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From: west@sdcsla.UUCP (Larry West)
Newsgroups: net.general
Subject: re: truck rental problems... (ittvax!dipalma)
Message-ID: <400@sdcsla.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 26-Aug-83 01:56:06 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcsla.400
Posted: Fri Aug 26 01:56:06 1983
Date-Received: Mon, 22-Aug-83 22:44:21 EDT
Lines: 29

ittvax!dipalma submitted a (justifiably) angry description of his/her 
experience with a truck rental firm known as ``Jartran Truck Rental''
in which she/he was unable to get a truck despite placing a deposit
(of which the receipt did warn) and calling ahead.

My comment is that this is not particularly unusual.   I've called ahead
at a U-Haul shortly before leaving to pick up the truck, been assured there
was no problem, and then arrived there 1/2 hour later to find no truck.

Since these places are generally run by independent operators, and since
they DO warn you in advance, and since it is my impression that this is
not an atypical situation, I think your [ittvax!dipalma] complaints
are overly strong.   The avoidance procedure is to get the vehicle
a day before you really need it.   Yes, this costs you an extra, and
not inconsequential sum, but it's one of those precautions one should
take if one wants to avoid more serious problems.   Besides, it will
almost undoubtably take longer than you think to pack the vehicle, and
getting a few hours of packing done the evening before helps.

In general, my feeling is that people should restrain themselves from making
highly negative comments on businesses in cases like this; one experience,
and apparently no comparison to performance at competing firms do not make
a convincing case... if what Jartran did is in fact according to the
``industry standard'', and since they did warn you, they have done no great
wrong (other than apparently overbooking, which is not unusual).   Also, if
you are going to make this sort of specific comment, please note what area
of the country you're in.
				-- Larry West, UC San Diego
				-- sdcsvax!sdcsla!west