Positive rental experiences w/hotwire?

[jenjersnap]

This isn't for a Disney vaca (wah!), but a trip to Boston in May. Car rental rates are very high, except through hotwire. I have never used them before. They say that they use quality rental companies like Avis, Alamo, Budget, Hertz and Budget - have you gotten cars from the usual top flight companies? Has it gone smoothly? I am leery of pre-paying and non-refundability. OTOH, since it looks like all of Logan's car rental companies are off-site, I thought this would be a good place to experiment with hotwire. Should I wait until I am closer to the trip?

Any experience you can share would be very helpful. Thanks!

 

[bab31]

I would like to know as well as I will need a car rental in San Fran this summer

 

[slruud]

As long as your pickup and dropoff date and times are known and fixed, there should be no problem renting through Priceline or Hotwire. I've done both and never had a bad experience. Usually, whatever HW's price is, you can knock about 30% off and bid on PL and get it for less. For example, for a weekend trip to Phoenix in a couple of weeks, HW had economy at $12.95/day, so I bid $9/day on Priceline and got accepted. The major rental car agencies are quoting $28-$30/day.

On another note, why rent a car in San Franciso with the parking rates what they are?....upwards of $30/day and closer to $40 at most downtown hotels. Just rent a car when you need it by the day. BART goes from SFO to downtown relatively quickly and cheap. Whatever you decide to do, have fun.

 

[IMDORY]

I've used Hotwire and Priceline to rent cars-never a problem-and good savings.

 

[jenjersnap]

As long as your pickup and dropoff date and times are known and fixed, there should be no problem renting through Priceline or Hotwire. I've done both and never had a bad experience. Usually, whatever HW's price is, you can knock about 30% off and bid on PL and get it for less. For example, for a weekend trip to Phoenix in a couple of weeks, HW had economy at $12.95/day, so I bid $9/day on Priceline and got accepted. The major rental car agencies are quoting $28-$30/day.

Thanks for this! I might give PL a chance. How far in advance is the best time to bid?

 

[PixiePop]

I have used hotwire and got a good rate and it was a well known rental company.

 

[slruud]

My experience is to book early, knowing that you will make the trip..again no refunds or changes. Per my example above where HW had an economy at @12.95/day, it is now at $14.95/day. There must be X number of rentals they can get rid of cheap, and then the prices start rising.

On another note, I've had good luck with Thrifty booking direct. For some reason, not much must have been going on in Phoenix, and I was able to book a rental with them for as little as $7 a day.

Here's my process:

Check Orbitz for all rates.
Check Hotwire.
Bid on Priceline, and if not accepted up to HW rate, then book HW. I think there is a 3 day waiting period between car rentals on PL, but you can continue to bid if you select another size car and in/decrease your bid.

Good luck.

 

[bab31]

On another note, why rent a car in San Franciso with the parking rates what they are?....upwards of $30/day and closer to $40 at most downtown hotels. Just rent a car when you need it by the day. BART goes from SFO to downtown relatively quickly and cheap. Whatever you decide to do, have fun.[/QUOTE]

we are staying in San Mateo for a family reunion and will need some wheels to get to and from the hotel and families home. Will be a fun time!