Rental Car Experiences?

fintail

Some leather is pretty iffy - some Fords of the past 5-10 years come to mind, paper thin. Same on Chryslers.

ohenryx

I have to agree on the Fords. I was shopping for a used truck last year, looking at mostly Ford and Chevy, 2000 to 2006, supercab or crewcab, half ton, preferably with nice equipment (XLT or Lariat in Ford, LT1 or LT2 in the Chevy). I think nearly every Ford with the Lariat package had torn up leather seats. One exception was the King Ranch package, that seemed to come with different / better leather.

bo4177

Hi
I would appreciate if any of you can share your experience of renting a luxury car esp BMW 3 series or Merc C- Class.
Which rental to go with and what's the reasonable daily rate, I'm in south Florida .
Just to have a vague idea, cos everytime I'm offered an upgrade it feels like a deal to me.
But not sure if its a deal to me or car rental co.

Thanks

berri

The leather in my previous Explorer was more like vinyl.

fintail

If you want a MB in FL, you will almost certainly get the best deal from Sixt - they have a fleet including C, E, E cabrio, SLK, GLK, ML, and I think even a few GL. For BMW Sixt has many more SUVs than cars. For BMW cars, Avis or National/Alamo would be the best bet, judging by their fleets elsewhere. Sixt has X3, I know the others have 3ers, 5ers, X5.

Rate depends on where and when you rent. But for a Sixt C-class, one should usually be able to be had for under $50 day, sometimes a bit less if booked at the right time (I saw them for under $25 last year).

I have a Sixt E-class rental in a couple weeks at MCO, I think it cost me ~$38/day, but I bought and paid a few months ago.

bo4177

thanks for the info.
Some coincidence I'm renting to drive to Orlando next weekend
Wow thats a slick deal on the E-class.
i'd appreciate if you can guide me to the right place to find the amazing deals you are talking about.

appreciate it !

Sandman6472

Call Sixt over by the Lauderdale airport...I work with a company that has them as a client and even drove a C Class last week from that location. They always seem to have a great selection and are very friendly folk. They are just off site of the airport, check the phone book for their number...don't have it off hand but should be easy to find...do a search on your computer.

The Sandman

fintail

It pays to check months in advance, and check the site every few days - they use some kind of weird algorithm, and the rates really vary. I just book directly from their site, although when I travel abroad I will book from the UK or German site, as sometimes the rates are better. Right now I think Sixt UK site rates are better than US, and I don't think there's any residency restrictions to keep you from booking on any of their sites.

I assume you are coming from MIA or FLL? I think FLL usually has better rates, but not always. I rented from FLL last year, when I got a similar price on an E.

I still find it cool that such cars can finally be rented in the US - as the rental fleet in Europe is amazing in comparison.

Sandman6472

Last week, Tuesday and Wednesday, we drove up a bunch of Hyundai's to the Manheim auction in Ocoee, just north of Orlando...Accents, Elantras and Tuscons. Sixt also had a whole mess of new VW Bugs, Toyota Camrys and Corollas there, all brand new, waiting to be put into their fleet. Volvo S60's also, which I am really coming to like. But I must admit that newer C250 I drove was exceptional, something I would like to do on an extended trip so i can really get the fell of it.
Seems like a good company to rent from and I'd bet their prices would be a bit better than the well established companies.

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

You should keep an eye out for specials, or maybe befriend a Sixt worker who can give you leads. Take a week road trip in one and enjoy it, if you snagged it for like $25-30/day, it wouldn't be a big expense, as you'd enjoy it.

fintail

Weird day at Avis/Budget - 4x Caravan, Tahoe, Impala, Mustang, 2x Econolines, no other light duty vehicles.

Sandman6472

Had one of these yesterday from Miami to West Palm Beach and besides an overly complicated audio system, it was an enjoyable rig but honestly, I did prefer the Tahoe. The acceleration came in handy while passing a slower moving vehicle in the left express lane and the heft of the truck didn't seem to hurt it at all...I had plenty of power at my right foot! A nice vehicle but don't see the need for such a big vehicle unless one has a lot of people in the family. I see a mess of them down here in the South Florida suburb that we live in so folks seem to really like them. The best part for me is that I get to drive these great vehicles for free as part of the job...who could ask for anything more! My new nickname has changed form the Sandman to "Sanddog" to!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

igozoomzoom

I hate to sound so harsh, but the vast majority of people who buy an Escalade are either ignorant (regarding other, better choices) and/or brand wh0res who think the Caddy crest makes them superior.

