Rent-a-car Prices!

[Sarek]

What's going on? The prices are through the roof. No shame in taking advantage of the American people after a pandemic. Looks like these companies are trying to make all their lost money back in one hot summer.



These companies took stimulus money? With these prices they should have to pay that money back.

 

[Runwildboys]

This is the first I've heard of this. How much are we talking about?

 

[Sarek]

Seems it's been happening for a few months already. News articles claim that these companies have sold off most of their vehicles, and now with people ready to rent them again the prices are doubled and that's if you find a good deal.

 

[Runwildboys]

I would expect a slight price hike, just due to Covid, and a drop in business, combined with the cost of sanitizing each vehicle between uses. But I wouldn't have predicted that they'd be selling off their cars, knowing they'd have to replace them within a year or two, once business picked up again.

 

[dreghorn2]

You guys should try reading the news.

edit.. Sarek nailed it.

In Hawaii tourists have been renting U-Haul trucks.

 

[big dog cowboy]

It's bad and it isn't going to get better. @dreghorn2 is correct about Hawaii. As @Sarek pointed out, last year everyone stayed home. Car rental companies were forced to sell their fleet to stay afloat. If you need to rent a car, you better get reservations in ASAP. I needed a car 3 weeks ago and had to call several places before finding a car and had to accept a smaller car than I wanted.

 

[CyberB0b]

You guys should try reading the news.

edit.. Sarek nailed it.

In Hawaii tourists have been renting U-Haul trucks.

I was in Maui for spring break and got a jeep for $450 through a name brand rental car company for a week. Some people don't plan ahead and expect things to be cheap last minute.

 

[Jammer]

Supply and demand. I've been renting cars every week for the last few months. I'm getting cars that have over 50K miles and have cracked windshields, which would never have happened in the old days. I don't complain because I know that is all what is available.

 

[CyberB0b]

Supply and demand. I've been renting cars every week for the last few months. I'm getting cars that have over 50K miles and have cracked windshields, which would never have happened in the old days. I don't complain because I know that is all what is available.

Cracked windshield generally isn't safe or legal to drive.

 

[Jammer]

Cracked windshield generally isn't safe or legal to drive.

I agree, but the crack was on the passenger side and I had no other options.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

I agree, but the crack was on the passenger side and I had no other options.

Where I live as long as the crack isn't in your line of sight it'll pass inspection for years.

But I had the same problem getting a vehicle a couple of weeks ago, if you don't reserve one at least two weeks ahead there simply aren't any available...

 

[Jammer]

Where I live as long as the crack isn't in your line of sight it'll pass inspection for years.

But I had the same problem getting a vehicle a couple of weeks ago, if you don't reserve one at least two weeks ahead there simply aren't any available...

I have six crews spread throughout the US and if I need a last minute rental car you might as well hang it up as it isn't going to happen; especially if you need a one-way rental.

 

[Runwildboys]

Where I live as long as the crack isn't in your line of sight it'll pass inspection for years.

But I had the same problem getting a vehicle a couple of weeks ago, if you don't reserve one at least two weeks ahead there simply aren't any available...

Yet I could have a little 1" star in the bottom right hand part of my windshield and DOT will write me up.

 

[LACowboysFan1]

Yet I could have a little 1" star in the bottom right hand part of my windshield and DOT will write me up.

Well at least that's relatively cheap and easy to fix, I will eventually have to get a whole new windshield that's over $200.00...

 

[Reality]

 

[LACowboysFan1]

My oldest son worked for one of the largest car rental companies. I remarked one time how the lot in the city where I live (not a small city, either) the car rental lot was pretty small, hard to even get around when you drove in or out of there, and wondered why they didn't get a bigger place so as to have more cars.

He told me the company didn't want cars on the lot, ideally the lot only had cars there in the process of either being rented, cleaned or were waiting for the renter to show up.
So companies don't have a surplus of cars, wouldn't take much of a rush to wipe them out as far as getting a car on short notice...

 

[Sarek]

Florida Fort Myers August. Got a Toyota Camry 2 weeks $1,400.

Cancellable for a $50 fee. I'll keep checking prices daily see if i can get a better deal.

 

[roughneck266]

When I got off the rig last hitch in Pascagoula, they weren't going to be able to get me a car in New Orleans airport. Had to stay a night in a hotel and get a car in Pascagoula. You would think they would have tried to get one locally first, but our travel department is a very special kind of stupid.

 

[Runwildboys]

Well at least that's relatively cheap and easy to fix, I will eventually have to get a whole new windshield that's over $200.00...

No, you can't just fix the windshield in a commercial truck like that...and believe me, this windshield is a whole lot more than $200. Lol
Your insurance doesn't cover glass?