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Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

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Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#31

Post by jordanpg »

JOHN_JOHN_JOHN wrote: post #29
rdl wrote: post #3

I rent from Hertz and Avis and Silvercar exclusively, and have elite status with each. What I hate is when I get a car which is dirty, especially the side mirrors or glass in general (safety issue). I do not fucking want to have to wash the car when I get off a plane at 11pm to not have massive internal glare. Insurance is only an issue for morons. Counter lines are solved for elites. Prices at Hertz and Avis are som…

"Elite" status is a slap in the face to all customers. If the rental company is capable of offering that level of service, then that level of service should be the norm, at the non-elite price, and available to all customers. Elite members shouldn't have to pay extra for it. And non-elite customers shouldn't be subjected to inferior service just because they don't have elite status.

Yes, well, we are stuck with capitalism.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#32

Post by rdl »

joshmangel wrote: post #30
rdl wrote: post #3

I rent from Hertz and Avis and Silvercar exclusively, and have elite status with each. What I hate is when I get a car which is dirty, especially the side mirrors or glass in general (safety issue). I do not fucking want to have to wash the car when I get off a plane at 11pm to not have massive internal glare. Insurance is only an issue for morons. Counter lines are solved for elites. Prices at Hertz and Avis are som…

@Ryan - I flew into LAX last week and went to try out Silver Car for the first time. I just needed a car for the day. Pickup was around 7 AM and I was going to be returning it the following day at 1 PM. The app quoted me $200 since it considered that a full two day rental ($89/day + fees). In my case, I wouldn't have opted in for the $28/day insurance either.

It's discounted 15% with FoundersCard and includes free tank of gas ($60 or so?). The "two days for 30h" thing is annoying with most car rentals. With Hertz elite you can get 4h grace period sometimes, and with a lot of them there's an hourly rate which is ~1/4 to 1/8 of the daily rate, but you're still possibly in for two days otherwise.

LAX and LAS are pretty cheap places to rent cars usually (from Avis/Hertz/etc.).

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#33

Post by rdl »

JOHN_JOHN_JOHN wrote: post #29
rdl wrote: post #3

I rent from Hertz and Avis and Silvercar exclusively, and have elite status with each. What I hate is when I get a car which is dirty, especially the side mirrors or glass in general (safety issue). I do not fucking want to have to wash the car when I get off a plane at 11pm to not have massive internal glare. Insurance is only an issue for morons. Counter lines are solved for elites. Prices at Hertz and Avis are som…

"Elite" status is a slap in the face to all customers. If the rental company is capable of offering that level of service, then that level of service should be the norm, at the non-elite price, and available to all customers. Elite members shouldn't have to pay extra for it. And non-elite customers shouldn't be subjected to inferior service just because they don't have elite status.

Hertz Gold is pretty easy to get for free through various sources, or it's $50/yr or a minimum number of rentals. All it really means is you've substantially pre-registed so they can totally automate the pickup process, as they have your identity/license/etc. info on file.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#34

Post by MalcolmDiggs »

I hate the surprises. I just wish sites would give greater transparency to all the various nickel-and-dime charges that will inevitably make the rate I'm paying at the counter higher than what I thought I signed up for.

I usually book on priceline and have just come to expect that I'll end up swiping my card for upwards of 100% more money than the prices I was quoted. (Airport fees, taxes of all kinds, insurance, other fees I've never heard of, etc...)

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#35

Post by morkfromork »

Dealing with the people at the counter. They keep asking questions and waste your time trying to up-sell you. It's a pop-quiz math test to determine which random options to go with after a 5+ hour flight and you just want to get to your hotel. All that could have been determined when you made the reservation online.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#36

Post by fragmede »

I hate the feeling that I'm getting ripped off. That if I'd come in via the right web-search or with the right coupon code, I'd get the car for $10/day cheaper or whatever.

Have the major credit card agreements on file and don't offer me lucrative (for you) insurance that I absolutely don't need - my credit card provides it.