The funny thing is that GM is their own main competitor in the segment. The GMC Yukon (especiallly the Denali) has all the luxury of the Escalade and it looks more stylish and upscale, too!

And for those of us who truly have refined taste and realize that "less is more" in many cases (and who don't consider "bling" a positive or desirable attribute)...the Tahoe LTZ is the best of them all!

fintail

Hmm...Hertz, National/Alamo, or Sixt? I am unsure if Avis has those in the fleet, but I am pretty sure Hertz and maybe Sixt do, anyway.

A little too garish for my tastes, I'd rather have a GL if I wanted something bloaty but not as nice as a Range Rover.

Another full house at Avis/Budget - maybe 6x 2013 Impalas, a few smaller cars, several Caravans, etc - maybe for the long weekend. I saw several rental cars on the road this afternoon, too - all of them smaller.

Sandman6472

This was a Hertz Escalade. Hertz bought out Dollar/Thrifty and yesterday, we were moving vehicles over from the D/T repair center which is closing down. We brought over many Dodge minivans as they expect a big weekend especially at the port location. Thought we'd be working tomorrow but so far, no text but the weekend ain't over yet. Got a feeling that things will pick up by mid September, I hope, as I do want to get back to working more hours. As I've always said, an every other day schedule would just be perfect for my spinal situation. Working 11.5 hours yesterday was just too much and I could only do it every so often but an 8 hour day, every other day would be ideal.

Luckily, Lauderdale/Miami is a great area for rental vehicles as folks are always coming in for cruises or going down to Latin America and Orlando/Tampa also always needs vehicles so I know we'll get busier again like last season.

fintail

Did the Escalade have nav, or did you check?

I'd assume leisure tourism picks up there when the weather becomes more comfortable and the crowds of kids go back to school.

In just a week now, I'll be renting a car at Sixt MCO, it'll be interesting to see if they have any 2014 models like the site shows.

Sandman6472

Yep, it was stuck in the navi screen which made things difficult and since I knew where I was going, really did not need it. Wasn't a bad vehicle, just didn't see the relevance with GM already having the Tahoe and Suburban and GMAC having their twins. Sure it's a money maker for Caddy/GM and it looks pretty nice with the bling wheels and all, but it's not something I'd want as a d d and the mileage has to be pretty dismal...but if one can afford to play in this price point...petrol prices aren't an issue obviously! Next time, given the same choice of vehicles, I'd take the GLX or the Caddy STX wagon that was at the end of the line and I did not see. But it was fate as I did always want to see what the fuss was with the Slade.

Hopefully you will get the perfect vehicle in Orlando and I sure hope we get to do more work for Sixt like I did a few weeks back. It's really a win/win for both company's and I really love the better variety of vehicles they have in their stable. Really want to also try the VW Tiquan in the future as I like VW products but don't think I'd ever buy though my twin has a Tiquan now after having a '07 Jetta. My older bro had a MB C 320 coupe before he passed and my sister had a VW Routan before she passed I think so other siblings seem to like VW products. The C Class is really calling to me though but would still like to try a 1 Series and a 3 Series just to compare though the X3 and X5 did nothing for me but to be fair, I only drove them about 3 miles or so. I would need a longer 3 to 4 hour run to give a really educated opinion on these vehicles.

The Sandman

fintail

The Escalade is all profit margin - old tech, cheap frills with a huge MSRP. I bet the buyers of them complain loudly about gas prices too, even if they can afford it. How dare gas prices limit ones bad taste!

