With most businesses adding extra charges in order to make more profit, leaving you with the bill, it is clear the world is not designed to be fair. Let's take two simple examples to prove the point. In many situations when you rent a vehicle, you actually want to go from A to B rather than do a round trip. Yet, when you look at many of the sites where you make a booking, there's nothing built in to show this. It's simply assumed you will be returning the vehicle to the collection point. Why should this be a problem? The answer is a fee for not returning the vehicle to the collection point. The average fee is $75 which is supposed to cover the cost of the extra paper work and, in some cases, paying someone to return the vehicle where it's supposed to be.
As a measure of self-defense you should phone the car rental company to find out if you need to pay an additional fee and, if so, how much it is before you make a booking online. Just think of how much one telephone call might save you. The family decide they want to visit with friends some fifty miles away. Public transport is useless. A taxi fare would need you to rob Fort Knox. But a daily rate rental dropped off at a near-by branch office would solve the problem. Except when you try to drop off the rental at that office, you are suddenly asked for an extra $75 or even more.
Second, have you noticed how often the rental vehicle comes with various possible services and useful things inside? Well, be warned! Many of the "things" you assume will be covered by the rent are actually extras you pay for if you use them. Have you had problems in hotels when you foolishly took something from the minibar? Car rental companies are now mostly setting up their vehicles with fees for using the GPS navigation system, the CD player or the child safety seat so thoughtfully provided. Never leave the collection point until you understand what additional charges may apply.
