Hertz rental upgrade at airport: bring cash

[cvchief]

Okay, for the people taking the fraud/ethics angle in this thread: if you are at a rental desk and are offered an upgrade for cash (this is what happened) what exactly will you do?

Take it? Isn't that preferable to insulting the guy by suggesting that the offer is not valid and legal when you are absent any proof of wrong doing? How long ago was cash king in the US? Asking for cash, I think, proves nothing.

I was in Lisbon at the bus station years ago... (Doesn't this story sound sordid already?) Guy comes up to me and cracks open a trash bag and offers to sell me a camera. Now in that case, I think I had sufficient cause to assume the camera was stolen. I said no and he offered to sell me hash hence my suspicions of his nefarious nature were confirmed. As well as my opinion that we should get the heck away from the bus station....

 

[DandyDon]

Okay, for the people taking the fraud/ethics angle in this thread: if you are at a rental desk and are offered an upgrade for cash (this is what happened) what exactly will you do?

Yeah, if he says Cash Only, that's a clue - but if the upgraded car is listed on the contract, then the company auditors can catch the upgrade that way - even if they have no info on the requested bribe. Still, I always tell myself: their country, their rules and methods - just protect yourself. Yet I still think I'd be an accomplice to theft from employer - and pass. If a waiter offered me a treat for Cash Only, I'd have the same view.

 

[vladimir]

Okay, for the people taking the fraud/ethics angle in this thread: if you are at a rental desk and are offered an upgrade for cash (this is what happened) what exactly will you do?

That's not the same scenario depicted in the original post, is it?

At the airport I asked if I could upgrade.

But to answer your question, if I am offered a free upgrade by Hertz or an airline, I am happy to accept, and have. I have never been asked to pay for an upgrade in cash, but I can easily see where that could be part of a legitimate transaction in Mexico (high credit card fees, FX restrictions, etc), and I would accept with no qualms. I do not feel the duty to police the Cozumel Hertz manager's ethics, but I would not compromise my own for a bigger car with cup-holders. I would not willingly enter into an obviously dishonest transaction, and I certainly wouldn't solicit one.

Did your receipt include the cash payment?

 

[DandyDon]

That's not the same scenario depicted in the original post, is it?

Yeah, I think it is - but...

But to answer your question, if I am offered a free upgrade by Hertz or an airline, I am happy to accept, and have. I have never been asked to pay for an upgrade in cash, but I can easily see where that could be part of a legitimate transaction in Mexico (high credit card fees, FX restrictions, etc), and I would accept with no qualms. I do not feel the duty to police the Cozumel Hertz manager's ethics, but I would not compromise my own for a bigger car with cup-holders. I would not willingly enter into an obviously dishonest transaction, and I certainly wouldn't solicit one.

Did your receipt include the cash payment?

Good points. I took it that the cash payment was not on the receipt = theft. If it was = no theft.

 

[vladimir]

Yeah, I think it is - but...

It could be, but a straightforward reading of the original post has Mr Biddle soliciting an upgrade—as opposed to being offered one—and then having a "short conversation" during which he might (or might not) have proffered cash in exchange for the upgrade. I am not suggesting that's what happened—I accept his clarifications—I'm just saying there was plenty of room for lionfish-eater's interpretation of events immediately after the original post.

 

[ReefHound]

Good points. I took it that the cash payment was not on the receipt = theft. If it was = no theft.

Probably, but what do you know of the personal and business relationship between the employee and owner? Maybe the owner pays him little or no wages with the understanding that this is how the employee gets compensated?

 

[Mossman]

Interesting ethics. In my system of ethics, stealing is wrong and abetting theft is wrong, whether the victim is oblivious or not.

Commonly-held ethics. Otherwise, we'd all just keep our valuables out on the front lawn.

My word "deserve" was perhaps too strong, but it's difficult to pity the business owner who has no cash controls, paper trails, or oversight.

Besides, ethics are cultural. When I went to Yap in 2000, we were told to keep everything locked up because the Yapese didn't have a very good sense of personal property and might take something they liked. If a Yapese cleaning woman had taken J's watch because in her culture that's OK, is it still theft?

In Mexico, where "tips" are routinely expected just about any place where red tape is involved, why is it theft that the rental agent accepts "tips" as well? If you call the cops on him, he'll just pay the cops their tip. In that case, is it really illegal?

 

[PeterNBiddle]

Yeah, if he says Cash Only, that's a clue

I can't count the number of times I've been quoted a cash-only price for something. Upgrades, whole goods, services, you name it. Happens all the time. I've also had people attempt, very, erm, passionately, to NOT take my cash and insist on a card instead. I bought a hat in Barcelona and they REALLY didn't want to take my 50 euro note because it was crumpled and had a small (half inch) tear with nothing missing, but this was enough for a hand-waving conference behind the till and multiple attempts to hand the note back to me.

Here in the US, there are lots of businesses I know that operate on a strictly cash-only basis. The taco truck down the street, for example, only takes cash. Could the employees be bilking the owners out of money by skimming some off the top? Could the owners BE GUILTY OF TAX EVASION?!? Why yes, both those things could be true. I don't even get a receipt for my carnitas. Should I not go there because of this?

even if they have no info on the requested bribe.

You know, I never, until this thread, considered this a bribe. It didn't feel like one. It felt like this "I have much more expensive cars in the lot that aren't going to get rented this week. You have money and you want a better car. Let's talk."

From where I sit: If someone has legitimate and legal control of a privately held asset, and their job is the regulation and monetization of access to that asset, and they are not a public official, when he/she asks you for money for access to that asset, it's not "bribery". Wikipedia seems to support this.

Yet I still think I'd be an accomplice to theft from employer - and pass. If a waiter offered me a treat for Cash Only, I'd have the same view.

Have you ever heard the following from someone? "I'm SO SORRY but our credit card system isn't working! The tech guys say it might not be back up until tomorrow! Do you have cash?"

It's not exactly the same, but if you are willing to consider the worst under similar circumstances, I assume if this has happened to you then you at least considered that this could be someone attempting to bilk someone else (mgr, owner, taxman, credit-card company).

If this has ever happened to you, what did you do? Did ask to speak to the owner? Refuse to pay cash? Where do you draw the line?

 

[Mike]

Maybe every time I'm offered an upgrade at the Hertz gold counter I should call the CEO...






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If the counter person offered you an upgrade by slipping him $10 personally for each day of your rental, then you might want to say something. Or if your ethical and moral compass swings depending only on the chances of you getting caught involved in stealing then you'll probably say nothing.

You're either honest or your not, its that simple.

When a cashier makes a mistake when you're buying something do you point it out and pay the correct price or do you rationalize it, as 'oh well, they should do better, not my place to correct them", do you rationalize it by "they are a big company they won't miss it", or "they make plenty of money, they won't miss it" ?

You're either honest or your not. You either have a strong moral compass or it sways depending upon how likely you believe you are to get caught doing something you know you shouldn't, or how well you can rationalize being a thief.

 

[PeterNBiddle]

I took it that the cash payment was not on the receipt = theft. If it was = no theft.

The receipt, according to the people at the desk, can't be modified. I'll go into the reasons why that could be true (and why I think that it probably is) in a follow-up post, but presuming that it really can't be modified, the only way to do a paid upgrade would be via cash or CC, and if they can't take CCs at the desk then cash is the only answer to any upgrade.

I did have the guy write down the cost of the upgrade and the license plate # and VIN of the new car on the receipts and sign and date it. I may be dumb, but I ain't stupid. Maybe I should modify the OP to reflect that. It's an important point.