Rental companies ripping you off!!!

[Ronsii]

I can top that … I wanted to rent a skidsteer for a week. The rate was for 40 hours, okay.. Only the week was 5 days. Drop off sometime on Monday, Pick-up at their schedule on Friday. I could only depend on it being available for 3 days use. Weather being a critical factor in my requirements.
Needless to say I went to BobCat. Their weekly rate was 7 days. 40 meter hours included.

Yep, it has always been that way in the past grab it mongay and you had til monday(early) to return it and they charged you a weeks rent... unless you went over the 40 hours of course then they'd add anything over the 40 at normal rate. I wouldn't be surprised if this new change also has something like what you're talking about too.... hidden in the small print

 

[Truck Shop]

Around here you don't need to worry too much about the hourly, because 80% of their rental equipment either won't start, won't stay running or just plane don't work.
I rented a chipper two years ago after taking the first two back the third one ran for less than an hour before it took a dump.

 

[Ronsii]

Around here you don't need to worry too much about the hourly, because 80% of their rental equipment either won't start, won't stay running or just plane don't work.
I rented a chipper two years ago after taking the first two back the third one ran for less than an hour before it took a dump.

LOL, so far these SB lights have come with at least 2 bulbs burned out and one of the towers showed up missing the two side stabilizer jacks... but other than that they seen ok... well except for the hourly thing ....

 

[check]

When I was an employee my time was worth more after eight and twice as much on Sundays.

Lots of reasons. For one thing, there are laws preventing employers from forcing employees to work more than 8/40 hours because it's too much wear and tear on the human body. Machines function and wear the same if you work them 8700 hours a year or 8700 hours in ten years. There is nothing legitimate at all about rental companies charging time and a half over 40 hours.
I suppose they get lots of customers who assume time goes on at a consistent rate after 40 hours and are told it's "customary" to charge time and a half after 40, without giving a real reason other than the usual "policy and procedure" nonsense. This is the same tactic used by many unscrupulous businesses who agree to something verbally and then present a bill demanding much more, then acting surprised that the customer didn't know what they claim was "customary".
Another dirty trick rental yards use is to quote you a price on the phone and when you get there that price is x + y, not having mentioned that the mandatory insurance is added. Agreements trump "customary" because it's not the customers responsibility to know what a business claims is "customary".

 

[Welder Dave]

Yea, like U-Haul renting a truck for $19.95/day. Then there's mileage and insurance on top of that and you're limited how far out of the city you can go or it's extra.

I rented a single axle dump truck from another place and was told to fill it 2" from the top when you bring it back. I didn't have a tape measure but was very close to this. I stopped at an even number on the pump. When I bring it back they say it's not filled to the top and needed another 5 gallons or so and charged me about 3 times the regular price of gas. I said I was told 2" from the top and they now say full is within 1/2". I said then let me take it a couple blocks and fill it up fuller. Nope, you already returned it. That company ran for about 10 years and never got any newer trucks but it is now closed down. Good riddance!

 

[Ronsii]

When we rent from UR it has always been 'as long as the gauge reads full' you are good to go but it wouldn't surprise me if they started to do the 2 inch or 1/2 inch thing just to squeeze every drop out of you

 

[Welder Dave]

Yea the gauge was pegged!

 

[John C.]

Gentlemen, It comes down to reading a contract before you rent the equipment. If you don't like the terms you can always shop around. You can't accuse someone of cheating you if you don't fully inform yourself. If you don't read the contract, you have given up that option.

 

[hosspuller]

I my case, I was renting a machine for a week, with the intention of purchasing one if it was appropriate to my tasks. The local Deere dealer lost out because of the unfavorable rental terms compared to Bobcat's dealer.

The more this information is passed to the HE community, the more the vendors will take note of their competitors policies. Just like pricing. It's a business. Don't like something, take your money elsewhere and let them know why.

Southwest airlines gets customers because they allow checked baggage with their tickets. The rest charge extra. Remember that when you fly.

 

[check]

Gentlemen, It comes down to reading a contract before you rent the equipment. If you don't like the terms you can always shop around. You can't accuse someone of cheating you if you don't fully inform yourself. If you don't read the contract, you have given up that option.

1) If someone tells me one price over the phone and after I drive there presents a contract with much higher prices, he has renegged. Unscrupulous.

2) If someone presents a contract that has pages of legaleze fine print that ordinary people cannot fathom, I say complexity has a motive. Unscrupulous.

Honest businessmen openly disclose all major costs to their customers. They don't "fine print" them with a complicated contract with several more customers waiting in line behind them. They keep their word. Dishonest ones sneak in extra fees at every stage.

If you went to Walmart and picked up 3 gallons of oil totalling $35, then waited in line 10 minutes at the register only to be told there is a 8% fuel surcharge added, wouldn't you be outraged?

 

[CM1995]

Gentlemen, It comes down to reading a contract before you rent the equipment. If you don't like the terms you can always shop around. You can't accuse someone of cheating you if you don't fully inform yourself. If you don't read the contract, you have given up that option.

Well said John, I agree.

I rent mostly from the Cat Rental store as we have a great relationship. Every year my insurance company sends them our rental waiver to have on file - it's rather easy. My salesman tells me what it is per day or week "out the door" and asks if we want it delivered and picked up for $150 each way. Nothing to it.

