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Final sentence:
\"...so I can stay a happy Ryder costumer....\"
This is a person who dresses up Ryder trucks in clever costumes for Halloween, parades and civic events.
1 replies
Final sentence:
\"...so I can stay a happy Ryder costumer....\"
This is a person who dresses up Ryder trucks in clever costumes for Halloween, parades and civic events.
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I recently rented a trunk and practically made a show out of taking pictures of every inch of the truck before I drove it off the lot. That's about the best way to be safe when dealing with those companies. I do the same with cars at airports.
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@yajjo: I know how you feel. When I moved and rented a Uhaul I brought an HD Digital camcorder with me and filmed every inch of the damn truck to make sure I would not be blamed for anything, I even filmed the receipt so they would know I wasnt faking it and I had the manager in the video standing next to my father while we inspected it. I did this because of stories I read here..I was paranoid but for good reason.
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\"But of course you should check with your provider before you go U-Haul crashin\"
Imagine if on the Jackass movie they used a Ryder or U-Haul truck instead of the Ford Contour. And they bought the $11/day insurance.
\"You too can have this much fun...for only $11 a day\"
@DoubleEcho: But they didn't go to Bjork's house in the movie, did they?
CKY2K: 1
Jackass the Movie: 0
maybe i'm just thinking with too much common sense here, but i personally would have just duct-taped the thing back together before i turned it in. that, or i would have returned the vehicle during normal business hours and brought it up immediately with a Ryder employee.
or go further yet - either ask, or check while still at ryder what the duct tape was covering up to begin with.
yes, this isn't stuff the guy should HAVE to do, but it was a peculiar circumstance, and with situations of liability like this, you need to cover your ass.
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Having used many of these companies for in-town moves, I've learned one should ALWAYS return the vehicle when an employee can inspect and sign the return form.
Only once have I had the company call me back to say I would be charged for damages I didn't cause. They charged my card anyway, I disputed the charges providing the signed form that showed I returned the vehicle in the same condition as when I left.
@Xerloq speaks Portuguese, too...: modifier fail! Return the vehicle when an employee can inspect it then sign the return form.
I wouldn't get insurance. I actually sideswiped an Expidition by accident (because they parked in a right turn only lane, and I miscalculated maneuvering around them) and caused over $10k in damage to their vehicle. The Ryder truck I had was completely unscathed. And oddly, they paid the claim, not my insurance company. The point is, I am not sure what you would have to do to acutally seriously damage these trucks, short of driving under a bridge one foot too short.
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@mrgenius: That's how most of those top corner pieces get damaged. People unaware of overhead clearance because they're too used to driving their 4' tall car. However, this is really problem in older parts of the United States where you have bridges that predate large trucks.
@mrgenius: My fraternity actually did that. We put a truck full of furniture (and several fairly happy college students) under a railroad bridge in North Jersey and managed to open the top like a sardine can. They had to let the air out of the tires before the tow truck could pull us out. We had purchased insurance and the driver could walk a straight line.
I assume that he uses their trucks for business, since that Ryder's whole gig now. I wonder if he'd have the same result as a regular schmoe moving apartment to apartment.
@mrgenius: Ryder will rent a truck to anyone that has money. They just don't market to consumers as part of an agreement with Penske (whom they sold their Yellowtruck business to)
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That's some expensive duct tape. \"You damaged roof made out of duct tape! $200!\"
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I disagree about the 3rd party insurance. It's worth the $27. My car insurance always goes up if there's a claim, no matter how worthless, and I'd rather have it on the rental agencies' record than my own.
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@mariospants: Sometimes it's much more. UHaul from Denver to Oklahoma City.. Insurance would have been over $130.
Hertz doesn't do walkarounds unless you drag a manager out yourself. When returning vehicles, if they spot previous damage, they ask you to sign a form that says \"Yes, the damage occurred while I had the vehicle\". Their employees flat out lie about what the form is, and instead try to tell people its just for documentation purposes. Always get the insurance on rentals, and always do a walkaround.
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The first time I rented a U-Haul I took my camera with me and took photos and a video of the outside of the vehicle and all the dents and scratches that were already there. Good thing, too, because when I went in to get the keys, there was a U-Haul guy on the phone arguing with a customer who had returned his truck with some moderate damage. When he got off the phone, he turned to his colleague and said \"dude didn't get the insurance, he's screwed.\"
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Budget tried this one on me in Orlando once. The truck they rented me had a loose headlight--try finding that out on a walk-around! So by the end of the day, the headlight had worked its way out of the front of the truck by about 1/2 of an inch.
They even made me fill out an accident report, which I filled out saying \"Nothing happened\".
My husband works for a car rental agency, and seriously, the insurance is worth it. Without that, they will charge you out the wazoo for a miniscule door ding, or hit you with \"excessive wear\" on the tires.
On the other hand, if you pay for the insurance, you can do literally whatever the hell you want to that poor car. One guy brought the car back with multiple bullet holes in the side. Several people have gone drag racing or to burn-out competitions in these cars, and worn the tires down to the threads. Point is, you can beat the heck out of these cars and with the insurance you don't have to pay anything.
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@travel_nut: If, however, you have no plans to intentionally trash the vehicle, your own car insurance plus the deductible-coverage any decent credit card includes when you use the card to rent the car will suffice and cost you nothing extra. Note that this ONLY applies to renting a passenger vehicle with some (many? all?) cards... I know Amex and my primary Visa card both have specific exceptions for cargo vehicles and vehicles above a certain gross weight rating.
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So Plainfield, NJ -- I smelled trouble early on....
When deciding whether or not to accept their insurance or not, consider that if you use your own insurance and something happens, your rate could probably take a hit (ie: premium increase). So depending on whether or not your insurance rate is a issue for you, you might be better served allowing THEIR insurance company to work things out. In that case, I think the only way your own car insurance company would ever find out about an incident is if there is a police report filed and it's reported to the DMV.
Check your insurance policy before renting a truck. While the policy probably protects for auto rental, it might not for truck rental. Also, some credit cards provide some insurance coverage without additional cost.
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I've never had a problem with U-haul. But I typically rent either the pickup truck or the cargo van and most of those are near to brand spanking new (plus they're easier to drive). The real trucks are typically beat to bejesus and back, and I can't recall if they're actually cheaper...
@nstonep: The pickup and cargo van are exclusively for in-town moves with U-haul. They don't see any one-way rentals. The larger trucks that get rented for in-town moves are the ones that U-Haul deems too old for cross-country work. Or at least those older trucks get rented first to in town movers. A friend of mine got a pretty new U-Haul truck when he rented from U-Haul, but that could have been due to what was available.