elsenordada1

I just got back from Cancun, I got a rate from Expedia to rent a car thru Dollar-Thrifty Car rental company (at the Cancun Airport). The quote was for 9 days for $119 usd. When I went to the Dollar-Thrifty company to rent my car they told me I HAD TO BUY an insurance or they wouldn't rent me my car (adding this to a total of almost 500 usd).

When I returned my car I asked to speak with the Manager (Marisela Escalante) and she told me that she was very sorry, but that the insurance was "optional" but no money could be returned. They are actually telling this to people so that they can sell the car rental at a much higher price, be advised, I just wanted to advise all of you about this terrible situation that is happening.

And if this wasn't enough they give you and exchange rate completely on their favor, we also complained about this and they lower the exchange rate, this is stealing and has to be stopped. I have the invoice and I can send it to you, the name of the people renting us the car at the Cancun location was Ariel Hau.

jette

Sorry you had a bad experience. Extra insurance, as far as I know is still optional but no one with any sense at all would NOT take it. Tourists in that area have spent a day in jail if they were in an accident and could not provide proof of full coverage, true story.

If you read any of the other posts here or elsewhere about taking the "extra" insurance offered in Mexico, almost everyone will tell you the same thing. Cover your a$$. It's not stealing. I'm sorry you did not fully understand this.

jette

Just in case anyone else sees this, here are several recent threads on just this issue.


http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-in-mexico.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-in-mexico.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-in-mexico.cfm


http://www.fodors.com/community/mexi...-in-mexico.cfm

doug_stallings

I'm sorry that you weren't satisfied with the cost of the rental, but you really do have to get the insurance in Mexico. It's only "optional" in the broadest sense of the word. Dollar/Thrifty is by no means "stealing" your money. You are obviously inexperienced in the ins and outs of renting a car in Mexico.

If you have any problems at all---such as an accident---you sit in jail until the responsibility for the accident is determined unless you have local insurance.

I feel your pain about the cost, but you really have to do your research before renting a car in Mexico, and you have to figure the cost of insurance into the basic cost of a car rental.

emd3

Many threads on this forum about being sure the mexican car rental includes the insurance which you REALLY do need to get, and which at least where we frequently rent, is not optional. There are several good car rental places at Cancun airport area that do not charge $500 for a wk of insurance.

Mexico car rental is not a dela where you want the absolute lowest price. You need to be sure the insurance is included in your quote. Again, this has been covered here mutliple times in many threads. Be advised to do your homework for foreign country car rentals.

I know of several online reservation sites for car rentals at Cancun airport area that show you the TOTAL price including all insurances and taxes when you search for the rental online. We use Cancun Car Rental (first choice)or Europcar. Both of them have the full insurance included in the cost of rental right in the quote online, you can't not take the insurance w/them if you are a foreigner. And the insurance is never $500 a wk! But yes, insurance costs more than the car rental price. For a midsize 4 door automatic car we pay about $240-260 a wk total w/full insurance, and all fees.

Buyer beware, always w/car rentals, make sure all fees are included in the quote. If I had been preswnted w/this problem, I would have walked right out of that place and not rented from them (assume they did not have any deposit money from you yet, correct? they shouldn't have), and gone to another car rental place. Even if I had to go to back to the airport in a taxi (which can be flagged down on the hwy. where the car rental places are) to find another car rental deal.

Have you talked to Expedia? I dont use them, I book directly w/hotels and car rentals myself, but they might be interested in what happened to you.

Bill_H

I would recommend National Car Rental in Mexico, having used them several times. Their on-line site is very detailed about ALL the actual costs; for example I just checked for 9 days in Cancun starting next week and a small car was about $89 without insurance, but $466 if you select each of the three insurance options, each of which is explained in detail (in the past we've been able to skip at least one of these by charging with the right credit card).

I've probably used them at least four times in Cabo and Vallarta and each time the final tab was exactly, to the penny, what the on-line site quoted in advance, no games with exchange rate etc.

Lot of places giving low-ball quotes don't mention things like airport fees ($64 on my sample quote mentioned above) or taxes (11%), and then there's the thorny insurance issue.

I'm sure there are other companies that do it like National, but there are also rip-off places that give low-ball quotes without mentioning the 'options', even if they are mandatory.

TC

We rent from a small local company in Cozumel. The going rate WITH needed insurance is $30 per day total.

So many of the on-line quoted prices are misleading. Its a bit like the airlines who would quote a one-way price, but you HAD to purchase a round-trip ticket. So...they are actually quoting a price for something that one can not purchase. Its the same with Mexican rental cars. You have to have the insurance. Your US coverage is no good in Mexico and the laws are so different than in the States. I say.....use taxis. You are on vacation.....who needs the hassle?

suze

Too bad this is your first time participating on Fodor's travel forums. If you had come here and/or to Trip Advisor *in advance* of your trip people could have explained how things work in Mexico.

AND you WANT the additional insurance.

chrisharjes

Needing the insurance is one thing, but companies that market a low price on a car rental, then force/scare you into paying ten times that for overpriced insurance, are ripping you off.

I recently made a reservation for a compact car through Dollar in Puerto Vallarta, for $84.06. The advertised price stated that the car would be rented in the airport. However, when we arrived in Puerto Vallarta, we were taken on a shuttle down a random Mexican backstreet to Dollar’s rental center, well away from both the airport and any reasonable competition. There, after a long day of travel, with a tired baby and a sick mother, we were told that we needed to pay $42 per day for basic insurance. I explained to them that I had already made my reservation and agreed on a price, but they did not seem to care about our original agreement. Since neither Natalie or Olivia could tolerate any more traveling in the heat, and the neighborhood did not feel safe enough to try to hail a cab, we were forced to pay the exorbitant rates- nine times the original price we were quoted. We were also told we would be given a free upgrade to a larger car, which we were instead later charged for.
I have spent months traveling in Latin American countries, and have never been robbed so severely- to my surprise by a supposedly reputable American company.

ekscrunchy

Did you call Dollar from the site? That sounds like a really bad situation, but I wonder if you could have phoned Dollar and tried to work it out on the phone.


In what other countries did you have a better car rental experience?

Did you dispute the charges for the upgrade with your cc company?

StewYags

Stay away from Thrifty and Dollar in Mexico. I rented a car from Thrifty and the weekly rate was $348 (usd). However, they would not let me rent without insurance. The total cost of the car with insurance was $845 USD. The insurance cost more than the rental car!

I told them that I know I was being taken advantage of but they didn't care. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't make calls as we stayed in a fairly remote place about 2 hours north of Puerto Vallarta. We also had very little internet connection.

So, when we returned home, I called Thrifty, but they would do nothing.

Just rent from someone else. I will no longer rent from Thrifty anywhere.

doug_stallings

While it's interesting that we have all these first-time, first-registered posters complaining about Dollar/Thrifty in Mexico, the company definitely and clearly spells out what they charge for insurance. On a weekly rental that has a base costs of $80 per week, insurance is clearly listed on both sites at about $40 per day (liability and loss-damage waiver). Further, both companies say they will not accept any third-party insurance.

I can't disagree that the insurance costs are ridiculous, but I don't agree that the company does not disclose. And I also think it's silly to think you can get a car rental for $80 for an entire week, even in Mexico.

baldone

For what it's worth, the rental agency was more than likely a franchisee, and a call to Dollar probably wouldn't have made a lick of difference.

suze

chrisharjes, If you had checked in with any of the PV forums, no one would have sent you to Dollar for your car rental.