Again, I can't ascribe motivation but I'm pretty sure there's an accepted gain on the company's behalf when it comes to their vehicle's gas tank upon the vehicle's return.
There are the obvious ones, which you can't knock because they are there in print on your agreement. If you return a vehicle with less gas than you picked it up, they will charge you, it seems, upwards of 175% of the price of a gallon to refuel it. And that is sometimes on top of a service fee. One vehicle rental place starts with a $30 service fee when you don't return the vehicle with the same amount of gas. That's before their severely marked-up price of gas comes into play. It doesn't mean it's not ridiculous. But they tell you that. So? House rules, I guess.
Then there's the art of gas gauge literacy. Does an employee check it and note it before you take the car? Does the gauge read the same level as is noted on the rental agreement?
That wasn't our most recent experience. We agreed to refuel a vehicle ourselves before we returned it and the agreement printed up and given to us at the counter read "8/8 tank" meaning the tank was full upon release and should be returned as such.
We got in the vehicle and, to our surprise, it was only 3/4 full meaning if we had not noticed this, we'd be on the hook for that 1/4 tank, putting us out 12 or 13 bucks for their oversight. We had to bring this up with the lot attendant and get them to vouch with their signature.
And when we returned it, refueled, we were still issued a refueling charge which they admitted was incorrect and refunded. But it still means an unnecessary hold on my credit card.
On gas in rental cars:
-check to see the recorded level of fuel agrees with what you see on your gauge.
-read your receipt upon return to prevent unnecessary charges that you did nothing to incur.
-READ THE FINE PRINT.
Good night everybody.
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