My rental car mess- Read and think LOL!

[CarolA]

I often see on here posts about "did you have any issues with using code XXXXXX" which of course is some code that the poster is not REALLY entitled to use.

I have a personal expereince doing this... and it's NOT been fun.

I rented a car from National in California. My EA number defaults in the contract code of a company I last worked for 7 years ago. (I have been using Hertz mainly since then) I generally just overwrite it with the new companies code. This time I apparently forgot.

Someone hit the car. Of course they did not leave a note. This was about 3 months ago. I called National and did thier paperwork, I called my office and did OUR paperwork, I called my credit card company (Diners) and did yet MORE paperwork and then I waited.

My mail last week had a very nasty letter from National telling me HOW much I owe for the damage AND the increase in rental cost from the company rate to the "walk up" rate. They sent the report to the employer who told them "nope, this cannot be counted against OUR expereince for the year" I am sure that the negoiation probably covers how much accidents by employees cost the rental car company, fewer accidents would probably equal a lower rate.

Luckily for me Diners Club could care less that I was on the wrong contract and is paying or the damage. (My company would have paid, but we have a $1,000 deductible and it's not that much damage so I figured Diners should pay LOL!)

However I am personally paying about $200 for the rental since they bumped up the rate... and there really is nothing I can do.

I am NOT trying to start a debate. I am working 18 hours a day right now and don't have time to play in one. This is just an FYI.

I know what I did was wrong. It was an honest error. (I have since called National and had the contract number default changed!)

 

[seashoreCM]

Can you have the contract code space held blank forcing you to pro-activly fill in something? (Or let it continue with no contract code?) That way you can't forget and end up submitting a code you are not supposed to use.

I would hope that it does not remember the last code you filled in. It can be disconcerting to go to the primary election to choose a republican candidate but they will only give you a democratic ballot because you voted democrat in the previous primary and you forgot to change yourself back to independent before a deadline.

(If you cleared cookies would it forget the contract code?)

 

[Lewisc]

National/Alamo should share some of the blame for code abuse. We're not booking a code, we're booking a discount for which we claim eligibility. Some customers may make a typo. You used an old code. JMO but the confirmation should say something like, AAA discount applied please have your membership card available when you pick up your car. XXX Travel Agency employee discount applied, please have your corporate ID available when you pick up your car. Had your confirmation said Hooter's corporate rate you would have known you used the code from an old employer.

Does your current employer have a corporate rate with National? I might try to make them give you that rate instead of a walk up rate. Second thought it probably wouldn't be worth the time it takes. Maybe pass it over to your corporate travel. They might tell National this isn't an acceptable response to an honest employee mistake.

I often see on here posts about "did you have any issues with using code XXXXXX" which of course is some code that the poster is not REALLY entitled to use.

I have a personal expereince doing this... and it's NOT been fun.

I rented a car from National in California. My EA number defaults in the contract code of a company I last worked for 7 years ago. (I have been using Hertz mainly since then) I generally just overwrite it with the new companies code. This time I apparently forgot.

Someone hit the car. Of course they did not leave a note. This was about 3 months ago. I called National and did thier paperwork, I called my office and did OUR paperwork, I called my credit card company (Diners) and did yet MORE paperwork and then I waited.

My mail last week had a very nasty letter from National telling me HOW much I owe for the damage AND the increase in rental cost from the company rate to the "walk up" rate. They sent the report to the employer who told them "nope, this cannot be counted against OUR expereince for the year" I am sure that the negoiation probably covers how much accidents by employees cost the rental car company, fewer accidents would probably equal a lower rate.

Luckily for me Diners Club could care less that I was on the wrong contract and is paying or the damage. (My company would have paid, but we have a $1,000 deductible and it's not that much damage so I figured Diners should pay LOL!)

However I am personally paying about $200 for the rental since they bumped up the rate... and there really is nothing I can do.

I am NOT trying to start a debate. I am working 18 hours a day right now and don't have time to play in one. This is just an FYI.

I know what I did was wrong. It was an honest error. (I have since called National and had the contract number default changed!)

 

[Detailor]

Can you have the contract code space held blank forcing you to pro-activly fill in something? (Or let it continue with no contract code?) That way you can't forget and end up submitting a code you are not supposed to use.

