Peter Greenberg: Relocating Rental Cars

By: Peter Greenberg | Source: AARP.org | 2009-05-20

Hi Peter,
I checked out the Web site Autodriveaway.com, and they require a membership fee. I hope they are legit and not running some sort of scam to get people’s money or credit-card information. You see, my wife and I have time on our hands and always wanted to take advantage of the market in returning vehicles for rental companies. We are retired and in our sixties but in excellent shape.
–Samuel, Laurel Springs, N.J.
 
A: Autodriveaway.com is the Web site of a legitimate company that has been in business for decades. As you already know, it provides a vehicle-relocation service that moves cars around the country for individuals and companies. Since they have more cars that need to be repositioned than professional drivers to move them, they let members of the public drive the cars to their designated destinations for free.
 
I am not sure what led you to think that they charge a membership fee, because they do not. You do have to register as a driver so they can do a background check (this involves giving the company your driver’s license number and other vital information), and you have to leave a refundable $350 deposit when you pick up the car. But provided you get the vehicle to the destination in one piece, you get your deposit back.
 
One important thing to remember about Auto Driveaway is that, unlike with a rental car company, you cannot name the place or time you want to go. Since the company relocates cars on behalf of clients who need their vehicles moved on specific days, you are limited by the itineraries of the cars they have available. For example, in spring, a lot of “snowbirds” need to have their cars relocated from north to south. You have to check the company’s Web site, Autodriveaway.com, and plan your trip around what’s available—not the other way around.
 
Vehicle repositioning is a very inexpensive travel option, provided you can be flexible. Your only costs are fuel, plus food and lodging along the way (they even give you the first tank of gasoline free). The big drawback: These are ONE-WAY rentals, so you’ll have to find another way to get back home.