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Disappointed with Hotwire for our Austin Rental Car

Disappointed with Hotwire for our Austin Rental Car

Old Aug 20th, 2014, 11:05 AM
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Disappointed with Hotwire for our Austin Rental Car

We just got back from a wonderful trip to Austin which, unfortunately, had a slightly disappointing end note. We reserved a rental car through Hotwire.com because it had the best price quote. The price included estimated daily costs and taxes (it was not one of those quotes that left off taxes completely). Our bill was actually $50 higher than the quote; approximately 33% of the rental car cost. This was due to taxes and fees charged by the state of Texas (over and above the estimated taxes in the quote).

I feel like it was a bait and switch. While I could have cancelled the reservation when I arrived at Thrifty and saw the higher price (it was not a prepaid booking), I didn't have time to do so and therefore accepted the reservation.

I spoke with Thrifty about this. They advised that this is a regularly occurring problem and they have advised Hotwire about it. Thrifty could not offer compensation. I do not hold Thrifty responsible; they did not provide me the quote and these were taxes that they have to charge, not part of their fees.

If I had known that the Hotwire quote was so erroneous I would have shopped around via other sites and made a booking that was accurate rather than relying on a completely false price--one that was actually advertised directly to me via email because I had been searching sites for car rentals.

I spoke with Hotwire. They would not offer cash compensation. I understand since they did not receive the booking money from me. They also wouldn't offer credit toward a future booking on Hotwire. That's rather shameful.

Their argument is that it is always only an estimate--by that logic they could advertise prices at $1 in order to get bookings since it is only an estimate. I found customer service unsympathetic and unwilling to accept any responsibility. Hotwire used to be one of my go-to searches for travel and they will no longer be.

I have had amazingly good experiences booking through Expedia for various other trips this spring and summer, about four trips altogether. Expedia will get my business from now on.

I'm not a big complainer. I can usually achieve some satisfaction when I speak with a company about a grievance (not something that even happens often) because really just an apology, an acknowledgement and a token effort to make it right can be satifying. I was stymied by the stonewalling I got from the Hotwire CS department.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 11:37 AM
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It's an odd situation because most times I find that car-rental web sites (opaque or not) display car-rental costs accurately. But if they don't, I don't know who you should blame, and I'm not sure what you want to be compensated for. The additional fees were for taxes.

One explanation is that the rate you were quoted was for an off-airport rental but you rented at the airport. Or it could be that Hotwire's rate matrix is just wrong.

Did you do any kind of research? I don't think you're being "stonewalled" because Hotwire doesn't owe you anything. But I can certainly understand why you feel confused and upset if the rate estimate you were given was not accurate or realistic. I haven't rented through Hotwire for a long time, I've never used an opaque rental site when I didn't pre-pay, and I've never ever been charged extra.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 12:03 PM
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I'd like compensation for the fact that I lost the opportunity to truly price-shop. I was satisfied with the rate I was quoted so I stopped looking for a better one. It's possible I could have found one if I had kept checking. I spend a lot of time researching my trips and allocating my budget--a last minute change threw the budget out of whack.

What do you mean by "any kind of research?" If you mean on car quotes--yes, that's why I chose the Hotwire one--it was cheapest (they do not break down their taxes so I had no way to know that the Texas taxes were not included). If you mean research on what the problem was--no, it's clear what the problem was, there are two tax items that Hotwire failed to account for in their quote.

There's finger-pointing between Thrifty and Hotwire. Hotwire says they get their info from Thrifty and therefore I should take it up with Thrifty. Thrifty says they have advised Hotwire many times about these Texas-specific taxes because have customers complaining to them daily about it.

For me, my bottom line is that I was Hotwire's customer. Though they didn't take the money from me they benefitted from my booking through them (they are running a business after all). I don't think it is my job to make sure their quotes are correct. And since they think that it is my job that just means I won't be their customer any more.

I've made my complaints. It's not gigantic but it soured me hugely on Hotwire.

Thanks for your very understanding reply, Doug.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 12:55 PM
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I have never had a non-prepaid Hotwire rental, but have not done it for a couple of years. I personally wonder if there is a little more to this story.
did you have your contract printed out?
I have also never had that happen for example at the Denver airport, which has a LOT of surcharges. hotwire has always been right on.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 01:03 PM
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I think the fine print of the Hotwire reservation *had* to say somewhere that taxes and fees are extra; I don't blame you for not reading the fine print, schlegal, as most of us don't, and I do blame them for burying that information so it wasn't immediately apparent to you. It wasn't bait-and-switch, though. And I don't see how anyone is going to compensate you as the overage was taxes.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 02:35 PM
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Car rental websites (Avis, Hertz, Budget, etc.) are going to list the taxes in any quote they give you. Hotwire would have to know what these taxes are and their argument that their quote is only an "estimate" is disingenuous. (Car rental websites sometimes make this same disclaimer regarding estimates, but in all my years of renting cars, the quote they have given me has been what I have paid--and sometimes I've paid less, but never more.)

If you have the time and inclination, I would pursue this in writing with Hotwire. I would also email travel consumer advocate Christopher Elliott. This is the sort of case that he often has success mediating.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 04:24 PM
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I've never used Hotwire as I always find better deals within the company directly. I did not know you could reserve without booking/paying through Hotwire. I see a Bill Me Later option but that is not a reservation.

