Fuel top up con

[Duffa]

Hertz are back at their old cough again.
Dropped my car back at Manchester today and check-in guy walks round without saying a word, then stops at the rear wing and says "the colour rear bumper bar isn't flush with the rear wing, come and look at the other side" I did. It was indeed different. No problems, says I, I have photos on my phone. A moment of slight panic hoping the rear wing was in the set I'd taken. Sure enough, there was the aforesaid bumper bar from 4 days ago - and NOT FLUSH then either. Pre-existing damage which they were trying to pin on me!!
He looked at my phone, mumbled OK and then printed my receipt.

SHAME ON YOU Hertz!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

Goes to show the importance of taking a few minutes to take multiple pics. It's just such a PITA when you need to get going ASAP.

Good to see he accepted the photo's as proof. I guess they could always argue that you changed the date in the phone and then took the pics!

 

[Duffa]

Goes to show the importance of taking a few minutes to take multiple pics. It's just such a PITA when you need to get going ASAP.

Good to see he accepted the photo's as proof. I guess they could always argue that you changed the date in the phone and then took the pics!

Actually, it was the way he backed down so quickly, that made me suspicious - he could have at least said 'let me see the date stamp on those pics, in case you took them after you caused the damage' but no he just looked rather guilty and printed off my receipt. Like others have said I have had multiple car returns and no problems but this was just annoying.

 

[Dnicoll]

Thrifty Sydney Airport charged me for returning the car 4L short of a full tank (they allow 3L) even though I filled the car 3km from the airport. No comment when I returned the car. Only backed down when I showed the fuel receipt.

 

[JohnK]

Thrifty Sydney Airport charged me for returning the car 4L short of a full tank (they allow 3L) even though I filled the car 3km from the airport. No comment when I returned the car. Only backed down when I showed the fuel receipt.

Fuel tank does not need to be full. As far as I am aware you need to fill until first click.

 

[Cossie]

Note left in car at Coffs Harbour said that you needed to go to 3 clicks for it to be full. (thrifty)

 

[UP4014]

Fuel tank does not need to be full. As far as I am aware you need to fill until first click.

Yep manufacturers specs say that as well.

 

[UP4014]

Thrifty Sydney Airport charged me for returning the car 4L short of a full tank (they allow 3L) even though I filled the car 3km from the airport. No comment when I returned the car. Only backed down when I showed the fuel receipt.

Thrifty have done that to me as well. I filled up and returned and they must try and squeeze more in. I phoned them and gave them a blast and asked did they like having me a customer.

It went away.

 

[lovetravellingoz]

I guess they could always argue that you changed the date in the phone and then took the pics!

Which is why I always get the background in some of my shots as I mainly do one way rentals, and that will then show the location was far, far away.

If return is to the same place as pick up, then on pick up get the rental car adjacent showing license plate as that will corroborate when the pics were taken.

 

[Flying Fox]

OK so not a fuel scam as such but a car hire repair scam -

Charging for fake repairs makes hire car firms more money than rentals

 

[Cossie]

Slightly off topic, rented a car in Sandakan, it was a Honda City with 124,000kms on it. We walked around marking scratches and dents, he could have just but one big X on the paper and it would have covered everything. But car was great, clean and we had no problems with it except getting lost leaving the airport!

 

[Deleted member 29185]

OK so not a fuel scam as such but a car hire repair scam -

Charging for fake repairs makes hire car firms more money than rentals

SMH needs to have a browse through this thread and talk to some of us who regularly (or in my case, used to regularly) rent from Europcar. I'm still VIP, I think but that didn't ever stop them trying to fleece me. Now I just Uber.

Seems to me, that the regular scams are:

• Overpriced damage bills
• Charging for damage that the renter didn't do
• Billing multiple people for the same unfixed damage
• Billing for imaginary fuel
• charging additional day charges due to staff not being on site when vehicles dropped back.

Any more?

 

[itsglenng]

Coped the fuel scam from Brisbane Hertz a month ago.

Only drove the car 120km over 2 days, filled the tank at the airport (10L @ $1.50 per litre) and showed the receipt to the Hertz representative.

2 days later my Amex showed a $55 charge from Hertz which turned out to be for fuel ($5.5 a litre). Who knows how they came up with that number?!

They only refunded it weeks later once i sent them my AmexStatement. I didn't keep the receipt, foolishly thinking I didn't need it anymore once the Hertz Attendant saw it and acknowledged it.

 

[Must...Fly!]

Which is why I always get the background in some of my shots as I mainly do one way rentals, and that will then show the location was far, far away.

If return is to the same place as pick up, then on pick up get the rental car adjacent showing license plate as that will corroborate when the pics were taken.

I've often wondered about getting proof of where the photos were taken. But that is a great idea!

 

[serfty]

I've often wondered about getting proof of where the photos were taken. But that is a great idea!

EXIF information! Stores an image's date, time, location etc. within the image file. More here: Exif - Wikipedia

 

[Must...Fly!]

EXIF information! Stores an image's date, time, location etc. within the image file. More here: Exif - Wikipedia

Oh yeah, that's what I've always relied on serfty. But always wondered if anyone at a rental desk would be savvy enough to claim it was spoofed (because it is easy to).

However another rental cars license plate in the shot is irrefutable on their end. Double insurance is fine. Even if I almost always get a rental car without it

 

[juddles]

I know that different rental offices will give different experiences. But for the past few years I have been doing constant monthly rentals between BNE (both international and domestic) and Noosa, and vice versa. I use Avis and Budget. The staff at the Noosa offices have ALWAYS been fantastic with me, and the BNE ones great as well.

Just once I got a car from Hertz Noosa - bad experience with previous existing damage attempted charge when dropped it off at BNE. Never again.

 

[UP4014]

Thrifty Sydney Airport charged me for returning the car 4L short of a full tank (they allow 3L) even though I filled the car 3km from the airport. No comment when I returned the car. Only backed down when I showed the fuel receipt.

First click off as per the manufacturers instruction. I have had this argument with thrifty also and always won.

 

[JohnK]

Here is an interesting one last week.

Hired a SV6 wagon from Avis on Tuesday. Fuel tank looked full. After less than 15kms the fuel gauge dropped below full. Took car back Wednesday and after 85kms it required ~13litres to first click which was well past full and past where fuel level was day before. I'm not sure it sounds right for SV6 but I mentioned it when I returned car.

Went back Thursday for another SV6 and lo and behold its the same car. Fuel gauge well below full line and car had done 2km. Strange? Reported it immediately. Returned the next day and after 35kms it required ~12litres of fuel and fuel gauge well above full. Reported it again and I effectively got a $20 rebate on the 2nd rental which was more than I expected.

I don't think it's faulty fuel gauge as I filled up twice to first click well past full. How has fuel disappeared from first rental to second rental? Fuel leaking? Siphoning fuel? Staff or passers by as that is a Wilson car park with no cameras?

 

[TonyHancock]

Here is an interesting one last week.

Hired a SV6 wagon from Avis on Tuesday.

Have you won the lottery? You'll be flying J next.