How rental car companies deal with cars needing service while out for rental is one of those factors that can really either make or break a customer’s experience and perception of their rental experience. Last month, the renowned JD Power & Associates firm released a novel study on customers’ satisfaction with the rental car companies on which they had relied in the past. Factors considered in the study included cost, the pick-up process, the car itself, the return process and ease of reservations.
Something that many drivers may not consider when they are choosing the rental company with which to do business is roadside assistance, and how the company treats this unfortunate but oftentimes necessary bit of trouble. There’s nothing that can derail your plans faster than finding out that the car you rented has a flat tire in a parking lot far away from home, or that you are suddenly stuck at the airport in a strange town with an engine that will not turn over.
What will your car rental agency do in these trying situations? If you did not purchase a roadside assistance policy in the form of rental insurance at the time when you borrowed the car, the answer is very likely “not much.” Can’t drive your car to the place where you originally rented it? Tough cookies – you’ll end up paying to have it towed. This can cost a pretty penny, depending on how far you are from the nearest Hertz or Avis or Enterprise or what have you. Rental car services offer a standard roadside assistance package, but all that does is guarantee that you will ultimately get service. It doesn’t do much in the event that you actually need to use it.
Even the “premium” service packages can result in drivers ending up having to pay money. Rental car companies are famous for twisting the need for repairs (a dead battery and flat tire are great examples, which is why I used them) into something that the customer did wrong and could have possibly prevented. It’s been found that the average rental car customer will end up paying at least seventy-seven dollars – if not higher! – for the kinds of mishaps that tend to befall drivers on the road. Locked your keys in the car? Let the car run out of gas? Expect to pay the full cost of resolving these issues, the same way that you would in your own car without roadside coverage. Customers will still incur a towing fee if they decline to drive the car after roadside assistance has come out to evaluate the situation.
In situations where the problem may or may not be the customer’s fault, many of these agencies claim that they will take the customer’s word for it. The best thing that rental car customers can actually do if they find themselves stranded is to call AAA, assuming they have a membership. AAA members are typically covered in any vehicle they are driving, and AAA will tow the car for free within three to five miles for regular members and farther for premier members. The agency itself says that using membership this way is a “great idea.” I do too – because that way you aren’t paying double for rental car “insurance” that doesn’t really do much for you in reality!
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