Consumerist reader Dionicious and his brother tried to rent a trailer from U-Haul over the weekend. First they were faced with a closed location, then they had to ask before the company followed through on its $50 “Right Time, Right Location” guarantee. They hoped that was the end of the screw-ups, but the next day an angry employee called and threatened to file criminal charges against the brothers. Too bad there’s not some sort of $50 “We Threaten You, We Pay” guarantee.
trucks
Unfortunately Named Truck To Help Save Environment
By 3.25.09
I love the idea of electric vehicles, but did Electric Vehicles International really have to call it the “eviLightTruck”? Probably not a good idea to have, you know, Satan, in your product name. You’re electric, people already think you’re going to blow up their baby carriages, don’t go out looking for ways to make your job tougher. [evi-usa]
Budget Slaps Customer With $500 Repair Fee Months Later
By 2.23.09
When Sean returned a rented truck to Budget Truck Rental nearly a year ago, he went through the standard inspection with an employee, who then signed off on the return. Now the company has sent a $500 bill to collection for damage they refuse to provide evidence of.
Buy One Dodge Ram, Get One Free
By 11.21.08
“Buy one new dodge ram, get a second dodge ram at no additional cost,” reads the ad for Rob Lambdin’s University Dodge. The auto industry is officially totally fucked. In response to the ad, a commenter on Bimmerclassics.net quipped, “Well at least one of the Big Three is admitting that if you buy one of their new cars you will need a second one as a parts car for the first.” I can’t read the asterisks but our tipster says the deal is you buy one Dodge Ram Quad Cab 1500 and you get a Dodge Ram Single Cab for free. Full ad inside…
6 Things You Should Never Say To A Car Salesman
By 7.8.08
There are few things in life that will test your mettle more than a savvy car salesman. He is a master manipulator and has a PhD in messing with your head. Even if you have checked out some confessions of a car salesman and carefully studied the evil “four-square” technique, there are still some things you could say that tell a salesman you are a soft target. CNN Money and Edmunds.com have put together a list of 6 things you should never say to a car salesman. The list, inside…
No, You Should Not Save Money By Filling Your Rental Truck's Gas Tank With Water
By 6.28.08
Look, we know gas is expensive, but don’t save a couple bucks by topping off your U-Haul’s gas tank with water. We won’t pretend to care about U-Haul—not even U-Haul cares about their vehicles—but the next renter will want to bludgeon you with a rusty ice pick when their truck breaks down because you hosed the engine.
By 6.25.08
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In an effort to spur sales, General Motors is offering no-interest, six-year loans on new vehicle purchases through June 30th. Unfortunately, only the slow-selling models (i.e., not very fuel efficient) are included in the sale. Oh, also they’re raising prices on 2009 models. [New York Times]
Beware The "MPG Illusion" When Comparing Fuel Efficiency
By 6.20.08
Sure, switching from a gas guzzler to a highly efficient (and probably much smaller) car is best for the environment, but it’s not a realistic solution for large families or people who can’t afford it. But don’t let the fact that you can’t buy a 40 mpg car turn you off of a trade up in efficiency anyway. A couple of economists have pointed out that “using ‘miles per gallon’ as a measure of fuel efficiency leads people to undervalue the benefits of replacing the most inefficient automobiles.” Their point: if you’re driving a gas guzzler, even a small improvement in fuel efficiency can generate significant savings.
Angry U-Haul Manager Says You Stole A Truck
By 6.20.08
Now that it’s summer, many people are doing the moving thing. For some, this might mean renting a truck or trailer from U-Haul, like reader Ryan. He reserved a truck from U-Haul online well in advance of his move, but when he went in for pickup was told none were available. Ryan called corporate, who called the store and convinced the surly manager to give Ryan a truck. Three days after Ryan returned the truck, he got this voicemail from from U-Haul: “This is Alexandria U-Haul Rentals. Your rental truck was due three days ago and you haven’t returned it. If you don’t return our truck today I will call the police.” See how Ryan handled the situation, inside.
G.M. Will Close 4 Plants, May Sell "Hummer"
By 6.3.08
Gas prices are changing consumer behavior says G.M., forcing the manufacturer to slash production and close 4 plants as they make the shift toward more fuel efficient vehicles. They also announced that they may sell the “Hummer” brand.
Toyota Announces Tacoma Buyback Program For Severe Rust Corrosion
By 4.15.08
If you own a Tacoma made between 1995 and 2000, Toyota would like to inspect it free of charge—and if the rust corrosion is severe enough, they will either repair the truck on their dime or buy it back as a vehicle in “excellent condition” no matter what state it’s really in. Toyota announced this a little over a month ago and said thy would start sending letters to Tacoma owners in the weeks to come, so if you haven’t received yours yet, be on the lookout for it.
Uhaul Dealer's Tips For Happier Renting
By 3.10.08
What about all those tales about broken and poorly maintained trucks? His thoughts, inside…
Budget Demands $2,080.93 To Repair Preexisting Damage
By 3.9.08
Kevin noted on his Budget rental forms that his truck was covered with graffiti and other nicks and scratches before driving off the lot. As soon as he returned the truck, the lot agent pointed out a slew of damage and invited him inside. He said that Kevin had two options: pay $670 in cash immediately, or pay several thousand dollars to corporate later. Kevin paid the extortion fee, but now Budget’s corporate office wants $2,080 to repair, among other things, graffiti damage.
If You Buy A Car (Okay, Truck) In Texas, Make Sure You Don't Pay The Inventory Tax
By 3.8.08
Texas levies an inventory tax of .02% on the retail value of all products in a company’s inventory each year, but lots of car dealerships try to sneak the fee over to the consumer. Even worse, they do it year-round.
SUV Sales Remain Strong In U.S. Despite Gas Prices
By 1.3.08
We guess the sort of person who wants a luxury SUV isn’t too concerned about the idea of gas approaching $3.50 a gallon in the coming months, because sales have only dropped 0.9% over the past year, reports BusinessWeek. “‘For a high-dollar car, people with that level of discretionary income can absorb gas fluctuations,’ says Brinley of AutoData.” But it’s not just the filthy rich who have SUV-fever: sales of small SUVs have increased by 22.7%.
Indiana Man Buys Pickup Truck With Spare Change
By 12.26.07
Paul Brant of Indiana bought a 2008 Dodge Ram with quarters and gold dollars worth $26,670. The septuagenarian spent thirteen years collecting enough loose change to buy the new pickup, which will replace the Dodge he purchased in 1994 with 144,000 quarters. Brant’s revolutionary method for collecting spare change, after the jump.
Toyota Recalling 15,600 2007 Tundra Pickup Trucks
By 12.14.07
Toyota has announced that it is recalling 15,600 Tundra 2007 Tundra four-wheel-drive pickup trucks because “a rear propeller shaft may separate at the joint.”
Ford Recalls 1.2 Million Diesel Trucks
By 12.6.07
F-series Super Duty trucks, E-series vans and Excursion SUVs from model years 1997 through 2003 equipped with 7.3-liter diesel engines are being recalled by Ford because of a computer software problem that causes their engines to stall. Several minor accidents have been caused by the defect, but no injuries.
