We generally share the driving responsibilities on our vacations. We had reserved the car for 28 days - that was going to be $280 we hadn't planned on. We protested and argued. They wouldn't budge.
We felt "had" on both counts - car size and fee.
After a few days, we called Dollar and told them we wanted the car we originally had reserved and did not want to pay the additional-driver fee. They agreed and arranged for us to exchange our car in Philadelphia, which we did. Dollar agreed to remove the additional-driver fee from the new rental.
You can imagine our surprise when we discovered we were charged the fee anyway. We found out about it only at the last minute, as we tried to catch our flight home. We didn't have time to argue.
Is there any way to have this bill reduced by the $180 we believe we were overcharged?
- Bayard Allmond, Berkeley, Calif.
Answer: Dollar should have told you about the additional-driver fee up front, so you could have made an informed decision about your rental.
It's highly unusual for a car-rental company to charge an extra-driver fee for a spouse, but such a surcharge isn't illegal. It is something of a money grab, though. Does it cost the car-rental company more if your wife, brother, or son drives your rental? No. Will your car insurance cover damage to the vehicle if it's damaged? Check with your insurance company, but I've never heard of an extra-driver fee having any relevance in a claim that involves a driver's insurance company.
Some car-rental companies will allow spouses to drive a rental at no extra charge. But what does marriage have to do with a rental car? Last time I checked, it had nothing to do with it at all.
So, no, I can't blame you for feeling "had" by the extra-driver fee.