I prepaid for an E sedan at a good rate, so I know I will get that - but if they put me in an E cabrio or SLK or GL, I won't complain. Does Sixt carry the Tiguan? I think National/Alamo does - Sixt has/had Eos and Passat, maybe Jetta too, they might have the Tiguan as well. I know Sixt has a lot of Volvos lately too - S60, XC60/90. It's really too bad Sixt doesn't hire their own transport drivers rather than contract out, you could drive for them and get good stuff a lot.

stickguy

just got back from 3 days bopping around South Carolina (looking at colleges). Flew into Columbia. Small airport, and I had booked with Hertz.

get to counter, and guy says he has me in a malibu, but did I wan't something larger (I did not, but said "anything better than a Malibu?). His only other option seemed to be a CHarger, which I wanted less than a 'bu. But, last one I had was not too bad, and figured it should be a new design by now.

well, I was wrong. It was a 2012, so old style. And worse, it was a base model (not even a USB port!) and on top of that, it had 43K on the clock. I did not think they even kept them that long. Heck, it was so beat, it had new tires (no names of course, I think "westlake?")

worked OK. slow, but quiet on the highway (I put on around 400 miles I think). wife did not like it (had that GM rental car smell, and the headrest bothered her). Thank Goodness it had XM, or it would have been a disaster. So, bummed I did not getting something I never had before, but it did the job at least.

Oh, my wife and daughter thought it was funny when I kept calling it the Rentabu. Though my wife kept thinking there was another "B" on the end!

stever

This is one of those registration only WSJ links but I think you can get the gist from the headline.

Rental Cars With Higher Mileage Populate Lots

My guess is that since we're seeing lots of consolidation in the rental car industry, the beancounters feel freer to keep higher mileage cars in the fleet. Maybe Sixt will help some as they get bigger in the US.

Seems like bad tires is the most common complaint from frequent flyers and Hertz seems to have the worst reputation for miled up cars, per the story.

stickguy

my last 2 rentals (before this, 10/12) were both Hertz, and miled up 'Bus (I think the last one was 30k?)

but honestly, this one was a 2012, so at most 2 YO. and at least had new tires, so pretty well could not tell the difference between 43k and 13K. It would still be a RentaBu.

fintail

Wow, my condolences, I didn't know many of those were still in fleets. And that's a lot of miles, I think my personal record was the same - in a Galant, 2009, but it was in pretty decent shape anyway. I've been lucky otherwise, never had a rental with over 25K miles on it.

Hertz and Enterprise are notorious for higher mileage rentals. I think Sixt, in Europe anyway, is known to rotate its fleet more often, so you'll never find a car more than a year old, and probably never more than 25-30K miles on it.

My lowest mileage rental was a Thifty Impala, it had 4 miles on it.

stickguy

I got a brand new Cirrus (the Chrysler version) years ago in Orlando. I think it had less than 20 miles on it.

I liked that place. forget which company, but they said just take whatever i wanted in a certain section, and the guy at the booth attached the car to the rental.

fintail

Probably National, although I think Alamo does it too, in some locations. Pick what you want with a midsize/standard or above reservation - so if there's an SUV or convertible or higher grade car in the section, it's yours.

That's why I like to rent with National/Alamo if I am in the US in a non-Sixt location, choice.

suydam

I was surprised that my LA rental had such high miles, and I tried 3 or 4 before giving up and going with the cleanest looking one, a basic Sonata. It drove fine, though.

Sandman6472

Sixt in their Miami now carries Tiquans, at least they had a row of new ones at their overflow lot right off of Douglas Rd. by the Rental Center. Also saw a row of new Corolla's, Camry's, Beetles and Elantra's iirc. Sixt is a pretty good company to rent from, which you already know, but need to get into more airports...I would love to work for them, or even Hertz and even asked at Hertz and submitted an app but have to be careful since I work for USA. But I'd leave in a heartbeat to go over to Sixt! I have also noticed that Hertz and Dollar/Thrifty have some mile'd up vehicles in their fleets for some reason but they need to get the most bang for their buck I assume.

The Sandman

igozoomzoom

II work in the insurance industry and travel all the time for my job. Initially, I resisted the temptation to use my position and insider knowledge of how the insurance and rental car industries interact to get the best cars. But a particularly sickening experience in July 2010 completely cured my ‘crisis of conscience’.

