rec.autos.simulators

I recently made a trip to the San Franciso Bay area.  It was a great time
and I'm glad I went.  But, it started off in a very bad way.

When I made my airline reservations the airline clerk asked if I needed a
rental car.  I said yes, so they connected me over to Hertz with some kind
of referral discount.  I gave Hertz all my info and received a confirmation
#.  The day before I left town I checked back with their website and
confirmed the reservation was still valid.

So I get into SFO and arrive at the rental car "plaza".  The place was a
madhouse, but no prob, I have reservations.  I go up to the Hertz counter,
give them my license, Visa card, and reservation #.  So they start filling
out all the paperwork and told me I'd have a Nissan Sentra or something.
Whatever, I really didn't care as long as it wasn't a Geo Metro.  Then the
clerk says "Oh, you're only 24?".  Yes, I'm 24 yrs old.  WTF is the big
deal?  So he proceeds to tell me they can't rent me a car, as I have to be
25 yrs old.  So I tell him that's too bad, but they made a reservation with
me and never told me this little detail.  Now I'm 1000 mi away from home in
an unfamiliar city and need a car.  He then says sorry, there's nothing we
can do about it that, it's against our policy.  WTF?  So that's somehow my
problem???   I tell the dumbass to get his manager.  So some halfwit manager
comes over and tells me the same thing.  I tell him that's bullshit.  They
made a reservation with me and they screwed up.  They need to fix their
***up by either renting me my car or getting me one from somewhere else
(and of course paying any monetary difference).  Then the manager tells me
that the reservation people are supposed to tell me you have to be 25, and
that it's written on the reservation terminal when they are filling out the
info.  As if I'm supposed to be able to see this shit on the screen when I'm
talking to them on the phone in Denver.  Unbelievable...  This went on for
another 5 minutes, with no solution.  Finally, I ask them if they're going
to totally leave me stranded here with no car, after I made a goddamn
reservation in Denver.  They basically said yes, you're screwed.

In desperation I went to all the other rental counters and practically
begged for a goddamn car so I could be on my way.  Finally, National
Rent-A-Car gives me the name of some place off the airport that will cater
to the dregs of society such as myself.  So I finally get connected with
them several hours later.  But here's the really bad part:  My cost with
Hertz was going to be $138 for the 5 days I was out there.  With the other
place, it was just under $500.  Can you believe that?  $500 for a ***ing
rental car (BTW, it was a Nissan Sentra).  But I had no choice and had to go
with it.

My complaint is not with the fact that Hurtz won't rent to people under 25.
Sure, it's blatant discrimination and I don't even understand how it's
legal, but whatever.  My complaint is that they made a reservation with me
and then left me screwed in a strange city very far from home.  I just can't
even begin to understand how they could do that to me.  If anyone knows of
possible legal recourse, please contact me as I would seriously consider it.
I hate the whole suing thing, but this certainly seems like a good case for
it.  Sorry for the long post, but I felt the details were necessary to
understand how bizarre and messed up this whole thing was.

Sam

: Sorry for the long post, but I felt the details were necessary to
: understand how bizarre and messed up this whole thing was.
:

Man, that sucks.  I think up here in Canada as long as you have a credit
card, a DL and are over 18 (ie, you can sign a contract as an ***) you can
rent a car.  I was 23 when I rented for the first time.

$500, eh?  Well since this is a sim group I can only suggest you drive the
wheels off it and get your money's worth :-)

I remember a certain 3-cylinder 5-door Geo Metro that was launched airborne
as I was driving into a parking lot...but then again I was only 23 ;-)

Dale.

That is unfortunate. Either the people who made the reservation or
Hertz are responsible for this and owe you for the incovienence and
loss of money you had to pay for the other car. I would take it to
small claims court, or maybe Judge Judy. :-)

I had the same experience....I was in Canada for a while, then flew to
Seattle, booked a car over the phone and turned up in a cab with about, oh,
15 months worth of luggage.  They did the same thing, no leniency.  My buddy
and I had to cab it to some overpriced "you're stuck with me buddy" backyard
operator.  Turned out we could have bought a car cheaper than the rental
cost for 14 days.  Bummer.

Ben

Say you are john smith, aged 26 and you want to rent a car, you are with
your friend jack moore who pays for the car ( because you don't have an
international VISA or because you paid for the airline tickets...or whatever
reason), well, even if jack moore is present at the counter they won't rent
you...

Solution is, make a BIG mess at the counter (will scare the present
customers anyway) and give them as much publicity as you can eveywhere....

besides that this situation is of course ONLY in the land of the free and
home of the brave or maybe the opposite)...sometimes they can be more
"germans" than the "germans" (note the "" before flaming).

I hate this kind of thing - kick up a big fuss - Ideally, go to the office
that took
the booking and shout at them infront of customers that may decide to look
elsewhere. Failing that - write a letter to the manager of the booking
office,
pointing out that the SFO desk reckoned they had made a mistake, tell
them that "you want to give them a chance to retain a customer" and attach
evidence of the additional costs.

It annoys me that polite complaints go unnoticed - but get ugly in front of
other customers seems to get results.

Even in the UK, where we don't get good service - most companies would
stump up a "goodwill" payment rather than loose you altogether.

Oh yes, I'm *always* interested in listening to people whining.

I have to say that I use Hertz a lot (I'm a Gold Club President's Circle
member now) and the (automated) service is impeccable.  I book everything on
the web, even sometimes 24hrs before, then when I fly in at the airport, I
walk directly to my nearby reserved car without waiting in line, going to
any counter or having to talk to anyone, and generally it's been upgraded
for free.  I love these guys, especially for the fact that I don't have to
deal with any real people.  *People* are the problem!   Hehehe.

--

Fester

Well whattaya know... I had no idea these companies did their own
maintenance.

Jan.
=---
"Pay attention when I'm talking to you boy!" -Foghorn Leghorn.

--

Fester

--

Fester

| Yes sir.  And a very secure job it is!  I've been there 8 1/2 years &
| I'm still second from the bottom on the seniority list.  In the summer,
| you can basically do all the overtime you wish.  There is no shortage of
| repairs to make to these poor vehicles.
| --
| Fester

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