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<TABLE class=bodytext border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560><TBODY><TR><TD class=bodytext height=7>>> ASIAONE / MOTORING / OWNERS / STORY </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><!-- start story details --><TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=560><TBODY><TR><TD height=7 colSpan=3>
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</TD></TR><TR><TD class=content_subtitle align=left>Fri, Apr 23, 2010
The New Paper </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15>
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</TD><TD vAlign=top align=right><FORM method=post name=emailToFriendForm action=emailToFriend.jsp><INPUT value=/vgn-ext-templating/asiaone/emailToFriend.jsp?vgnextoid=3e8d2e1586518210VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=e2f9964f5f322110VgnVCM100000bd0a0a0aRCRD type=hidden name=emailToFriendPageURL> <INPUT value=http://www.asiaone.com/Motoring/Owners/Story/A1Story20100419-211266.html type=hidden name=emailToFriendStoryLink> 
</FORM><SCRIPT> function openEmailA1AdminWindow(emailToFriendForm) { var emailToFriendPageURL = emailToFriendForm.emailToFriendPageURL.value; emailToFriendForm.action = emailToFriendPageURL; emailToFriendForm.target="_blank"; emailToFriendForm.submit(); } </SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><!-- TITLE : start -->Man runs away with a BMW 5-series for $500 <!-- TITLE : end--></TD><TR><TD height=15 colSpan=3>
</TD></TR><!-- Story With Image End --><TR><TD class=bodytext_10pt colSpan=3><!-- CONTENT : start -->By Lester Ho and Danson Chong
SOME people like their rental cars so much, they do not want to return it.
In one case, a customer even attached fake licence plates to his rented Toyota Vios to mask its identity.
A check with six rental car companies here showed that it is not uncommon to encounter customers who do not return their rented cars.
They said they each have five to 10 such cases every year.
The manager of a rental car company, who gave his name only as Mr Wong, told The New Paper that a customer rented a Vios for $70 a day on April 9.
The 41-year-old, who was supposed to return it after three days, called to ask for a one-day extension. But he did not return the car when the time was up.
He also did not answer calls from Mr Wong, who then mobilised his staff to keep a lookout for the missing grey car.
Some of them came across the car at a Sultan Place carpark last Wednesday.
Mr Wong, 32, said: "We saw someone who looked a lot like him (the customer), but we did not approach the car then."
What threw them off was that the number plates were different.
But they suspected it was the right car as it had similar scratches.
The man went to a pub across the street. Mr Wong was then able to confirm it was the Vios they were looking for.
He looked at its road tax disc and saw that the correct plate number was stated on it.
When the man came back, Mr Wong and his staff sprang into action and blocked the car.
Mr Wong then called the police.
It turned out that the customer was homeless and had been living in the car for the past five days.
The boot of the car was filled with his clothes and the original licence plates were also in there.
"The customer was very apologetic and he even put our licence plates back on," said Mr Wong.
They did not press charges and do not know whether the police took any action against the man.
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The New Paper </TD></TR><TR><TD height=15>
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</FORM><SCRIPT> function openEmailA1AdminWindow(emailToFriendForm) { var emailToFriendPageURL = emailToFriendForm.emailToFriendPageURL.value; emailToFriendForm.action = emailToFriendPageURL; emailToFriendForm.target="_blank"; emailToFriendForm.submit(); } </SCRIPT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD colSpan=3><!-- TITLE : start -->Man runs away with a BMW 5-series for $500 <!-- TITLE : end--></TD><TR><TD height=15 colSpan=3>
SOME people like their rental cars so much, they do not want to return it.
In one case, a customer even attached fake licence plates to his rented Toyota Vios to mask its identity.
A check with six rental car companies here showed that it is not uncommon to encounter customers who do not return their rented cars.
They said they each have five to 10 such cases every year.
The manager of a rental car company, who gave his name only as Mr Wong, told The New Paper that a customer rented a Vios for $70 a day on April 9.
The 41-year-old, who was supposed to return it after three days, called to ask for a one-day extension. But he did not return the car when the time was up.
He also did not answer calls from Mr Wong, who then mobilised his staff to keep a lookout for the missing grey car.
Some of them came across the car at a Sultan Place carpark last Wednesday.
Mr Wong, 32, said: "We saw someone who looked a lot like him (the customer), but we did not approach the car then."
What threw them off was that the number plates were different.
But they suspected it was the right car as it had similar scratches.
The man went to a pub across the street. Mr Wong was then able to confirm it was the Vios they were looking for.
He looked at its road tax disc and saw that the correct plate number was stated on it.
When the man came back, Mr Wong and his staff sprang into action and blocked the car.
Mr Wong then called the police.
It turned out that the customer was homeless and had been living in the car for the past five days.
The boot of the car was filled with his clothes and the original licence plates were also in there.
"The customer was very apologetic and he even put our licence plates back on," said Mr Wong.
They did not press charges and do not know whether the police took any action against the man.
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