Travel comes with a lot of unexpected fees that consumers have to be wary of but generally have no way of avoiding.
That type of unexpected charge is not uncommon in the travel industry, but that's not the only pricing tactic consumers need to be wary of. Many airlines and hotels sell fares and stays that are non-refundable. In many cases, passengers have the option of buying a refundable ticket or room reservation but at a higher cost.
In other cases, it's also possible to arrive and literally find that the company has no cars and may not get any back that day. In most cases, rental car reservations, unless you make them on Booking HoldingsThat leads to a lot of no-shows which is why a company can run out of cars. Many rental car companies overbook based on knowing that some customers will not show up, but when they do, mayhem erupts.
Add in the persistent efforts to upsell you to a nicer car and it's a pretty unpleasant experience that generally involves waiting, manually signing a lot of paperwork, and then walking to find a car that may or may not be where they say it is.