Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 11, 1995 TAG: 9501110042
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SANDRA BROWN KELLY
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Pay special attention to what the companies say about checking your driving record as a condition of the rental; a poor record could leave you stranded at an unfamiliar airport.
The crime bill signed last September by President Clinton carries a provision that allows car-rental companies to pry into driving records in any state. If it doesn't like what it sees, the company can refuse to rent out a car.
Being able to poke into driving records hasn't caused major blacklisting in the car-rental industry, but it has the potential to do so, notes Consumer Reports Travel Letter.
Consumer Reports notes that rental companies want to blacklist drivers mainly because they are concerned about liability lawsuits from victims of accidents caused by rental-car drivers.
There are four problems with the current process, the magazine said:
Allowing private car-rental companies to snoop through driving records raises invasion-of-privacy issues.
The three-violation/two-accident provisions take no account of violation severity or who is actually at fault in an accident.
Travelers typically don't learn they can't rent a car until they arrive at the rental counter.
There is no mechanism for appeal or for obtaining a waiver of the blacklist.
Some rental companies may accept drivers with violations, but it's something about which customers need to ask.
Being a regular customer might not even help. When asked if frequent rentals might make a difference, a Hertz representative replied: "Absolutely not."
If you have had some violations, it wouldn't hurt to know your record before you try to rent.
Motorists curious about their driving records can get a printout for $5 at a Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles office. Information is available free by telephone if the caller can provide sufficient evidence to confirm his or her identity.
Also, make certain you understand a company's rules before you reserve a rental car. If you're traveling with companions and you don't qualify for a rental car, consider if one of them does.
Food prices up
On a continuing dreary news note: Food prices in Roanoke rose 3.2 percent last year. A marketbasket of items priced regularly in several localities by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services cost $74.29 in December 1993 and $76.68 in December 1994.
Increases were similar or worse in the other three survey areas: Prices increased 3.2 percent in Norfolk, to $81.35; Northern Virginia saw its marketbasket value increase by 3.7 percent to $83.07; and Richmond had an increase of 6.6 percent for a total of $82.20.
A dusting debate
Advertising watch: Is Endust superior to Pledge? The National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus Inc. recently grappled with this question.
The issue arose because of a commercial that showed both furniture polishes being sprayed on wax and grease marks. Endust won the race to remove the marks. S.C. Johnson & Son, manufacturer of Pledge, challenged the image of its product as presented by Sara Lee Corp., which makes Endust.
Here's the essence of what the advertising watchdog group said in a long research paper:
Endust will remove wax and grease marks faster than Pledge, but it takes about the same number of scrubbing strokes with each to remove dust and water-based stains. Endust is better on crayon marks and Pledge is superior on coffee, gravy, mustard and mayonnaise.
NAD said Endust contains solvents and no wax and will quickly break down stains requiring a solvent but won't leave a shine and protective coat on the surface. Behold, also made by Sara Lee, contains wax or silicon and is more like Pledge.
The commercial had to be modified.
by CNB