Rental car mileage restrictions?

[CJones]

Comparing car rentals between Hertz and Enterprise. Enterprise says "Mileage is unlimited when remaining in surrounding states of x,y,z". Hertz just says "Mileage is unlimited".

Curious why Enterprise would have that type of restriction. And how do they track whether or not you go outside of the states listed?

 

[weilke]

Comparing car rentals between Hertz and Enterprise. Enterprise says "Mileage is unlimited when remaining in surrounding states of x,y,z". Hertz just says "Mileage is unlimited".

Curious why Enterprise would have that type of restriction. And how do they track whether or not you go outside of the states listed?

With Enterprise, all of the vehicles are owned by the franchisee, there is no 'corporate fleet' of cars that can just migrate from location to location. This is their way of trying to keep the cars in a range where they can just send a guy with a SUV and a dolly if you dont return it as agreed.

 

[CJones]

With Enterprise, all of the vehicles are owned by the franchisee, there is no 'corporate fleet' of cars that can just migrate from location to location. This is their way of trying to keep the cars in a range where they can just send a guy with a SUV and a dolly if you dont return it as agreed.

Ahhh.. Interesting. Makes sense, then.

Too bad I am planning on driving cross-country. Hertz it is!

 

[JeffDG]

Comparing car rentals between Hertz and Enterprise. Enterprise says "Mileage is unlimited when remaining in surrounding states of x,y,z". Hertz just says "Mileage is unlimited".

Curious why Enterprise would have that type of restriction. And how do they track whether or not you go outside of the states listed?

Last summer I needed to rent a car to head to a funeral back home (airlines would have absolutely killed me). The drive was 1,800 miles each way. Unlimited miles was a GOOD thing for me.

 

[CJones]

Last summer I needed to rent a car to head to a funeral back home (airlines would have absolutely killed me). The drive was 1,800 miles each way. Unlimited miles was a GOOD thing for me.

Yep. We're looking at putting around 2000 miles on a car in 5 days. My wife's car already has 206,000 miles and the clutch is starting to get 'iffy'. I figure $200 for being fairly sure of NOT getting stranded in the middle of Missouri without a mobile vehicle this time of year is well worth the money.

 

[Everskyward]

Having rented many cars I would say that unlimited mileage is pretty common these days, but I have occasionally noticed restrictions as to where you can travel. I think you can sometimes get this waived.

 

[weilke]

Ahhh.. Interesting. Makes sense, then.

Too bad I am planning on driving cross-country. Hertz it is!

I use Enterprise whenever they are convenient as I am a cheap bastard. For any one-way rentals, it has to be one of the corporate outfits, usually Avis. Enterprise will charge you drop-off fees of up to $500 if you return outside of the respective franchisees territory (so you can usually drop off downtown if you rented at the airport or vice versa for little or no fee but once it involves a guy with a dolly its going to cost you).

Oh, btw. if this is an out and back trip, Enterprise MAY still be a good option. Talk to the location manager to get whatever state you need added into the unlimited territory. I have done that once before because I needed to go '2 states over'.