Fox rent a car question

[DaisyandBoo]

Renting a vehicle through Fox Rent A Car is almost $200 cheaper than all the other companies. Truth be told I have never rented a car before...so, I feel really unprepared. Why is this company so much cheaper? What am I missing? Is this a situation where if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is??

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Are there any reviews for this company on Yelp, Trip Advisor, Google, etc.? Also check Costco for rental prices and Mousesavers.com for discount codes for car rentals.

 

[Paigesmom2013]

I've read that Fox has bad service and people have reported bad experiences with them. Like most budget rental car places, they will probably try to badger you at the check in about buying extra insurance, etc. I try to use Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise when I can for less hassle. But I think all car rentals are a little annoying, lol.

 

[sophy1996]

Not specific to Fox, but since you're not experienced renting cars, make absolutely sure you're clear on your insurance situation. Are you covered by your regular policy? Are you covered by a credit card (and is that credit card primary or secondary)? If you don't know, find out before you decline the car company's insurance.

With our last car rental, we were run into by another driver (not our fault at all) and it was a $2,000 bill just for a scrape along the side of the car. Luckily we were covered both by regular insurance and by primary credit card insurance. And the other driver was a responsible person with insurance, and their insurance ended up paying (after our insurance pushed them on that). But it still was stressful.

 

[sherilaine]

If this is your first time renting then I'd rent from a reliable rental agency. If they are that much cheaper than the rest then that's a red flag.

Do you have a Costco membership - if yes, then rent through them, they have fantastic rates.
Do you own a car? If you do then make sure you either already have or add the rental rider on your insurance that would extend your coverage to vehicles you rent.

 

[Mr Snappy]

Couple of things since you are new to car rentals (I rent them frequently)

1. Are you at least 25 years old? Most companies won't rent to people under (some exceptions at a MUCH higher rate)
2. Make sure you rent a car that has unlimited miles. Most do, but be careful
3. Make sure you are returning the car to the same location you pick up from. A different location for drop-off can be very expensive
4. Understand it is doubtful you will get the exact type of car you booked. Car companies rent by "class" not make. If you see a RAV-4 in the booking description, it could mean a a Ford Escape, Hyundai Santa Fe, Dodge Journey or a RAV-4.
5. Understand not only the amount of seats, but also the ability to haul luggage. This is KEY. If you have a party of 7 adults, you could rent a Chevy Tahoe that seats 7 adults...HOWEVER, the 3rd row required for the last 2 seats when in use as seats takes up nearly all of the cargo area. You literally could not bring any luggage in this scenario.
6. As stated above, make sure you understand the insurance requirements. Most of the time your own personal car insurance will cover you, but you need to verify.
7. Understand the fuel options. I never pre-pay for gas, it is very expensive and I never know how much I am going to use on a trip. Skip this option and buy gas at a station before returning
8. Make multiple reservations. It does not cost (at most places) to make a reservation. I always have a second reservation in case something goes wrong with the first reservation. This has saved my bacon multiple times. Remember, there is no law that states that just because you have a reservation that they have to save a car for you. This can be a very bad situation on busy times during the year.

 

[Water Man]

Fox is fine have used them in the past, sometimes their lots aren't on the airport and you have to take a shuttle.

 

[WonkaKid]

Never hurts to name your own price on Priceline. Haven’t used them in a while but I’ve scored great cars for $23, $17 and $11 per day. If you’d like to get a cool car (Porsche, BMW, Jaguar, Lamborghini ;-)), try Turo.com.

 

[BriAlie]

I've used Fox twice. The rental locations are usually pretty far from the terminal and require a shuttle bus ride. The line at the counter to actually get the car can be long and slow. I never had a problem with them, other than it was just time-consuming to get to the rental location, and to pick up the car. They can have amazing prices, though. I used them because I was able to save hundreds of dollars.

