Bandago Owner Continues Fight for Change in Rental Laws
Since Sharky Laguana's stolen van incident, he has been working to pass a bill that "would shorten the process of reporting a rental car as embezzled to ease the process of recovering stolen vehicles for rental car companies."
Following a stealthy pursuit across the streets of San Francisco to recover his stolen rental van, Sharky Laguana, owner and CEO of Bandago van rentals, is continuing to advocate for a change in California’s rental laws that prohibits agencies from using GPS to track and locate potentially stolen vehicles.
In a recent Washington Post article, Laguana recounted the ordeal, especially his frustration with his inability to use the van’s GPS to remotely track it when the renters failed to return it on time and the San Francisco Police Department’s refusal to apprehend the stolen van when Laguana spotted it.

Bandago founder Sharky Laguana (left) stands with California Assemblymember Phil Ting, sponsor of legislation to shorten the process of by which rental companies can legally track vehicles.
“The police said they weren’t going to investigate and they wouldn’t even accompany us to try and get the vehicle back — even though we knew exactly where it was located,” he told the news outlet.
Currently, California law prohibits rental companies from tracking their vehicles until they have been missing for five days past the return date. Missing rental vehicles are considered a contract dispute between the owner and the renter.
Since the incident, Laguana has been working to pass a bill sponsored by California Assemblymember Phil Ting. AB 2620 "would shorten the process of reporting a rental car as embezzled to ease the process of recovering stolen vehicles for rental car companies." The bill has passed a safety committee.
Laguana, and other rental operators, believe that criminals are exploiting rental agencies, since operators can’t report vehicles stolen until five days after they were due returned. By then, he says, vehicles can be chopped for parts, abandoned, or shipped halfway across the world.
While Laguana wants to decrease the number of days an operator must wait to report a missing vehicle, he also wants the ability to text customers who are an hour late returning their vehicle — a compromise he feels privacy advocates can get behind.
More Rental Operations

Sixt Revenue Tops $2.4 Billion in First Half of 2026
Sixt’s first-half revenue surpassed $2.4 billion for the first time as demand outpaced fleet growth, lifting utilization and earnings despite weaker consumer sentiment in North America.
Read More →
In Memoriam: Bobby Klyce, Avis Licensee Legend
The longtime Birmingham Avis operator and 2018 Auto Rental News Impact Award recipient was remembered as an advocate for independent licensees and the broader car rental industry.
Read More →How to Build Custom Fleet Tools With AI and Vibe Coding [Webinar]
A new Automotive Fleet webinar explores how fleet managers are using AI and vibe coding to automate routine work and create simple operational tools without traditional programming skills.
Read More →
Car Rental Rates Forecast to Rise 3.6% in 2026 Before Easing in 2027
Car rental rates are projected to rise less than airfares and hotel rates in 2026, then become the only major travel category forecast to decline in 2027, according to projections from GBTA and ALTOUR.
Read More →
Avis Cuts Fleet as Summer Demand Trails Expectations
Avis Budget Group increased second-quarter earnings despite lower Americas revenue and softer-than-expected summer demand. The company also expanded Avis First and advanced its autonomous fleet operations with Waymo.
Read More →
Why Bookings Are Only the Start of the Rental Day
A reservation captures demand. The operating test is whether the business can keep the customer, vehicle, commercial terms, and next action aligned until the rental is closed.
Read More →
This Is the Oldest Car Rental Advertisement You’ll Ever See
This ad for Saunders Drive it Yourself, believed to be the first car rental company in the U.S., was found in an Omaha phone book from 1926.
Read More →
The Desk Upsell Is Costing Operators More Than it Earns
Counter upsells generate revenue, but they can also slow transactions, erode trust, and cost repeat business. Fully inclusive pricing may offer operators a better path to long-term value.
Read More →
U-Save Expands Indian Ocean Presence with New Master Franchise for Mauritius
The franchise has been acquired by Mauritian travel entrepreneur Umarfarooq Omarjee, an established figure in the island's tourism and mobility sector.
Read More →
Global Carsharing Fleet Projected to Reach 768,000 Vehicles By 2030
A new Berg Insight forecast outlines several business models driving the projected growth in public carsharing worldwide through 2029.
Read More →
