That $40 truck rental from U-Haul ended up costing me $300

Back in 2019 I needed to move a couch across town. Rented their smallest truck for like $40. Returned it with half a tank less gas than when I picked it up. They charged me $20 for gas plus some 'environmental fee' and a 'mileage overage' I didn't even know existed. By the time I was done it was $300. Shoulda just borrowed my buddy's truck and bought him a case of beer.

2 comments

2 Comments

blair_lewis855d agoMost Upvoted

Well now @walker.andrew, I gotta say I see it a little different. Those surprise fees are annoying, sure, but the real issue is people not reading the fine print before they sign. I've rented from U-Haul maybe six times over the years and I always ask them to walk me through every single line item before I hand over my card. They'll tell you about the mileage cap and the gas policy if you just ask. The hidden fees feel dishonest, but honestly a lot of them are written right there in the contract if you take five minutes to look. Next time try calling a local shop or a neighbor with a pickup truck - that's what I've started doing for small jobs.

walker.andrew5d ago

Double down on that hidden fee trap - they got me with the same "environmental fee" scam when I hauled some brush to the dump. The guy at the counter said it was like $5 but by the time they added the administrative charge for processing the fee it was over $40. I called customer service and they just read some policy back at me like robots. Next time I'm strapping the load to the roof of my own car before I ever step foot in a U-Haul again.