Quick Alamo Question

[ducklite]

DH and I are renting a car from Alamo in early 2008. (Got a GREAT rate using the Entertainment Rate plus an Entertainment Coupon--saving over 50% on a four day rental!!)

Anyhow, we are picking it up around 11:30 on a Saturday, so it has to be back by 11:30 on Wednesday. How lenient are they if we get stuck in traffic or lost and don't get it back until noon-ish? I know some of the car rental companies give you a one hour grace period, does Alamo?

TIA!

 

[sweet maxine]

Hmmm, good question, and one I don't really know the answer to. I'd guess that there is surely a "grace period" with most rental agencies, especially a large, well-known one like Alamo. My best advice is to call and find out, but the policy could be different based on the location of rental/return.

We rented in So. California this summer in one location and returned to another. I never anticipated a problem with the return, but as it turned out, we did have trouble finding the return location. In the early hours of the morning before daylight, with what I remember as little or no signage, we were almost late for our return time with the car rental. I think we actually were a few minutes late, and we had been driving around for quite awhile asking airport security personnel, taxi drivers, you-name-it!! No one seemed to know where the rental return was, or could accurately give directions to it. A GPS system on board would have been a nice touch to say the least!!!

I guess I'm saying all this to remind anyone renting that the directions given from the website, hotel front desk, etc., may not be exact, and if you're at all uncertain of the location, allow at least an extra 30 minutes or so.

 

[szymon]

I believe Alamo's grace period is 29 minutes.

Szymon

 

[SB in KY]

Our experience with Alamo is 29 minutes period....they do not have a reputation for leniance...we pulled into the return area exactly 10 minutes after our return time (bad wreck on I-4) and then had to wait another 5 or 6 minutes for someone to come check us back in (back up in the return area). They made a comment about us being late but did not charge us anything for it....however as we unloaded our luggage, the lady beside us was apparently 35 minutes late and they were redoing her entire rate structure because she would no longer qualify for whatever rate she had and I thought there was going to be a slap down there for a while!! She was approaching hysteria and swearing she would not pay for being 35 minutes late, blah, blah, blah...they finally had someone come and escort her to an office inside so I have no idea what happened....but my kids were placing bets on who she was going to hit first!

 

[AngieInOH]

What if you pick up after what you said....possibly by 2 hours and return earlier than what you said..... again by 2 hours. I booked my rental before my flights so I didn't know what the exact time would be.

 

[ducklite]

We've decided to just return the car the night before. We were able to add on a visit to Muir Woods to another tour we had booked for the same as it would ahve cost to park the car in SF for the night. Thanks to everyone who responded.

 

[hddanis]

How much will it change your rate to rebook with a bit later return time? an hour or two? Anything? It might be worth checking.

Since I arrive in the morning and depart in the evening, I already have to pay a full day for those extra hours anyway (about 10 hours though...not 1-2.