Another Rental Car Glitch

[bstnsprts]

Proceed to National and click on the offer for either one or two days free GPS. Put in your dates and enjoy the rates. Obviously a glitch so it could end at anytime. Seems to be working at any airport.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Proceed to National and click on the offer for either one or two days free GPS. Put in your dates and enjoy the rates. Obviously a glitch so it could end at anytime. Seems to be working at any airport.

Considering the nature of the error, it is easily fixed by National, and as it is obvious to a general consumer there is an error, the reservations made can and most likely will be cancelled or adjusted to reflect the correct rate. They are under no obligation to honor an obvious error.

 

[bstnsprts]

Errors like this have been honored in the past. It's worth a try as long as you have a back up reservation.

 

[Mickey_Maniac]

That's too funny. My "discount coupons" totaled $2,344.62 on a $440 rental. That's a pretty good return... Unfortunately I'm not staying over a Saturday night, so this won't work for me...

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Errors like this have been honored in the past. It's worth a try as long as you have a back up reservation.

Just one word...ETHICS!

 

[bstnsprts]

Just one word...ETHICS!

Four posts in and the Ethics police have arrived. Please explain why if they have a error, then decide to honor their error, it's unethical to use it. This should be good.

 

[Mickey_Maniac]

 

[jlovesee]

Ok I checked it out $130 for my 9 day trip (Jan 23 - Jan 31), its a good rate but its not "unethical" my alamo rate is $147! Last year, same time I had Alamo at $96 w tax. I WOULD have a problem if they don't honor the rate. its not like I am getting a $400 car rental for $4, or a $199 Holiday Inn Room for $1.99 (that happened a few years ago here)

Jennifer

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Four posts in and the Ethics police have arrived. Please explain why if they have a error, then decide to honor their error, it's unethical to use it. This should be good.

It's not the issue with National agreeing to honor the rate, it is those who book a rate that is obviously an error and expect the rate to be honored and take advantage of an honest mistake. Walmart doesn't prosecute those who steal items under $25.00 in value, but ethically its still wrong to steal the item to begin with.

Ok I checked it out $130 for my 9 day trip (Jan 23 - Jan 31), its a good rate but its not "unethical" my alamo rate is $147! Last year, same time I had Alamo at $96 w tax. I WOULD have a problem if they don't honor the rate. its not like I am getting a $400 car rental for $4, or a $199 Holiday Inn Room for $1.99 (that happened a few years ago here)

It sounds like you're not seeing the same error, the error that most are seeing is that the rate shows up, and when you go to the booking screen the rate is then discounted by an exhorbirant amount of money (well above and beyond the rate), resulting in the pre-tax rate being equal to $0.00.

 

[bstnsprts]

It's not the issue with National agreeing to honor the rate, it is those who book a rate that is obviously an error and expect the rate to be honored and take advantage of an honest mistake. Walmart doesn't prosecute those who steal items under $25.00 in value, but ethically its still wrong to steal the item to begin with.

If you don't want to use the error, or want to tell people that National might not honor the error, that's fine. It's when you or anyone else brings in ethics. What might be unethical to you might not be to someone else, and what might be ethical to you might not to others. This is why ethics and morality should be left out of these discussions. Why not just stick to the facts. Facts are that right now you can book at these rates, but plan a back up because National may or may not honor the rate.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

If you don't want to use the error, or want to tell people that National might not honor the error, that's fine. It's when you or anyone else brings in ethics. What might be unethical to you might not be to someone else, and what might be ethical to you might not to others. This is why ethics and morality should be left out of these discussions. Why not just stick to the facts. Facts are that right now you can book at these rates, but plan a back up because National may or may not honor the rate.

Knowingly using a discount or code that one is not eligible for or that can be clearly seen as an error is by definition fraud as you are using a dishonest advantage. Fraud can be defined as being unethical because one is being dishonest.

 

[Lewisc]

It doesn't really make sense to post these kinds of "deals". Companies are far less likely to honor these kinds of mistakes when significant numbers of customers make reservations before the mistake is corrected.

Sounds like the "discount" exceeds the price of the rental. I don't see anyway an ethical person could think this is a legitimate discount.

