Chain Reactions on Car Rentals

Here are a few updated consumer tips on renting cars:

Chain Requirements

Few car-rental outlets routinely provide tire chains, including those that serve the nation’s major ski destinations and snow-prone cities, even though at least seven mountain states and a national park sometimes require chains when a blizzard hits. And if you are stopped by police, you--not the car-rental agency--will be ticketed for driving without chains when weather conditions warrant.

For example: You rent a car in Denver to drive west into the Rockies for a ski trip--straight into a raging snowstorm. Conditions on the high passes are treacherous, so highway authorities have shut the snow gates, allowing past only vehicles equipped with chains or four-wheel-drive and snow tires. You are stuck behind the gate.

Colorado State Patrol spokeswoman Betty Will says she gets numerous calls from safety-conscious travelers who don’t want to end up in a snow drift but can’t find a rental-car company that provides chains. It is a quandary that, unfortunately, motorists must resolve for themselves. Car-rental firms aren’t required to issue chains.

Will’s advice, if you expect to encounter heavy snow, is to rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle, although they typically are more expensive than an ordinary sedan. In Denver, Avis recently quoted a rate of $239.99 for a one-week rental of a mid-sized sedan with all-season tires; the week’s rate for a four-wheel-drive vehicle was $509.99.

The seven states that may require chains when weather conditions warrant are California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Montana and South Dakota, according to a survey made by the National Assn. of Chain Manufacturers of York, Pa. In addition, rangers at Yosemite National Park, a popular all-season destination, also sometimes close roads in a snowstorm to all motorists except those in vehicles equipped with chains or four-wheel-drive.

Among the major car rental companies, Hertz as a matter of policy does not supply chains, says spokeswoman Annalise McKean-Marcus. Instead, it equips its snow-country vehicles with all-season tires, which should be adequate for most winter driving. Hertz does not prohibit the use of chains, but it holds customers responsible if chains cause damage to the rented vehicle. Budget has much the same policy.

Avis does make chains available on a rental basis at some locations, usually at a rate of $6 a day or $30 a week. Alamo provides rentals only in Reno, Nev., primarily for skiers bound for the often snowy mountain roads around Lake Tahoe. National does not have chains at any of its rental outlets and, indeed, bans their use on its cars, says spokeswoman Gail Spratt. It advises against driving in areas where chains are mandatory.

All of this leaves snow-country drivers with alternatives that are either costly, inconvenient or chancy. You may:

* Rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle--probably the best option for safety-conscious travelers who are willing to pay extra to make sure they get to the slopes on time.

* Stick with a sedan, which can be risky in a bad storm. But be sure it is equipped with all-season or snow tires. In Colorado, roads closed to most traffic sometimes may be open to drivers with “adequate” snow tires in lieu of chains. “Adequate” tires, as defined by the state, are all-season or snow tires that carry a “M/S” rating on the side, according to Will. The letters stand for mud and snow. The tires must also have a tread depth of an eighth-inch.

* Buy or rent chains for your rental car from an auto supply, tire or other shop before you enter an area where chains may be required. A set of chains can cost $60 or more. In Yosemite, the Yosemite Valley service station carries chains for unprepared motorists who are trapped there by heavy snows.

* Play it safe, and hole up in a motel until the storm passes if the highway is posted for chains.

No-Shows

A couple of years ago, the rental car industry seemed primed to introduce cancellation fees for renters who reserve a car but never show up. Hotels and tour operators routinely charge such fees, and rental companies were assumed to be next in the battle against no-shows.

But with some exceptions for specialty vehicles or those in high demand, it hasn’t happened. “We would like to do it,” says Jan M. Armstrong, executive vice president of the American Car Rental Assn., “but no one wants to be first.” No-shows cost companies in lost rental income, and cars held on reserve are not available to other renters.

Several firms, among them Hertz, Avis, National and Budget, will guarantee the availability of certain vehicles to customers providing a credit card number. If the customer does not appear or fails to cancel in advance, a fee of from $50 to $100 is imposed. Specialty vehicles include vans, mini-vans and other four-wheel-drive vehicles, along with convertibles and luxury-class models such as top-of-the-line Cadillacs.

“For some people, a special car makes or breaks a trip,” says Dimitri Mudar, spokeswoman for Avis, so they are eager to guarantee availability.

In some places, such as New York, where there is a high demand for cars on summer weekends, Hertz may permit customers to guarantee any car with a credit card, according to McKean-Marcus. National may ask customers to provide a credit card guarantee for rentals in communities hosting special events, such as the Super Bowl. Four-wheel-drive vehicles are in high demand in Montana in the summer, and Budget will guarantee availability with a credit card.

Hertz’s cancellation fee for no-shows is usually $100, although it may be less at some rental locations. The reservation can be canceled up to 24 hours in advance without penalty. Avis requires customers to cancel at least 48 hours in advance or face a penalty of $75 for vehicles guaranteed with a credit card. Both National and Budget require a 24-hour notice of cancellation; the penalty is $50.

Fuel Options

Returning a rental car with an empty fuel tank can cost you big money, as Jan Armstrong, executive vice president of the American Car Rental Assn., learned first hand in Miami recently. She paid an extra $30 on a vacation rental.

“I should know this,” she says. She had every intention of filling the tank before turning the car back in at the Miami airport. But she forgot about it until she was on the freeway, and then she didn’t want to pull off in an unfamiliar neighborhood because tourists have been the target of well-publicized attacks in the Miami area.

Most major car rental companies offer customers three fuel options:

* You can pay for a full tank of gas in advance at a cost per gallon that is competitive with the price charged at local gas stations. You get the best deal if you bring the car back nearly empty because you don’t get credit for any gas left in the tank. “You can bring it back on fumes if you want,” says Budget spokeswoman Janice Cain. On the other hand, if you cut things too closely, you face the risk of running out of gas a mile from the airport and missing your flight.

* If you pay nothing up front, you can return the car with a full tank--well, almost full anyway--and avoid a refueling charge. Consumer Reports in its “Travel Buying Guide 1994” suggests adding gas only until the needle on the gas gauge points to “F.” This is because on many fuel gauges, the needle indicates “full” before the tank has reached capacity. Otherwise, you are making a gift of a $1 or so worth of gas to the rental car company.

* Again, if you pay nothing up front, you can return the car with a partially full tank. This is the costliest option. In downtown Washington, D.C., for example, the Avis rental office currently is charging $1.15 per gallon for customers who choose to buy a tank’s worth of gas in advance, a price competitive with local service stations. If you don’t take this option and return the car with a partially full tank, you are charged $3.04 for each gallon you used.