A woman decided to gamble by selecting a $900 surprise rental vehicle, only to be left disappointed. As one viewer simply put it: "You got played.”
The woman (@secretacct00891) shares the journey of walking out to the parking lot with a friend to discover something they didn’t sign up for. The grand reveal is documented in a TikTok that has generated over 741,100 views as of this writing.
The woman and her friend reveal that they are under 25, and this is the first time they’ve ever rented a car.
“I just got my first rental car. We got the underage rental car, but we got it as a surprise,” she begins.
Feeling fun, the two decided to go with the surprise option for a luxury SUV. Playing into the mysterious element, the woman asks her friend to guess what car they will end up with.
She believes it will be a Jeep Wrangler, and her friend thinks that the SUV will be a Chevy Tahoe.
Well, things get a little awkward when they arrive at the rental car spot.
“We got a Nissan Altima,” she reveals.
The two were left confused about how a Nissan Altima is considered a luxury vehicle—or an SUV.
‘$900 For A Nissan Is Crazyyy Work’
Viewers were also left in disbelief at how the rental company believed a Nissan Altima was a luxury vehicle.
“So does the Nissan drop you off to your luxury rental car?” one TikTok commenter asked.
“I hate picking the luxury option and getting a Nissan. I wanted a Cadillac Escalade and they gone tell me it's equivalent and gave me an Armada,” another added.
While other viewers weighed in on the $900 tab that the Nissan Altima racked up.
“I know someone that rents literal supercars for $1,200… $900 for an Altima is HORRIBLE,” one commented.
“Girl, I drive a Nissan Altima. It gives me so many issues I could sell it for $900 or less. I feel terrible for you,” a second shared.
“It’s most likely $900 because you’re under 25,” another speculated.
“We got a luxury rental then paid an underage fee which was $150,” the woman replied.
In a follow-up post, the woman explains how she rented a car through Fox Rent A Car. She shares how the trip was booked through Expedia, which quoted her $47 a day. Her rental lasted over a week, and she was charged $150 for the underage fee.
“We were really excited since we thought we were going to get a nice car,” the woman shares.
However, the excitement quickly went away when the paperwork listed out a Nissan Altima as their surprise selection.
“Moral of the story, we did not receive the best car. But I will say we were whipping the Nissan Altima,” she concludes.
How Does The Surprise Rental Car Get Picked?
Rental car companies will use marketing terms like “manager's special," "surprise vehicle," or “mystery car” to lure customers into taking a risk. This option is usually more cost-effective, plus it makes getting a rental more entertaining with the surprise factor.
By selecting the “manager's special,” "surprise vehicle,” or “mystery car," the renter is rolling the dice on what vehicle they’ll get put into. By not directly selecting what car you want, the rental car company can have free rein on what car you get.
“‘Managers special’ Typically that means whatever is leftover once people pick their cars. Doesn’t mean nicer,” one TikTok commenter shared.
Rental companies can send out economical vehicles or just any that is available on the lot. While these marketing terms can entice renters to be spontaneous and fun, they can potentially burn you. One Avis car renter ended up in a 12-passenger van when they selected the mystery car option.
Typically, these surprise rentals will be the cheapest option, meaning the cheapest vehicle will probably be given.
However, that’s not always the case. One Budget rental customer did a $25 a day rental, and the employee hooked her up with an EV Genesis. A higher-end vehicle can be given out if the location is overstocked on inventory for a certain category.
So, when selecting a surprise rental option, it’s truly a gamble. You can either end up in a Nissan Altima, a 12-passenger van, or a higher-end vehicle. While this lottery option may be intriguing to do, the renter must accept whatever vehicle they are given to save a few extra bucks.
Motor1 has contacted @secretacct00891 via TikTok direct message and commented on the post. Fox Rent A Car has been contacted via website contact form. This post will be updated if any party responds.
