Hey all, I am leaving town this weekend and was looking at renting a car in Spokane for a weekend with the GF's family
(should be interesting...
) In Coeur d'Alene, ID.
Our flight arrives at 11pm Thrusday night. Dollar rent-a-car allowed me to reserve a car to be picked up at 11:30pm, but will they be open? I think I may get hosed...
Also, is there any other advise I should look at as this is my first time renting a car...
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
Be older than 25 or have a credit card in your name with a lot of free credit.Originally posted by zmanPLAN
Also, is there any other advise I should look at as this is my first time renting a car...
Last edited by jmello; 17 Oct 2005 at 2:11 PM.
If they know you're coming in at 11:00 pm, they should be there (there'll be others that'll need cars, too.)
Check with your auto policy or credit card company, you probably don't need the extended insurance the rental folks offer $$$. Buy the pre-paid gas if you think you might forget and bring it back empty (trust me on this, you'll make this mistake once in your life, and never again.)
Check to make sure your return flight is on-time before you return the rental car. Nothing worse than being stuck in an airport for 11 hours with no way to get away.
Have fun, and zMan, be nice with the GF's parents/family, okay?
I have seen
old ships sailing
like swans asleep
Thanks for the advise.
Have fun, and zMan, be nice with the GF's parents/family, okay?
I am going to have to pay for the 21-24 aged upcharge (can't help that) and I am going to contact my insurance company to see what coverage I have with them.
I checked the three companies that would allow for the 21-24 upcharge and made a tentative reservation for the cheapest. So we'll see...
I am always nice to her family and like them (and they like me...)... but other issues have come to light that do not involve me or my GF, so there may be something fun to watch.
Let's just say that they are vastly different from my parents...
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
I tried to rent a car when I was 23-24 and did not have a credit card in my name with a large enough limit to cover the massive deposit they required. Of course, I was carless at the time, so I had no insurance of my own. If that makes a difference.
Also check with your credit card company to see if they cover your insurance if you put the rental on their card (usually do if you have a gold or platinum card). Otherwise the extra insurance cost will be hell.
They will tell you to check the car before you go to make sure there aren't any dings, etc. Give it a really good look over and mark down anything you see, and then have them initial it. It takes a few minutes extra, probably at a time when you are going to be tired and ready to get on with the weekend, but it may save you hassles later when you return the car. I learned early on with Avis that this can come back to bite you if you don't go through all the motions.
They will tell you to check the car before you go to make sure there aren't any dings, etc. Give it a really good look over and mark down anything you see, and then have them initial it. It takes a few minutes extra, probably at a time when you are going to be tired and ready to get on with the weekend, but it may save you hassles later when you return the car. I learned early on with Avis that this can come back to bite you if you don't go through all the motions.
The last rental car we had it looked like someone poured a whole bottle of Peptobismal in the back floor. Pink everywhere and it wasn;t noted on our inspection sheet. We pointed it out to the guy and he said "thanks for pointing that out" and then put an X on the entire interior. He then said "this will cover you for anything you spill too, so have fun."
"Whatever beer I'm drinking, is better than the one I'm not." DMLW
And to think... I shied away from buying a car if the Carfax report came up as a rental car return....
Well, I do have insurance, a credit card in my name with a good limit, the desk in Spokane airport is open until midnight and it should be good. If all goes correct, with the upcharge for my age and the larger car I got I should get away with the whole weekend for about $100. Good thing too, in case I sneak a drive down to Tri-Cities to discuss hockey with a certain "Nut"
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
Don't buy their insurance, although they will try to scare you into it, its a rip off. Go over the car carefully, mark every scrape or scratch. I brought a car back that had a small scratch on the trunk and they charged my insurance company for a new trunk. I never did business with them again, Enterprize Car Rental. I caught got up in the full gas tank thing too once, I left the hotel and got a full tank then drove to the airport, used about 1/16 of a tank, got hit for bringing the car back without a full tank, Hertz. There are no gas stations near the airport that I ever saw. That did it for Hertz. I dislike car rental companies, also there will probably be some taxes associated with the car rental, state taxes or airport taxes. In Florida they get you for sales tax, airport tax and tag tax. It added something like $80.00 to the bill.
Just be ready to get ripped off by the car rental company and the local governement. Your a tourist, you don't vote, so pay up sucker!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Next to that have a good time.
Z: This has nothing to do with rental cars, GF family relationship development, or Idaho topography. Still. it's what makes a successful excursion.Hey all, I am leaving town this weekend and was looking at renting a car in Spokane for a weekend with the GF's family
Our flight arrives at 11pm Thrusday night. Dollar rent-a-car allowed me to reserve a car to be picked up at 11:30pm, but will they be open? I think I may get hosed...
Also, is there any other advise I should look at as this is my first time renting a car...
