I rent a lot of cars for both business and pleasure. I’ve rented in almost every state and almost 2 dozen countries. I’ve rented from a variety of rental companies, over the years probably all of them at least a few times each.
They always try to hit you up for the extra insurance, and you have to argue about how you have full coverage and yadda yadda yadda.
But recently ALAMO has hit me with something I’ve never come across:
Towing and mechanical insurance!
That’s right! They told me at the counter that if the car I was renting broke down for any reason, I would be responsable for towing it and for the repairs. This had nothing to do with an accident. They told me if anything mechanical went wrong, the transmission, radiator, dickfor, anything, I would have to pay for towing and the repairs!:eek:
Of course I told them to go %$#@themselves and eat the *&^% right out of my Give it up. This is GQ not the Pit and went to another desk and rented from another company. A company which told me if their car broke down they would come get me and replace it with another car immediately. Over the last 30 years I’ve had rentals break down or not run right. It’s rare, but it’s happened. The rental company always did right by the situation and showed up with a new car ON THE SCENE and took care of the broken down one while I drove away in the new one.
So what’s going on here? Is this going to be a new trend in rental cars, or is Alamo just F*CKED!?!?!
I think the reaction you had will be the most common one, and it will not be a standard practice. This has to be on the top list of stupid business decisions. Did they mention you will be billed for the vehicle until it is returned to service?
Alamo is a real cut-rate operation (one of the reasons they’re on my company’s “disapproved renters” list) and I imagine this is a way for them to give a lowball base rate for advertising.
Here is how Alamo describes the “coverage” on their web site.
Roadside Plus
KEY REPLACEMENT Lost keys? No worries, we will send replacement keys or a locksmith.
GLASS REPLACEMENT If the glass is damaged through no fault of your own, we will replace the glass.
FLAT TIRE If the vehicle’s spare tire is inflated and serviceable, it will be installed to replace a flat tire. If no inflated spare is available, the vehicle will be towed in accordance with the towing provision.
TIRE REPLACEMENT If the vehicle’s tire is damaged, the tire will be repaired or replaced at no additional charge.
TOWING Towing charges will be covered at no additional cost should the vehicle be inoperable.
JUMP START A battery boost will be provided in an attempt to start the vehicle.
LOCKOUT SERVICE If the keys are locked inside the vehicle, service will be sent to gain entrance.
FUEL DELIVERY* A limited supply of gasoline will be delivered to the vehicle to enable you to reach the nearest open service station.
Remember, Alamo filed bankruptcy after Sept. 11 2001. The new Alamo was bought by Vanguard Car rental. Only the “Alamo” name is the same.
National Car Rental is also part of the same group, but they don’t target the vacation market like Alamo does.
Yeah, but they told me I’d be responsible for actual repairs too! Probably just a lie to get me to cough up the extra dough. To me that’s no different than if you check into a motel room and the air conditioner doesn’t work and they make you buy them a new one.
Every rental car that I’ve ever had from an airport counter was 2 years old or less, with less than 36k miles. So all these cars are covered under warranty and the manufactures roadside assistance plan anyway.
This new version of alamo is not going to last very long if they’re pulling scams like this.
The vast majority of the rental agent’s, as well as the station manager’s compensation is based on the amount of extras that they sell. In fact, the rental agent can be fired if they don’t sell enough to meet the quota.
Surely this is just an idiot desk clerk giving you misinformation. I can’t imagine the engine blowing up and you having to fork over $2k to Alamo, and pay to have it towed to the nearest garage.
Do you also have to blow the mechanic before he starts?
Along the lines of this thread, the OP should be aware of going for extras they don’t disclose as extras, like GPS and satellite radio. Last, that “we’ll refill the tank for you” option? I fell for it once. They lured me in with a good rate on gas just under the going rate, but then I realized they got me.
It’s a losing proposition because they charge you in advance for a full tank refill with NO credit given back for the actual level of the gas tank. In other words, it seems to me you’d have to be running on “E” at the time of your return not to lose money on this deal. And, when you got a plane to catch, who wants to chance that? Oh, and some companies sneak in a fee when they ring-up this part of your bottom line.
Sounds to me like the sales clerk gets a percentage of the sale for insurance just as many retail clerks get for extended warranties. If they thought it would help the sale to tell you the insurance policy cures cancer they would say it.
Just wanted to say, I did this when picking up a rental in Glasgow that I was going to turn in at London. The rate they charged was much lower then the rates I was paying earlier in my trip. Left with a full tank, pulled into London 5 days later, with the gauge on E and the trip computer indicating that I had less then 5 miles of driving left before running out of gas. Best deal I got on gas in the entire 3 weeks I was there.
Of course, not everyone is as skilled at timing as I am, so it isn’t always a good deal.
Given that most renters do not read any of the 4 pages of goobledygook before they sign, I expect the OP’s practice to become universal, followed perhaps by a consumer backlash &, eventually, a regulation to prohibit that particular scam.
