Alamo rental Car SFO

An investigation of SFO local rental car methods uncovered widespread mischarges of a $20 airport cost.

At problem had been a $20 airport cost, variously called a “Facilities Fee, ” “Airport transport Fee” and sometimes just a “Transaction Fee.” Like numerous other taxes and levies, the fee is included with your local rental automobile contract, which are often as complex and difficult to decipher as a phone bill.

Based on airport officials, the charge only applies to AirTrain guests. However would very nearly must talk with those officials to learn this.

After a personal experience with the issue, mcdougal made a decision to make 9 rental car bookings; one at each associated with the 9 rental vehicle businesses maintaining SFO: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Fox, Hertz, National and Thrifty.

All bookings were made on line through the businesses’ web sites.

You start with the web booking process, those sites by themselves left much to be desired. No enterprise’s site correctly explained the fee.

Contributing to the confusion were apparently conflicting disclosures. As an example, in one single instance (Hertz), a display allowed an individual to choose: “I'm not showing up by aircraft or train.” After causeing this to be choice, the cost continued to seem anyhow, regarding the next display.

(A Hertz representative, Paula Rivera, politely assured myself the organization is working busily to repair this.)

After making the bookings, we drove my personal vehicle to SFO and couldn't use AirTrain. Reservation at your fingertips, we decided to go to the various booking desks and asked 4 basic questions:

1. Something this fee? (pointing toward $20 fee)

2. Does everyone else need to pay this?

3. (If yes) imagine if I emerged utilizing my personal transportation?

4. Does being an SF resident matter?

Every company fared defectively within study. Representatives were woefully underinformed towards cost and almost all of them first got it incorrect.

More often than not, the agent explained your cost had been for basic use of the airport. This is wrong. An individual can make use of the airport whilst still being be exempt. In other individuals, the agent explained, precisely, that cost related to AirTrain. Then, incorrectly, they proceeded to charge it anyhow, believing it applied whether or not AirTrain had really already been utilized.

In two cases, the fee had been waived however for not the right explanations. Truth be told there, the representatives waived the fee based on residency, and even though a customer’s residency is unimportant.

In mere one instance ended up being the charge in fact waived for the correct explanation. The best agent who got it appropriate ended up being from Enterprise. Indeed there, the agent precisely explained the type of charge. Then he waived it because I had not made use of the AirTrain.

But equally soon as that agent moved off on break, I jumped back in the Enterprise range. Sure enough, the next agent explained that fee placed on everyone and that waivers had been never issued. Oh well…

During the breaks this past year, we went into this matter leasing from Fox lease a motor vehicle. Interested, we presented an inquiry to Mike McCarron, Director of Community matters at SFO. A surprisingly responsive response ended up being received, and an apologetic phone call from Fox (and a fee reversal).

Nonetheless, despite the incident, Fox did no better in the study than other people. At table, the Fox broker replied, wrongly, that cost ended up being for general utilization of the airport. More, he said it may never be waived under any circumstance, that will be naturally, incorrect. (Fox lease a vehicle couldn't respond to demands for opinion).

Relating to Mr. McCarron, the transport charge ended up being negotiated involving the airport and automobile rental organizations as a way of financing the AirTrain system. Local rental companies have the effect of training their staff in its application. If a fee is misapplied, a client may contact the airport and get a refund (when I performed).

Becoming reasonable, most local rental car consumers do use the AirTrain. Hence, typically the cost will be charged properly.

Nevertheless, it's perplexing that rental car companies wouldn't normally just take a greater curiosity about this issue. As a market, the rental car business is a rather cost delicate business. The capacity to provide a $20 rebate would appear to offer an important competitive benefit. Indeed, the businesses only seem to be hurting on their own using mischarges (which go right to the airport).

One business, Hertz, has actually dedicated to retraining and increasing about this concern. Whether other people will follow suit continues to be to be noticed. Until the period, I Guess SFO will enjoy the windfall…