I visit businesses all over the country to audit their Workers’ Comp and General Liability policies annually. If they were located within 300 miles or so of my home in Atlanta, I usually just drove my own car (2006 Mazda3) and was reimbursed for mileage at a very generous rate. But I was called late one evening and needed to be in Little Rock, Arkansas the following day (about 550 miles). The closest flight I could find on less than 24 hours’ notice was to Memphis, then drive 140 miles to Little Rock. It already had the makings of a trip from hell!

I always reserved a ‘Full Size’ car, then when I arrived at the rental lot I’d look for anything better than the Impala (or even Crown Vic) that they had waiting for me. But this time, I didn’t have the luxury of even making a reservation. At the first two counters I approached, all they had to offer was a PT Cruiser (that wasn’t running ‘right’ in the words of the agent) or a Chevy Aveo. I finally approached the Enterprise counter and told them how I had struck out so far and hoiw I hoped they could end my suffering. I even told them I’d purchase the LDW (which I have never done, before or since). The young lady smiled and was very excited to tell me she had a lovely Toyota Corolla ready to go. If you’ve ever read “Dante’s Inferno”, I was living my own rental-car version of it at the Memphis International Airport!

The ‘jewel’ of a Corolla was a 2000 LE model (without cruise or keyless entry) and it has a sickening smell that they had obviously tried to mask with Lysol, Febreeze or some other sickly sweet deodorizer. But I was already way behind schedule (and I was determined to finish what I had to do THAT day, if I had to stay until midnight at the company), so I took it. After an hour, I had to stop at a gas station because the 98 degree heat had magnified the awful smell as the deodorizer dissipated and I thought I was going to vomit. A friend of mine is an ADA where I grew up and she told me about the first time she passed out at the morgue due to the unimaginable smell. The Coroner taught her a trick to rub some Vicks VapoRub under each nostril and, luckily, this gas station happened to have some!

I got the company and the people I dealt with were incredibly friendly. One mentioned that I looked a little ‘green’ when I arrived and I shared my rental car horror story with her. Thirty minutes later, she had called Enterprise on my behalf and told them where they could collect their stink-mobile and a Town Car would pick me up that evening and drive me back to Memphis…not bad!

I went to work for another audit company doing the same same work a few months later. In my employment contract, I had them add the stipulation that any time I rented a car for business travel, it would be a ‘Premium’ level and, if a Premium car wasn’t available, I was entitled to the next higher class of vehicle available (usually Luxury).

For most of 2011, I would get an Infiniti G25, Nissan Maxima or Lincoln MKZ. In early 2012, I was surprised with a 2012 Volvo S60 T5 and it has been my rental of choice ever since! Even the standard T5 (without leather or sunroof) is still a great car. The seats are the most comfortable I’ve ever experienced and I’m thinking about buying a 2013 for my personal car! Several times when I couldn’t get an S60, I was upgraded to the S80. It had great seats an excellent ride, but it’s a slug compared to the S60

In the last few months, I actually had a 2013 BMW 320i twice and even a 328i one time. I still prefer my Volvo!

fintail

Sixt is at my local airport now - one notorious for expensive rentals, but I don't rent at home. I bet they could do a huge business with their premium models at LAX and LAS.

I think Enterprise gets a lot of miled up vehicles from National/Alamo, I wouldn't doubt if the Hertz group works similarly.

You know I have an interest in the rental car industry too, some parts of it could be fun. As retirement for most of my generation is kind of a funny wish upon a star, if I have a job like yours assuming I make it that far, I wouldn't complain. Drive new cars, get to experience a lot, there's worse things out there.

fintail

Did you typo, or did they actually rent you a 10 year old car? A friend of mine had a Corolla without cruise for a rental a couple years ago. He was less than happy, as he was going to be on the highway a lot.

Nowadays, when I rent, if it is going to be for more than a few days, I rent a "premium" as well - if you book at the right time or with the right company, often the cost is just a few dollars more per day. As a car enthusiast, I can appreciate the nicer car. Worth it for that Volvo or BMW etc over a Corolla with no cruise and a stink.

