Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Big Brother seeps into rental car industry

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 24 Mar 2004 18:38:30 -0500

Big Brother seeps into rental car industry

By ED ADAMS
Navigant International
03/24/2004

Business travelers beware: When renting cars,
read the fine print.

Some rental car companies keep tabs on their renters, tracking the
renters' speed and handing out fines for going over the speed limit.
Other companies charge a fixed fee for driving the car out of state. The
Global Positioning System (GPS) installed in some vehicles provides
rental car companies with this information and printouts of customers'
exact routes. While travelers may feel that this is an invasion of
privacy, rental car companies say it's all there in the fine print.

The technology behind GPS is called telematics _ a combination of
satellite-based tracking, wireless communications and monitoring
systems.  Rental companies ensure that GPS is just a way to enforce
contracts, not to make money and spy on car renters. Originally
installed in the mid 1990s, telematics systems were meant to help
motorists from getting lost, but they now are used for tracking
additional information while driving.

According to analysts, about one-fourth of the rental cars in the United
States come equipped with a GPS or some similar tracking device. Payless
Car Rental and Acme Rent-a-Car have received several complaints from
renters, and many upset customers have tried to battle privacy issues in
court.

Unhappy renters say that the GPS tracking technology invades their
personal privacy. The car rental companies, however, argue that it is
wholly legal since the systems are used for vehicle liability and damage
reasons and all terms are disclosed in the contracts. One traveler
recently complained that the employees of one rental car company never
asked about the intended destination, nor did they speak of the travel
restrictions. Therefore, renters must read the entire contract before
signing _ do not assume that there are no speed limit or state boundary
fees.

Many rental car companies claim that they equip their cars with GPS
technology to locate stolen cars and charge customers for any reckless
conduct. Online information shows, however, that some rental companies
promote the technology's ability to track vehicle location,
automatically notify the company when a car has crossed a state
boundary, be notified of excessive speeds and damage, and even remotely
disable the vehicle if stolen or taken out of the country.

Two major rental car companies, Hertz and Avis, state that they are not
interested in tracking such things as customers' speed. These companies
use GPS technology but say their systems do not have the ability to
track speed.  Hertz and Avis use GPS to better accommodate travelers'
needs, supplying directions, unlocking cars via satellite when keys are
misplaced and notifying authorities when there is an accident.

In short, business travelers should allow themselves plenty of time to
thoroughly read through the car rental companies' contracts and ask
questions if there are any misunderstandings. Even before renting a car,
travelers should research the company's Web site and shop around before
deciding which rental company to choose. You will have to decide which
company has the best policy to fit your needs and your personal sense of
privacy.

(Ed Adams is chairman and CEO of Navigant International. Comments can be
sent to biztraveler(at)navigant.com, or visit www.navigant.com.
Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service.)

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/?action=detail&pk=BIZTRAVELER-03-24-04
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