Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 Apollo; site apollo.uucp Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!floyd!harpo!decvax!wivax!apollo!rees From: rees@apollo.uucp (Jim Rees) Newsgroups: net.consumers Subject: Re: credit cards and rent-a-cars Message-ID: <271@apollo.uucp> Date: Mon, 19-Mar-84 10:36:29 EST Article-I.D.: apollo.271 Posted: Mon Mar 19 10:36:29 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 20-Mar-84 02:04:20 EST References: <873@cvl.UUCP> <196@felix.UUCP> Organization: Apollo Computer, Chelmsford, Mass. Lines: 23 The rent-a-car companies don't actually require a credit card although in practice they do. You are always free do post a (LARGE) cash bond when you rent a car instead of leaving a credit card chit. No one can require a credit card. Remember what all our cash says, "This note is legal tender for all debts, public and private." I don't think that is necessarily true. There is a tool rental outfit in Seattle (Cain's) that will not rent to you unless you either drive a car or are in the military (both of which are taken as signs of great responsibility). I called the Washington State Attorney General about this and was told that as long as he is not discriminating on the basis of race, religion, or other legally prohibited criteria, he is free to do business with whoever he wants. The stuff about "legal tender" was discussed in net.misc a while back. I think the conclusion was that you could "tender" (offer) US currency in good faith all you want, but no one is obligated to do business with you (except perhaps the government itself).