Renting A Car

Renting A Car

Federal law does not cover short-term car and truck rentals.
However, there are state laws that do. You should contact your
state or local consumer protection office for more information on
laws in your area.

o Shop around for the best rates.

o Compare all fees, in addition to the daily/weekly rate, before
renting.

o Most car rental contracts make the consumer liable for all
damage to the vehicle, no matter who caused it. Before buying a
rental company's collision or loss damage waiver, check with your
own car insurance company and your credit card company to see if
they cover car rentals and to what extent. It pays to do your
homework because these policies can add $3 to $15 per day to your
rental charges! Rental companies also might sell loss of use and
liability insurance. Check with your insurance agent in advance,
so you do not duplicate coverage you already have.

o If you pay by credit card, some rental companies will place a
hold or freeze on your account during the rental period. Others
might start to charge your account before the rental period is
over. Find out the company's policy in advance.

o Carefully inspect the vehicle and its tires before renting and
write down all the dents and scratches you see.

o Check refueling policies. You can refill at a local gas
station, you can let the car rental company refuel the car at its
price, which is usually higher, or you can pay in advance for a
refill which will cost you needlessly if there is any unused gas
upon returning the vehicle.

o Contact your state or local consumer protection agency for
information on state law or to report problems with your car
rental.

o To order a free publication on car rental, contact the Federal
Trade Commission, Public Reference Section, 6th and Pennsylvania
Avenue, N.W., Room 130, Washington, DC 20580, (202) 326-2222.
Mail Order

Federal mail order rules require companies that take consumers'
orders by mail to:

o ship the merchandise within 30 days of receiving a completed
order or within a different timeframe if it is stated in their ads;


o notify consumers if shipment can't be made on time and give them
the choice of waiting longer or receiving refunds; and o cancel
their orders and return their money (or give them credits on their
charge accounts) if the revised shipping date can't be met, unless
the consumers agree to another delay. There also might be laws
regarding mail order in your state. Contact your state or local
consumer protection agency.

o Keep a record of the name, address and phone number of the
company, goods you ordered, date of your order, amount you paid and
method of payment.

o Keep a record of any delivery period that was promised. o
If you are told that the shipment will be delayed, write the date
of that notice in your records and the new shipping date if you've
agreed to wait longer.

o When you cancel an order that wasn't shipped on time, you have
the right to get a refund within seven days or within one billing
cycle for charged sales.

o When you use your credit card for mail order purchases and you
don't receive the goods or services, or they were defective or
misrepresented, use the credit card protection rights described in
the section on Credit Cards, page 18.

o To limit some of the mail you do not want, you can sign up with
the free Mail Preference Service operated by the Direct Marketing
Association, a private trade group. It will instruct its mail
marketing members to take you off their lists. To join, write to
the Mail Preference Service, P.O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, New York
11735.

To report violations of the Federal mail order rule, contact the
Federal Trade Commission. For information on your state laws,
contact your state or local consumer protection agency. To report
a problem with mail order, contact the U.S. Postal
Inspection Service or the Postal Crime Hotline at 1 (800)
654-8896.