Have a good trip.
http://www.cdabrewing.com/
Check the air pressure in all tires before leaving the lot.....walk the whole car looking for any and I MEAN any problems....scratch's, marks of any kind and interior problems, and note them on the form.....demand that they be noted....!!! Also check the spare tire to make sure it isn't flat!! Dollar has been good to me in the past, and seem to be the cheapest....good choice....
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
Thank you much Miles! That looks to be a good thing to do on Friday after lunch and before the family dinner..Z: This has nothing to do with rental cars, GF family relationship development, or Idaho topography. Still. it's what makes a successful excursion.
Have a good trip.
http://www.cdabrewing.com/
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
Definately make sure they write down the correct miles if they charge a mileage fee. Sometimes they write down a much lower mileage on the sheet so that when you bring it back they say you drove like 3,000 miles and charge the snot out of you.
Do you think I could get a govt. rate at the rental desk if I show my city badge? I have one person telling me that local govt. counts, and I have someone saying that you must be in state or federal govt.
I figure it is worth a shot, but has this worked for anyone else?
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
I've never tried it - but I know some hotels will give local government employees discounts similar to the AAA discount- try it and let us know
I am intrigued b/c I was talking to a friend who was at a wedding in St. Louis last month. HIS buddy rented a car with his govt. rate and was upgraded to a Cadillac...(BA-LING!)I've never tried it - but I know some hotels will give local government employees discounts similar to the AAA discount- try it and let us know
I'll let you know, maybe there will be a bunch of Planners tooling around in Cadillacs next March in San Antonio.
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
Yes, it works; but is it ethical if you're not on City business?
Maybe it would be unethical if I was AICP, but I am not bound by anything. And my boss said I should try it and let her know how it goes.
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
watch out on this one, this could be a trick to get a black mark on your record. We are expressly forbid to use the City's name for any personal business.
Now when i worked in NB, it was just expected that we would and could do it.
Too lazy to beat myself up for being to lazy to beat myself up for being too lazy to... well you get the point....
I think some peoples jockey shorts are a little tight on this subject....I mean come on....showing that you're a City Employee just means that your a City Employee, not that your representing anything else....like being on official city business......Plus, I'll bet the car rental places want the word to get out that they have discounted rates for public servants.....check their web site and give them a call and ask if your worried....Oh, by the way this works for hotels as well, Days Inn will give you a nice break for being a government employee. There is no back charging going to your city from this discount....but I wouldn't pull a rock star on the car or hotel room, because then they might go after your employer.....
If all else fails and you still want to justify the use to the "Cyburbia Ethics Commission" just stop by the local planning office and chat with the POD for five minutes and bam, you've got your official business.....jeesh....
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
Hey, if you want to burn in hell for all eternity, be my guest
My understanding is that the discount exists for people on official business, not because you happen to be a civil servant. I don't particularly care if others take advantage, but I personally would not.
I've never seen so much angst over a car rental before - maybe you'd be better off taking the bus!
I'm sorry about the angst.....maybe I didn't use enoughHey, if you want to burn in hell for all eternity, be my guest
My understanding is that the discount exists for people on official business, not because you happen to be a civil servant. I don't particularly care if others take advantage, but I personally would not.
I've never seen so much angst over a car rental before - maybe you'd be better off taking the bus!
Yeah, I personally don't use my badge for hotels, cars or anything else, even when on official business because most of the time its already paid for by the municipality or the special conference rate is better anyway. I'm just saying find out if the company has a policy, or maybe they don't care, that's what is important here.
I suppose if you get a free monthly bus or train pass from work, you should just use it for work and not on the weekends or for special trips to see grandma
Hey this brings up an interesting question, what about those department heads out there that get a car or get a car payment from work? Should they not use that car on the weekends? My old boss got a new car every year by lease (corvette's/hondas...) and I never saw him drive anything else....No angst here, just finding myself wondering out loud....
On the ground, protecting the Cyburbia Shove since 2004.
They wouldn't take my govt. discount, as the weekend rate I got was a better deal. They said (Enterprise) that during the week they could hook me up (as a non-straightedged Canadian, I will take advantage...
Here's my experience:
My flight from Seattle to Spokane was delayed due to a bad airplane. No probklem, I'd rather wiat a couple more hours to go on a plane with a working fuel tank than one without
Nice truck, still a Ford guy though, and the gas was expensive, but I figure if I get to drive a different car around for a couple days why should I drive a Neon or Accsent...?
Of course, if I had to pay in full for the rental of the pickup, then I would've declined and taken the Neon.
You get all squeezed up inside/Like the days were carved in stone/You get all wired up inside/And it's bad to be alone
You can go out, you can take a ride/And when you get out on your own/You get all smoothed out inside/And it's good to be alone
-Peart
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