After taking a road trip in Maine, Peter and his wife were charged more than $1,000 for an 8-day rental — more than twice the rate they agreed to — having been dinged for 40 cents a mile. Peter said patience and persistence helped him to get National to honor the unlimited mileage deal he signed up for.

On his blog Bible Money Matters he writes:

After going back and forth for what seemed like an eternity (10 minutes?), the desk agent's supervisor came out. We explained our situation again, and how it would make no sense for us to rent a car for a long trip without having unlimited free mileage (like we signed up for). It must have been an issue with the rental agency's computer system not noting our complete deal?

After talking with the supervisor for another 10 minutes, showing her the paperwork that we still had, and explaining what contract code we were using, she was able to confirm that the deal we had signed up for was legit. To her credit, and to National Car Rental's credit, she apologized for the problem, and found a way to write up the transaction that allowed us to pay what we had signed up for from the start.

It's wise to read car rental contracts closely before you hit the road, then examine charges on your bill when you return the car. Peter seems to have made the right play by neither flipping out and causing a scene nor paying the ridiculous bill and hoping to get his money back afterward.

Does anyone have any comparable rental car horror stories or near misses?

When Getting Great Deals On The Things You Buy, Make Sure You're Actually Getting The Deal [Bible Money Matters]

He writes:

My wife and will soon take our vacation on Kauai, HI.

I was about to rent a Jeep from National car rental, and was pleased about the 37 dollar discount I enjoyed as a Visa Signature cardholder. That is, until I noticed that National clawed back this concession in the form of a "concession recovery fee." (See attached screenshot)

I'm not very pleased about this. And I'm sure Visa wouldn't be either. National has more of less Nerf-ed my usually delightful Visa Signature perks.

It sounds as though he went with a different company. With his story in mind, be sure to check out line item charges on bills to ensure you're not getting worked over with hidden fees.