Dollar Car Rental - good deal was ultimately not that great of a deal

[toesmom]

I found good rate after following prices for months, and booked the prepaid rate as we were just two weeks out. With dollar car rental.

Keep in mind we have been renting cars for 15 years. Get to the counter and agent says if you need additional driver it is $15 per day.

So in all our years of renting cars, as married spouses, we have never paid additional driver fee. So our great rate, was ultimely not a great rate because my spouse wants to only golf so he has to be able to drive and my name was on the rental.

Costco includes additional driver, but most companies include married spouse as additional driver at no cost.

just a warning about Dollar car rental and the additional driver fee, because I had no idea and our added cost was $175 usd.

 

[tinydancer312]

I just pulled up their website out of curiosity. Are you a dollar express rewards member? If you are, according to their terms and conditions, there would be no additional fee.

 

[Lewisc]

Some states prohibit charging an additional driver fee for spouses.

Florida is NOT such a state

 

[toesmom]

I just pulled up their website out of curiosity. Are you a dollar express rewards member? If you are, according to their terms and conditions, there would be no additional fee.

You are right. And no I was not member but counter person mentioned this. Didn’t help me once I was at counter because she said we could not add to our existing reservation. First time in 20 years we have paid for additional driver

 

[leebee]

Also with Dollar, even though it's illegal and the state Attorney General's office straightened it out for me, at MCO they tell you you HAVE to get their insurance because you have to be insured up to $2 million dollars and personal car insurance won't do that... and it's several hundred dollars to add the insurance at the counter. It's a LIE but I've heard them telling this to renters on numerous trips to MCO. I argued and argued, but what are you going to do after standing in line for an hour, it's 10pm, everyone's exhausted, and the other agencies have long lines, too? The FL attorney general (well, the representative) got Dollar to credit my money back, but carrentalsavers.com told me if I couldn't get the situation resolved, they'd refund me.

TLDR: DON'T book at Dollar!

 

[seashoreCM]

Also with Dollar, ... they tell you you HAVE to get their insurance because you have to be insured up to $2 million dollars and personal car insurance won't do that... and it's several hundred dollars to add the insurance at the counter. It's a LIE but I've heard them telling this to renters on numerous trips to MCO. ...

I have heard that lie (you have to buy all that insurance) several times in the past and always said I am declining that insurance.
What are they going to do? Cancel your reservatiion? They never canceled on me before. Or is this something new?

Another alternative, call their corporate 800 number or nationwide reservation number to complain, on the spot.

 

[leebee]

I have heard that lie (you have to buy all that insurance) several times in the past and always said I am declining that insurance.
What are they going to do? Cancel your reservatiion? They never canceled on me before. Or is this something new?

Another alternative, call their corporate 800 number or nationwide reservation number to complain, on the spot.

Yup. The agent and the manager refused to rent the car to me unless I took the insurance. I've learned... as much as i hate to do it, it doesn't hurt to have a back up reservation with another company. How I WISH I could have walked away from Dollar!

 

[Kauai4life]

Aloha,


After reading this, I feel I need to share my experience with Dollar Rent A Car in December 2023.


After traveling from Hawaii, we collected our luggage and then waited in a very long line at Dollar—about 55 minutes—before finally reaching the counter. I had made my reservation through AAA. When I presented my ID, I was told that because it did not have the “gold star” and I was from Hawaii, they could not rent a car to me. They explained that certain states—including Hawaii, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Connecticut—issue driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants, and therefore Dollar would not accept IDs from those states.


I was stunned. I assured them I am a U.S. citizen—my great-grandparents immigrated here legally from Europe in the 1800s—but they refused. A supervisor came out and told me that I could rent from an off-site company for $3,000. At this point, I was in tears, trying to hold it together for my daughter who has special needs.


Since we had no choice, we took an Uber to Ocala for the first part of our trip—$285—and then another Uber back to Orlando for the Disney portion of our stay. Later, I was able to rent a car with Budget in Orlando, and they had never even heard of this supposed rule.


When I returned home, I contacted the Governor’s office, my Senator, and my Congressperson. None of them had ever heard of this restriction. After eight months of going back and forth with Dollar’s corporate office, I finally received reimbursement for my Uber costs.


This was an exhausting and upsetting ordeal, and I will never book with Dollar or Thrifty again. Honestly, the only explanation I can think of is that they were simply out of cars

 

[Mle8308]

That is odd! I've rented through Dollar at MCO and they never made a big deal about declining insurance. The same company owns Hertz, Thrifty, and Dollar, so watch out! I should say Hertz is the parent company. Some shady stuff!

 

[MICKIMINI]

Alamo spouse is free. AAA has good deals along with free spouse coverage (easy to see on their website) and will help you if the rental company tries to screw you over.