Sometimes when you need to rent a car, all you want is to get from point A to point B for the lowest amount of money possible. And Arriet (@theaisylaarriet) believes she found hack that allows one to do just that. Arriet says she was able to bypass all the fees associated with a car rental by, instead, renting a vehicle from U-Haul.
Arriet started out her video with the text: “Them: Its gonna be $350 deposit for a rental car.”
The TikToker and whoever she was traveling with weren’t really feeling that price point. So they opted to ditch going to a traditional car rental place and opted for U-Haul.
“Us:” the text reads as Arriet records herself walking through a U-Haul lot. She shows off the competitive price points for the vehicles, which includes a pickup truck for a $19.95 base price.
“Cause y’all had the game messed up,” she added in a caption for the video.
In the past, other TikTokers, like Kasey Bowles (@the.real.mrsb) have chosen to rent a vehicle from U-Haul as opposed to a major car rental chain, too. The pros Bowles listed in her TikTok for U-Haul are: “No additional fees for being under 25. Half the price of other rental options. Comes with roadside assistance. Affordable insurance. It makes a great conversation starter.” And a self-proclaimed broke couple rented a U-Haul to get around for a week.
@the.real.mrsb 10/10 experience, would do it again #uhaul #travel #rentalcar #denver #colorado #rockymountains #savingmoney #traveltiktok ♬ Start Me Up – The Rolling Stones
Viewers weighed in on the hack in the comments section of Arriet’s video.
“It’s not glamorous but it gets the job done,” one said.
U-Haul’s mileage fees
But there were a lot of other folks noted that U-Haul charges its customers additional fees on top of the base flat rate. “Rental cars have unlimited mileage U-Haul charges you for mileage,” one said in favor of a traditional rental car.
Another remarked, “Paying for gas and $1 per miles adds up real quick.”
Rental vehicles from U-Haul and similar moving/storage companies do often come with per mile fees. Those could end up becoming very costly, especially if you’re planning on driving long distances.
The per mileage fee, according to the company’s site, ranges anywhere from .59 cents per mile to .99 cents per mile. The smaller the truck, the lower the per mileage fee. If Arriet drove 200 miles during her trip, it would result in a $118 on top of the $19.95 flat fee rental.
Since Arriet wasn’t planning to do a ton of driving in the U-Haul, it was the perfect option for her.
U-Haul also states that deposits aren’t necessary as long as customers are booking their vehicles with a major credit card company. If they plan on paying for the truck cash and opt not to put a credit card down, a deposit is required.
The Daily Dot has reached out to U-Haul via email and to Arriet via TikTok comment for further information.
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