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42 - Sunday, May 6, 1990 - North Shore News

Rental headache

IT’S BUYER BEWARE WHEN RENTING A CAR ABROAD

LET THE buyer beware — at least when it comes to renting

acar!

Of all the travel problems that cross my desk, car rental! troubles have to be the most frustrating. Prices? If you want an exercise in frustration, just try comparison shopping through the maze of op- tions and the even bigger maze of car firms renting vehicles.

Most of us can figure out what

travel wise Barbara McCreadie

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size car we need, if we want a standard or automatic, air condi- tioning and the amount of driving we intend to do.

So with the basics firmly in hand, we begin checking prices. ft’s a zoo out there!

May you have good luck if you should require anything special like a baby seat!

Insurance? That’s another jungle and you're on safari without a guide. The best I’ve ever been able to do is to buy what I hope I won't need.

Some of the biggest horror stories come from people who bought what they thought was complete coverage only to discover, after they climbed out of the wreck, that some bit of fine print, written in Sanscrit, voided their coverage in this situation.

And then there’s the vehicle. If you’re lucky, it has all its parts, starts on command and brings you back alive.

Speaking of alive, don’t be sur- prised if you car is alive with other than a peppy engine. One we rented ia Hawaii was crawling with cockroaches, bur that’s another story.

Perhaps I'd better tell you the latest horror story told to me by News reader, Mr. J. Whiteside.

He rented a car in Acapulco for five days, giving the company, Na- tional, a credit card imprint as demanded. .

He was given a vehicle that he described as ‘“‘the top end of Rent-A-Wreck.’’ Off he went for what he hoped would be five

an

trouble-free days of touring the countryside,

That same day, one of the tires blew on the car. There was no spare so, in desperation, he pur- chased a replacement and headed back to Acapulco the following morning to exchange the car for something more reliable and to get his money back for the tire.

Not only did he get no replace- ment, he got a bill for $313, no car at all and only $13 towards the price he paid for the tire.

In effect, he paid over three hundred dollars for one day of trouble-filled motoring.

The Mexican company had him by the ears — rernember that credit car imprint?

When he came home, he com- plained to the headquarters of Na- tional in Minneapolis. To date, he has had no satisfaction at all.

It was explained to him that the Mexican office that he dealt with was a “privately owned franchise”’ and that they had no control over their policies.

Caveat emptor.

tak

The Sheraton Hotel chain publishes a newsletter called Sheraton Views. | am. reprinting, with permission, part of a small article in the recent issue.

It is a summary of a speech given by Al Kihea, general manag- er for Asian Marketing for the chain.

I think it is very important that we recognize the importance of the influx of Japanese visitors to our city. In 1989, 400,000 Japanese visited Vancouver and many of us will be dealing directly with Japa- nese visitors on many levels.

Here are some of Kihea’s rec- ommendations:

¢ Present your business card with formality. The card is treated with great respect and the manner in which it is presented, and its appearance (dog-eared, for in- stance) reflects on the presenter.

© Dress immaculately. The Jap- anese have very high standards of personal hygiene.

* Learn patience. It may take years to cultivate respect and ac- ceptance. During these overtures every topic but business is usually discussed.

Time is of the utmost. A 10- minute delay may cause agitation; 20 minutes, near panic.

© Wait to be seated. When meeting with Japanese business people, your positioning in relation to the top executive present establishes your standing within the group.

® Given names are rarely used. “San”? can replace Mr., Mrs. or Miss, etc. Use one, not both. To omit San or Mr, is extremely rude.

1823 Capilano Rd.

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© Last, but by no means least, Japanese never complain ... but they also never return.

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On the subject of business cards, J] can’t emphasize strongly enough the importance of these little pieces of cardboard. Essential in doing business abroad. they are also a fine addition to the pleasure travel- ler’s wallet.

It is an especially sensible touch to have the gist of the card reprinted on the back in the lan- guage of the country you will be visiting if the national script differs from English.

In Mr. Kihea's speech he men- tioned the value of presenting your card with formality. However, it’s important to remember to receive cards with equal formality and put them away graciously — don’t shove them in a pocket.

Wallets are often a place where

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cards get chewed and dog-eared. When shopping for a new wallet, look for one like my new one — it has a special compartment with a safety flap to keep my cards all shiny and new.

ate

Current news for the reader who wanted a direct flight from here to Maui: you’re out of luck unless you don’t mind flying out of San Francisco or Los Angeles.

I checked with Barbara Reynolds of Discover Your World Travel on Marine Drive and she warned me that I'd better qualify that. Airlines change their routes with little warning and by the time this reaches you there may be 2 change! We agreed that few businesses change faster than the travel business.

See Coach Page 43

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(ground floor, otfice tower)