Add-on Fees Run Amok?
Vancouver man claims Canadian auto rental company overcharged him by $300.
A Vancouver man has told CBC News that Advantage Car and Truck Rental in Toronto (not affiliated with Advantage Rent A Car owned by Hertz in the U.S.) charged him more than $300 above the grand total he was quoted online.
David Carman booked a rental car online this past September for a trip to Toronto in early October. He said Advantage offered the best rate for a 13-day rental from Toronto’s Pearson Airport.
Carman said that when he returned the car 13 days later, he was charged more than $300 above the $470.77 grand total he was quoted online. The amount had already been charged to his credit card.
Carman was charged an extra $9.95 per day because his wife had been added as an extra driver. He claimed that charge was not listed anywhere on Advantage’s Web site when he booked the rental car. He complained he was given a “lowball quote” online, but that the rental agreement contained some extra fees.
CBC News investigated and found that other rental car agencies, such as Thrifty and Hertz, also charge for a spouse to be an additional driver. Avis and Budget do not.
Carman was also hit with a daily charge of $3.99, listed as "GC-OC" on his final bill. Advantage said that is an administration fee charged when customers decline insurance and use their gold card for coverage. In addition, although he only had the car for 13 days, Carman was also charged for a full two-week rental, instead of one week and six days, which increased his bill by another $60.
Advantage President Bruce Taylor declined an interview, but wrote to CBC News that the company is now addressing the complaint and will be issuing Carman a partial refund for the extra-day rental charge.
One Canadian group, Public Interest Advocacy Centre, is pushing the federal and provincial governments to pass tougher laws to protect consumers from extra fees.
More Rental Operations

Clean on Paper: Red Flags in Exotic Car Rental Verification
A suspicious $45,000 Lamborghini booking reveals the strengths and limitations of renter verification, from forged insurance documents to coverage gaps and unauthorized drivers. (Part 2 of 3)
Read More →
Turo and Tesla Take the Next Step Toward Autonomous Car Rentals
The partnership brings Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) technology into the rental experience, offering a glimpse of how increasingly automated vehicles could change car rental.
Read More →
How Rental Operators Can Navigate Personalized Pricing Rules
As regulators scrutinize the use of customer data in pricing, rental operators need to know whether they can explain why one renter pays more than another.
Read More →
Direct, Broker or Hybrid? How Travel Retailers Source Rental Cars
As travel retailers weigh direct supplier relationships against third-party distribution, rental operators need to understand how those decisions affect their business.
Read More →
How Did This Independent Rental Operator Grow to 170 Vehicles in 4 Years?
With 170 vehicles across three Kentucky locations, Joel Price relies on an overseas team to handle reservations, payments, and after-hours customer service. It's one part of an unconventional approach to growing an independent rental operation.
Read More →
What Does It Take to Succeed in B2B Rentals?
The fundamentals may be familiar to daily car rental operators, but project-based truck rentals put different demands on the fleet and the business.
Read More →
NPR Builds on International Partnerships to Grow Rental Bookings
With Ana Laborde supporting broker development, NPR Auto Group is tailoring distribution strategies, rate packages, and partnerships to grow international reservations across its three brands.
Read More →
Advantage, Sixt Place Among Top Five in Annual Satisfaction Study
While Enterprise and National retain the top spots in JD Power’s 2026 rankings, the latest customer satisfaction results suggest renters can find competitive service beyond the biggest car rental names.
Read More →
The $100,000 Insurance Trap in Exotic Car Rentals
Exotic rental agencies often rely on customers’ personal auto policies to protect six-figure vehicles. But policy language can dramatically change the coverage for vehicles over $100,000 MSRP.
Read More →
The Booking Is Confirmed, But Is Your Customer Ready to Drive?
For international renters, a confirmed reservation doesn’t always mean they’re eligible to drive. Earlier checks can help operators catch documentation and payment issues before the customer reaches the counter.
Read More →
