Well what a special way to start the day. We were just getting ready to head out for the day but the truck we rented from AB Car Rental would not start. Bruce from Carib Inn was walking out just as we were trying to start it. He pointed out that there the gas filler door was open and there was a lot of gas on the parking lot under truck. Of course AB had filled the truck to full, (the first trip it only had 1/4 tank, think that may be why we didn't get hit this time?) which you should never do on Bonaire. The THIEVES had pulled the plug from the gas tank and instead of dropping the plug right there they took it with them.

We called AB and were informed it would be $30 to drive the whopping distance of ....oh what...about a mile from their office to the Carib Inn.....then it would be $90 !!!!! to put a $2.00 rubber plug in. Wow, what a deal for AB. A very easy $120 in their pocket.
The lady that works for Bruce called and told them to cancel the service call and Bruce would fix it. The lady at AB Car Rental got very angry at being asked to cancel the call said "We WILL NOT cancel the service call". After a few choice words from our hero in the office here at the Carib about how it was very suspicious that 1. the plug was missing, 2. no other trucks in the area (none were full of gas) were bothered 3. Them being so unwilling to be helpful, AB rudely hug up. Bruce got the truck fixed for about $5 total and that's with enough gas to get us to a gas station.

I don't mind getting screwed but I'd sure like to get kissed first.

Bruce said that this is not the first time he has heard of issues with AB..
Needless to say we WILL NOT be renting from AB on any return visits to Bonaire.

Sorry Nancy, that stinks.

But, if it's going to happen, be close to Bruce.
You could have been up north

I must say , Truck Rentals on Bonaire can be very cheesy at times . They definitely have their own rules .

Although I have not yet met the man , Bruce is a definite asset to Bonaire .

I have read so many reports of how he has saved ones day it is mind boggling .
Think of how many good deeds this guy does that we do not read about !

Sorry this happened Nancy I hate when things like this occur! What a good guy Bruce is!

I personally have never rented from AB so I can't give any first hand experience but this makes me think I will probably not rent from them in the future.

Nancy, Sorry to here about your experience. When we stayed at Carib with Bruce a couple of weeks ago, (the first week of Aug.), we also had our gas tank drained during the night. Car was parked in his slots on the street. No damage otherwise. Bruce was very upset at the time and graciously gave us a gallon of gas so that we could get to the gas station. He was also visably upset due to apparently the lack of any sort of police response or patrols in the area and was hoping that things will change with a new gov't coming in. (We did not file a police report). The only good thing was they only got a couple of gallons as I had not filled the truck up the night before.

BTW, we also had an AB truck with full comp, I assume you didn't get the coverage? Our 5th rental from them. The only time we didn't get comp was our last trip and had a flat so a $40 charge to repair. Could have changed myself but bum knees and wasn't worth the hassle. Haven't had issues with them otherwise.

For what it's worth, we typically use Budget and have never had any incidents of any kind, full fuel tank or otherwise. Had a flat tire coming back from Slagbaai once, but had that fixed on my own.

Also, the parking where we stay (Bonaire Oceanfront Apts, no I am not an owner) is very secure and locked at night, so that may be what's saved us in the past.

Thanks all. Bruce and his crew have gone way above the call of duty to take care of us. One thing for sure we will ALWAYS stay at the Carib Inn when we come back and we WILL come back.

Kitty wrote a very nice letter, with no prompting from us, explaining what happened and she & Bruce both signed it. Apparently the mechanic showed up a hour after the truck was repaired by two of Bruce's workers, They both were given a good tip and were most appreciative of it. We'll see if AB tries to charge us the $30 when we pay the bill.

KOB, Budget was the company Bruce said was very helpful when this kind of thing happens.

Bruce brought up the couple in their 70's that AB tried to stick it to for a whole set of tires while back after ones whole tread belt came off and the other three were completely worn down to almost no tread at all.

OTHO I'll report on our dinning experience so far in the dinning section.

