My current issue is with AVIS. In conjunction with my QF flight bookings, I rented a car for 3 days from SYD to be returned to Newcastle (NTL) airport. The quoted price seemed good, the standard fees seemed to be included (Vehicle Rego Charge; One-way Charge; Concession Recovery Fee etc), and the pickup and return were courteous and very smooth. But, the charge on my credit card was 50% above the Estimated Total. Called AVIS; they explained patiently that I had accepted the additional insurances and that had raised the DAILY fee and that all the other miscellaneous charges – such as Vehicle Registration Fee, and Premium Location were calculated as a % of the higher daily charge. I'd have thought that both of those were fixed amounts, but with AVIS they are a % of the Total Daily cost. I now realise that the additional insurance charges (Collision Damage Waiver, Excess ...) must be in my AVIS Preferred profile – which, of course, I will now change in case I ever rent from AVIS again.
When I suggested that:
(1) 50% premium on the quoted amount seemed to be something I should have had some warning of; and
(2) the fact that these "other" charges were all a % of the daily fee didn't appear on any of the documents I saw during the booking process;
(3) and that all I had received at the pickup was the Vehicle Condition Report;
(4) that Premium Location Charge should have been included in the original because I had specified that I was picking and returning to airports; I was told that I had ticked a box (called a PLS??).
I have asked for documentation of this to be provided but I'm not sure when I will receive this, or what it will indicate.
I had no issue with petrol either on pickup or return, but they showed no interest in checking the car. Nevertheless, I will keep an eye on credit card statements.
As a result of earlier threads on Rental Cars, I do make a habit of taking a short video as I walk around the vehicle; after reading this thread, I will now also document fuel levels as well. {sigh; why do we have to do this...}