Las Vegas car rentals and overpriced gas

kr0 · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 2

Apparently there is an issue in Las Vegas with car rental companies charging
excessive amounts for gas. These charges seem to be well above the market
rate and are applied to rental vehicles returned without a full tank. If you
go to
http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/vegas_rental_car_price_gouging
there is more information on this as well as what can be done about it.
There is a free case evaluation provided for those who might have been
overcharged. I thought this might be of interest and hope that it may be of
help some.

kr0

Archived from group: alt>las-vegas

BR Eagle · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 482

"kr0" wrote in message $sa3.31055@pd7tw1no...
> Apparently there is an issue in Las Vegas with car rental companies
> charging
> excessive amounts for gas. These charges seem to be well above the market
> rate and are applied to rental vehicles returned without a full tank. If
> you
> go to
> http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/vegas_rental_car_price_gouging
> there is more information on this as well as what can be done about it.
> There is a free case evaluation provided for those who might have been
> overcharged. I thought this might be of interest and hope that it may be
> of
> help some.
>
> kr0
>
I'll be the first (and maybe last) to call BS on this. Point one, there is
no such thing as price gouging. Point two, the prices are high to encourage
you to fill it yourself. You pay a premium for convenience. In all my days
of renting cars, only once did I rent it less than full, and that was
because we were in super hurry (one guy in our group got 'lost' at GVR).
Point three, as for 'market rate' look around and I think you'll see all car
rental companies charge about the same price for gas for vehicles returned
with less than a full tank.
I only know one good lawyer, and he lives in Alabama.
viva

Skip · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 20

On Wed, 01 Mar 2006 00:56:15 GMT, "kr0" wrote:

>Apparently there is an issue in Las Vegas with car rental companies charging
>excessive amounts for gas. These charges seem to be well above the market
>rate and are applied to rental vehicles returned without a full tank. If you
>go to
>http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/vegas_rental_car_price_gouging
>there is more information on this as well as what can be done about it.
>There is a free case evaluation provided for those who might have been
>overcharged. I thought this might be of interest and hope that it may be of
>help some.
>
>kr0
>

As it was explained to me, they charge more than pump price because
they have to pay someone to go to a gas station and fill up the tanks.
I would think these huge car rental places would have their own pumps
but...

It's fairly easy to fill up before you take the car back. The
cheapest gas I can find is usually at the ARCO station, Paradise and
Twain.

Skip

DH · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 43

"Skip" wrote
The
> cheapest gas I can find is usually at the ARCO station, Paradise and
> Twain.

That station has been closed for at least a year.

glassman · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 119

"kr0" wrote in message $sa3.31055@pd7tw1no...
> Apparently there is an issue in Las Vegas with car rental companies
> charging
> excessive amounts for gas. These charges seem to be well above the market
> rate and are applied to rental vehicles returned without a full tank. If
> you
> go to
>

Nope.... every single rental place in the entire world does this. All you
need to do is fill it up yourself.

--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com

VegasRex · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 14

> Nope.... every single rental place in the entire world does this. All you
> need to do is fill it up yourself.

My favorite is when they give it to you empty, and tell you to "return
it with an empty tank".

I've yet to figure out the exact formula as to how to know EXACTLY how
much gas to put into the car to ensure that I will return it with an
empty tank.

I always end up giving the Rental Company at least a quarter-tank of
free gas (which I suppose is the point).

Mark my words, one of these days, I am going to push the damn car back
to the lot with an truly empty tank. Or perhaps easier, I am just going
to let the car idle in the lot until it runs out of gas before I return
the keys.

DH · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 43

Skip, that station was torn down months ago!

"Skip" wrote
>
The cheapest gas I can find is usually at the ARCO station, Paradise and
Twain.
>

Steve Harder-Kucera · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 162

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:14:37 -0600, "BR Eagle"
wrote:

>I'll be the first (and maybe last) to call BS on this. Point one, there is
>no such thing as price gouging.