I think the S80 is out of fleets now, but National has a lot of S60s, and I think Sixt has them too. I have a premium rental through National at LAX, and it will be fun seeing what I get. As it is a one way to LAS, it would be cool if they needed to "repatriate" a car to Vegas, and gave me something special. I can dream.

Sandman6472

Damn straight...this is the perfect gig for someone in my position right now. Get up every day smiling and hoping to work but love it even more when I get told the night before so I can plan ahead. Haven't brought lunch in a long while since I don't get much advance notice so have eaten fast food mostly. I do try to watch what I eat and keep the quantity way down so I can eat later at home which is what happened Thursday after being there from 9 to 9. Got home by 9:35ish and had my light dinner then...not the perfect solution but already had the dinner in the house and it needed to be eaten that day. Off Friday so I stayed up a bit later than normal and just slept in a bit to...no harm at all.
As of now, no word on tomorrow after I declined today but they probably have heard nothing yet. And if my boss is pissed off at me for declining, I'll just wait till he calls or texts me to work. I am only human and lately I've cancelled some appointments to make it in when he couldn't find enough crew...what's good for him should be good for me!

The Sandman

fintail

It's too bad they can't give you a regular schedule. Employers who expect employees to be on-call without something in return usually end up getting what they paid for. I think when my grandpa would drive cars mostly back and forth between SEA and PDX/YVR, he came in on a regular schedule - but that was back in the 80s and 90s, and he worked directly for an agency (National or Alamo, I think).

Sandman6472

Another co-worker spilled the beans this afternoon..."Where are ya? We're all working"! Needless to say I was a bit unhappy and confused...again! Have to decide what to do here as this isn't gonna work for me...either I am in or not...just let me know so I can make other plans for employment. I've been a good employee I think, better than most and maybe worse than some? Who knows, but this current situation will need to change, and soon. It seemed so perfect for so long but I knew it was just too perfect so I will continue to look for something else and wait till he calls me in and if I find what I really am looking for, I'll just stay on for those days I don't work. But one thing, they're never going to find another employee as dedicated and in love with this job...never!

The Unhappy Sandman

bo4177

Thanks to some on this forum, I recently had a 328i from Sixt.
Amazing service and pleasant experience at the palm beach airport location.
No coercing into unwanted ins & gas options. And the restriction of not taking the car out of state, didnt matter to me.
Just one option they presented was express toll service $ 6.95 flat per day, irrespective of how many times you use the toll. Worked well for me.

Now the beauty called 328i 2013 base model around 1000 miles on it. Interiors were clean, infact new car smell welcomed me, it was a great experience.
Come rain of shine it held its own, superb handling , quiet inside but you hear & feel the engine purr in sport mode, which was welcome by me. Audio is good but Harman Kardon upgrade should be better. Leatherette was pretty nice too, very comfortable seats, couldnt tell much from leather seats. Surprisingly for its size air conditioning was powerful and took on FL summer with ease. Auto engine shutoff for saving fuel was interesting but a bit annoying at times, engine shut off when ever car came to a stop but slightest lift/pressure off the brake pedal would re-start the engine, not saving much fuel huh, sensitive system I guess.

I was planning on buying one soon, this extended test drive of mine over the weekend has only confirmed my choice of 3 series. 335i might be more fun but 328i is no sloth.

I'd prefer Sixt over others when ever possible.

fintail

Nice report, good to know. Sixt gets some mixed reviews on yelp and elsewhere - being new to NA they probably have some local market lessons to learn, but I haven't had a bad experience with them, and their Euro fleet is so good, I was excited when they came to the US. And I back it up with my wallet, if I am going to a Sixt area and they have a good rate on a good car, I will choose them even if off-airport. The $38/day E-class I am renting in a few days is an example of that.

It is interesting that Euro premium cars in American fleets don't tend to be loaded up - while domestic cars can be found with better option loads. In Europe, you can find some seriously loaded rentals - I think the A8 I rented last November had like 25-30K Euro in options. It too had stop/start, which could be modulated with brake pedal pressure.

fintail

Avis/Budget today: maybe 10x Caravans and T&Cs, RAV4, Taurus Limited, Fiesta, 200, a couple Explorers, and several big vans and moving trucks.