I would hope that it does not remember the last code you filled in. It can be disconcerting to go to the primary election to choose a republican candidate but they will only give you a democratic ballot because you voted democrat in the previous primary and you forgot to change yourself back to independent before a deadline.

(If you cleared cookies would it forget the contract code?)

I'm fairly certain that the pre-filled contract code is associated with a renter's log-in of their Emerald Club membership number - a perk of the convenience of membership. I think that Carol's situation is a good reminder to be sure to change our data when changing jobs. I don't think I'd have ever thought about that on my own. Thanks, Carol.

Dick Taylor

 

[Tissa]

Thanks for the info Carol. This is exactly the issue that some have brought up as a possibility before.

It's not worth the risk.

 

[Aunt Cawa]

Thank you Carol for the information. I am so sorry you had so many problems. I really appreciate you taking the time to let us know your experience.

 

[DebbieB]

Did you book through National's website or your company travel agent website? I always book business travel through the company travel agent website, it defaults to the company code even though my Emerald Club has the EC code (5007125).

One thing I have to be careful of is the credit card used. I used National for a business rental and it used my personal card by mistake, it was in my profile. When I book through the company travel agent website, there is not a spot for credit card. So I changed the default in my Emerald Club to my corporate card and I have to be careful on personal rentals to change it to my personal card.

 

[CarolA]

Quick reply

One of the reasons I had NOT noticed this before was until this year I did book my travel through a company website and NOT via National direct. So the company between A and C where I worked just automatically assigned thier "rate code"

My new company is VERY small. We don't have a TA or even an approved booking engine. You just book your own! (Which is why I have occassionally arrived someplace and realized "opps" I forgot to book a hotel or car. I was spoiled by the "guidance" of the booking engine before!)

National bears NO blame. The contract you agree to with them when you sign up for somthing like EA makes ME the responsible party. I screwed up and I am not going to blame anyone else for my stupidity! My company does have a rate with National, but the rules are "put it in before you rent not come back later and whine" As for Nationals response to our corporate travel.... What corporate travel? (I really have no idea how we even got the few contracts we have, but I am the auditor and it's on my list to find out!)

 

[Detailor]

National bears NO blame. The contract you agree to with them when you sign up for somthing like EA makes ME the responsible party. I screwed up and I am not going to blame anyone else for my stupidity!

Honest mistake, I think, more than stupidity but I agree with your statement and applaud your ethics. Oh, that should more people take responsibility for their actions.

Dick Taylor

 

[Lewisc]

Of course they bear some blame. Assume I make a typo. Instead of the code for a AAA discount I wind up with the code for AARP. I don't have an AARP card. Should I be charged rack rate? Good chance the AAA and AARP rate are the same.

National should be printing a brief description of the rate type on the confirmation. A hotel confirmation doesn't just give a cryptic code. It says AAA rate, AP rate, FL resident rate etc. At least some of the code abusers might stop if the confirmation said the rental was booked under a rate for employees of XXXX and ID will be requested.

National bears NO blame. The contract you agree to with them when you sign up for somthing like EA makes ME the responsible party. I screwed up and I am not going to blame anyone else for my stupidity! My company does have a rate with National, but the rules are "put it in before you rent not come back later and whine" As for Nationals response to our corporate travel.... What corporate travel? (I really have no idea how we even got the few contracts we have, but I am the auditor and it's on my list to find out!)

 

[BigTigger]

At least National could change your old corporate code to a new one!!

Our company code with National changes every few years as we negotiate different coverages based on employee travel experiences. Despite numerous calls and online attempts to change it, National still shows the 2002 company contract code despite it being 1) not valid anymore in theory, 2) changed to our new code multiple times by National reps, and 3) changed online by me more than once. National's answer every time I call is that it's an IT issue with Emerald Aisle for corporate accounts. When my company "updates" the valid employee list, the old code gets reset for employees. Doesn't make sense to me, but that is National's story and they keep sticking to it.

So what does this mean for you and why am I telling you this? I got hit in the Orange County Convention Center garage last spring and of course National tried to claim I used an invalid code and bill me. After telling them to pound sand (nicely) and much back and forth they agreed that the pre-filled code was 1) their problem and 2) my current employee code that should have pre-filled covered the minor damage cost and much larger loss of (potential) use cost and would be used to make the charges go away.

Sometimes it's worth being ornery versus taking the hit. Right does not equal correct