You're absolutely right. Competition will prevent this from ever being
a problem. People ALWAYS have the option to go to a lower priced
competitor.

>Point three, as for 'market rate' look around and I think you'll see all car
>rental companies charge about the same price for gas for vehicles returned
>with less than a full tank.

Oh. That kind of blows the theory out of the water.

Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
http://www.thepickadillos.com

BR Eagle · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 482

"Steve Harder-Kucera" wrote in message @4ax.com...
> On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:14:37 -0600, "BR Eagle"
> wrote:
>
>>I'll be the first (and maybe last) to call BS on this. Point one, there is
>>no such thing as price gouging.
>
> You're absolutely right. Competition will prevent this from ever being
> a problem. People ALWAYS have the option to go to a lower priced
> competitor.
>
>>Point three, as for 'market rate' look around and I think you'll see all
>>car
>>rental companies charge about the same price for gas for vehicles returned
>>with less than a full tank.
>
> Oh. That kind of blows the theory out of the water.

Well, if a car rental company could make more money (hey, that's why they're
in business) by lowering price for gas, they would. There is a cheaper
alternative...as Ron said, bring gas with you from home.

Why don't we go after movie theaters for price gouging on popcorn and cokes?
viva

>
>
> Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
> http://www.thepickadillos.com

Steve Harder-Kucera · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 162

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:24:20 -0600, "BR Eagle"
wrote:

>Well, if a car rental company could make more money (hey, that's why they're
>in business) by lowering price for gas, they would. There is a cheaper
>alternative...as Ron said, bring gas with you from home.

You're basic theory of economics is that no consumer protection is
ever necessary since the "Invisible Hand" of the market will make
everything right. This simplistic view, that all business is good, is
as naive as my friends on the left who believe that all business is
bad, profit is evil etc. Your thought process is equally flawed, just
flawed in a different direction.

Your ability to sum up and resolve complex issues via simplistic
thinking may work well where you live, in Absolutesville, but out here
in Realityburg we still have to paint in shades of grey. And this is
coming from me, a pro free-enterprise, moderate libertarian.

The only reason I even bother to debate you on the subject is
two-fold. A: You're a good guy in my book and it's fun to toss out a
debate with you now and again and B: I used to think exactly the way
you think until I realized that I had just replace my leftist dogma
with my right-wing dogma.

>Why don't we go after movie theaters for price gouging on popcorn and cokes?

You've chosen as an example one of the many areas where the free
market works well. As expensive as popcorn is in the theatre it is no
more than the market will bear. But that example doesn't accurately
portray what I perceive to be the totality of your views. My
perception of your views (as incorrect as I may be) is that there is
no reason for government to mandate handicap access, health-code
regulations in the snack-bar and lighted fire exit signs since after
all the Invisible Hand of the market will magically make all of these
things unnecessary.

Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
http://www.thepickadillos.com

Walt · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 1159

In article , Steve
Harder-Kucera wrote:

> On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 19:14:37 -0600, "BR Eagle"
> wrote:
>
> >I'll be the first (and maybe last) to call BS on this. Point one, there is
> >no such thing as price gouging.
>
> You're absolutely right. Competition will prevent this from ever being
> a problem. People ALWAYS have the option to go to a lower priced
> competitor.
>
> >Point three, as for 'market rate' look around and I think you'll see all car
> >rental companies charge about the same price for gas for vehicles returned
> >with less than a full tank.
>
> Oh. That kind of blows the theory out of the water.

Not really. The "competition" in this case is all the gas stations in
Vegas who sell gas for less than what the car-rental companies charge
(which means just about all of them). Car renters are free to fill
their tank at any of those locations. Indeed, it's almost impossible
to drive from the Strip to the airport without passing the self-serve
station at Paradise and Tropicana which offers very competitive prices
for the Vegas area.

When you buy the rental companies' higher-priced gas, you're paying, as
BR said, a premium for the convenience of not refilling the tank
yourself. You're paying extra for somebody else to perform an extra
service for you. If the rental companies all price their gas about the
same, it could be because the cost of providing that extra service is
about the same for all of them as well.