Sandman6472

We did a couple of early morning runs for Sixt today and 5 of us moved 10 Mustangs down to Miami from Lauderdale. I am really starting to love doing work for this company and will jump at the chance to drive anything they have. We went to their 22nd Street lot right near the Miami rental Center and saw a whole mess of MB E class vehicles, droptops and sedans...would love to get behind the wheel of one of these puppies eventually. Hopefully they will be using my company a bit more as we seem to have a good working relationship up till now. They also seem to have a bit nicer vehicles than the other guys...I've let my boss know that I'll work for them anytime, any day! Still in the feast or famine mode here but am looking forward to a busy season. The majority of us have decided that we are in dire need of a few road trips since it's been awhile...even though the lot to lot pay more, by the hour, it's much more fun to get behind the wheel and drive for 3 to 4 hours. It's time that these trips pick up!
Still love my job and smile on my drive down to our meeting spot...my boss thinks I'm nuts and laughs that I'm as excited now as I was on day 1 back in January!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

You should take a road trip up to Orlando and deliver a nice E cabrio for me to use

I remember at Sixt FLL, they had 5.0 Mustang convertibles - pretty hot for a rental. Some British people staying at my hotel on South Beach had just picked up a standard Mustang convertible as I was checking out, and they were thrilled with it. The grass is always greener - European tourists love to have an American pony car or big SUV, while many Americans want a European car.

fintail

Avis/Budget today - maybe a dozen Mopar vans, Pathfinder minivan, Escape, wrecked Cruze, Avenger, Impala, Taurus, perhaps a few others along with the usual large vehicles.

fintail

Same pile at the local lot today, along with Camry, maybe 5 Journeys, old Pathfinder.

Less than 48 hours to my upcoming week long rental, should be an interesting experience.

Sandman6472

Have fun...and hope you get a fun ride!!

The Sandman

fintail

Quick check in - arrived at Sixt in humid hot light rain. They had no E class or anything similar. Agent claimed would "upgrade" me to a C250 or S60 (what? those are in a lower class) for free, then offered SLK250 or XC90. All MBs on the lot were base with no nav and over 10K miles, SLK I looked at was kinda grimy inside and luggage space was too small anyway. I refused, and pointed out an X5 on the lot. Agent tried to call it an upgrade and make me pay, but I pointed out that nothing in my reserved and prepaid category was available. So I got the X5, no extra fee. 4K miles, average equipment (nav, pano, fake leather, base wheels). I've never really liked them, but have to admit it is shockingly smooth. Only complaint, no satellite radio. I'll post a pic later.

On the Sixt lot were a few SLK and C, GLK, S60, XC90, a few Genesis, Avalon, and many non premium cars.

Sandman6472

Glad you liked the X5, just wish I had more seat time in the one I drove recently...something more than the 15 or so minutes I had. I would've thought that with no E class waiting for ya, a GLK would've been substituted in it's place. I would've been quite pleased with it myself but glad you are happy with the X. What are your plans for Orlando? Are you doing the parks or is this just for business?
Things not going so well at work...the boss has cut my hours drastically for some reason...I had 10 this week and again was passed over for work on Friday. We had some discussion about how he chooses and how he handles folks who decline work and we are on opposite sides of things here. I finally mentioned that I am actively looking for another part time gig to in addition to this one since he's cut my hours. We had had a previous discussion on Tuesday about why and the answer he gave me then made no sense and the only reason we did this is because I had to decline Sunday due to a bad back spasm I had. He didn't use me Monday and then said he could've used me...when I asked why he didn't call me, he had no answer, just silence! I have received no response to my telling him of my plans so have no idea what he's thinking right now. I either want more hours or will work around the ones he does give me but that would decrease my flexibility...seems like he's cutting his nose to spite his face here but I can no longer just sit around making less than others in my crew as they get more hours and income. I am very unhappy about the turn of events here and don't want to work anywhere else so hopefully he will see the whole picture here and give me back my hours. Figured I had to be upfront and honest with him and hope he will be the same with me. If you are planning on forcing me to leave by reducing my hours so much, let me know and I will do what I have to do. This has come out of nowhere and just because I declined one day makes no sense! Something else is going on here and I have no clue.