 

[Raildudes dad]

I rented a Budget 26 footer from the local car salvage yard a couple blocks away to deliver a 24 foot long foam canoe mold (Google ASCE Concrete Canoe Competition ) Our daughter and their daughter went to grade school together so I know them. Leave Friday night, drop off the mold Saturday in Houghton MI, drop the truck off Sunday night, put the keys in the drop box. I fill the truck tank to the bottom of the fill spout.The station is 2 blocks from the yard. I get my credit card receipt with an additional $15 charge for not returning it full. I stop there after work and says what gives. It was full to the bottom of the spout, did you want it running out of the fill pipe? Sloshing out driving in an out of driveways and bumps? She doesn't say a work, just hands me a $10 and a $5 from the register. I'll bet every rental drop off got a $15 not full charge. How many companies would question it, oh Joe forgot to fill it, it's only $15. It was a pretty good upcharge for them. They had a fleet of probably a dozen each 26 footers, 20? footers and cargo vans. Usually all gone during the week.

 

[Welder Dave]

Very similar to what I went through but I had no choice but to pay it. I bet that $15 was based on an extremely exaggerated price for gas. Not much different than my cell provider from years ago. Just about every bill was over charging me. I just think about the thousands of customers who just the pay the bill and never really look at it. Yea, they might correct it if you contact them but I bet a lot don't even look at it that close. Cable and internet providers are the same way. New customers gets all kinds of incentives and discounts but the long term loyal customers get shafted. They don't give you a better deal unless you threaten to go to another provider.

 

[check]

I don't rent from the Cat rental store very often, so I don't have a special relationship with them. They make great deals over the phone, then when the driver delivers it he gives you paper to sign. Twice I have caught them adding cost on the contract. Called them on it and the driver made the adjustment and initialed it. They know exactly what they are doing....underhanded tricks. One time they made a deal and told me "free delivery". When I paid up I found out that "free delivery" does not include picking it up when done. Does anyone think they don't know most people make the assumption that free delivery means free hauling?
But they are still cheaper than anyone else around Missoula so I still use them, just have to keep them on a short leash, expect tricks.

A verbal contract is a valid contract, just as valid as one written by a team of lawyers. The only difference is that it's damn hard to prove or enforce a verbal contract which is why there is so much temptation for crooks to sweeten the verbal deal, then add more later.

 

[KSSS]

Renting sucks! Its all I got.

 

[Welder Dave]

I don't rent from the Cat rental store very often, so I don't have a special relationship with them. They make great deals over the phone, then when the driver delivers it he gives you paper to sign. Twice I have caught them adding cost on the contract. Called them on it and the driver made the adjustment and initialed it. They know exactly what they are doing....underhanded tricks. One time they made a deal and told me "free delivery". When I paid up I found out that "free delivery" does not include picking it up when done. Does anyone think they don't know most people make the assumption that free delivery means free hauling?
But they are still cheaper than anyone else around Missoula so I still use them, just have to keep them on a short leash, expect tricks.

A verbal contract is a valid contract, just as valid as one written by a team of lawyers. The only difference is that it's damn hard to prove or enforce a verbal contract which is why there is so much temptation for crooks to sweeten the verbal deal, then add more later.

Cat rental store here is owned by Finning here and are generally more expensive but they sold off most of their smaller tools and stuff. The way a lot of places are you almost need to be recording every conversation you have with them so you can hold them to what they agreed to.

 

[CM1995]

I don't rent from the Cat rental store very often, so I don't have a special relationship with them. They make great deals over the phone, then when the driver delivers it he gives you paper to sign. Twice I have caught them adding cost on the contract. Called them on it and the driver made the adjustment and initialed it. They know exactly what they are doing....underhanded tricks. One time they made a deal and told me "free delivery". When I paid up I found out that "free delivery" does not include picking it up when done. Does anyone think they don't know most people make the assumption that free delivery means free hauling?
But they are still cheaper than anyone else around Missoula so I still use them, just have to keep them on a short leash, expect tricks.

Sounds like your dealer sucks and that sucks.

We rent from UR from time to time but only if I have to. We've got good salesman and saleswoman but it's the rest of that huge company that I don't like dealing with. Sent a Bobcat E36 back without filling it up and they gouged us on the charge but we forgot to fill it up.

Rented a 320E once and put in a borrow pit in a not so good part of town. We used it for a week, finished up and called my salesman to take if off rent and have them pick it up that day. Operator walked it down by the road, shut the disconnect and locked it up.

My salesman knew it was in a bad part of town and relayed that info to dispatch. Well they let it sit there for a week before they picked it up and sure enough the methies had gotten to it. Did $1500 worth of damage to sheet metal ripping the doors open to get the batteries.

A couple of weeks later my salesman called me and said they (management) wanted to bill me for the vandalism that happened a few weeks earlier. Salesman said hell no - if you were going to bill him he needed to get a police report so he could turn it in on insurance, instead you hauled it back to the shop and didn't say anything until now.

Never saw a bill for it.

The right drive motor on my '16 279D came back with several bad oil samples in a short period of time - 50 hrs between samples after the first yellow monitor compartment. 3 YR warranty on hydro ran out in July of '19. Red Action required with metal present hit 2 weeks into August '19. Rental Store swapped out the drive motor with a new one for $0 and I didn't even sign any paperwork. Shop manager shook my hand and said he would work it out on his end and I loaded the machine up and left.

Our Rental Store handles all the small Cat iron - sales, service and warranty. Parts are still through main Cat house.

 

[Ronsii]

Yeah CM, we have a similar relationship with our UR sales rep great to deal with, will make things right even if it's not entirely their fault... but the big corporate engine is what is the devil!!!