Car rental questions

[csmommy]

We are going to drive down to Disney, & do not want to put the miles on our minivan. Does anyone know who has the best rates?

We definately need unlimited miles!

Does anyone know policies? Should I book now or hold out? Can they be cancelled?

What has been your experience?

TIA

 

[buzz2400]

The best bet is to look in your phonebook for car rentals. Then you can check out the websites. If you make a reservation and then find a cheaper one, you can cancel the earlier reservation without penalities. Always keep checking out the rates. If you belong to AAA or a wholesale store like bj's, they also have discounts.

 

[kilee]

In the last 18 months we have rented vehicles about 6 times. Here is what I have found: First, the internet rates are usually $100.00-$200.00 cheaper than calling on the phone. Also, some companies take a huge deposit for the rental. The 2 crediable one's that don't are Alamo and National. Also, mousesavers.com has some great codes you can use to get the rates discounted further. On our trip last week, we rented a Dodge Intrepid from Alamo. The first internet rate I booked was $410.00 for 12 days. I rebooked 4 times. The final rate I ended up with was $267.00. I did call on the phone once and they quoted me over $500.00 for the same rental. I have found that usually Alamo is the cheapest.
Also, as far as the optional insurance coverage goes. It runs around $10.00 per day. This can add up to an extra $100.00 fast. Almost all auto policies cover you while driving a rental. Also, this car is insured with a minimum policy required by the state. Last, most credit cards provide insurance coverage on a rental car. AAA has printed many articles about this. Also, don't pay them to fill up you gas tank. They are currently charging almost $6.00 a gallon. I know prices are high, but come on.

 

[safetymom]

I would check about the insurance with your present insurance provider. Most rental cars are covered for liability on your policy but not for collison and the deductible. My insurance company has a policy that we can add on that will protect us when renting. It costs about 10 a month.

Find out exactly what you are covered for before you rent the car. Sometimes those additional charges can make renting very expensive.

 

[csmommy]

Thanks for all the great info. I will find out if my Amex or car insurance covers everything. Right now I have a Minivan for 9 days from Avis for $492.15, unlimited miles.


Does this sound good?

TIA

 

[rb5505]

i'd read a short while back about budget having a $199/week minivan rate. we got that rate in '99. currently it looks like $249/week for a minivan. see link below.

http://www.budget.com/deals/hotdeals/planahead.html#luxury44

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[RobinLyn]

csmommy,

Did you use a discount code for your rate at Avis? There are so many available as other's have stated: AAA, Entertainment Book, Sam's Club, BJ's, Costco.com, etc.. New York rental rate's always seem to be high compared to Florida and even NJ Sam's Club code is B935221 and Costco is A108300. I have never had a problem canceling an online or over the phone reservation with Avis, National, Budget or Dollar. My husband travels for business often so I'm always making car/hotel reservations for him online. Have you compared with any other places, like Budget, National or Dollar?

 

[tednvon]

Hi...try www.dollar.com and put in a code of "card"...I got 296 for 9 days...dollar is great...right across from baggage check and a very good reputation in Orlando....also keep trying this code right up until you leave...rates change daily....also try "emn39" as a code...good luck...Ted

 

[csmommy]

First of all I want to say thanks to everyone, I hope others are benefitting from your knowledge as well as myself.

rb5505, that deal looks great, but my dates are in May, & this is valid from 2/4/03 - 4/30/03.

RobinLyn looks like you've given me a lot of homework!

Thanks I'll start working on that tomorrow & let you all know how it comes out.


tednvon, there is no dollar rent a car near me

 

[rb5505]

cs mommy

no matter when you're going, still call them and tell them you saw their current rate and would like it for may. any company that really want's your business will definetly give you the rate, especially when it's for only one month later. if not, please post it here. i'm sure we'd all like to know which companies are customer friendly and which aren't. remember, bad word of mouth vs good word of mouth reaches 10 times the people. it's up to them.

 

[csmommy]

rb5505

I tried with 2 different CSR's & it was a no go. Not only that when I told them the rate I was getting from Avis, they said they couldn't touch it. So much for customer service!

 

[rb5505]

cs mommy

i've forwarded this link to budget rent a car. they should be made aware of their level of "service".

 

[splashmt]

Thanks to your post, with the promo code "card", I was able to get a bigger car (Dodge Stratus, instead of Dodge Neon) and save $15 for our trip over Easter break. My dates are 4/20- 4/24. With the old code that I was using (KISS3), a compact car (NEON) was a total of $152. Now, with the new code, I could get the stratus for a total of $135!! Thank you, and gosh I love using this board!!!

 

[safetymom]

I don't want to start a fuss but want to voice my opinion.

If an offer is expired why should the company honor it a month later? I think that is good business not bad customer service. If they just let everyone name their price they wouldn't be in business for long. I don't see it as any different than a coupon you use in a grocery store. When it expires you can't use it.

Just my two cents worth.

 

[rb5505]

safetymom

all your points are certainly true. i only point out that very little separates businesses these days. product is product. in this case they all have cars. don't we need something other then price to help us decide sometimes? when confronted with a private one time request like this, there simply is no logical reason for budget not to step up and work with the customer. i agree they're certainly not obligated, since the offer is in black and white and is clearly not available when she needed it. but when you consider what is costs a company to get a customer to come to you, and once they do come to you, why would you turn them away on something like this? so many claim to have the best price or best service? as someone who wants more business where i work, i would want to separtate myself from the competition and show everyone how much i value their calling me or stopping in. it's called a compromise for future business.

 

[safetymom]

In this day of the Internet I am sure if they granted an exception to one with an expired rate others would be trying it and mentioning they read about it online. They would be quite vocal that the company should honor this rate. I think the car rental companies have ways to show they are different from the other guys. I am sure the car rental companies lose and gain customers every day.

Personally I would never rent from National at MCO again. I love the service and rates that I get from Hertz. But I see from these boards that others would never rent from Hertz. I will stay with Hertz because they have done special things without me asking. That is how a good business does it.