The Sandman

ohenryx

Sandman, I don’t mean to be derogatory here, and I do not truly know your situation, only what you have chosen to tell us here on the forums.

But…

You have mentioned, more than once, having to decline when you’re called for work. Once when you had a family problem (something to do with your daughter?), again this past Sunday due to back spasms. Possibly other occasions that you haven’t mentioned or I don’t recall.

I have been in the position your boss is in, having to schedule people for work on an irregular, part time basis. You come to value the people that you can depend on, the ones who always say “Yes” when you call. The more times that someone said “No”, the lower they would move on my list of whom to call.

This may not seem fair to you, but it is how life works. At any rate, the best of luck to you, and I hope things work out for you.

berri

The back spasm's may also be an issue, particularly if it has happened more than once. The company may get concerned about workman's comp potential. If it happens, you might to call in with stomach flu or something instead.

Sandman6472

First of all, I am an independent contractor so I get paid per job or by the hour, no taxes or anything else is taken out except $5/week for insurance...workers comp does not come into play here so that is not an issue. This past Sunday was the 3rd decline that I had, once for my kid and twice for my back spasm...that's it. Maybe I neglected to tell of the 2 doctor appointments I canceled and rescheduled so there would be a full crew or the two birthday dinners I declined to go to so I could be the final crew member. So I think my 3 declines over the time I have worked ain't that bad and others have declined more than I have to be honest. I schedule my life around this job and if I have an appointment, I make them for 8 a m like my dental cleaning. Even my wife and kids know that if the job calls, I am there so to be honest, I may not be the best employee but am far from the worst.

I do have another job interview in the morning which I plan to reschedule because I got a call to come into work, and this new gig is something that could turn into a better paying one but I feel that I owe my boss the courtesy of working tomorrow and I really don't want to look elsewhere...all I want is a fair shot at any work that comes in. I think I have been more than fair and have definitely given up much more than I have made my boss do since I truly respect and like him. I am a good employee who still loves this job as much as I did the first day I started. I only started complaining after I was passed over twice last week and for another couple of days two weeks ago.

Tomorrow's interview I can hopefully reschedule for later in the week as I am very interested in it and doing it in conjunction with my current job. This way I would be working 6 days a week at the most. We shall see how this plays out but honestly, I think G-d wants me to stay at this gig solely for the forseeable future and if I can be treated fairly, that is what I will do and turn down the other one!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

The X5 is decent, it's comfortable and only 3 months old. I wish it had satellite radio and parking aids, but it keeps the pattern of US premium brand rentals being modestly equipped. I didn't want a GLK, it would have been a sparsely equipped model with no nav. However I would have smiled at a GL and accepted an ML. The agent tried to tell me the C had nav - of course it didn't, she also said the S60 and SLK had it, but I would wager otherwise, as they seldom do as rentals in the US. I might be the worst nightmare for an agent, as I know more about the cars than most. Here's are some pics (no I don't park like a typical BMW driver, I moved it forward to take pics):





Funny thing, I called the branch today and told them if they had an E in, i would exchange the SUV, as I really don't need the bulk. I was told they wouldn't have an E until the 11th - that's 4 days after my rental date (that I booked 4 months ago). Looks like some cars need to be driven up from the Miami area.

I am here with an old school friend of mind. He is attending a conference in Orlando and is a Disney freak. He had to pay for the conference but got a week off to attend, and talked me into coming as I had never been to a Disney park before, and he found a very cheap airfare. Today we did Magic Kingdom, was out for about 13 hours today. Tomorrow is a relaxing road trip day, probably to St. Augustine, which I have visited before and liked. I am only doing 2 days at the parks, and taking day trips the others.

Regarding your job, I hope you get something better, maybe working directly for a company, or that you can come to an understanding with your boss. I can understand how not taking every offer might irk the manager, but being on call has a price often not compensated by wages. and I doubt your co-workers are much better. I hope that your interview reschedule idea doesn't harm you, some people aren't understanding.

