Rent-A-Wreck

The name says it all. On Thursday, I called Rent-A-Wreck to rent a car with intent to purchase if I liked it. The people that own the franchise have you thinking they are doing you a favor but they are not. I could have went to Enterprise for my rental services and I should have. Rent a Wreck charges about $40 a day for a rental. $18.00 for insurance if you only have liability.

So they put me in a mediocre silver 3 speed 2000 Chevy Cavalier with GM CNG tank in the truck, named Clint. (YES! They named the car after Clint Eastwood. I asked.) Now, I owned a 4 speed 97 Cavalier and just junked it yesterday. Their car need a brake job and the radiator flushed.
Being that I was renting with option to buy he told me to take it to my mechanic. We opened the anti-freeze reservoir and it was WATER in there. He said they use a really lightly colored anti-freeze recommended for all cars and trucks. I don't buy my anti-freeze from GM so I buy and use universal anti-freeze. He tried to rip me off there.

They told me nothing was wrong with it and it ran great. I am a highway driver. I got to 60 mph and the car could barely get to New Jersey speed limit on I-295 which is 65 mph. I was a little pissed. It was definitely one of his worse cars. Then I took it back and told him something was wrong with it and I was not paying $2100 when the blue book was $945 for fair condition and $1600 for excellent.

Instead of buying that car, I rented another 3 speed 2000 Chevy Cavalier they named Lady Bug. Again Mediocre. Actually, piece of junk. I am Chevy enthusiast. He tried to give me his problems. Lady Bug has a crazy brake problem that you can feel all through the car. Didn't like that one bit. The way it stopped you would think you were going to hit someone. Then on top of the Brake system having some issues, the check engine light on. It was on because they don't want to put an Oxygen sensor under the hood.  They also mentioned that it is common for the light to come on. I never had that issue. Ridiculous! Then the car was acting like it was going to seize or stop. But to paint the picture even more, the transmission is starting to fail in that car. I know because I have replaced 4 transmissions in that series of Cavaliers 1994-2005.

I took the car back Saturday and I was overcharged $20.00 for the time and they didn't finish the paperwork until 3. $40.00 for cleaning. $18.00 for an extra day on insurance. $22.04 due to going 54 miles over the 100 mile limit after I told them I needed the 200 mile package because I am in my car more than I am in any building. (Only had the car 1 day each.) Stay a way from them. And I filled both of the vehicles up and the gas light was on. Crazy people. I did them a favor.

I noticed that they pick people up or drop them off. He tried to drop me off at the mall and I have no idea where I would have ended up until his employee said the light rail train runs around the corner.

"No good deed goes unpunished."