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Forget To Fill Up The Rental Car? No Prob, That'll Be $9/Gal
Photo by NatalieMaynor via Flickr
It was just last week a visiting friend remarked that the penalty gas rate at $4 per gallon was, for the first time in his experience, cheaper than the cost to fill up on his own here in Los Angeles. WHY MUST YOU SPEAK SO LOUDLY?? THEY HEARD YOU!! The L.A. Times is reporting that some agencies are now charging upward of $9 per gallon to refill the rental car if you return a vehicle below the demarcation line.
Think of it this way: If you have a car with a 13.8-gallon tank, you’ll owe the car rental company $124.20 if you return it empty. Hertz is charging an eye-popping $9.29 a gallon for customers who forgot to fill up before dropping off the car at its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) site and other major airports nationwide.
That price, according to a Hertz spokeswoman, incorporates the cost of gas, the cost of "related operational charges," says the L.A. Times, and a charge for "convenience." Though Hertz asserts they are not in the gas business, notes USA Today, and that company expenses are drawn against the figure, the rental car giant "brought in $43.7 million in refueling costs last year," notes the L.A. Times.
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You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
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