Orlando Fuel Scam warning...

[johnbaker]

Recently I rented a vehicle from MCO (Orlando International) thru Hertz. Occasionally, if I think I'm going to drive that far, I'll buy the tank of gas just so I don't have to worry about filling up on my way back to the airport. Better to buy the tank and leave a gallon or two then get caught with the needle just below F and get tagged for an 1/8 of a tank at an obscene rate (happened to me once).

Anyway, every other time I've looked at buy the fuel, the cost per gallon was always at or below the market rate. At MCO, they wanted $2.99 a gallon for prepay or $10.00 if they caught you later.

I filled up on the way to the airport for $2.15 so they were charging far above the market rate...

Just a little buyer beware at an airport that always seems to try an stick it to the visitor.

 

[Just A Guy]

Recently I rented a vehicle from MCO (Orlando International) thru Hertz. Occasionally, if I think I'm going to drive that far, I'll buy the tank of gas just so I don't have to worry about filling up on my way back to the airport. Better to buy the tank and leave a gallon or two then get caught with the needle just below F and get tagged for an 1/8 of a tank at an obscene rate (happened to me once).

Anyway, every other time I've looked at buy the fuel, the cost per gallon was always at or below the market rate. At MCO, they wanted $2.99 a gallon for prepay or $10.00 if they caught you later.

I filled up on the way to the airport for $2.15 so they were charging far above the market rate...

Just a little buyer beware at an airport that always seems to try an stick it to the visitor.

Given that the gas stations right around Orlando airport have jacked up prices just because of the "rental car returns," $2.99 might not be that off the mark.

 

[johnbaker]

@Just A Guy One of my friends down there was telling me that the guy that owns the one filling station close to the airport has enough political pull to kill every zoning app for a competitor. He way charging close to $4.99 when I was down there... Much like Mears kills every deal for affordable transportation from the airport that doesn't include one of their vehicles.

Like I said... An airport and government that just seems to want to stick it to the visitor...

 

[sas80]

that's the way it is for all rental car companies. you are paying a premium for the service of allowing them to refill you and not having to worry about it yourself.

 

[Neil Maley]

that's the way it is for all rental car companies. you are paying a premium for the service of allowing them to refill you and not having to worry about it yourself.

That's exactly it - you are paying a convenience fee for wanting them to do it and that is relatively cheap.

It seems you have had a lot of problems on your trip to the U.S. from your recent posts!

 

[johnbaker]

Funny... MCO is the first place that I've seen where they charge over the market rate when you prepurchase the fuel. The rental car company always comes out ahead since you will always come back with some fuel in the tank.

 

[Joe Farrell]

this is nothing - its a fuel rip off for a station that only services rental cars and is willing to take less volume for insane profit.

Florida has an anti-ripoff rule for tourists - go to the AG website and file a complaint.

This nothing - back in the day, car rental places were close to the airport - and there were no gas stations within a 3 miles radius - so they'd ask to see your gas receipt, then they'd charge you for gasoline for the 4.2 miles it took you to drive from the gas station to the lot. And they'd charge the default rate which was $5 a gallon or something like that. This was back mid-90's and early 2000s.

It got so bad that I asked to see their receipt for going back and filling it up - I knew theyd just charged the last guy $5 [which was the minimum for a couple ounces worth of gas and did not fill up the tank]. It got so bad I used to bring a sign off for the vehicle pick up certifying they'd fill the tanks and not just charged the last guy - so I knew I had a full tank. Which of course I never did.

What would happen is that the onsite manager would always waive by drop off fuel add-on as long as it came back marked full. It was always a huge prob getting $5 waived since they counted on it.

I ultimately filed a complaint with the Florida AG over the practice and I think in 2002 or 2003 they entered a settlement with the car rental companies over it. They got caught with that little fraud over and over again until they finally gave in - by then the car rental lots had moved north of MCO.

 

[jsn55]

Isn't Orlando the home of a hundred childrens' whoop-de-do places? They must count on distracted parents not noticing, and not caring. Or caring but not doing anything about it. A few dollars extra revenue on every car you rent - a pretty nice way to pad the bottom line. I do remember that business of presenting your gas receipt, Joe, I always wondered what they were up to.