Tourists visiting Oakland are getting a new warning about a long-standing problem as they pick up their rental cars.
It’s a warning Ali Armstrong and friends didn’t expect to get from their rental car agency during a weekend visit to the Bay Area.
“A surprise as a tourist,” he said. “Definitely a ‘woah, this is serious’.”
Armstrong said Enterprise Rent-A-Car told them not to fill up the car at the gas station closest to them because of the violations.
He said another friend got the same warning from a different rental company: Avoid the gas stations along Hegenber and 98th Avenue near the airport.
“I wouldn’t say it would stop me from coming to Oakland, but definitely being aware,” Armstrong said.
Armed security guards were stationed at two gas stations near the airport on Tuesday. A Chevron employee, who did not want to be identified, said it’s a direct response to the car tickets.
Dozens of customer-turned-victims have even taken to online review sites like Yelp to warn others about the problem.
“We couldn’t control the thefts,” said Guadalupe, a Chevron employee. “It would start at 6 in the morning, until 2 and then in the afternoon it would be crazy, a lot more.”
“On a really bad day, I’ve seen some of these guys in the area can get 10 cars in an hour,” said one guard who did not want to be named.
He said most of the violations are directed at rental cars. He said thieves can pick them out by a white registration sticker. Although the thefts have decreased since he arrived, he said they have just returned when he leaves work.
“We are so close to the airport, these guys come to return the rentals and have all the luggage with them, it’s a real shame,” said the guard. “When they get to the airport, they have nothing.”
Last month, a couple had two rental cars on the same day at a nearby In-N-Out parking lot. When the couple tried to stop the suspects, the robbers pulled a gun on them.
Oakland police announced they would be adding extra patrols after seeing an increase in car thefts. But companies fear the damage has already been done.
“We lose money, customers, we used to have regular customers, but their carjackers don’t want to come back,” Guadalupe said.
Read Enterprise’s full statement below:
Due to a recent increase in thefts in the area, we’ve warned customers to be more aware of their surroundings and to make sure they don’t leave valuables unattended or visible in their vehicle, especially when stopping for gas . This is good advice no matter the area or situation.
Customers are financially responsible for any damage or theft that occurs during a rental transaction, as if they owned the rental vehicle. Sometimes customers mistakenly believe that they did not personally cause the loss of the vehicle or witness any damage. [for example, vehicle theft, a “hit-and-run” incident in a parking lot, flooding or hail damage] that they are not responsible. This is one of the most common misconceptions about rental car damage.
We always strive to make every tenant’s experience the best it can be and help customers better understand what they can do to mitigate their risk. For example, it’s always helpful when a consumer knows before renting a car what coverage their own rental vehicle insurance offers.