Sandman6472

That's the exact one, color wise, that I drove for Sixt about 6 weeks ago from the sealer to their wash lot in Lauderdale. I really need more seat time to form a definite opinion about it but it was nice and a real step up from what I am used to. I did have an issue at first with getting out of "P" and into"D" but I figured it out. Enjoy your stay as there really is a lot to see here in Florida.

I am not getting a good vibe from that guy with the interview for some reason...he seemed very disorganized on Friday when we spoke and something inside is telling me something ain't kosher here. But an interesting thing happened last night. I drove a co-worker from the other crew that I worked with yesterday home and he mentioned that he works for another rental company part time in addition to ours and the guy is looking for 3 more drivers. He asked me if I'd like to come aboard possibly...I said that I'd be very interested and if he could recommend me, that would be great. He has no car right now and takes the bus everywhere and since we were working late and I live on the other side of the same town, I said I'd be happy to drive him home and it was only about 10 minutes out of the way total. He was so happy, as the buses don't always run on time and it being Sunday night and all. He mentioned this other gig as we were on the way and that would be the answer for me...work for both company's so I could keep my flexibility. This would be ideal!

I will call the other guy this morning and see if I can reschedule just to see what the details are...nothing ventured, nothing lost if it don't pan out because I prefer the rental gigs anyways! I've always said that life is all about timing...this just proves my point! Funny also, when the co-worker offered me a few bucks to drive him home, I said no way, just play it forward...do something nice for someone else and so on, and so on. Something good may come from all this and we exchanged numbers and I let him know that if we ever work again in the future, just call me for a lift...I felt it was the right thing to do. He also let me know that since he is working at 3 different places no, he plans to pick up a beater sometime before next year so until then, I don't mind helping him when our schedules coincide.

The Sandman

Sandman6472

Great day today which went quite well. Moved a mess of vehicles to the overflow lot and worked 8 full hours. Some drama at 7:45 this morning though...my boss calls...and I know he's going home for his moms funeral this morning. The 1st thing I think of is that I am either being uninvited for today's run even though he is leaving or he is firing me! Turns out we needed 3 more people for today and he was calling me to help him call and get bodies! Did what I could and only found 1 other person to come in but he was happy with that. Got a feeling that things are gonna go back to normal and that he has heard what I have told him and is finally seeing that I can be a good employee if I am treated fairly like the rest of the crew. This is great cause I want to stay with him and work until who knows when...I still love this damn job!!!

The Sandman :sick: :shades:

fintail

Good luck. Maybe he is just absent minded or gets frustrated.

I turned in the X5 today - I happened to be in that area dropping off a friend to get his own car, and I drove by the Sixt lot and spotted an E. I stopped by and asked for an exchange, and got it. It's so much nicer to drive than the X5, in my opinion. It's fairly miled up (13K I think) and has been neglected as all rentals seem to be here, but it is comfortable and doesn't suck down gas like the BMW. I am pleased. While I was there, a car carrier was delivering 3 new Touaregs to the branch.

I guess I am not a SUV lover. The handling felt ponderous to me, rearward visibility wasn't good on this basic model without parking aids, and it was way too thirsty.

My friend got a Captiva for his rental, $10/day Advantage special.

Sandman6472

Captiva? We drove 9 of these up to Rail Head in Jupiter as Hertz was selling them. Great driving vehicle really, mine was a silver LTZ with just 16k on the clock. The XM radio was turned off but my flash drive worked flawlessly so i had my itunes on the drive up. Only bad thing was one guy got a speeding ticket around West Palm for 83 in a 65 zone...he was pretty upset and I think the cop should of given him a break but hey, [non-permissible content removed] happens as I know all too well!!!

Turned down that other part time gig as it just didn't feel right, the guy was super nice and I think I left the door open for the future if things don't work out like I think they will. All I really would like is to work 4 to 5 days a week but will do more if they need me. Now that all 3 crew chiefs know I will work for whomever calls, think my chances will increase here though my loyalty is with my original boss but one must be ready to work when called. Even today, I got a late call to be there an hour and a half later and we had to get a guy from the other crew to fill out the roster so this is done all the time when a body is needed. All is good now and am glad I spoke up for myself...fair play is fair play and I've found in life if ya don't ask...ya don't get!

The Sandman