 

[bstnsprts]

Knowingly using a discount or code that one is not eligible for or that can be clearly seen as an error is by definition fraud as you are using a dishonest advantage. Fraud can be defined as being unethical because one is being dishonest.

Fraud? You go to The National web site and you use a public coupon that they provide. Yes you get a rate that is in all probability an error. Now the ball is in Nationals court. They either honor the rate or they don't. If National decides to honor their mistake it's fraud?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Fraud? You go to The National web site and you use a public coupon that they provide. Yes you get a rate that is in all probability an error. Now the ball is in Nationals court. They either honor the rate or they don't. If National decides to honor their mistake it's fraud?

Fraud:
1. deceit, trickery, sharp practice, or breach of confidence, perpetrated for profit or to gain some unfair or dishonest advantage.
2. a particular instance of such deceit or trickery: mail fraud; election frauds.
3. any deception, trickery, or humbug: That diet book is a fraud and a waste of time.
4. a person who makes deceitful pretenses; sham; poseur.

Number one covers it pretty much, in short, using a dishonest advantage. An individual obviously knows it is an error (sharp practice or breach of confidence) and using it is dishonest as they are making a gain out of transaction.

Again its not a matter of whether National (ERAC) honors the rate, rather that the person actually booked the rate knowing full well the rate was an error. Since you do not seem to get it, lets put it this way. You know that company XYZ is about to go bankrupt, but its not public information. You have a few shares and decide to sell them, which you know is illegal under law. You might get away with it, but it still makes it fraudulent, you knew something was wrong, but still went ahead and did it anyway.

 

[bstnsprts]

Number one covers it pretty much, in short, using a dishonest advantage. An individual obviously knows it is an error (sharp practice or breach of confidence) and using it is dishonest as they are making a gain out of transaction.

Why do you keep ignoring the fact that National has to agree to this? It's up to them, not me to decide if I'll get this rate or not.

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Why do you keep ignoring the fact that National has to agree to this? It's up to them, not me to decide if I'll get this rate or not.

But it is your (referring to the general customer) choice whether to attempt to defraud the company, no one elses. Regardless if it is caught or honored, fraud occurs the minute the decision is made to attempt to defraud. This then goes back to the ethics.

 

[bstnsprts]

Your selling X which is worth $1000. We both know that it's worth $1000. I offer you $50, you agree to accept $50. Is there fraud?

 

[jlewisinsyr]

Your selling X which is worth $1000. We both know that it's worth $1000. I offer you $50, you agree to accept $50. Is there fraud?

In court, that would be the old, too good to be true scenario. When you look at the rate quote offered, you can see that the credit is significantly larger then the actual rental rate. In a court of law, a judge would ask the question, would an average consumer think this is an error. The answer would be yes because under normal circumstances, the discount or credit offered would not be greater then or equal to the actual cost, and the consumer has an ethical responsibility to decline the transaction.

There have been other errors in the past with National (ERAC), and they have been questionable (ethically as well), but this one is even more to the extreme and an average consumer would realize this is an error.

 

[bstnsprts]

It doesn't really make sense to post these kinds of "deals". Companies are far less likely to honor these kinds of mistakes when significant numbers of customers make reservations before the mistake is corrected.

Sounds like the "discount" exceeds the price of the rental. I don't see anyway an ethical person could think this is a legitimate discount.

Are you calling me unethical? That would be a personal attack and a violation of DIS rules.

 

[bstnsprts]

In court, that would be the old, too good to be true scenario. When you look at the rate quote offered, you can see that the credit is significantly larger then the actual rental rate. In a court of law, a judge would ask the question, would an average consumer think this is an error. The answer would be yes because under normal circumstances, the discount or credit offered would not be greater then or equal to the actual cost, and the consumer has an ethical responsibility to decline the transaction.

There have been other errors in the past with National (ERAC), and they have been questionable (ethically as well), but this one is even more to the extreme and an average consumer would realize this is an error.

I've enjoyed the discussion but I have to make this my last response. The difference here is that this will never go to court. The only way I can get this rate is if National agrees to give it to me. If they don't, they dont, no arguing from me. If they agree to give it to me, then they made a bussiness decision and that's up to them. I can't get this rate on my own. It's not like I used the error and the car appeared in my driveway. I've made the reservation, now National will decide what they want to do. I guesse we can agree to disagree, no hard feelings I hope.