Potential trap for hires with mileage restrictions

[vetrade]

Have used arguscarhire in UK for quite a few hire cars throughout Europe, US, Canada etc. over the past few years and never had any significant issues so earlier this year I happily booked a 7 day 4WD for pickup from Avis at DRW airport. The quote I accepted from Argus was for 200km / day included mileage with 35c per km above that. I took screen shots of the booking at the time as proof. Avis, Hertz and Budget all quoted only 100km per day before the extra charges kicked in. The actual hire fee quotes for the week were identical from all suppliers.

On arrival at DRW the young Miss Know-it-all CSA at the Avis counter was insistent that I could only have the car on the basis of 100km/day included (and sign their agreement stating as much) irrespective of what my booking said. "Argus have nothing to do with Avis" so I would have to take it up with Argus if I wasn't happy because my booking was "only a quote". Even pointing out that I had accepted the quote and confirmed it by handing over my CC details at the time, and, that Avis obviously did have some type of agency agreement with Argus because they had the booking on their system and had the car waiting for me didn't sway Ms CSA one bit. As there was no more senior Avis person to talk to and it was getting on towards 8pm, I could see it was pointless discussing it further with her so I took the car after she agreed to annotate the agreement docs with a statement confirming that my booking was for 200km/day but Avis's policy was for 100km/day.

After a 1500km round trip through Kakadu etc. (incurring a possible $270 in extra mileage charges) we arrived back in Darwin my wife suggested I drop into Avis's city office to take up the discussion as it was only a short walk from our hotel. Fortuitously the manager was there and I was invited into his office to keep our discussion privy from other customers. I expressed my displeasure that the terms of my booking were repudiated and invited him to reconsider. Naturally he tried to sheet home the responsibility to Argus by stating that Avis's Ts & Cs as displayed on their website overrode any advertised conditions by 3rd party booking agents. He did, however, soon agree to honour the 200km /day mileage so eventually I went away satisfied with the result, if not the messing around required to achieve it.

Since daily mileage limits are commonplace up north whereas "unlimited km" applies in most other areas, maybe this experience is worth noting.

 

[UP4014]

Darwin must one of the last places to charge milage (we and Pilbara). It has been known for speedo cables to be disconnect in the past.....

 

[equus]

Plenty of other regional areas still doing so as well. Albury (Hertz) is one, and I am sure that most similar locations do as well.

 

[UP4014]

Plenty of other regional areas still doing so as well. Albury (Hertz) is one, and I am sure that most similar locations do as well.

I'm ahocked at Albury, used Thirfty there last time and no km charges. It is a rort.

 

[dajop]

I would still provide this feedback to Argus, this sort of cough is ridiculous. Something has gone wrong and they should be informed. I have concluded that car hire is probably the most devious and least transparent of any travel related business in terms of what you will actually be expected to pay vs what you think you might pay, and takes a while to get to the bottom of it, especially through third party sites. Usually direct is a little easier.

 

[vetrade]

I would still provide this feedback to Argus, this sort of cough is ridiculous. Something has gone wrong and they should be informed. I have concluded that car hire is probably the most devious and least transparent of any travel related business in terms of what you will actually be expected to pay vs what you think you might pay, and takes a while to get to the bottom of it, especially through third party sites. Usually direct is a little easier.

Already done that -got the typical generic non committal reply so it was a waste of my time. Could only say that the terms had changed since I made the booking. Obviously they didn't stop to think that I knew that already - otherwise I wouldn't have bothered contacting them.

Agree that direct is probably safer but need to weigh that against the savings that can be made (especially OS) where insurance is often included in the rates.

 

[dajop]

r but need to weigh that against the savings that can be made (especially OS) where insurance is often included in the rates.

Yes, that it is true. For rentals within Australia there are few traps (seems the mileage trap is one), but renting in other countries you really have to have your wits about you, whether it is ensuring the insurance is included (particularly renting in US), what sort of cross border charges there are (particularly in EU) and what the fuel policy is (I've seen some rentals where you must pre-purchase a full tank of fuel, and only after doing some investigation on the web do you find that the cost of the tank is 2x tank capacity x price of fuel)

 

[serfty]

I have a CDP which am entitled to use ... it comes with unlimited KM ... always.

A bit over a decade ago, a few days after a rental at ASP my CC was hit with an additional charge.

Seems some manager decided their policy of 100KM overrode contracts.

It took a few weeks and corporate intervention to have the charge refunded. (I still think it was paid by the Major rental company rather than the branch.)