US Fuel Charge warning - National Car Rentals

[dajop]

Recently booked a car in the US through National Car Rental, was a quite cheap rate with CDW/LDW included, but when I got the quote it added a pre-paid fuel charge into the quote. WHen I clicked on the link it said that you could remove this on request when picking up the vehicle, except for Europeans renting vehicles in the US.

Suddenly, for the purpose of this rule, Australia is now part of Europe (forgive me for not working this out for myself). In fact, if I remember correctly my booking was listed as being sourced from the UK. :evil:

In any event, they were unable to remove the prepaid fuel charge and as a result got slugged with 40USD (which is a lot of AUD these days) even though I only drove 60 miles.

Have written a complaint, will see what happens, but a warning to those booking cars in the US to read the fine print very carefully.

 

[AlphaVictor]

The exact same thing happened this week with National in Honolulu.

I booked on a special inclusive rate for one day via Holiday Autos website. No mention of mandatory full tank fuel prepay on website or confirmation voucher. National at Waikiki did not mention it either.

After a day's drive, we filled the car back up ($10USD) and dropped in back at the depot. As the check-in staff were looking over the vehicle, we grabbed our belongings, handed over the keys and began to walk off. At this point he just called out, "Do you want the fuel cost on your credit card?"

Thus began a full 24 hrs of wrangling over a $50USD fuel prepay, which at no point had we been advised or had agreed to. The final washout was that because we were on a tourist rate through a wholesaler or travel agent then the fuel prepay was mandatory and that we needed to take it up with the wholesaler or travel agent in Australia. We refused and asked why we were not told when picking up the car. This is when the "umms and ahhhs?" started. We pressed it home and it was removed a few minutes later.

We intend to take this up with Holiday Autos this week, just as a warning to other travellers who take a vehicle out for a day or two.

 

[dajop]

The exact same thing happened this week with National in Honolulu.

I booked on a special inclusive rate for one day via Holiday Autos website. No mention of mandatory full tank fuel prepay on website or confirmation voucher. National at Waikiki did not mention it either.

Well I must confess I was caught out twice by this, including through Holiday Autos. The way it happened was that I made two bookings at the same time - one through zuji.com.au (Holiday Autos) and another through national cars directly (I would have done both through zuji except one of the bookings wasn't far enough in advance).

The booking made through zuji/Holiday Autos had the following clause (which I didn't notice until after my experience with National direct - but by then was too late to cancel)

fuel conditionsYou will be required to purchase a full tank of fuel at the time of pick up. Charge will be based on local fuel prices. Cars should be returned empty and no refunds will be given for unused fuel.

So no recourse with Holiday Autos for me, unfortunately. The booking I mentioned in my original post had no such clause - except for European originating rentals.

 

[odysseus]

Recently booked a car in the US through National Car Rental, was a quite cheap rate with CDW/LDW included, but when I got the quote it added a pre-paid fuel charge into the quote. WHen I clicked on the link it said that you could remove this on request when picking up the vehicle, except for Europeans renting vehicles in the US.

Thanks for the notice. I just made a booking. Although my confirmationi doesn't refer to that, I see the European reference is still part of their policy - go figure. Forewarned is forearmed... will see what happens.

Did you hear anything back from them?

 

[dajop]

Did you hear anything back from them?

Yes - they refused to acknowledge any wrong doing but I did get special refund (less the cost of the gallon or two I would have used) for being a valued customer or something like that ...