A U-Haul customer issued a PSA to always document the state of the vehicle after picking it up to avoid the risk of being overcharged on gas.
At some point in their lives, many people have to go through the process of renting a large vehicle, often for a full move or to pick up a large item like a piece of furniture. When the moment comes, U-Haul is a popular choice.
It’s often a tedious process, but it’s something people tend to do out of necessity, not for fun. But this TikToker said that renters need to be careful when renting from U-Haul because he says they may try to scam you.
“Be careful when you rent a U-Haul truck because they rip people off,” @theydontknow58 says.
In his viral video, which has nearly a million views, @theydontknow58 explains that the company was trying to charge him $30 for not returning the vehicle with the right amount of gas.
With U-Haul, you have to return the car with the same amount of gas it had when you picked it up. If it was at a half tank, return it at half tank. If it had just under a quarter tank, return it at just under a quarter tank.
This can be a bit tricky sometimes since you have to guesstimate how much money will get you to that sweet spot (and you, of course, don’t want to unnecessarily return the car with even more gas, spending more than necessary).
Returning the vehicle with the right amount of gas is important because U-Haul is meticulous about checking. If you’re under the amount, you’ll get hit with a penalty charge.
Knowing this, @theydontknow58 not only filled up the vehicle properly, but he took photos of the car’s dashboard when he picked it up and when he dropped it off, in case there were discrepancies in his records vs. U-Haul’s and they tried to charge him for something.
Those photos—which he printed out for viewers to see clearly—certainly came in handy when U-Haul did try to charge him.
“You can very clearly see when I put them next to each other that it’s the exact same amount of gas. Yet they charged me for gas. They charged me 30 bucks,” @theydontknow58 says.
In the photos, it’s apparent that @theydontknow58 not only filled the gas back up to the right amount, but it looks like he went just a smidge over the original tank level.
“Yet they claim that it did not have gas when I returned it. Be very careful when you rent from U Haul because they will rip you off. They will take your money and it’s not good,” @theydontknow58 adds.
@theydontknow58 U-Haul scam!!! They charge for gas when I replaced all the gas to the exact amount.
♬ original sound – Theydontknow
He has yet to post a follow-up video, so it’s unclear if he was forced to pay the $30 or was able to dispute the charge successfully. In the comments section, he said that he opened a dispute, but they never got back to him. The Daily Dot reached out to @theydontknow58 via TikTok direct message and to U-Haul via email.
The video has more than 1,400 comments, largely from people who are on his side or sharing their own U-Haul experiences.
“Take them to court for $15,000,000,” the top comment read.
“Uhaul place got mad bc I took photos on pick up/drop off. Said they do their own inspection and I don’t need to worry. They tried to charge me for 1200 miles when I only went 50 miles. TAKE PICTURES!,” a person shared.
“They did it to me too. 30 miles and they charged 9 gallons of gas. I reached out to corporate and they refunded,” another said.
