March 2022 Car Rental Thread

[EACarlson]

Wow! After reading in USA Today someone buying a coke through UCT and getting a great deal on a rental I had to try it. I've been looking for over a month on various sites. Prices were stupid high, like $400 for a compact car for 6 days. Then when I agreed to rent, I saw an $84 cancellation fee that would be charged only 24 hours after I booked. I immediately cancelled.

I recently bought a townhouse in Orlando and needed to get there to meet contractors fixing it up. But I needed a car.

So as crazy as it sounds, I ordered two AMC cokes through UCT (one extra for DW - hey I'm generous) and was able to get a full size car (Toyota Camry or similar) for only $262! No cancellation fee!! Just insane! I think it was National advertising the same car for $1200.

And this is how the deal is going to end. Just like the Hertz deal with Mousesavers got fried last summer, this will be gone soon and everyone will be screwed when they show up for the rental at rack rates.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

And this is how the deal is going to end. Just like the Hertz deal with Mousesavers got fried last summer, this will be gone soon and everyone will be screwed when they show up for the rental at rack rates.

Can they really do that? I can find my UCT reservation on my Budget fastbreak. Could you please explain how they can turn around and charge rack rate?

 

[EACarlson]

Can they really do that? I can find my UCT reservation on my Budget fastbreak. Could you please explain how they can turn around and charge rack rate?

I'm 99% sure that what UCT is doing is in violation of their CDP with Budget. What is going to happen is that Budget is going to cancel the CDP and all customers that are using that CDP will be retotaled using whatever rates are in effect at the time. Here is a thread from last June when it happened to customers that were using the Mousesavers employee CDP that Mousesavers gave out to all of it's newsletter subsribers. https://www.disboards.com/threads/rental-car-price-raised-and-not-notified.3843170/
Post #61 explains exactly what happened to Mousesavers and what can certainly happen to UCT with Budget.

 

[emilymad]

I'm 99% sure that what UCT is doing is in violation of their CDP with Budget. What is going to happen is that Budget is going to cancel the CDP and all customers that are using that CDP will be retotaled using whatever rates are in effect at the time. Here is a thread from last June when it happened to customers that were using the Mousesavers employee CDP that Mousesavers gave out to all of it's newsletter subsribers. https://www.disboards.com/threads/rental-car-price-raised-and-not-notified.3843170/
Post #61 explains exactly what happened to Mousesavers and what can certainly happen to UCT with Budget.

I saw this posted on The Points Guy today and immediate thought the same thing. This deal with surely end soon.

I don't know that since UCT is prepaid it will make any difference.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I hope someone who is using the UCT code can tell us if it worked out for them. My trip isn't until the 19th.

 

[chmasy]

Just picked up today 3/7 waited 1 hr for compact, upgraded to small suv. 189 for the week. It is a Ut reservation

 

[thebs19]

Just want to clarify all the discussion about the Budget counter (and the horror shows being reported on Twitter this week).

Haven’t travelled in the COVID era so not sure if things changed but I booked a minivan just through Budget using my Fastbreak account. No reason why the old process of skipping counter and going right to my car has changed has it? Are these hundreds of people I see on line from folks Twitter posts all really using the counter? For what reason? Ha- I’m just confused and afraid I’m missing something.

 

[EACarlson]

Just want to clarify all the discussion about the Budget counter (and the horror shows being reported on Twitter this week).

Haven’t travelled in the COVID era so not sure if things changed but I booked a minivan just through Budget using my Fastbreak account. No reason why the old process of skipping counter and going right to my car has changed has it? Are these hundreds of people I see on line from folks Twitter posts all really using the counter? For what reason? Ha- I’m just confused and afraid I’m missing something.

Most Third party reservations, specifically those made with UT don't have a place to put in the Fastbreak number so folks can't skip the counter.

 

[thebs19]

Most Third party reservations, specifically those made with UT don't have a place to put in the Fastbreak number so folks can't skip the counter.

Oh ok. But insofar as typical reservations made with Budget (in my case) with a Fastbreak account the typical process of going directly to the garage is still happening (hopefully)??

Just got spooked with all the horror stories and pictures from the last week or so.

 

[emilymad]

Oh ok. But insofar as typical reservations made with Budget (in my case) with a Fastbreak account the typical process of going directly to the garage is still happening (hopefully)??

Just got spooked with all the horror stories and pictures from the last week or so.

I haven't paid attention this week but when we traveled at the end of the year the garage line was also long. Still better than inside though.

 

[EACarlson]

Oh ok. But insofar as typical reservations made with Budget (in my case) with a Fastbreak account the typical process of going directly to the garage is still happening (hopefully)??

Just got spooked with all the horror stories and pictures from the last week or so.

Yes, with a fastbreak rental the process is the same as it's been for the last 5 or so years.

 

[ricosuave]

I booked a package through Costco with Budget. I was able to put my Fastbreak number and it shoes up on my app. I've NEVER used Budget before. Can I still skip the counter if the reservation is showing up in my app.

 

[ranlet]

Just picked up today 3/7 waited 1 hr for compact, upgraded to small suv. 189 for the week. It is a Ut reservation

Curious what time of day was this and with which car rental company?

 

[thebs19]

I haven't paid attention this week but when we traveled at the end of the year the garage line was also long. Still better than inside though.

Did they note have car/space ready when you went to garage? Or other issues necessitating the visit to the booth?

 

[chmasy]

Curious what time of day was this and with which car rental company?

11 am with budget sorry long day.

 

[ranlet]

11 am with budget sorry long day.

11 am with budget sorry long day.

Thanks. We have a reservation for Avis at that same timeframe on Monday. I going to assume the line was about the same length.

 

[ADisneyQueen]

My budget pick up is at 8:30 on a Saturday night. I'm so afraid I'll be there for hours and/or there won't be any cars available. I've thought about staying in an airport hotel with a shuttle just in case.

 

[chmasy]

Thanks. We have a reservation for Avis at that same timeframe on Monday. I going to assume the line was about the same length.

Avis and all other lines not half as bad, hopefully for you that maintains.

 

[ashleyrm]

I rented with Budget through Priceline via autoslash in December at MCO. Even though I was able to see my reservation on the Budget app and add my fastbreak number, I still had to wait at the counter in a very long line. Having done this on the past without this happening, I went to the garage first only to be told that I had to go back to the terminal and wait in the line. A lot of others were in the same situation.

 

[ashleyrm]

I have a rental for my upcoming March/April trip. Full size with National. Emerald Aisle. Corporate account. 3/30-4/4. $259.36.