Poor National/EA experience- update - GREAT RECOVERY!!

[bavaria]

I rarely see negative posts on Natl, but have had 2 bad experiences with them recently.

Last week booked a res for midsize, using priceless and entertainment coupon. Took a Malibu from the EA.

At the exit, tried repeatedly to give my coupon and email confirmation to attendant, who refused it. I also asked if a Malibu was valid for my rental.

On return, I was charged $69 more than the confirmation. Again, I tried to give the coupon and email to the manager, who just shouted at me to take it up with customer service.

After at least an hour on the phone today, they grudgingly reduced the rate, but charged me a fullsize!! I pointed out that 'lots of people on a website' list Malibu as the most frequent car on the EA, and that the attendant refused to even look at my coupon. They also claim that since I booked it through priceless vacations, even though I cancelled one of my reservations on their website and got a cancellation email, it was not really cancelled????

Just a heads up - sounds like most people have a problem free rental, but for whatever reason the attendant was totally asleep on this one.......

 

[jjan]

2 things that I have seen about this is that they are now cracking down on the reservations that use different companies for the contract ID as the coupon. If you are going to use the Priceless vaction ID then that is that... if you are going to use the Entertainment book coupon they you must use their contract ID. Also, I have seen a few people here mention that their cancelled reservations still show up in the computer as not cancelled... that is just the way their computers are. Sorry that you had a bad experience but I think that is how it is going to be more of the time now

 

[Lewisc]

Did your reservation specify EA service? If it didn't you weren't entitled to take a car from the EA. Were they saying your reservation was canceled? The fine print says you can't use the EC coupon with the PV code. National hasn't been enforcing the coupon terms.

Your post doesn't give us enough details as to what happened to be useful.

 

[bavaria]

Did your reservation specify EA service? If it didn't you weren't entitled to take a car from the EA. Were they saying your reservation was canceled? The fine print says you can't use the EC coupon with the PV code. National hasn't been enforcing the coupon terms.

Your post doesn't give us enough details as to what happened to be useful.

Yes, it was EA service. Sorry if I didn't give enough detail - I booked 7 nights, got a rate of $75, with tax $99. Called to change it to 8 days before I left, rate went up to $105.

Somehow Natl never cancelled the original reservation which they say they do for a change (ie they cancel and book a new reservation)

They did finally adjust it down to the $105 after almost 2 hours on the phone.... just disappointing and chalk it up to a one time baaaad experience

And actually a manager just called me and says that I should have only paid $100.33 - and then he really took care of me! so kudos to them!!!

 

[AllyBri]

I've never had a problem (yet) but the last time about a week or so ago, the young lady told me I did not need to give her the Ent. coupon, I insisted she take it.
I f you want to cover your self with the cancellations, take a copy of the canceled ressie with you.

 

[safetymom]

Did you provide them with the cancellation number in the email?

 

[salbythec]

I was going to call today to make sure all the cars I canceled were in fact canceled. I have a full sized using the priceless and entertainment coupon. I guess I should bring all my canceled #'s with me.

 

[dudspizza]

I was going to call today to make sure all the cars I canceled were in fact canceled. I have a full sized using the priceless and entertainment coupon. I guess I should bring all my canceled #'s with me.

I carry a binder with all of my trip info in it. Everytime I cancel, I place it in the binder. I take them all with me, so I have no problems.

Duds

 

[bavaria]

I don't usually carry around the cancellation emails OR the confirmations (I know that's bad, but I just don't)

In this case I had it all with me - I am just chalking it up to a bad day.

And cancelling on the website should definitely be all - the customer service person tried to tell me that one has to cancel on the website AND call them, which just isn't true.

 

[Poorman]

What I usually do when I cancel a rental reservation is to go back into the web site and go to the section where it says change reservation, I then put the reservation number in it and it tells me it was cancelled. I double check every cancelation I do.