The price-gouging accusation, besides being total B.S., is actually
pretty funny since Vegas already has some of the lowest car-rental
rates in the country. If the rental companies really had the power to
"gouge", they would charge $10 or $20 per gallon. Yet you don't see
any of them charging that much, because then just about everyone
_would_ fill their own tank and the rental companies would lose
whatever profit they make on their refill service. So they charge what
their customers are willing to pay and no more.

These class-action suits seem to bring out the worst money-sniffing
instincts in lawyers, and this case looks particularly sleazy. I don't
see them getting anywhere with this one. Even their own write-up on
the web page is weak and vague; in lieu of presenting facts it tries to
whip up the reader's emotions.

--- Walt

Steve Harder-Kucera · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 162

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 20:17:27 -0800, Steve Harder-Kucera
wrote:

>You're basic theory of economics

During Chuck's absence I will be handling the bad apostrophe usage.

Please make a note of that Andrew.

Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
http://www.thepickadillos.com

Steve Harder-Kucera · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 162

On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 23:03:16 -0500, Walt wrote:

>Not really. The "competition" in this case is all the gas stations in
>Vegas who sell gas for less than what the car-rental companies charge
>(which means just about all of them).

But that's not what BR said. His response was characterized by two
absolutes:

> You're absolutely right. Competition will prevent this from ever being
> a problem. People ALWAYS have the option to go to a lower priced
> competitor.

and

>Point one, there is no such thing as price gouging.

BR contends that I will ALWAYS have the option of dealing with a lower
priced competitor. Then he followed up with the statement that they're
all charging the same price.

FWIW, I think the class action suit is bullshit.

Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
http://www.thepickadillos.com

BR Eagle · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 482

"Steve Harder-Kucera" wrote in message @4ax.com...
> On Tue, 28 Feb 2006 21:24:20 -0600, "BR Eagle"
> wrote:
> The only reason I even bother to debate you on the subject is
> two-fold. A: You're a good guy in my book and it's fun to toss out a
> debate with you now and again and B: I used to think exactly the way
> you think until I realized that I had just replace my leftist dogma
> with my right-wing dogma.

Right-wing left-wing? OK, maybe. I keep it simple for fear that I can't
keep up with you.(SKH)
BTW, anyway you slice that, it is a complement.
>
>>Why don't we go after movie theaters for price gouging on popcorn and
>>cokes?
>
> You've chosen as an example one of the many areas where the free
> market works well. As expensive as popcorn is in the theatre it is no
> more than the market will bear. But that example doesn't accurately
> portray what I perceive to be the totality of your views. My
> perception of your views (as incorrect as I may be) is that there is
> no reason for government to mandate handicap access, health-code
> regulations in the snack-bar and lighted fire exit signs since after
> all the Invisible Hand of the market will magically make all of these
> things unnecessary.

The market would take care of those things. While I accept some government
regulation is a good thing, the left-wing zealots often take things too far.

btw, my next Vegas trip will be to attend Association of Private Enterprise
Education conference...if all goes as planned. www.apee.org You want to
talk about 'right'.

viva

>
> Mutant Bluegrass That Rocks!
> http://www.thepickadillos.com

SpencerDogg · Joined: 01 Aug 2007 Posts: 75

On Feb 28 2006 8:56 PM, kr0 wrote:

> Apparently there is an issue in Las Vegas with car rental companies charging
> excessive amounts for gas. These charges seem to be well above the market
> rate and are applied to rental vehicles returned without a full tank. If you
> go to
> http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/vegas_rental_car_price_gouging
> there is more information on this as well as what can be done about it.
> There is a free case evaluation provided for those who might have been
> overcharged. I thought this might be of interest and hope that it may be of
> help some.
>
> kr0

They make it very clear when you pick up the car that you need to bring it
back full or pay the high refill price. But they also offer a reasonable
buy the first tank price where you prepay at market price for the full
tank and bring it back as near to empty as you can. Since my rentals are
usually a week or so I chose this option.

----
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