Do rental car companies now charge you when you return the car with a full tank?

[punkin]

I haven't rented a car in a while, but I just did it online, and reading the terms and conditions it says "A $3.00 top off fee will be applied to all vehicles returned full."

Wow! They sure get you coming and going! Might make sense just to prepay for a tank of gas and return it with the empty light on.

 

[moburg]

I don't recall a 'top-off' fee if returned full, but we chose to return empty on our last trip. The per gallon cost offered by the rental company was $0.20 cheaper than the local gas, so it made sense.

I wanted to roll in to the rental parking lot on fumes, but DW was getting nervous and made me add $5 to make sure we would get there. So I guess we gave them a gallon or so when we dropped off.

 

[NotUrsula]

Call up and ask for the details on that, if it isn't in the fine print of the terms. Most of the time, there is a time/mileage test applied to that fee, in that if you can prove (with a gas receipt) that you filled it up within a certain distance of the return station or within a certain number of minutes from the time of return, they will not apply it.

I know that some rental companies at MCO were for awhile saying that if the station where you refilled the tank was not within 10 miles of the dropoff station, you would be charged. The Hess station at DTD is about 16 miles from the airport. I don't know if the rule has been adjusted or not.

 

[punkin]

Call up and ask for the details on that, if it isn't in the fine print of the terms. Most of the time, there is a time/mileage test applied to that fee, in that if you can prove (with a gas receipt) that you filled it up within a certain distance of the return station or within a certain number of minutes from the time of return, they will not apply it.

I know that some rental companies at MCO were for awhile saying that if the station where you refilled the tank was not within 10 miles of the dropoff station, you would be charged. The Hess station at DTD is about 16 miles from the airport. I don't know if the rule has been adjusted or not.

The fine print says 5 miles with receipt. I have no idea where the 5 miles even is. This is not at Disney BTW. I am just surprised by this fee. I never recall paying it before and I always bring back full cars (well, I used to when I rented more often) Does anyone know when they started doing this?

 

[Imzadi]

Enterprise gives you a choice of whether you want to fill the tank up yourself to the same level, then return the car, or have the company do it and charge you per gallon. BUT, you have to have this worked out ahead of time which one you are doing, before you even step into the car.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

I don't worry about the fee. It is a lot better than paying $8.99/gal to let them fill it up for me.

 

[punkin]

This is Dollar (in case anyone was wondering) but I figured if one company does it, they all probably do.

 

[mamacatnv]

Dollar has gotten stricter in their fuel charges in the past 6 months - at least in the 2 west coast markets where I have rented from them numerous times

I have been told I would have to present a fuel receipt - for Reno it was a 5 mile radius, for Portland, OR. it was specific stations. The Portland counter has not checked my receipt ever and the Reno location is about a 50% check rate. Good thing in the Portland locations since I filled up farther away, their stations were not convenient for me to get to, I filled up about 15 miles from the airport.
When I am in Portland I rarely go thru a tank so I won't use the prepay option.

I have a Dollar ressie in May in Portland, I'll keep an eye out, thanks for the heads up

 

[bicker]

I suspect this is a reflection of how many people try to game the system and return the car "almost" full but yet still call it full.

 

[NotUrsula]

Well, if we're going to talk about that, let's discuss the actual number of gallons that are in the tank when you pick it up.

I've picked up rentals many, many times where the needle was barely within air-kissing distance of the F mark, but they insisted it was Full.

 

[punkin]

Well, if we're going to talk about that, let's discuss the actual number of gallons that are in the tank when you pick it up.

I've picked up rentals many, many times where the needle was barely within air-kissing distance of the F mark, but they insisted it was Full.

I completely agree. It all evens out in the end. I think, that like luggage fees by airlines and resort fees by hotels, this is just another fee that allows them to post "lower" rates and then make it up on the back end.

Maybe I'll rent somewhere else.

 

[eduk8r26]

I rent from Hertz all the time and have never paid an extra fee.