Renting a car in the US often results in unexpected charges from the rental company. Sometimes, even after confirming the price online, various fees are added upon arrival. Sometimes, the receipt shows numerous unexplained additional charges, and even after the transaction is complete, new charges may appear. Although the amounts are usually small, they are extremely annoying. As a high-risk area for these unauthorized charges, even credit card companies are reluctant to handle these cases, as the fees are usually not substantial and determining liability is difficult. Most of the time, people just tolerate it.
I experienced something similar a few months ago. I rented a car online in advance, but when I arrived at the rental shop, they inexplicably upgraded me and asked me to buy pre-gas or something similar. Instinctively, I didn't carefully check the charges, partly because I was lazy, and partly because it seemed too complicated. After returning home from my trip, I discovered that they had not only added a fee for the upgrade but also failed to refund the pre-gas cost (I had filled up the tank when I returned the car). They even charged extra for returning the car in a different location (I had specifically confirmed beforehand that the one-way rental fee was included in the rental price), nearly doubling the overall cost.
Generally, these kinds of overcharge issues can be resolved smoothly through the credit card company. Based on this concept, I applied for a dispute online, and since I had seen other successful cases before, I didn't take it too seriously. However, after submitting my materials and waiting for over a month, I was rejected (they didn't contact me during that time to inquire about the situation). The reason given was also very perfunctory:
Although it was only a few hundred dollars, it still left a bad taste in my mouth. More than two months had passed, and I hadn't given up hope of a successful refund. Out of a desire to share my experience, I called Costco customer service. After listening to my description, they said they wanted to know more and see if they could help. A day later, I received an email asking me to describe the situation in detail and send them my order and the final bill. After sending them, I learned that my gas fee would be refunded immediately, but other fees needed to be checked with the rental company.
Two weeks later, I received an email. The results were: 1. Since there was no vehicle available, there should be no charge for the upgrade. 2. The extra charge was unreasonable and will be refunded. Combined with the previously refunded gas, the price essentially returned to the original order price.
Before experiencing this, I read an article that said Costco stores sell goods at a loss because they not only have low prices but also accept any returns unconditionally. Their main source of income comes from membership fees, and what attracts people to join is not the low prices and wide selection, but their after-sales service, especially the "unconditional return" policy, which has been maliciously exploited by many but is still upheld.
I'm not a Costco fan, I've only been a member because I can buy a lot of cheap things, especially water, drinks, and rice, and also because of my credit card. After a friend introduced me to Costco Travel, I found another reason to join: Costco Travel car rentals are much cheaper than elsewhere, and the hotels are all from the three major chains (Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott), which is perfect for me (because I have credit cards from all three and can accumulate points). And since it's a member-only service, no deposit is required in advance.
The experience was excellent, especially the after-sales service, which largely eliminated any worries. I highly recommend it to everyone.
Additional information: Costco's large items are also very cheap, and they often have discounts, but online prices are much higher than in-store. I recommend checking out their stores occasionally. They also have tires, sunglasses, etc., which I haven't used but seem quite inexpensive.
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Original author:Jake Tao,source:My experience with Costco's unreasonable charges for car rentals and how I eventually got a refund (using both my credit card and Costco's official channels)
Comment list (4 comments)
Very helpful, thank you
Last time I used eHi Car Rental's overseas version, I ended up renting from a Costco location, so it seems they've partnered with them. So the whole process and price were fair.
@JQiuss ：That's good. I'm not sure if it's a collaboration, but it's possible that it could be done manually as well. I've never heard of Costco providing APIs to other companies.
Last time I used eHi Car Rental's overseas version, I ended up renting from a Costco location, so it seems they've partnered with them. So the whole process and price were fair.