The car rental fees you didn't know about
Heading south sometime this winter? Maybe you should bring your own car this time.
If not, remember that the advertised price for a rental car bears no relationship to the price you will actually pay, especially at big city airports, reports Consumer Traveller. And those costs are likely to go up.
In the U.S, Arizona, Texas and Florida seem to add some of the highest mandatory extra fees but the additional charges are pretty significant everwhere you go.
While these extra charges usually show up in the estimated total shown on the screen, you won't find them in the base rate, largely to drive profits, CT explains. Here's what to watch for, warns Independent Traveler.
All of these discounts, ranging from five percent to flat rates that can almost cut a rental price in half, have one thing in common though — they don’t apply on many surcharges. This means, that the customer facility fee, vehicle licensing fee and so on aren't discounted in the same way, CT says.
Expect fees and surcharges to continue and for new ones to be added as quickly as municipalities, states and the companies themselves look for ways to boost prices. In Phoenix, for example, rental car drivers are dinged to help pay for the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale.
While they didn't create them, car rental companies don’t lobby hard enough to have such fees removed, says consumer advocate Christopher Elliott.
Maybe you should help them a bit.
Should car rentals companies disclose all mandatory fees up front? Have you been stung by the ever-increasing bill?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Clear & Focused | Dec 21, 2021 11:49:15 AM
For a money blog... you guys sure are avoiding the MF Global story. Why is that, I wonder? Perhaps because you are part of the Hydra.
Posted by: Elmo | Dec 22, 2021 9:46:35 PM
@ C&F ---- Maybe they're just trying to avoid more of your Everyday Cheer !! Seems apropos to me.