Why are you calling a human agent at all, instead of just booking on the web? Is there a specific rental agency that you've had this experience with? I just tried booking a one-way rental from SF to Portland on hertz.com and had no problem.

Hertz absolutely does it, so does Avis.

I used travelocity.com to search for cars from SFO to PDX for a 6-day trip and the following car rental companies offered this rental:

Thrifty, Alamo, National, Hertz, Avis and Budget.

For a side-by-side comparison of these offerings, go to Travelocity.com, click on the CARS tab, then click on the ONE WAY link at the bottom of the pink (orange?) box and then complete the form. Be sure to select the option to "drop the car at a different office than where you picked it up".

BTW, Thrifty.com appeared to have the best rate (a weekly rate that came to just under $500, including taxes and fee but without optional insurance.

Good luck.

Another engine is Orbitz.com. I like their matrix. Whichever comparison site you use, then go to the website of the company that gives the best rate. It often saves a few dollars. Don't forget affinity groups like AAA and AARP. If you are a member, you qualify for special rates. And beware that while one company may include the dropoff premium in the base rate (e.g., National) others might give a good base rate, and then tack on a hefty surcharge. Be sure to take it out to the end - the booking page that shows all the surcharges, taxes and fees - before committing. (Actually, there's no charge or penalty for a no-show.) Going back many years, I've had the best rates for a point to point with National - and I'm not a shill for them.

I don't know what program you used I have been trying for 1/2 hour to get Hertz to let me book It tells me I have invalid locations when I try the one way booking to Oregon

Hiya! I have very recent experience with this. (I leave for my trip tomorrow!) In searching for a 1-way rental between SF & Phoenix I checked all the engines and kept getting outrageous drop-off fees for 1-way rentals (hundreds of dollars!). Then I tried carrentals.com and got a great rate with NO apparent drop-off fee! Their site specifically states: The Total Price Shown includes all known rates, taxes, fees, surcharges and applicable drop off charges.

The rate is nearly $200 less than any other rate I could find (though it IS about $200 more than the rates I see for pick-up/return rentals in SF). Interestingly, it's with National and when I tried their site (a few days ago and again today), the rate I receive on the National site is $400 MORE!! Go figure...

So I highly recommend carrentals.com...

It is scarry out there. Yesterday I did the on line rental search with Enterprise and they said that there would be and additional charge for milage after 150 miles a day outside of California....so that is why I called up to find out how they would be able to tell the milages after I crossed the state line????? At that time I was told that they no longer allowed drops outside of California. I would have to return the car to SF?? What's with that? Please let me know how you make out.

Sure. I pick up the car this Friday and I'll return it on 12/23. I'll let you know how it goes! I don't expect any problems, but I'll be armed with a print-out of my reservation and the policies as stated online, so you can bet I won't take any nonsense! :-)

Wish I had caught up with you sooner to share information. I am planning our stay in San Francisco at the Fishermans Wharf Hostal. Price is right and they can be so much fun...Meet new and interesting people. Not going until April from Massachusetts via Amtrak that is fun too! Good luck with the car

I just was on Hertz.com and put in a date for April picking up in San Francisco and dropping off in Portland, it let me make a reservation.

Some advice, I rent one way cars often, always from Hertz. Only rent the car on the one way rental for the days it takes you to get from where you rent it to where you drop it off.

For example. I just rented a car in NYC one way to Brockton MA. The daily rate was $105 (because it was a one way rental), I needed the car in MA for another 5 days so instead of paying 6 days of the one way rate, I Only rented the one way for one day, then returned it. I had another reservation at the same Hertz location that I was returning the one way rental for a rate of $35/day. This time and everytime I do this all they do is close out the one way contract, and then open a new contract keeping me in the same car at the much lower rate.