Intentional ripoff or computer error at car rental return?

[Dan Druff]

As mentioned in another thread, I just got back from a 9-day east coast trip.

I did a one-way car rental from Philadelphia to Boston.

When it comes to the gas situation, I always get gas myself near the airport and return the car full. Otherwise you totally get ripped off. If you pre-pay for a tank of gas, it is a terrible deal unless you return it near empty. If you return it less than full, it is also a terrible deal because they charge you near $6/gallon to refill it.

Anyway, Boston is a really confusing city for driving, so during my effort to find the airport, I totally forgot about the refueling. I got to the rental return place with a half tank of gas.



Rental car returning is now a very quick and automated system. A guy comes up to the car with a little electronic device, which automatically reads all of the car's information (mileage, fuel remaining, etc), bills you appropriately, and spits out a receipt.

I was shocked to see that they billed me for 14 gallons of gas.



I told the guy that 14 gallons was impossible, as I had half a tank left. The idiot tried to argue with me that it's possible a standard passenger car has a 28 gallon tank.

I finally told him I would just go inside and speak to a manager.

The manager was very nice about it and only charged me for 5 gallons (because of the error and my trouble of having to complain about it). Out of curiosity, I later looked up that model of car and saw that the tank was 19 gallons (I estimated 17), so I should have been charged for 9.5.

So how did the computer decide that I owed for 14 gallons?

I wonder if this was a trick used by the rental company to extract a little extra money from each rental, or if the computer just fucked up and misread the information.

Has anyone else had such a thing occur before?

[Dan Druff]

I actually think it was just a legitimate computer error. Everything else about the rental was a very good experience, and this company appeared to be a very professional operation.

Still, I wonder...

[zealanddonk]

Based on the numbers, I suspect he wrote down 14 gallons used when he meant 14 gallons left. Obviously that isnt quite close to your "half tank" estimate though.

The question then comes down to was it simple mistake as you suspect, or is it something they often try, since most people probably wouldnt query it, since they are in a hurry to return the car, and wont see a manager about it.

[Crowe Diddly]

AS far as I know, most rental car agencies are franchises, and the franchise closest to the airport has the best possible chance of overcharging people without those customers figuring it out, or having the time to fix it.

Computer error sounds like nonsense. More likely they use the highest defaults they can usually get away with. Who doesn't try to rip off travelers, vacationers, and people with expense accounts whenever they can?

[RobbieBensonFan]

No offense Druff, but I have NEVER heard of anyone not remembeing to fill their rent a car tank up. Ever.

Thinking this might have been an OMG moment. In my opinion yur got busted.

[Dan Druff]

AS far as I know, most rental car agencies are franchises, and the franchise closest to the airport has the best possible chance of overcharging people without those customers figuring it out, or having the time to fix it.

Computer error sounds like nonsense. More likely they use the highest defaults they can usually get away with. Who doesn't try to rip off travelers, vacationers, and people with expense accounts whenever they can?

That's actually a good point. Most of my "good experience" was at the Philadelphia outlet where I got the car.

The Boston location where I returned it was different, and aside from the generous manager (who over-fixed the error in my favor), I noticed they weren't nearly as nice or professional over there.

There is a huge variance in franchises, so maybe I got a good one in Philly and a bad one in Boston.

By "computer error" I meant some sort of incompatibility in reading the fuel tank because it wasn't their car.

Decent chance it was intentional, though.

[RobbieBensonFan]

I normally do not challenge Druff, but in this case he was stone cold BUSTED. Does anyone think he was not monitoring the gas gauge every 1/4 mile?

Druff tried to emulate a confused lapse handing over the keys, maybe even talked about how he was lost finding his was to the airport.

Javier was having no business. And the charge blew his face up.

STONE COLD BUSTED

[Dan Druff]

I normally do not challenge Druff, but in this case he was stone cold BUSTED. Does anyone think he was not monitoring the gas gauge every 1/4 mile?

Druff tried to emulate a confused lapse handing over the keys, maybe even talked about how he was lost finding his was to the airport.

Javier was having no business. And the charge blew his face up.

STONE COLD BUSTED