In the UI, the total price should be highlighted so I know how much it will cost me in total. The per-day cost is good to know too, but I really just care about how much it's going to cost at the end of the day.

The shuttle bus is, imo, unavoidable (though it'd better have air conditioning/heating).

Hertz is copying the airlines by having kiosks so you can avoid long lines at the counter.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#37

Post by eduardordm »

I think Orlando International Airport, FL is probably one the worst places in the world to rent a car. What they do in that airport is immoral and also illegal in pretty much everywhere I've been. This is what usually happens:

- You rent a car online, the website gives you a price and reservation You are not charged, when you get there, you are charged at least two times the original amount you saw on the website even when the reservation clearly states the amount will not change. (That happens in all reservation websites)

- They know you are probably coming from a long flight and use that as a tool to make you pay and go away; That said, I saw them purposely making lines longer at every rental booth, at the same time. When I asked why they were doing that they said '... we are closing some unneeded booths at this time'. They want you to be tired. They even had one employee, not using an uniform, which clearly worked for all companies, he was the one coordinating the lines.

- All car rentals practice the EXACT same price. They created some gimmicks (GPS/insurance/amenities) to change the bottom line a little bit, but the price is exactly the same, they even share the parking space and employees, it's all a big lie.

- Somehow there is not a single car rental near those airports every time, I think that's intentional;

- I've been to some of the worst airports in Africa and was better treated in those countries than in that airport while renting a car;

- They will try to push you into the crappiest car they have, they will give you a better car if you complain. They somehow thought I would put my family to travel around florida in a 10y/o crown victoria.

I don't have a doubt the Orlando Airport car rental is some kind of cartel.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#38

Post by zoltar92 »

eduardordm wrote: post #37

I think Orlando International Airport, FL is probably one the worst places in the world to rent a car. What they do in that airport is immoral and also illegal in pretty much everywhere I've been. This is what usually happens: - You rent a car online, the website gives you a price and reservation You are not charged, when you get there, you are charged at least two times the original amount you saw on the website eve…

I think I just found my favorite beta tester. Can you add me on Skype? Avizolty (Or avi@beatdeck.com)

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#39

Post by milspec »

The words "or similar" are what I hate most.

On the web site, cars are listed by class. I care about models, not classes. I see the example car, google it to determine if I like it, choose it, and then... show up at the place and find I'm given some horrid substitute that I don't know much about. Oh, it's a "full size sedan" and all such cars are interchangable? No, really, they are not.

It is super-important that I know exactly what I will end up driving. I'd like to know the options, trim level, and ideally even the color.

Best would probably be that I check a box for every acceptable model, with a minor discount if I check lots of boxes. (being non-picky makes my order easy to fulfill) This way I can exclude models that I hate, and I have plenty of time to research all the different choices in advance.

Re: Ask HN: What do you hate most about renting a car?

#40

Post by jasonkester »

milspec wrote: post #39

The words "or similar" are what I hate most. On the web site, cars are listed by class. I care about models, not classes. I see the example car, google it to determine if I like it, choose it, and then... show up at the place and find I'm given some horrid substitute that I don't know much about. Oh, it's a "full size sedan" and all such cars are interchangable? No, really, they are not. It is super-important that I…

You win. This is the correct answer.

Our car was in the shop for the better part of a month this summer and I was considering just buying a new one. I'd heard lots of good thing about the BMW 3 Series but hadn't ever driven one. Hey, since I need to rent a car anyway, why not grab one o' those for a week to see it I like it?

So I find a national chain that advertises them. I get my rental confirmation with a big picture and the words BMW 3 Series on it. I call the local office just to make sure they'll have one ready for me. The answer? We don't rent BMWs.

Yes, they have a couple. But no, you can't have one. They're reserved for a special program exclusively for bmw owners. No BMW, no BMW rental.

But that doesn't stop them putting a picture of one one the homepage of their site or 'renting' one to you.

Awesome.

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