A Florida couple who had been staring down a mighty rental car bill breathed a sigh of relief last week when the total bill came in at $871.
“I think they treated us fairly,” said Pat Hite, the wife of a man whose rental car was stranded near the Hoh Visitor Center in Olympic National Park.
“Free would be better, but fair is good.”
Claude Hite of Tampa Bay had been camping in the Hoh Rainforest Nov. 6 when a powerful storm washed away a giant chuck on the Hoh River Road, leaving him and a friend, and his rented PT Cruiser, stuck.
Instead of charging the Hites the daily rate for the time the car spent deserted up the road, Thrifty Car Rental offered $12 a day, and the Hites jumped at it.
Pat said they figured the $12 rate was a bargain.
For the time that Claude actually had use of the car, all 431 miles over four days from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the couple owe about $108.
For 43 days, from when it was marooned until it was ready to rent again at the airport, plus towing and repairs, the couple will pay about $762.
Altogether, that’s a grand total of $871.
