Sunday, April 23, 2023

Sunday Five: Rental Cars


1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with? 

2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? 

3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? 

4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to? 

5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? 

My answers:

1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with?  Most often I book something nicer than the cheapest. 

2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? No, I have a special policy that covers rentals for a flat fee.  

3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? Once, in Hawaii, the charge was not nearly as bad as I expected and traffic was impossible. 

4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to?  A couple of times, in Detroit, cars that were damaged. 

5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? In Detroit, a new Ford with 37 miles on it. 

Please share your answers in the comments. 

24 comments:

  1. 1. Of the three rental cars we've book, twice we were upgraded to a better model. We generally focus on price.

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    1. Oops, I hit publish in error.
      2. I don't know that it is offered here. I can't remember it being offered above the standard included.
      3. No. The cost will be higher if they do it.
      4. No, no reason to.
      5. Yes, a Hyundai Sonata. Very nice at the time.

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    2. In many places in the world, the added insurance costs as much as the rental car

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  2. 1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with? Most comfortable with (to some degree).
    2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? We do usually take insurance. And we were glad we did a few times.
    3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? Oh, yes. The best-laid plans...
    4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to? A couple of times, yes.
    5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? Yes. Once or twice.

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    1. Have you read "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and the rental car?

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  3. 1. Depends on the trip. Pleasure w people /bags vs work = low expense budget.
    2. No. My insurance already covers this.
    3. Once. Back to BWI - bad storm; no gas stations around; dangerously close to my flight time.
    4. A number of times.
    5. Oddly, a Camero. Not my normal car of choice, but it was the same price as the one I rented. Middle of Idaho. Took that sucker up to 90.

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    1. Idaho is one of two states I have not been to

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    2. Have you been in a state of inebriation?

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    3. Not in a long time

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  4. With regard to insurance, I agree that it is wise to take out your own extra insurance before you ever arrive at the rental desk. This is the point at which they try to scare and squeeze extra money out of you - often when you are tired after a flight.

    Always inspect the car for damage before you drive it away. They might have signed it off when damage is staring you in the face and you could end up paying for it because you did not check.

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    1. A couple of times the car was such a mess, I refused it.

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    2. A couple of times I was such a mess that the car refused me!

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  5. 1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with? Usually one level above the cheapest.
    2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? No, my insurance covers it.
    3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? Once, it cost more than a tank of gas but it wasn't that bad.
    4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to? Yes, once when they gave me a car much bigger than I wanted.
    5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? I think I have but I don't remember where it was.

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    1. In Cleveland I was upgraded to a Toyota 4-Runner, we needed a ladder to get in and out of it. The all wheel drive was nice.

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  6. Just to save time and energy when I travel believe it or not I have never rented a car. I usually either use the transit system or Uber it.

    Now while I was in Budapest we used warbucks' car for our road trip. 3 years before the pandemic when he's still lived here he had bought the Maserati which eventually got shipped over to Europe. Why we did our day trip he had too many drinks ,which made me have to drive again. Just the price tag of that car makes me nervous enough to drive it, what with my Creulla driving skills. But I will say that car has the smoothest drive of any car I've ever been in and quietest.

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    1. We often travel in places where transit just isn't an option. The photo above was last year's rental car in Iceland.

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  7. Having Just rented a car in Portland I can say:

    1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with? Most comfortable with, always.

    2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? Never,

    3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? I have not. If I say I'll fill it up, I fill it up.

    4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to? No, but one time I should have.

    5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? I don't think so, but I never paid much attention.

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    1. The one time, I was stuck in traffic trying to make the flight.

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  8. 1: When booking a rental car, do you go for the least expensive or look for what you are most comfortable with? I left Jeffrey choose the one he wants, since he's always the one who drives it.

    2: Do you take all of the extra insurance? Yes.

    3: Have you ever returned a rental car without filling the gas tank? Never.

    4: Have you ever refused the car that the rental company handed you the keys to? Yes.

    5: Have you ever had a rental car that was new? Not that I'm aware of.

    Sassybear
    https://idleeyesandadormy.com/

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    1. I just thought of a second time I had a new car as a rental.

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  9. I never rented a car. But I have rode in one.
    Coffee is on and stay safe.

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    1. I long ago lost track of how many cars I have rented.

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  10. Someone always does the car rental so I am not aware of his rules and such.

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