I’m getting a rental at SFO next week. This thread led to a search of smash and grab and apparently they are #1 in the US.
^ true. It has gotten unbelievably bad. Many have taken to leaving notes on their car, stating there is nothing of value in the car, please don’t smash…or even leaving windows wide open.
If it happens to you, you can file police report, but nothing will happen. The increase in this crime has been attributed to the DA decriminalizing the penalties for this, so IF they are even caught, the criminals don’t really suffer any consequences…
We rent from Enterprise. We’ve gone to the one in our suburb, and also to the one a suburb over (open on Sundays).
I don’t think we have ever gotten the car we’ve ordered online, but we have always been charged the online price no matter what car we end up with – no up-charge.
Usually, it goes like this: I sign up for a small SUV online and when I get there for pick-up, they offer me a large SUV.
One time they asked me if I would accept a Dodge Charger, and I declined. I had to wait, but I did eventually get a more suitable vehicle for my trip.
Like NYC in the 70s and 80s! Everyone had a “no radio” sign 
So I mentioned that Priceline gave us a refund after the hotel we booked through them downgraded our room.
I happened to look at my Visa transactions online today, and the HOTEL CHARGED US THE REFUNDED AMOUNT, plus a dollar. ??? I called them, and their accountant said, “Yes, I see that, but then we gave you a credit!” “Uh, I’m not seeing it, even as a pending transaction…” “Well, it was put on your CC card ending with XXXX…” “Uh, that’s not my credit card number…” “Really?” “Yeah, it’s not the number that you CHARGED!” “Oh, right… I’ll have to look into it and then I will email you…”
I am really leery of using Priceline in the future…
Italy has that unenviable reputation as well (whether or not it is actually true in a given place in the country).
Yes, we are becoming increasingly disenchanted with SF as a destination, which is sad, since we have loved ones living there. 
It’s bad to always be thinking of whether someone will break into your car and all the homeless everywhere on the streets.
Oh Budget. The last time we used them was when DS was a year old. We clearly reserved the car AND a car seat for this one year old and had the reservation paperwork with us. It was probably done through a travel agent…it was 32 years ago.
Well…of course they had NO car seats. I politely told them to find one because I reserved one…and it was against the law for me to drive a one year old around without one. They weren’t helpful…at all.
Meanwhile…every other car rental vendor was listening and waving me over. I got a rental…with car seat…from someone else. Woohoo.
I filed a complaint with Budget and they said they would give me a free rental the next time I flew to that destination. I never took them up on the offer. And I’ve never rented from them again.
Wow–awful! I wish there were exemplary and HAPPY stories we all had about car rental companies instead of commiserating about BAD experiences. It seems so many are treating people so badly.
Happy story–I rented a car through Autoslash (think I ended up with Avis for half-price of initial reservation) and then got an upgrade for free. Airport location. No muss, no fuss.
Yea, I guess the happy stories are when we get what we expect and reserved or slightly better. I’m just sad that the car rental industry has become such a sleazy place.
Regarding theft from rental cars, it has been reputed for decades (and not specific to any location) that rental cars attract thieves and other criminals. Some years ago, Florida did away with easily distinguished rental car license plates for this reason.
Here’s a happy story - one time DH had a horribly time getting to his destination. Weather, delays, blech. He was exhausted when he got to the car rental place after midnight. He mentioned what a bad day it had been and the woman said, “Well, maybe we make it better for you!” She gave him a fully-loaded red Mustang! That was a nice gesture.
There was a gang in Florida that was targeting tourists by following their rental cars out of the airport late at night and accosting them on the road, pushing them off. Several people were wounded and a couple killed. That was the primary catalyst for changing the plates. I seem to recall that NYS had a separate plate but i think that ended in the late 70’s.
In NYC, everyone had a removable tape deck and would put no radio signs in the cars.
Now, there is a tell-tale bar code in rental cars. When we rented in October, there were 3–rear window, front windshield and driver’s window. This rental in February, there was only one on the front windshield and not as highly visible as October.
Yes, the bar codes are the usual giveaway (often on the rear side windows), though they are not as obvious as distinctive license plates.
Seems like it would make more sense to put the bar code on the driver’s door jamb, where it is not visible unless the driver’s door is open (which will happen during the rental car return process).
I think the car rental companies don’t care much about what’s good for the renters, just what’s quick and easy for them and their workers so that there can be as short a time as possible between return and re-renting. If they can scan the code when the car door is shut, maybe it helps them shave a fraction of a second (though they do have to check to be sure the tank is full–gotta charge extra if there’s a drop missing from the gas tank).
It’s really making it undesirable to rent cars any more.
They do, however, care about theft related damage to their rental cars.
Nah, as long as they can get the renter to pay for the loss including one as of use, I honestly don’t think they care much.
When friends lived in NY…they just left the car windows down. No valuables…no radio. But at least they didn’t end up with smashed windows. Folks could just look in…and see there was nothing to take.
Oh…and junky cars too. No one wanted those!