 

[bcla]

I've read that Fox has bad service and people have reported bad experiences with them. Like most budget rental car places, they will probably try to badger you at the check in about buying extra insurance, etc. I try to use Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise when I can for less hassle. But I think all car rentals are a little annoying, lol.

All car rental agents will try to get extras. They likely get bonuses for any "upgrades". I remember one agent who kept on badgering me to upgrade the car class, and I wouldn't give in until she said she would upgrade me for free. It was a nicer, more fuel efficient car too.

However, the reviews often mention people who felt they got cheated with "damage" to a car found. Many find that someone might have smoked in the car, although I got that with a rental from Alamo.

 

[Nonsuch]

...Like most budget rental car places, they will probably try to badger you at the check in about buying extra insurance, etc. I try to use Alamo, Hertz, Enterprise when I can for less hassle. But I think all car rentals are a little annoying, lol.

All car rental agents will try to get extras...

I highly recommend SilverCar, which does not try to up-sell anything. Available at LAX and SNA.
Search for discount codes online, there are often specials (particularly for new customers).
I rented a Q7 (3 row SUV) for a week for $500 (a black friday deal).
All cars are Audis, and the model you reserve will be the model you get (not an "equivalent" vehicle).

 

[DaisyandBoo]

Thank you everyone! You are all being so helpful! I honestly had no idea that there was so much to consider when renting a car. I have spent hours researching MaxPass and where to stay, when it now seems that perhaps I should have been spending my time educating myself on the ins and outs of car rentals! LOL

 

[Sweettears]

I used Fox once. Never again the worst car rental experience I’ve ever had. Awful service beyond description. Had a line 20 deep and one of the two agents took a break. This was at 11:30 pm in Phoenix. None of the other rental companies had a line. Never an apology for the wait. Took an hour and a half to get served. Run away!

 

[Ross Kratter]

I used Fox at LAX and it was fine.

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

As with everything in life there will be good and bad car rental experiences. We have rented from Hertz, Alamo and Budget and have had good and bad experiences from all three. We were actually going to use Select Rent A Car which is in the BWPPI for our trip that was supposed to happen in a couple of weeks.

Just make sure that you know what insurance coverage you have and resist the pressure that all places put on you for up charges.

 

[grumpy2001]

Fox not at terminal in MCO. Used once; never again!
delayed by their shuttle bus, understaffed rental counter ,and did not have the car I reserved.

bad experience. rent from a company in terminal and save alot of aggrevation. try priceline... got excellent rental price and vehicle.

 

[StarWarsNerd24]

Are you renting from this Fox?

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I will never rent from Fox again. They insist you have no choice but to buy the insurance. The quote we got online was worthless as they added a bunch of other charges. After finally getting the car, we were several miles away before realizing it only had 1/8 tank of gas. It’s was all ridiculous and frustrating.

 

[mentos]

I will never rent from Fox again. They insist you have no choice but to buy the insurance.

I don't like Fox either, but this is the standard sales technique across pretty much every car rental company. They have such a high margin on that overpriced insurance product, they really push it. Just gotta put your game face on and forcefully decline.

I've found that the new-ish technique is to ask for your personal car insurance carrier and deductible amount... they don't need to know that, so I just lie to them right back.

If I have a short rental, I buy a daily policy for ~$8/day (lots of vendors online); otherwise, I added premium coverage to my AMEX card, and it automatically catches rental charges and charges a flat $16 (up to a 30 day rental).

Just know that no outside car rental insurance will cover for liability. The only way to get that is to buy liability from the rental car company (just liability, not comprehensive coverage or anything). If you don't and you are liable for damages/death, your personal auto coverage (with liability) will kick in, followed by umbrella/excess coverage. If that is exhausted, your assets could be targeted in court.

So if you don't own a car/have no auto policy and have no umbrella/personal liability insurance, it's probably a good idea to buy at least that from the rental company.

 

[TexasChick123]

Has anyone rented from them recently? I’m looking at rental cars for an upcoming trip.