Categories: CarsShow NotesTravel

Car Rental Gotchas Go High Tech

  | 
Team Clark is adamant that we will never write content influenced by or paid for by an advertiser. To support our work, we do make money from some links to companies and deals on our site. Learn more about our guarantee here.

Car rental companies are coming up with a new way to fee you to death over gasoline.

Avis is using a new technology that can read the amount of gas in the tank down to tenths of a gallon. If you return it just a hair less than full, they will charge you at just under a dollar per tenth of a gallon of gasoline. That’s the equivalent of almost $10 a gallon, when you factor out the numbers they’re using!

And they’re not alone. The Washington Post reports Hertz is going to a similar system, but theirs will also be able to shut down your rental by remote if they’re unhappy with you for some reason! On the plus side, they will be able to unlock the car for you remotely should you lock your keys inside.

But the idea of electronic fuel monitoring is a nitpicky kind of thing. You never want to accept the rip-off fuel options that the company offers you. What I recommend is that when you do fill up before you return it, you should do what environmentalists don’t want you to do: Top off your tank.

That’s the only way I know for sure they’re not going to rip you off. So be warned that this is the next area they’ll try to bleed your wallet. You need to be prepared!

This post was last modified on March 22, 2017 3:18 pm

Recent Posts

Should I Fire My 1% Financial Advisor To Save on Fees?

Deciding to save and invest are great habits. But once you check that box, your…

35 mins ago

Fubo Drops Popular Channels Amid Dispute with Warner Bros. Discovery

If you're considering subscribing to Fubo, you need to be comfortable missing out on some…

18 hours ago

5 Things To Know About the Wells Fargo Signify Business Cash Card

Are you looking for a way to earn 2% back on every purchase you make…

23 hours ago

How Dividing Your Monthly Credit Card Payment Speeds Up Your Payoff Date

You're not alone if you're running a balance on your credit cards. Collectively, Americans are…

1 day ago

5 Things You Should Re-Shop To Save Money

A big part of saving money comes down to knowing how to comparison shop. But…

2 days ago

What Are My Retirement Account Options if My Company Doesn’t Offer a 401(k)?

If you work for a big company as a full-time employee, chances are you have…

2 days ago