• Your needle isn't quite on ''F'': Car rental companies have offered a ``pre-pay'' fuel option for almost as long as there have been car rental companies. But their definition of a ''full'' tank has apparently not always been the same.
Reader Penny McLain wrote to me recently about two recent car rental experiences. ''Both times, the attendants had supposedly checked the gas gauge -- we saw them do it,'' she wrote. ``And although we knew the tank was full, we were issued a receipt that reflected a big charge for gas.''
After I covered the gas gauge scam in my blog, I decided to do a little research of my own. I returned a car I'd recently refueled (but hadn't topped off, which you're not supposed to do anyway). The needle was just below the ''F'' mark. Wouldn't you know it, they tried to charge me, too? I returned to the gas station and topped off the tank, as ordered.
But some car rental companies will even bill you if the needle is on full. Several readers reported that when they drove less than 75 miles, they were subjected to a $10 surcharge from Avis or Budget. The fee was waived if they could prove they filled the tank before returning the vehicle.
To get around this scam, fill your tank immediately before bringing the car back and keep all of your gas receipts. Otherwise, you might find an unwelcome surcharge on your bill.
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