Sorry to hear about your problems Nancy. You should make sure you email the general manager and so she is aware of how you were treated. I know she takes the way customers are treated very seriously. Their costs/ charges may be established, however their representatives being rude to you are something that they will want to know.

BTW, Bruce has come to my rescue a few times also. The Carib Inn is the first place I go when I have any problems with my equipment.

Nancy
Have rented from Ab may times in the past without incident. however based on your story and words from Bruce I'll look into someone else in the future. Budget sounds worth exploring.

Marcolva Maria Henriquez (Poppy)
Telerin Car Rental
P.O.Box 347
Cell: 599-9-5163001 (24 Hrs)
Tel: 599-717-4108 ( office)
e-mail: marcolva@hotmail.com.
e-mail: telerin@bonairelive.com

If you ever give poppy a try, you will never do business with anybody else!! She is the best! No hassle, she meets you at the airport with your truck, no lines comming or going. Always with a big smile!!! It is like having a relative loan you her truck!!!

Latest update is that AB's Josie called on Friday and requested a meeting between Frank, myself and Bruce. Josie arrived promptly at 9am today.

Josie said that the employee that we originally dealt with when the gas and plug was stolen has only been with them for a month and was "going by the script". Not Josie's words but that was the gist of her explanation of the misunderstanding. She apologized for how the incident was handled and said that the next time we visit Bonaire she would try to make it up to us for the way this incident was handled. We are pleased with how Josie has dealt with this so far and I will report how it goes when we turn the truck in on Wed.

Also the $120 charge would have been for a cut gas line. Josie was not aware that it was the plug that was removed and stolen. She asked how we fixed it and we told her that Bruce's men repaired it after Bruce bought a new plug which Josie offered to pay Bruce the 10 guilders it cost. Bruce refused brushing it off as nothing. I told Joise that Bruce and his crew all go above and beyond the call of duty in customer service.



(Message edited by Nancy1340 on August 30, 2010)

I truly wish 13 yrs ago we had been able to get a room at caribe inn..it was full at the time and we have always stayed at diff places and somewhat spoiled to their accomodations, but I feel like we have truly missed what would have been a special relationship for us with everything you hear about Bruce and his staff and services...kudos to one that i consider a bonaire legend...ps at leas we do have the pleasure of going there for equipment as the need arises on our trips

Monty, I don't think we would consider staying anywhere else but at Carib. Unless we just couldn't get a room there.

When we went to turn in the truck nothing was mentioned about the $120 charge so we are hoping it does't show up on the CC bill. I'll be sure to report if it does or does not.

Bruce is amazing. My wife and I did our open water cert there, with Gary Schranz.. also a good guy. Bruce is a touch stand-offish at times, but I can't fault him at all - he's a celebrity.

We're staying at the Carib when we head back there - flying out Saturday, getting there Sunday.. I can hardly wait!

... 'course, the Landwind SUV from AB now has me a touch concerned...

D.

I've rented from AB in the past but won't again. The turning point for me occurred in 2009 when I wanted to return the truck a day early and take a cab to the airport the day of my departure. They informed me I could bring it back whenever I wanted but would be charged for the full amount of the car rental agreement. I used Poppy at Telerin last December and will use her in the future. We had a problem with the pickup and she got it fixed right away and provided me with a cell phone for the remainder of my trip.Excellent service.

Bill, Poppy sure knows how to treat customers!!!

Now I wish I'd checked here first - didn't even think to. Ah well, I'll report back later - maybe I'll be able to indicate a change of heart and better customer service?

we had used AB a number of times in the past and had a few minor problems. however, i know that over the last 10 or 15 years they have undergone numerous management changes so what is true one year might not hold true the next.

We used AB car rental this past December for the first year. We were really impressed with them. The truck that we got was a rust bucket (perfect), it did not want to start in the morning, the accelorator stuck and half way through the week the bumper that was rusted through fell off. After a quick zip tie on we used the truck for the rest of the week without issues. Upond return, we told the guy all about the different issues and even showed him how to zip tie the bumper to make sure it got back from the airport.
Wr are planning to use them again next year.