Van Rentals Over Holidays

[wee-haggis]

I have a van booked through Dollar (got a really good price months ago).
I still check occasionally to see how the price has changed (of course ,it has went up substantially...in fact 4 times higher!).
My question is,since I last checked,I noticed a message comes up saying " no vehicles of this type available during my dates". This note I've seen in several sites including Alamo and National. This (I'm assuming) means they are sold out of vans during this time. Is it possible for me to show up and not have a van available?......Or, is this not possible?......If possible,how do they handle it (offer higher grade vehicle,offer competitor or affiliate vehicle?)
Thanks

 

[safetymom]

Yes you could show up and not have a van. They may have you wait or come back. Depending on who you talk with is what you will be offered.

 

[WillCAD]

It is possible to show up and not have the class of vehicle you reserved. This happens because some folks will keep their rentals longer than what they reserved, and sometimes because vehicles are taken out of the rental rotation for unexpected maintenance or repair.

Usually, if they are out of the class of vehicle you reserved, they will upgfrade you to the next higher class at the same price.

If they are out of vans when you arrive, they might offer you an SUV or a minivan.

Each rental agent has a certain amount of leeway in what they offer, so you can haggle a bit with them. If you don't get what you want, ask for the manager, who has more leeway.

But also remember that rental agents are free to tell you to buzz off. Becoming angry, beligerent, demanding, or forcefull will not help you in the slightest, it will only make things worse. Never appraoch a rental car agent with an "I have a reservation, they HAVE to give me..." attitude; you might think that, but never let on that you do.

The agents at MCO can check, by computer or by phone, to see if the other rental locations in the Orlando area have the vehicle class you need. If they do, you might be able to arrange for a courtesy van to take you over to that location, or maybe to have that location send the rental vehicle over to MCO.

Again, be nice. Smile. You can be insistent, but don't be demanding or angry. And don't let it upset you if they are out of your vehicle class; it's not the end of the world, it's just a snafu in your travel plans.