Subject: Re: [Shop-talk] Question on car rental

From: Jeff Scarbrough <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 09:56:52 -0500

On Sun, Dec 2, 2012 at 9:31 AM, Nick Brearley <[email-masked]> wrote:
> Sorry for the OT but I'd be very grateful for any input on this one.
>
> Been planning a West Coast trip next February. Looking for car rental rates
> National kept on coming up significantly cheaper

It's been a while since I rented from National specifically, but I
don't recall any problems generally.  But here's some tips for renting
a car in the US:

Take pictures all around the car, both before and after, including the
odometer.  Keep 'em for six months, at least.

Make sure all the existing damage is noted on the rental form - don't
take someone's word for it that "it's too small to worry about".

If you fill the car up before you return it, make sure to keep the
receipt for six months.

Some rental companies like to bill you later for damage and fuel, long
after you've returned home.  If you didn't do it, you want to have
something to show them.

Enjoy your trip!

Jeff Scarbrough
Corrosion Acres, Ga.
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From: "Karl Vacek" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 09:05:24 -0600

I always preferred National years ago, but have only rented cars a very few
times in the past decade, so can't be of much help with them.  When Jill and
I went to California last June, we looked thoroughly at all the car rentals
available, and ended up with Hertz, after buying a one-year AAA membership.
We did want a convertible, one-way, and took it for 10 days which meant it
was more expensive, but still, after trying to find and add all the hidden
costs into the others, we thought it was the best deal.  And lots less
worries than with some of the bargain companies, some of which have almost
no good reviews.
Shop-talk content - on the trip, we picked up a bulky and breakable part for
my Cagiva Gran Canyon in Sunnyvale  ;-)
Have a good trip!
Karl

-----Original Message-----
From: Nick Brearley
Subject: [Shop-talk] Question on car rental
Sorry for the OT but I'd be very grateful for any input on this one.
Been planning a West Coast trip next February. Looking for car rental rates
National kept on coming up significantly cheaper (~40%), even after allowing
for unlimited mileage, one way dropoff and various insurance gotchas. If
anyone has any experience or advice about dealing with National I'd be very
interested to hear it. Looking at consumer websites gives the usual spread
from perfect to terrible.
Tenuous Shoptalk link, the car will probably be used for transporting sundry
bits which will be used in my shop back across the pond.
Thanks
Nick Brearley
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From: Jim Stone <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 09:24:50 -0600

I rent from National whenever I travel on business, which is fairly
frequently.  Now, in all honesty, that is because my company has a contract
with Enterprise and my two choices are Enterprise or National (Enterprise also
owns Alamo, but they aren't part of our preferred rates).  Still, I have never
had a problem with them.  They are quick and efficient (I skip the Enterprise
brand because they are more geared for less frequent renters and it takes
longer to get the car and go) and I do like the "choose your own car" option.
It would be more fun if the cars were more exciting, but it is nice to be able
to pick a car based on my needs and feelings at the time.

All that said, like anything that relies on a retail network, I have found
that some of the locations are better than others.  But, the company is
certainly solid in my experience.

> Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 14:31:40 +0000
> From: [email-masked]
> To: [email-masked]
> Been planning a West Coast trip next February. Looking for car rental
> rates National kept on coming up significantly cheaper (~40%), even
> after allowing for unlimited mileage, one way dropoff and various
> insurance gotchas. If anyone has any experience or advice about dealing
> with National I'd be very interested to hear it. Looking at consumer
> websites gives the usual spread from perfect to terrible.
>
> Tenuous Shoptalk link, the car will probably be used for transporting
> sundry bits which will be used in my shop back across the pond.
>
> Thanks
>
> Nick Brearley
> Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
> Suggested annual donation  $12.96
> Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
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From: Jim Franklin <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 10:46:20 -0500

There has been a lot of consolidation in the rental car business and to me it
seems most mid-level companies are the same. I haven't had any issues with any
of them in well over a decade. Enterprise owns National so you have a good
service area should anything happen.

Here in the USA, almost every credit card company will have insurance coverage
securing the car if you use the card, and they probably mate that coverage to
the renter's policy for their own car, which may have gaps/overlaps with a
non-USA policy. That's some fine print worth reading, and check with your car
insurance co to see what they cover for rentals.

jim

> Nick Brearley
http://autox.team.net/mailman/options/shop-talk/[email-masked]
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From: Wayne <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2012 12:26:10 -0500

> don't recall any problems generally.  But here's some tips for renting

I despise rental car companies. Some ding you for little junk, others 
could care less. Prices vary widely, and reservations are just a tease.

Back early-mid 1990s, I had to displeasure of getting one while my DD 
was in the shop. It was a POS Dodge "Sundance" or some similar garbage, 
built poorly on what was probably their "K car" chassis of yore. It was 
-20 dF in Ohio, and roommate & I had gone to grocery in it. The 
passenger door refused to latch. So... he opened it again, and tugged 
harder. Still no latch. Repeat 3rd time, and pull pretty hard (but not 
really abusive) -- BANG!!! - window glass shatters out and flies all 
over us. Still no latch. Pissed now ... 4th try and REALLY slam the F*** 
out of it, finally it latches. Drive home with -20 wind blasting in.

