4 ms·

They get to upsell you at the counter which they love to do for people who don’t rent often - its basically free money . For people who do rent often they don’t

They get to upsell you at the counter which they love to do for people who don’t rent often - its basically free money . For people who do rent often they don’t want to upsell cause they know it leaves a bad taste in the mouth so they just want the rental business.

xattt 3y ago
In the before times, I rented with Hertz on three occasions. I was upgraded to a larger vehicle for free. I still can’t tell if it was deliberate or a coincidence.
- gnicholas 3y ago
  This can be a plus, but it can also be a minus if you are planning to drive a long distance and don't want to double your gas bill.
- bjustin 3y ago
  I’ve had this happen as well. Unfortunately I only book — and want to drive — sedans, so I learned I have to make sure to say so to the rental company employee if they say they’re upgrading me for free. Even then, sometimes they have so few sedans that I’m stuck with the “upgrade” SUV.
- CydeWeys 3y ago
  It's not an upgrade per se, it's just whatever vehicle they have available. If they're running low on sedans (which often happens), they'll start giving out SUVs to people who'll accept them, keeping sedans in reserve who want them. NYC has some crazy rental experiences because the lots are so small. One time I got "upgraded" to a 3 row minivan (which costs 2-3X the base economy car rental price) because that's all they had left. It was not the ideal car for a road trip for my girlfriend and I, and we ended up spending more on gas, but they didn't have anything else available. Similarly I've often gotten free upgrades to convertible sports cars (e.g. a Mustang) just because they have a lot of them and they have extra on that particular day and want to reserve more boring options for picky people.
- colechristensen 3y ago
  I convinced a rental agent to upgrade me for free from a compact to a convertible Mustang… in Minneapolis… the day before Christmas Eve… at midnight. The most fun and stupid decision I had made in a while. I got caught in a snow storm and ended up driving 200 miles on the interstate at 30 mph because it was literally the fastest I could go without fishtailing. Worth it.
nunez 3y ago
This is a big part of it. They make a lot of edge on the liability and disability waiver (many credit cards come with this benefit already) and fuel pre-purchasing (pay for a full tank, even if you use an eighth of it). Given that many folks who line up at the counter are first-time or infrequent travelers, it's enough of a pull to keep them open.

xattt 3y ago

In the before times, I rented with Hertz on three occasions. I was upgraded to a larger vehicle for free. I still can’t tell if it was deliberate or a coincidence.

gnicholas 3y ago
This can be a plus, but it can also be a minus if you are planning to drive a long distance and don't want to double your gas bill.
bjustin 3y ago
I’ve had this happen as well. Unfortunately I only book — and want to drive — sedans, so I learned I have to make sure to say so to the rental company employee if they say they’re upgrading me for free. Even then, sometimes they have so few sedans that I’m stuck with the “upgrade” SUV.
CydeWeys 3y ago
It's not an upgrade per se, it's just whatever vehicle they have available. If they're running low on sedans (which often happens), they'll start giving out SUVs to people who'll accept them, keeping sedans in reserve who want them. NYC has some crazy rental experiences because the lots are so small. One time I got "upgraded" to a 3 row minivan (which costs 2-3X the base economy car rental price) because that's all they had left. It was not the ideal car for a road trip for my girlfriend and I, and we ended up spending more on gas, but they didn't have anything else available. Similarly I've often gotten free upgrades to convertible sports cars (e.g. a Mustang) just because they have a lot of them and they have extra on that particular day and want to reserve more boring options for picky people.
colechristensen 3y ago
I convinced a rental agent to upgrade me for free from a compact to a convertible Mustang… in Minneapolis… the day before Christmas Eve… at midnight. The most fun and stupid decision I had made in a while. I got caught in a snow storm and ended up driving 200 miles on the interstate at 30 mph because it was literally the fastest I could go without fishtailing. Worth it.

nunez 3y ago

This is a big part of it. They make a lot of edge on the liability and disability waiver (many credit cards come with this benefit already) and fuel pre-purchasing (pay for a full tank, even if you use an eighth of it). Given that many folks who line up at the counter are first-time or infrequent travelers, it's enough of a pull to keep them open.