more auto accidents than other age groups, car rental agencies have long penalized young drivers-even those with good driving records-by charging high daily underage fees, restricting the kinds of cars that can be rented, as well as banning drivers (specifically those ages 18 to 21) from renting at all. So, what’s an underage road tripper to do?
The picture actually isn’t as bleak as it was a few years ago when many of the big rental car companies didn’t allow anyone under 25 to rent. Drivers ages 21 to 24 can now rent at most locations operated by Advantage, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty.
In the majority of cases, drivers ages 21 to 24 still have to pay a daily surcharge (varying by location) that averages around $25 per day. Pricier rental car categories for example luxury vehicles, vans, and SUVs are generally off limits to renters within this age group as well, although some companies may allow you to drive specialty vehicles with an even higher daily surcharge.
To avoid paying the highest rates, you’ll want to compare fees and restrictions at the rental agencies in the area where you wish to rent, as these can vary by owner. You may also want to check and see if you are eligible for corporate or organizational rates that may include underage fee waivers. If you have a job or are doing an internship and need to rent an automobile, check if your company has a corporate account with a rental car agency. Some companies have special contracts with rental companies that allow employees to rent at reduced rates and avoid paying underage fees. Some organizations have similar agreements. For instance, USAA, an institution for military personnel and their children, carries a partnership with Avis that allows members ages 21 and up to rent cars without an age surcharge.
Drivers ages 18 to 21 are generally unable to rent from the big rental companies. The exception is rentals in New York and Michigan, where state laws require agencies to rent to drivers ages 18 and up. However, you’ll pay dearly for the privilege, especially in New York, where some companies may charge drivers under 21 an additional daily fee of more than $100. The age penalties in Michigan usually aren’t as high, ranging from about $25 to $50 per day. In other states, you could be able to find smaller or lesser-known agencies that rent to drivers under 21-for an additional charge of course. For instance, Rent-A-Wreck, a rental car agency with more than 350 franchise locations, rents to drivers under 21 in certain locations. @West Rent A Car rents to 18- to 21-year-olds at its Los Angeles locations for an extra $45 per day. If you’re under 21, you can try browsing online to get independent car rental agencies locally or destination that may rent to you. You will have to call each location or visit its website to find what its policies are.
One further exception to the under-21 rule is rentals to U.S. Government or military personnel. People in the military or government workers as young as 18 who are traveling on official business can rent from most agencies at special government/military rates.
Overall, renting a car will likely be expensive until you’re 25 and difficult or impossible until you’re 21, so consider all of the available transportation options. Renting your own vehicles may be convenient but the expense may not be worth it if there are other transportation options. You will need to calculate the cost of the base daily rental fee with the daily underage fees, the daily insurance fees (unless you already have coverage), and taxes and fees, and then compare that total with all the costs of other travel options. When you have tallied the numbers, taking the bus or sucking it up and asking mom and dad to borrow the family minivan may not seem like such a bad idea. You could put the money you’ve saved towards buying your own car.
If you’ve found yourself in a minor fender-bender or a larger accident with a rental car, first things first, be sure everyone’s okay! Call 9-1-1 if there are any injuries.
For the next steps, allow me to share a few tips on how to document damages:
Call the local police.
You may need to file a copy of the police report for insurance purposes and the car rental company will need one as well. Also, remember that you’ll be held liable and accountable for any traffic violations that occurred.
Contacts to make:
Call the rental car company. Check in the glove compartment for the car rental company’s contact information and have your account information ready.
Don’t have their info or can’t find it? Here’s a list of major car rental company roadside assistance contact numbers:
– Alamo: 1-800-803-4444
– Avis: 1-800-354-2847
– Budget: 1-800-354-2847
– Enterprise: 1-800-307-6666
– Thrifty: 1-877-435-7650
Questions you should ask the rental car company:
– What do you require me to do to document the damage?
– How would you like it documented – Photos? Writing information down?
– What information do you want? (date, time, etc.)
– When and how am i going to receive a replacement car?
– Explain the payments for the crashed car and the replacement car.
– Ask about any other assistance you might need – hotel?
Call your insurance agent.
