Rental car virgin

sampunk

sampunk

Banned
Aug 22, 2007
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I will be in CA this week and this will be the first time i rent a car. I search google for tip and do/don't and there are many horror stories.

Just want to ask is there any dirty little secrets you guys know about renting a car.

Looks like my credit card doesn't offer rental car insurance. i am still debating if i should get it from Alamo. The insurance cost almost the same as the rental price:repuke:
 


i went to LA and looked around for the best prices. if its too good to be true then it usually is. i came across a car rental run by shady asians. it was like $200 a week but read a lot of horror stories.

in the end i just rented with enterprise. got a free upgrade to a nissan sentra woo
 
I rented a car from a shady asian lot one time. It was a Mercury (the one that looks like a Ford Taurus). It had 16,000 miles on the clock and the valves were already clapping. Half way through the journey from Vegas to LA the drivers side mirror fell off and was hanging by the wires. It flapped in the wind for 120 miles beating the shit out of the side of the car. Then once in LA the tire shredded on the Interstate.

Really I can't recommend Ur-Budget rentals enough, fantastic experience.

Cheshire
 
I just rented a car from Alamo for an upcoming weekend for $30 for 4 days.

info below, in case you're still looking for a car.
Alamo Rent A Car - Discount Rental Cars, Vacation Car Rental Deals
Alamo Weekend Rentals

Economy and Compact: $10/day
Midsize: $14/day
Fullsize: $18/day
Premium: $20/day

* Economy through Premium size cars
* Valid between 8/20/09 - 9/21/09 (and potentially 9/28)
* Pickup as early as 9am Thursday
* Keep Saturday overnight
* 1-day minimum, 4-day maximum rental (96 hours)
* Return by Monday 11:30pm
_________________________________

WARNING:
If you want to keep your car for more than 4 Days / 96 hours, that standard rates apply for the ENTIRE WEEKEND RENTAL.

Example: If you want to rent your car at 9am Thursday, you need to return it by 9am Monday morning. If you keep it until 5pm Monday, Alamo will not prorate the deal, and you'll pay full price. Luckily, the website will show you the higher rates as soon as you try to book it.
_________________________________

Terms and Conditions:

Valid at participating Airport locations in the US and Canada for rentals of economy through premium sized cars picked up between 8/20/09 and 9/21/09. 24-hour advance reservation required. Minimum one day/maximum four day rental required. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, coupons or promotional rates. Availability is limited and blackout dates may apply. Not valid for one way rentals. Weekend rate available 9:00 AM Thursday; vehicle must be returned by pick up time on Monday or higher daily rates apply. Rental must include a Saturday overnight stay. Check your insurance policy and/or credit card for rental vehicle coverage. Renter must meet standard age, driver and credit requirements. Rates may be higher for drivers under age 25. Taxes, government charges of up to 23%, recoupment fees of up to $2 per day or $3 per rental, airport fees of up to $6 per day or $19 per rental, refueling, additional driver fee, one-way rental charge and optional items (e.g., CDW Waiver Savers up to $30 per day). Other surcharges and recoupment fees may apply. Remember to check your insurance policy and/or credit card for rental vehicle coverage. Don't forget, availability is limited. This offer may change without notice. And, unfortunately, blackout dates may apply. This offer is void where prohibited.
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i got mine from alamo. 40 dollars for the weekend in SF and 110 for a week in LA
 
Be sure to get the extra insurance. I returned my car after someone slammed into it in the middle of the night and they took it back no problem.

Bam Margera supports getting the extra car insurance. For those of you who have not seen CKY2K.........

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU3olUGyeTo]YouTube - CKY2K Rental Car[/ame]
 
I rent cars every week. Go with the name brands and you won't have any issues: Hertz/Avis are the best, then there's National/Budget with Thrifty/Dollar/Enterprise/Alamo which are your more 'value' outfits.
 
For insurance, get a paypal debit card.

There are a ton of discount codes you can use to waive the under 25 fee. Checkout the travel section on fatwallet for those.
 
PayPal card will cover you if you book with it, true. But if something happens, you'll be expected to front the cost of damages and wait for the people at PayPal to investigate and hopefully decide to reimburse you eventually.

Also, a lot of folks don't realize that your own insurance policy may cover part or all of the shit you get from buying the additional insurance from the rental agency. Check with your insurance agent for the details.

Those people working at the rental agencies are heavily pressured to push the extra insurance since it brings in so much more additional revenue. Most of the time if you refuse it they get all butthurt.

However, it certainly does save a bunch of hassle if you fuck the car up since you can just drop it off and be like "my bad", and then be on your way.

I've also heard horror stories of rental agencies that will ignore minor damage incurred by renters who bought the additional insurance, and then wait for someone to decline the insurance and blame them for the pre-existing damage when they return.
 
It's usually cheaper to book it online. Make sure you print and take the receipt with you when you go to pick up the car though because they always try to act like you have the wrong price.
 
i don't own a car so i don't have car insurance. Does that mean i need to buy liability insurance too? (i am going to get the CDW)

ChrisS said:
MAKE SURE IT HAS A GPS!
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They charge $11/day for GPS. That's a freaking robbery since the rental price is only $14 a day. I am going to bring my own
 
Webwonder said:
It's usually cheaper to book it online. Make sure you print and take the receipt with you when you go to pick up the car though because they always try to act like you have the wrong price.
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I haven't the slightest clue where these are coming from. I never have problems like this when traveling. I book online and never print anything out for proof. I'm not saying it never happens but certainly if it did happen as often as one might think from this thread, I definitely would have experienced it by now.

Where are you booking to gain this type of treatment?
 
Make sure to pick your own car, you don't want to end up in a clunker, just because its the first car they show you. Rental companies usually have a decent range of cars to pick from, you don't want to end up in a Daewoo, when there is a Civic available
 
Insist that you are able to do a walk around the vehicle with an attendant before you leave the lot. Point out any scuff marks or door dings, fucked up rims, etc. If it smells like cigarette smoke ask for another one. If it's the only one available, make sure they list all the fucked up shit on the contract and initial it. Verify the gas tank level as well if you do a prepay option on the fuel.
 
Jizzlobber said:
Insist that you are able to do a walk around the vehicle with an attendant before you leave the lot. Point out any scuff marks or door dings, fucked up rims, etc. If it smells like cigarette smoke ask for another one. If it's the only one available, make sure they list all the fucked up shit on the contract and initial it. Verify the gas tank level as well if you do a prepay option on the fuel.
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Most rental companies have a walk-around form you can fill out (Thrifty/Dollar) that you sign and give to the guy at the checkout gate. Others don't really care if you bring it back with a few scratches on it (Hertz). Not once have I been liable for any damage to a rental car (even when it was my fault).
 
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