NOTSOTHRIFTY

I would like to share with Business Traveller readers a disappointing post-rental experience I recently had with Thrifty Car Rental in the USA.

In July 2018 I took my two boys on a US road trip flying out of Sydney into and out of Dallas Fort Worth (DFW). I booked a Thrifty SUV vehicle for 15 days that I picked up at DFW airport.

Whilst going through the rental agreement paperwork with the Thrifty guest services agent I asked her specifically if there were any toll roads around the Dallas region. She replied yes there were, but don’t worry about obtaining a Toll Pass as Thrifty can bill you at the actual toll rate for these. I would normally pay these tolls separately and at the time, however with the “confidence” of the Thrifty agent’s comments I didn’t give them a second thought.

One month after my rental and back in Australia, I received a “Thrifty Notice of Toll and Administrative Fee for Rental Car Toll Charge” stating that my credit card on file will be debited for these tolls, which in total amounted to US$6.77 (which I am fine with). However, on top of the toll amount I was charged an Administrative Fee of US$90.00, so in total I was charged – without my authorisation or an opportunity to review – an amount of US$96.77. Each toll charge, some as low as US$0.53, was accompanied by a US$15 admin fee.

This seems excessive to me and certainly not so thrifty! I did try to call the Thrifty Processing Services centre without luck; also, the actual notice arrived by mail after the charges were already billed to my credit card. I just wanted to make Business Traveller readers aware of this excessive incidental Thrifty revenue ploy.

Andrew Gee, Australia