Consumerism - Fantasy Prices on Car Rentals in Israel

First major grouse of the trip and a warning for foreigners travelling to Israel.

There is a mandatory insurance placed on all car rentals to cover liability and collision damage. You have to pay it. But the American car rental companies don't really want to tell you about it, so when you turn the car in you get a really nasty shock. An additional $14 to $16 per day of rental. After 30 days of renting with Avis, the total charge doubled over what they quoted to me on the internet.

Even if you check that you want all the insurance coverages, they still don't appear on the total you see on the internet so you are renting a car on a false basis. Boo hiss to Avis, Hertz, Budget etc.

However, there is a silver lining. The Israeli company Eldan (also a hotel chain and owner of an airline) tells you right up front what you are paying correctly. I am happily driving an Eldan car today, knowing that when I check it into the airport in two weeks exactly what I will be paying. Kol HaKhavod, Eldan. The price isn't pretty finally, but at least it's real.

American car rental companies are losing the plot when it comes to customer service. An agent at Budget had the brass to tell me it was my fault I hadn't read every word of the impossible-to-read-agate-type on the back of the contract. Don't be fooled.

Ironically, when I first arranged the rental, I decided against Eldan because the price was too high. My mistake. The price on Avis, etc. was a fantasy and the price of Eldan was real.

Live and learn.