Car rental phobia!

[kmermaid]

Help! We usually use a towncar for our trips. This year I want to go to Seaworld, try breakfast over at the Dolphin at Fresh and I'm signing DH up for Richard Petty driving exp. Just seems having a car would be easier. DH thinks it will be very expensive. I went on Alamo site and qot a quote for a fullsize for 4/16- 4/23, no extra insurance (will look at what cc and auto will cover for a rental) and got $159.26. Is this right? Is this all it will be? Don't want any surprises and have to hear DH say I told you we should have gotten a car service!

 

[aec]

That should be it, if that is the price w/tax included. Rental cars are pretty cheap in Florida. We always rent a car. We have a full size through national for 116 including tax/week for late January.

 

[Alexander]

I posted the same information on a thread about National Car Rentals too....
Do not let them tack on insurance charges. They will ask you to initial here and here and here...Don't do it! Insurance is optional. Please, please, please read every place you are signing or initialling. They will also want to add on prepaid gas. It's very expensive and not a good deal. Just fill up the car before you drive back to the airport.

I've been burned before with incredible insurance fees that I didn't know I had approved. I don't want this to happen to anyone else.

 

[DebbieB]

I usually pay $110 to $120 including tax at National for a week. Intermediate Car, Emerald Aisle, $20 Entertainment Book Coupon. The last couple times I used the Priceless contract code for a discount. I don't take insurance, I have my personal insurance plus insurance under a platnium credit card.

 

[aec]

Do not let them tack on insurance charges. They will ask you to initial here and here and here...Don't do it! Insurance is optional.

Yes - excellent advice. We rent all the time and say no to everything. Our last rental in fort myers (national I believe) they really put the hard sell on for the "loss of use" insurance. We declined. There was a thread about this recently try to search for it to get the facts about this.

On the gasoline charges, they often try to sell you a full tank of gas. Usually the price per gallon is not bad, but unless you return the car on empty (hard to do that precisely) you are giving them back some of the gas you paid for. It is better to decline the gas and return the car full.

 

[Carrieberry]

Alexander-
Thank so so much for the advice! I just know my DH will just strat initialing away-knowing about this in advance is great so I can specifically tell him "Don't initial anything! Just sign the bottom!!" Thanks again!!