Their site has an asterisk beside the total for the car. An asterisk always means scroll to the bottom to see what it means. This is what I found...
* Rates are shown in US dollars. Total cost for Hotwire Rates includes applicable tax recovery charges and fees. Total cost for retail rate reservations is an estimate based on the agency’s published rates, taxes and fees, and are subject to change. There is no guarantee that this price will be in effect at the time of your booking.

Now once you choose that rate and go to "book" it. It has no asterisk and you pay in full the amount with taxes and fees included. It mentions you can add a driver at the counter but it seems as though the booking is complete and you know all charges. You, however, didn't book it so I'm certain their rates at the time you showed up was what they were able to charge.

Thanks for sharing because this gave me the chance to read the fine print. Good luck in finding any compensation. My advice is get them where it hurts, social media and site reviews. BBB, Tripadvisor, Twitter, etc and be sure to #tag them.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 04:44 PM
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schlegal1:

I am confused. Are you saying that you reserved a car thru Hotwire without paying for it or did you pay Hotwire and then Thrify charged you additional $'s?

Have rented cars thru Hotwire numerous times and always have had to pay at the time of the reservation directly to Hotwire. We have never given additional $'s to the car rental. The Hotwire site clearly states that you must pay upon reserving the car.

A bit more information please.

Sandy
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 05:19 PM
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I too have never heard of a Hotwire quote where you don't pay them, but instead pay the agency. Is this something new?
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 06:41 PM
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When renting a car I check a price with Travelocity for a daily rate--then hotwire for a price that includes ALL the added charges at whatever airport I am flying in to. THEN if I want to bid on Priceline I have a better idea of the added charges. I have never had this fail me--I've either gotten the best deal with hotwire, or using their final total, bid on Priceline. And have always paid in full at time of booking.
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Old Aug 20th, 2014, 07:32 PM
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If you want to file a consumer complaint with the Texas Attorney General's office, here is the place to start:

https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/consumer/
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 03:32 AM
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Does the OP have a printed rental agreement they paid for from Hotwire? I think they got a ''quote'' and then went to Thrifty thinking they had a reservation and got the extra charges. They didn't have a confirmed contract, IMO, from what is being said.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 04:04 AM
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Still curious how this can work. I went to Hotwire and played for awhile trying to find any way it is possible to reserve a car with them but not pay for it. I was unable to find such a plan. And I could not find any way they would give a price for a SPECIFIC agency without actually booking and paying in advance.
In fact I just kept running into this:
" This booking is final (no refunds, no changes, non-transferable). Your account will be charged at the time of booking for the full rental amount, including all tax recovery charges and fees."

Schlegal, would you mind telling us exactly how you managed to do this? Something seems very wrong.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 04:30 AM
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I just tried that, and got a quote that was revealed as Thrifty (after I chose a car size) without prepaying - instead, it says "Rental car company will bill you when you return the car."

It has the standard stuff:

Car Booking Rules and Regulations

•Reservations may be cancelled at any time without penalty.
• You'll pay later when the agency bills you.
• You can add drivers at the counter for a charge.
• The agency requires a credit/debit card in the driver's name for deposit. The amount varies and can't be used on your card until you return the car.
•Pick-up/drop-off must be the same location.
•Driver must be present and bring ID.

It also had the standard "estimate based on the agency’s published rates, taxes and fees, and are subject to change." I say "standard" because I have seen this type of disclaimer many times but never had a significant deviation from the quote.

I agree with schlegal1, either Hotwire has a problem with their rate/tax table for this location, or there is a deliberate attempt to deceive.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 04:54 AM
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sludick, How did you get to that? Was that on a mobile app rather than a regular one? I just couldn't get anything like that when I entered a location and dates -- only firm pay in advance contracts.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:05 AM
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I think Gretchen is right. Hotwire is pre-pay. If you were charged more after you returned your car, there's a reason for the extra charges and those charges would be collected by Thrifty. But if you were charged for the entire rental when you returned the car, you didn't complete the process and weren't charged by Hotwire in the first place. That's not a Hotwire complaint.

"I understand since they did not receive the booking money from me."
That just doesn't make sense.

Was your credit card charged $100 for the Hotwire rental before your trip and then Thrifty charged you an additional $50 when you returned the car?

Or did you pay $150 to Thrifty when you returned the car? If so, you didn't complete the Hotwire reservation in the first place.
(made up numbers)
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:08 AM
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I've always paid Hotwire in advance. In fact I just did so, for a rental that turned out to be with Hertz (and was $20/day cheaper than the quote from Hertz). But if the verbiage is as sludick quoted, I don't see grounds for a formal complaint. It says that the price is subject to change, and it changed. (Although I would have been just as annoyed!)
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:16 AM
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starrs did you read Sludick's post? It sounds like there must be a different form of Hotwire than most of us are used to!

But I have to agree if Hotwire is merely "setting you up" to rent from someone else, and it states there can be a change, there's not much you can do about it.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:23 AM
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I find it odd that Sludick ALSO got Thrifty. I'm not much of a conspiracy theorist in other things, but this could be one. It is VERY bizarre. We have always had good results with Hotwire, and one time cheaper than PL.
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Old Aug 21st, 2014, 05:28 AM
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I don't find it odd that Sludick got Thrifty, particularly. I just want to know how both of them got ANY quote with ANY specific company that didn't require payment.
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