Got great rate on minivan!!

[Kramer]

If you go to costco.com and through their Alamo link, there is a pretty good discount - I used the $25 off coupon and my total for an standard SUV came to $195 for 8 days. I'm pleased as punch with that and have the reservation made.

Hey.. thanks for the tip. That's a good deal.

But I'm a little ticked at Alamo. I got the 20% off thru Costco on the Toyota Sienna, but it wouldn't apply the coupon code for the additional $25 off. It would only take the $25 off the smaller minivan, a Chevy Uplander.

So I called Alamo and asked them to apply it to my reservation since it said that it was good on a minivan, SUV or convertible. Well, Masario at Alamo tells me that a Toyota Sienna is not a minivan... he says its a van so the coupon doesn't apply.

So I talk to Masario's supervisor, Gordon, and he also informs me that a Toyota Sienna is not a minivan, but a van. Gordon couldn't explain why the Alamo website referred to the Sienna as minivan, but he insisted that the coupn was not valid depsite it saying "minivan" and the website classifying it as a minivan.

So then I talk to Gordon's supervisor, Kathy, and she also holds the company line that a Toyota Sienna is really a van and not a minivan. I briefly have her on the run when I request her to direct me to the page on their website that defines the Sienna as van. I tell her that I can direct her to the page where it says that it is a minivan. But she is resilient and recovers from her inability to show me anything in writing about this mysterious van policy by telling me that "its widely known" that the Sienna is a van and not a minivan. I ask her if there are any other Alamo policies that I should be aware of that aren't in writing, but are just "widely known". She is not happy with my sarcasm and reluctantly tells me that she is pretty sure that the van/minivan one is the only one not in writing. I torture her for a few more minutes and then politely thank her for her time.

What a ridiculous gyp! The coupon clearly says "minvan" and the website says "minvan", but I'm out of luck I guess. I understand that they may internally classify it as van, but there is nothing like that on the website. In fact, if you go to the website there isn't even a category for "vans"... just "minivan" and they list the Toyota Sienna as the example. Its only $25, but maybe I'll call back tomorrow and fight some morew with them if I have the energy.

 

[ACrider]

When Alamo says so, apparently.

Kramer I feel for you though your post made me laugh. Good luck and let us know how the next engagement turns out. I am curious, what other vehicles are in their "minivan - van" category? Pretty sure if you conference a Toyota dealership sales person in on your next conversation, he or she would state the Sienna is a minivan. crazy. good luck to you!

in case this is a better deal, before I found the costco link I went through the mousesavers link to an online casino coupon, and with their code info it was a % off and a $15 coupon off. not sure if you'd have the same problems as far as the minivan-van issue but might be worth checking on.

 

[lovesdumbo]

I had a problem with Alamo when I rented a mini van from them in Jan 2004. I had a True Blue membership (do they still call it that?) and a benefit was no charge for an extra driver. They charged to add my DH as a driver because I had used some sort of Disney discount and they said that negated the free extra driver. With 3 cranky kids and an even crankier DH I wasn't up for a fight at the airport.

BTW I drive a Siena and I consider it a mini van.

 

[Kramer]

BTW I drive a Siena and I consider it a mini van.

Minivan drivers of the world... UNITE and join me in a revolt against Alamo!