Returned next day. Tried to be nice. "Maybe assembly line put it in 
wrong so there was some pre-stress on the glass, contributing to the 
fracture that should not have happened??" Dumb c*** says "Nonsense, that 
is a BRAND NEW CAR, It CAN NOT HAVE *ANYTHING* WRONG WITH IT." Excuse 
me, it's a Chrysler POS, it's pretty much guaranteed to have some, if 
not multiple things "wrong" with it when brand new. Stupid, ignorant, b***h.

Advised I'll be charged for the damage, and possible down time on the 
car. They give me an even uglier version of the same POS Dodge, a 
"Shadow" or some garbage with a faux hood scoop and asinine decals on 
this god-awfully underpowered 2 door poser secretary's "sports car", so 
tacky that I'm embarrassed to even be seen in.

Gonna charge me, eh? Proceed to start doing neutral drops and brake 
launches everywhere I go, with what little torque the POS can muster. 
Junk OEM tires and sub zero temps help get some really abusive wheel hop 
and tire spin. After 4 days, the rental is up and the transmission is 
making some BAD noises. I limp it back ever so gently to the office to 
finish our ordeal. I am VERY sure the next person who drove it, or tried 
to accelerate to highway speed had the transaxle explode. MwuHaHaHa! 
"new car -- can't have anything wrong with it."

Was sent a bill for $200 window glass replacement, and $500 lost rental 
time. I responded with quotes from three different glass companies 
saying they could have replaced it same day, on site, for well under $100.

Never heard back from them  :)

-Wayne

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From: John Miller <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2012 11:41:08 -0800

> not multiple things "wrong" with it when brand new. Stupid, ignorant,

I've never had a truly BAD customer service experience with a car-rental 
firm, but then maybe my expectations aren't very high to begin with.

As far as the mechanical side of the new-rental-car experience...

I flew into SeaTac once, maybe fifteen years ago.  Late at night, last 
thing they had left was a Plymouth minivan.  Brand new, 30 miles on the 
odo.  Okay, fine, motor off to Bellevue.

Next night I drive into Seattle for dinner with some friends, and on the 
way back across the floating bridge I notice that the temperature gauge 
is periodically bouncing off the hot peg and coming back down to normal. 
  It's binary - ping, pong.

Common now for temp gauges to be little more than three- or four-stage 
idiot lights, with some combination of cold, normal, and fried and 
little or nothing in between, but I hadn't experienced too many of those 
back then.

At any rate, it took a whole ten seconds to decide:

a) It's still running

b) I've got ten miles to go to the hotel

c) What happens to it after that I could give an airborne fornicative 
act about.

d) It's pouring rain

e) The last thing I want to be doing is troubleshooting this POS by the 
side of the road

Ran fine back to the hotel.  Next morning I opened the radiator cap. 
The radiator was clean as the day it was manufactured.  As in apparently 
never touched by coolant.

Called up...think it was Thrifty.

"Oh, you can take it to our office over there, they'll get you something 
else."

So, after a few more words about "Let me write down your name please, 
and just a reminder that it's not my fault if it blows up on the way, 
you've been warned", I did.  And it got there.

Gave me a little Dodge convertible IIRC.   Guy at the counter was 
nonplussed about the van.

"Couple months ago we had a family come in, picked up one of those, it 
was fine until they hit the mountains.  That one blew up, we had to tow 
it back.  The radiator fan had never been plugged in."

John.

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From: Michael Porter <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 02 Dec 2012 14:36:14 -0700

On 12/2/2012 7:31 AM, Nick Brearley wrote:
> insurance gotchas. If anyone has any experience or advice about 
> dealing with National I'd be very interested to hear it. Looking at 
> consumer websites gives the usual spread from perfect to terrible.
>

In addition to all the previous caveats, be aware that many rental 
companies now have GPS tracking in their cars, and even if you buy daily 
insurance from them, if they offer unlimited mileage, it's only for 
their region of operation (usually specified in the small print).  So, 
rent a car in southern California and decide to take a day trip to 
Vegas, they'll whack you later for additional charges for crossing the 
border into Nevada.  And don't even think about a trip to Tijuana....

Cheers.

-- 

Michael Porter
Roswell, NM

Never let anyone drive you crazy when you know it's within walking distance....
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From: "Jack Brooks" <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 2 Dec 2012 15:58:05 -0800

Nick,

National is my favorite, as once you are a member of their Emerald club you
get to walk down their Emerald Isle and pick your own car.  I like that, as
I have really long legs and don't fit in everything.  Also I don't like
renting red/black cars; IMHO they are cop magnets.

Also, one way rentals are very location sensitive.  We did a three week one
way trip from FL (Orlando) to NJ(Newark).  Returning the car at a little
airport (Bradley in CT) and renting it right back for a day to get to Newark
cost $800 total.  Driving it to Newark directly, without the return and new
rental was over $1,400.

With regard to charges, some quotes include all taxes, etc., some don't.  Be
careful that you are comparing apples to apples.

Jack

-----Original Message-----
From: [email-masked]
[mailto:[email-masked]] On Behalf Of Nick Brearley
Sent: Sunday, December 02, 2012 6:32 AM
To: [email-masked]
Subject: [Shop-talk] Question on car rental

Thanks

Nick Brearley

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Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
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