Rent a car: how much the cat in the bag? (20 photos)

The author writes, puerrtto:
Make a bold confession - I have a very bad client for rental companies. I behave with them very honestly and not by the rules. And probably, indirectly create problems for those who receive the car after me. My machines often break down, sometimes my fault - but I did not call the car rental company, and do not recognize what has happened. And where you can find to make cosmetic repair for a penny, in order not to pay the amount of personal involvement. The person who gets the car after I risked a lot to get a headache. However, and I did not again become a victim of the same cunning, and more on that below.





My "track" list

Took car rental in many countries: France, Germany, Czech Republic, Croatia, Finland, Turkey, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus, USA, Costa Rica, Morocco, Spain, Botswana and Namibia.

About pig in a poke

Renting a car is always a cat in a bag, and absolutely does not matter whether you book in advance on the Internet, or take place. You take the car are unknown to you, located in an unpredictable condition. You trust in the brand of the company and blind belief that they have all clearly and responsibly. You take the car neat and sparkling, and for show and do a visual inspection tour, so there was no visible scratches on the case. Special vigilance check the availability of oil in the engine and dropped to his knees in order to examine the car from below. It is commendable! But every motorist knows that crawling on my knees, you did not really see. For a full inspection is necessary to drive the car on the pit (and suddenly there is a damaged suspension?), And then make a circle and listen to the engine, to suppress the brakes, check the hydraulic steering. How many of us do that? Of course not.

Meanwhile, we will sign the contract in fact bonded with the company, which guarantee the complete safety of the vehicle, whose technical condition we do not know. And we run the risk of not only the sum of personal involvement, which ranges from 200 to 1,000 euros, depending on the class of vehicle. Most rental companies refuse to insure any damage to the bottom, and these repairs will be exclusively our expense. The second ambush is that the firm can withdraw money from you, and a few months later for real (or mythical) breakdowns and traffic violations. And then to prove that either being thousands of kilometers away from the office would be very difficult.

Bad experience - number one

For the first time in my life I was taking the car in hire in 1998 in Germany. Munich Airport, the company Avis, I'm still quite a kid, one month prior to the event for the first time which gained credit card. The car took, as I remember, Opel Vectra 1.8. In those days very well. Subtleties I did not know, did not check anything. Left in the direction of Salzburg and 100 kilometers later I noticed that the steering wheel is slightly pulled to the left.

He stopped, looked - no, the wheels are inflated properly. I decided that it does not matter, survive. But the next day was thoroughly stuck near Klagenfurt, in southern Austria. Rudder drawn so that it became dangerous to drive. It was the hydraulics, and solve the problem, I could not. I had to call the company, those 3 hours later drove a tow truck, and in return was given a brand new Mercedes-190.

Photo for memory, the winter of 1998, we are waiting for a tow truck. Not far from Klagenfurt (Austria)



Experience number two

Year 2000 Goreme (Turkey). Taken in small rental dzhipik "Suzuki Samurai". In those places, and in those years we did not know what a credit card, so it is usually left to pledge his passport. The machine gave us frankly in improper condition - dusty, dirty around the wheels. Obviously not cleaned up after the previous travelers. The lease contract - in Turkish, which we absolutely do not own. It's now all we have smart, with the advent of online forums and a common consciousness. Then there were other times, yet 10 years ago! Good thing I realized Turk leave your regular passport, not overseas. Though it was a naive 23 year old kid, but some sixth sense foresaw trouble. And it did.

It should be noted that the machine was initially in poor technical condition - creaked, groaned. But there was no choice - the rest of the machine is already dismantled. It has served us all three days and did not break, but when we returned it, the Turks said that we spoiled pads. And now we need him money. I do not remember to name the amount, and not in its essence. Nothing we did not break with the paved highway is not slid. It was distributing clean water, and a Turk hostage in my regular passport. Battle of words is rapidly gaining momentum, moving to openly conflict. As a result, we stated that if he did not immediately return a passport - we take the car and we throw it off a cliff. And let leave my passport as a souvenir, the benefit of which was foreign in my arms and I quietly leave Turkey. And I shook his zagranom the Turk's face, adding that he is not good to try to cheat your neighbor - you can stay without a car. This argument convinced harmful Osman, and he muttered under his breath some expletives returned my passport.

Year 2000th. Another memorable pictures - a couple of hours before putting the machine



Experience number three

Year of the 2007th, Dubrovnik (Croatia). We took a rental black Fiat Punto 1.4 in the company Budget, and as human beings experienced and tested it as much as possible. It seemed that the complete order: cleanliness, no scratches. We left the road, crossed the border into Bosnia and Herzegovina, going, listen to music, we pretend that the evening get to Sarajevo. On the way, we decide to look a monastery located on the side of the main road. The road is so-so.

Then something starts to crackle underneath. Stop - everything seems to be fine. Going further, a faint crackling is not lost. It would be necessary to call in the pit, but it is a pity time, and laziness. But the next day a crash increases, and we decide to make sure that everything is in order. Call in, some small sharashka where they work funny guys. It turns out that we flew metal motor protection, and then fasten it - a piece of it, clinging to some kind of knot. Wow! Protecting measuring one meter on - it could just fly away? Particularly disappointing is that defense hurt us, and hitched her wire (!) To the exhaust pipe (piece of protection and hung on a wire), and from the outside it was absolutely not noticeable. So, anyway, but to pay for it we will have to, because the insurance does not cover damage to the bottom, and prove that we are not guilty will be impossible. Fortunately, the talented craftsmen dragged us gnarled protection from another car, but still plastic, and just stuck it somehow on the wire to the exhaust pipe. And we are able to deliver the car back, cheers! Now let suffering following a tourist, do not you? And what would you do? Would be paid EUR 500 mill company?



