Rental car early return question

[NewbieMouse]

Our travel plans have changed since I booked our rental car and it turns out I am now returning the rental car 3 days earlier than I was supposed to before. When I go to modify the reservation, it ends up costing me more because the rates have changed.

Has anyone ever encountered this and just returned the car early? It seems silly to rebook and have to pay more. TIA for any advice.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

They won't charge you more if you just return the car early. But if you rebook for a shorter rental it can cost you more (usually 7 days is a great rate--a weekly rate vs. the daily rate for less than 7 days!)

 

[NewbieMouse]

Yes, I'm getting hit with both an increase in the weekly rate plus a downgrade of the second week to the more expensive daily rate.... grrrr.

Thanks for letting me know; I didn't want to plan to go this route and then have them slam me at the counter. If anyone else has also done this and can confirm that they weren't penalized, I would love the extra reassurance.

 

[jtown]

You really shouldn't have trouble returning it early but read the rental contract thoroughly to be sure. Better yet, call the rental company and ask.

People on forums can only give general "should" and "might" type answers to this sort of question and maybe an anecdotal story about how they did or didn't get penalized by some rental company 3 years ago. Only your rental company will be able to tell you what will happen in your specific situation. They might automatically adjust your bill to the full retail price of the actual rental period. They might not adjust the bill. They might pro-rate it and knock 3 days off your bill.

 

[azdizzymom]

More likely than not they WILL charge for returning the car early. If OP booked for a weekly rate and then returns 3 days early they are changing the terms of the contract and agreement. IF OP has a rate quote for a week and only needs for 4 days (example) the rental company can and WILL charge for 4 days rather than the week. Think of it...if they didn't charge for returning 3 days early or even 2 or 1 day early everyone would do a weekly rental...get a low rate and return early. Have you rented a car before? Have you returned one early before (not by hours) BUT THREE DAYS and NOT had them charge you.

The rental rate you get is based on the information you provide to the rental company. If you provide incorrect information they can and most likely will charge you a different rate. This goes for early returns, not being able to provide eligibility on a discounted rate, etc. I was once asked for my Costco card by Alamo.

OP you will end up paying more than your original quote. You might call the company and see if you can get a better rate, but if your original quote was based on a week and you need less than a week expect to pay more. Even if you don't let them know you are returning early and just "drop it off" early they will and can charge you more. You might rebook a 2nd reservation and then call and discuss modifying but be prepared to pay more as the information provided in the above responses is incorrect from all my experiences and from reading information on this subject on the transportation area here, fatwallet travel area and flyertalk.

POST ON THE TRANSPORTATION AREA TOO AND SEE WHAT RESPONSES YOU GET THERE...LOTS OF RENTAL CAR EXPERTS THERE!!! Don't rely on I've rented and it shouldn't be a problem. You are totally changing your reservation and terms so expect changes in the price.

 

[NewbieMouse]

Uggghhhhh... Thank you all for your suggestions and feedback. I called the reservation line and they couldn't' help me. I guess I'll try to call the location directly and see what they would do.

 

[andymattmom]

They won't charge you more if you just return the car early. But if you rebook for a shorter rental it can cost you more (usually 7 days is a great rate--a weekly rate vs. the daily rate for less than 7 days!)

I am in SHOCK! You honestly think the rental car company will not charge them for returning the car three days early! I tried to return a car a day early on a weekly rental and ended up paying $100+ more since I hadn't fulfilled the full week.

With all the travel industry hurting do you not believe the car rental companies are not going to nickle and dime us like the airlines do? A weekly rental is substantially cheaper than a daily one. They don't allow people to book for a week and then return after 3, 4,5 or 6 days and not pay the difference. When you get a quote from them it is based on the terms you provide on how long you want the car, etc. They say if you need the car for that amount of time this is how much it is. If you change the terms of the contract you are breaking it so they can charge you more. You don't think returning 3 days early is changing the terms?

NewbieMouse, I would strongly suggest that you contact the rental car company, might I ask which one it is. Contact the local office as you said and see if they can get you a better daily rate. The information about they won't charge you is completely incorrect and I am sure after a few of us explained you can understand why. Could you get by with a smaller car? If you list the dates and size of car maybe some people might be able to assist you in finding a better rate. If you update with what current rate is and dates and what dates you now need I will try and help. I hate to see you get charged more by returning early and having been told it is o.k. I learned the hard way!

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

In my experience they didn't charge me more, the reason is they were able to turn it around to someone else and make more money that way--it was a very busy rental car place, and they were nearly out of cars. Which is why I told the OP that they probably wouldn't charge her... but I agree, she should call and talk to the location directly.

 

[NewbieMouse]

I called and they said that it has gone up because I had been getting some "2 week deal" (even though when I put in two weeks buy adding a little on the front end of the vacation that didn't appear to be the case). I canceled and re-booked somewhere else where it was cheaper than making the change. Didn't want to take the chance. I'll keep checking rates often to see if a better deal pops up.

Thanks so much to everyone for their advice and stories.