Anyone ever have a ressie, but ended up without a car?

[Lulu]

We are flying into Tampa this weekend, I have played around with National's website to finally obtain a good deal (best I could do). I saw the coupon for disney vacations and decided to try this for a better rate. Well, now I cannot even get a minivan, the site tells me they are all sold out! While this is OK because I already have a reservation what are the chances there will be no car for me? We are arriving at midnight on Saturday night. Has anyone ever had something like this happen? The car rental places don't overbook like the airlines or hotels, do they? What would you do?

 

[TravelSheryl]

While rare, it does happen. Yes, the car rental companies do overbook. You may want to contact the rental counter directly and tell them it is absolutely necessary that you get the class of car that you have reserved and that you are arriving after midnight. You may even want to offer giving them a non-refundable deposit via your credit card to insure that they will hold a car for you.

 

[Beverly Lynn]

and if they don't have the one you requested they upgrade you to the next class of vehicle for the same money.

 

[pbhunt]

The newer DC coupon (updated 4/15/01) and the Disney Vacation coupon are both only valid for rentals of compact to 4door full size vehicles. The DC coupons that were on the member's site before 4/15 had no size restrictions. So the newer coupons won't work for mini-van rentals. I think the "No Cars Available" is just an error message that comes up when the system is a little overwhelmed. Nationals website has a few bugs, and I think they do site maintenance periodically to match up all the new reservations that have been placed with the cancellations that have been received.

 

[Lulu]

I was hoping it was a glitch with the coupon, so I input no coupon or code numbers and it is still sold out of minivans. I think I may call and try to guarantee my reservation I already have, I don't want to figure out a new plan at midnight on a Saturday night. Thanks!

 

[CarolA]

If you get there and they don't have your mini van. Tell them that nothing else is acceptable. Hertz has had to sublet cars for me in the past. Basically, you get a car from another rental car company and you pay your agreed upon rate and the rental car company picks up the additional charges for the rental. It takes a few minutes but if you are insistent they will do it. (First they will try to convince you that you really wanted a full size so don't budge!)

 

[Gillian]

I was getting sold out messages on National for all car classes! It basically said there were no cars available I tried again the next day & got what I needed.

Maybe you will be ok at midnight because lots of people leave to go home later in the day.

 

[classicpooh]

In 1998 my husband and I flew into Tampa instead - our flight was delayed and we arrived at 11 pm after we saud said that we would pick up the rental car @ 5pm. We had a midsize reserved - but we got there - no car! Then we were told that we were going to be given an upgrade... our choices were a 15 passenger van or a pickup truck. Since it was only the two of us we took the truck. Boy did I feel ridiculous, pulling up to the valet and giving him the truck! Our luggage had to ride in the truck bed - there was no room in the cab and I was paranoid that the luggage was going to fly out onto the interstate between Tampa and Orlando...

And then there was a problem with the rain on our way to return the truck - we arrived in Chicago with soaking wet luggage!

 

[sgtdisney]

My wife and I went to Las Vegas last November and it was our first trip w/o my son since he was born. It was sort of an anniversary trip. Anyway, we didn't get into Las Vegas until almost 1AM. We had booked a midsize car and went in to the office, did the paperwork and were directed outside to the midsize aisle to pick a car. Once we got outside, there were no midsize, no full size no compact. Just aisles of Minivans and about 6 PT Cruisers. Went back to the agent outside and he said to take a minivan. There was another couple there at the same time who had also reserved a mid size car and they went inside and were told to pick any car on the lot. At this point we had struck up a conversation with them. They got into a PT Cruiser and drove off. Now, I don't normally mind minivan's in fact I prefer them when I am travelling with the family, but being on an 'anniversary' trip w/o child and having to drive a minivan didn't really appeal to me or my wife. I figured if the other couple was told they could have a PT Cruiser, I could have one too. Loaded the luggage and got in. No problems when we left either. Like Beverly Lynn said, they have to give you a better car than you reserved if they don't have the class you were supposed to get. Don't let them give you any less.

 

[joe.hurley]

The resident attorney decided he should weigh in on this.

Here's the thing. A "reservation" for a car rental is, in essence, a contract. You agree to pay them, and so forth, and return the car undamaged and they agree to provide you a car.

If they overbook, that's is NYP (not your problem). The airlines have made special arrangements to limit the compensation they have to provide you, but those do NOT apply to rental car companies. if you have a confirmed reservation with a confirmation, they HAVE to give you a car.

If they don't have any cars, well, that may happen due to people extending their reservations and so forth. Simply insist that you want them to provide a car of at least size X (where X is what you reserved) at price Y (the price you reserved) and not a penny more. If that means they have to call up XYZ rental car company and rent a car from them in order to provide it to you, fine, that's what they have to do. In short, you simply insist, "We have a contract, I'll pay you and you provide a car. That's it."

If a company ever flatly refuses to do anything, simply call another company and pay them whatever they insist that you must pay, and bill your original company for the difference. This is your classic contract law damages -- the difference between the price you agreed on and the price you actually had to pay.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Joe Hurley