Experience number four

Year of the 2007th, Tel Aviv, Israel. We took a car at the airport, Ben Gurion, baby Hyundai-Getz 1.4. The company Eldan. At first glance, all right. We leave. In my country, and for three days all right. Then automatic transmission (I hate machines!) Ceases to translate from 3rd gear to 4th. At a speed of 60 km / h you can as much as necessary to press on the gas, the engine speed is increasing and the rate does not change. This is an extremely bad impact on our plans, and how evil the Jewish Sabbath (Shabbat), when the mill is not working and the company did not even answer the phone, and our car no one will do. And we decide so - change the route and we shall go there, where speed is not needed - to know the Golan Heights, where a lot of dirt roads-oriented all-wheel drive. Nothing will pass on Goetze.



...



How many times do we cling to the bottom of the land - not to consider, but we have no conscience tormented. If the company does not consider it possible to work on Saturday, leaving the client with a malfunctioning machine - why should we worry about its safety? Before any machine washed, but about not even in gear and did not speak - you never know, we may in fact and blame the damage. Leave a trail tour, and what to do?



Experience number five - are guilty

On December 2009, Maun (Botswana). We took a rental car Toyota Corolla 1.6, the company Avis. We went a few days of excellent routes in Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. And so, one day had to spin the night in the bush, seeking the coveted lodge. Two hours of absolutely unacceptable for such a machine area, grabbing the headlights of an elephant, the giraffe, the pack of jackals. On the number of pits and sand drifts can not even speak - yet Kalahari Desert! In the morning our eyes opened the scope of injuries suffered by our car.

Does not unpresentable?



Friends, what do you say? So we threw up his hands. Cracked plastic bumper. As you know these things do not repair and change entirely. Motorists and without me know about how much it cost to replace the plastic front from the Toyota Corolla. Not being a connoisseur of the brand just by eye suggested that in the region of 700-800 euros to the work, right? Did not want to pay, therefore, we went to the local craftsmen from AvtoDela.

... And the work started!



Collective Intelligence worked wonders: I botsvanets and Hindu. We discuss how to hide from the car rental company damage



Done! Hooray!

The concept is very simple, as the proverb says. The purpose of hide damage by rolling company. How to do it? Of course, any repairs in this situation is useless - it is necessary to change the bumper. But it does not fit. Therefore, we combine the two parts of the bumper is held together with a piece of a piece of iron riveted on top for aesthetic white plastered putty, then three light sandpaper, then spray the paint. And the result is obvious - in the coming days broken bumper will look as good as new. Then of course rivets departure and will reveal all, but it will be then. I know there are willing to scold me for this behavior, but I ask the question in the answer - but how would you know? Yes, I feel sorry for the tourists who will get that car following us. But we do not regret that in Croatia we were given a car with a broken head?



Experience number six and who is to blame?

March 2008, Amman (Jordan), the car Citrien-C3, the car was taken to the company Thrifty. The car seemed to be normal, and looking ahead, I note that she did not disappoint us. For four days, we clocked up 1600km about Jordan, visiting all that is possible. And that, too, can not be visited. So, moving on the highway along the shore of the Dead Sea note that we strongly flashing headlights oncoming cars. The police or something? So we do not break the rules. As a result, it appears that we have lost the front number plate that is not funny, because on the first post of police we will have problems.



Fortunately, turning and driving a few kilometers back, we find our sign and bind his laces on my sneakers. The incident can be considered closed, and we're going down the road of Jordan.



A small selection of cars that did not disappoint me

About negative experience I have said, why not give examples of a successful hire? After such episodes are much greater than those mentioned above. So.

Morocco, the year 2007. I creaked, but did not break!



Chios (Greece), 2006 second year, order!



Italy, year 2007, no questions asked!



The United States and Canada, the 2002nd year. Excellent!



France, the year 2008, perfect!



Serbia, the year 2008, no complaints



USA, year 2007, no questions asked!

It remains to wish all a great trip, and powerful and strong machines! And remember that no one and nothing, we can not guarantee, regardless of the brand famous and beautiful shirts clerk.

On the question of morality

It may be objected, in particular under 5 (about bumper Botswana), they say, Sasha you are wrong, you should pay the hire company 800 euros for repairs. To this I will answer this - Relationship of the client and the seller should not be compared with the relationship between people, for it is fundamentally different things. All cars are insured distributors by default, and it is not about your insurance CDW, but about something else. Just by agreement between the insurer and the roll by the latter undertakes to "reasonable limits" to track the safety car, and in the case of defects to eliminate them at the expense of the customer.

To be so idealistic, and in any and all injustice and seek to deal with it - you can go crazy. You do not defeat the system, but the system will crush you. Staff rolled receive a monthly salary, which ne depends on the rivets holding the bumper or on the wire. According to my good friend, worked in the Moscow office of the rolling company "X", which is a global brand, it is very much playing with insurance. And with the guarantee of 90% would have slipped your damaged car next year - a modest portion of corporate ethics. Your honesty will only lead to the fact that you will be charged a fine of 800 euros, and the car will not be repaired - slipped her next customer. Total firm earns 800 euros, the next client will fall for the same damage, and will think how to get out, and you will find yourself at least a ridiculous position. This path seems you preferred?

Of the five I listed episodes with machines only once (in Bostvane) I behaved not quite correct, passing a car with a hidden defect. In the other four cases I myself gave the car with hidden defects, and the idea, if I behaved according to the rules - made to pay for the damage done by previous tourists. I had to somehow get out of these situations, otherwise, according to conservative estimates in the four situations I would have paid to distributors about $ 3,000. Frankly, for me it is a considerable sum, and pay for the damage caused is not clear by whom - you do not want.

What to do, how to live? Good question. And what do you suggest, my friends?

via ru_travel



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