Carl’s Van Rental TIP: Call your credit card company
Why? Your credit card may offer rental car insurance coverage.
Document the damage of the accident.
Although you may don’t have insurance, it is best to take pictures because doing so could help the process with the rental car company.
Towing the vehicle.
In the event the car has to be towed to a garage or repair shop, be sure to get the exact specifics of the location and name of the towing company and the body shop. You could be held responsible for these towing and storage fees if your auto insurance policy doesn’t cover it.
Carl’s Van Rentals Staff TIP: Grab Your Stuff
Before your vehicle is towed away, look for and remove all your belongings. Don’t forget to check the trunk and glove compartments!
Keep copies of ALL receipts
Hotels, restaurants, gas, repairs, everything – these expenses may be covered under your own car insurance.
Get extra estimates.
Just like you would for your car, you may be asked to get a number of different estimates for any repairs. Your own personal automobile insurance policy might not cover everything in this situation.
Carl’s Van Rentals Expert Tip:
Coverage in the event the vehicle needs repairs, your automobile insurance may not cover rental agency expenses, including loss of rental income while the auto is out of service, or any other “incidental” items like towing, storage, and administrative costs that the rental company may incur.
Bottom Line: Document damages, just like you would for your own personal car. You will never know what you might be held liable for!
Some but not all car rental companies are out to rip you off and pad their pockets with your hard earned cash. Steer clear of the following forms of highway robbery.
The insurance hard-sell.
Anticipate to be pressured to sign a loss damage waiver to limit your liability with some companies. But at $60 to $250 a week, is it necessary? “Consumers may already be covered independently vehicle insurance policy whether it includes collision and/or comprehensive coverage,” notes Consumer Reports. “Some credit cards have protection. Just make sure the individual policy covers rentals and business travel and that it pays the ‘full value’ of any loss, administrative fees, towing and ‘loss of usage.’ ” Also, understand that credit cards are almost always secondary. What this means is that they will pick up the tab after your personal insurance leaves off. Make sure you check with your credit card and get it in writing!
Your defense: Call your insurance and credit card company before hand to find out whether it is possible to avoid a pointless purchase. Only in the case you are not covered already, get the rental add-on policy or scour the Internet for third-party companies that offer coverage.
Also be wary of rental companies requesting huge deposits if you decline the insurance plan, or threatening to not rent to you whatsoever – that’s illegal in most states. When you get these threats, talk with a manager. Do understand of course that if you are not properly covered for the vehicle, rental car companies do have the right to deny you the rental without sufficient coverage and/or a security deposit. Read over the contract thoroughly.
Who made that dent?
After turning in a car and going on your way, you might learn you have been charged for dings and dents you didn’t cause. However, if at pickup you signed a form saying there was no damage whatsoever, you are going to have trouble making an “it wasn’t me” protest.
Your defense: Take photos or video with a digital or camera phone when you initially get the car – and again whenever you return it. Be sure you get close-ups of all existing blemishes, dings and scratches. Pay very close attention to bumpers, windshield and undercarriage.
Most rental car companies are not “out to get you”, but always ensure that you protect yourself. Take shots of the mileage and fuel levels at both check out and return in addition to noting the damage. Pay special attention to the inside of the vehicle as well as their may be pieces missing or damaged.
Fuelish omissions.
Recent surveys said that car rental companies at 13 airports were charging as much as $9.29 per gallon, a lot more than twice the rate at the pump, to fill the tanks of cars whose renters had promised to return them full. Plus some agencies add yet another surcharge for the “service” of filling the tank. Remember, if the fuel pricing is outlined on the rental agreement and you sign accepting it, you are fully responsible for paying that amount if it is not brought back at the same level.
Your defense: Find out where there’s a service station near the rental agency and always, always fill up the tank to the level it was when you rented on the way to return the vehicle.
And think twice about any “fuel option” where the rental company bills you a market-based price for the tank full of gas that is included with the automobile, and then allows you to return the vehicle less than full without any charge.
The catch: The company gets any leftover gas and you get no credit on your bill. To make this system pay, you’ve basically got to be running on fumes when you turn the vehicle in. And who wishes to risk coasting to a stop a mile from the lot?
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