knute

I have never been asked for credit card info when making a reservation and no one seems too concerned about canceling a reservation. My question is: Do rental car companies actually set aside my desired vehicle and wait for me to come that day at that time (even though I have not paid) or do they simply take each customer that comes to the counter and try to find a vehicle for them? If the latter is the case, since the company doesn't matter much to me, I would simply go to the counter with the shortest line and get on my way. Any insight?

nytraveler

Well - first of all you usually pay the highest rates by just walking up.

Second - if it's a busy time - and they have not cars left at all you're stuck. Yes - they will give the cars that come in to people with reservations before they give them to people with no reservations.

Don;t see any benefit in not making reservations.

NorthwestMale

Hi, to be more clear...

If you make a rental reservation and arrive within reasonable hailing distance of the specified time, the car is generally there and awaiting your arrival, even without being bound by a credit card ahead of time.

In addition, there is not generally any sort of a "commitment" established on your side to even show up when you do have a reservation.

Therefore, I see no reason why you wouldn't first want to make a reservation whenever you intend to rent a car. Rates are cheaper when made with a reservation and there are usually no binding commitments implied.

Plus if you wish to shop rental car rates for the best one, you can always make a reservation first, to have SOMEthing to fall back on... and then try to bargain up from there.

NOT only that, but it is also a good idea, as your trip approaches, to go back to the very same company website and 'test' a new reservation for your same itinerary, because rates fluctuate madly, and you might find the amount considerably less.

Hope this helps.

Gekko

Travelers who fail to make a reservation often are travelers without a rental car.

Rental car companies ask for your pick-up time so they'll have a car waiting. I can't imagine this isn't incredibly obvious, but people with reservations get priority over walk-ups without them.

knute

Now, some of you have stated that these companies do, indeed, set a car aside even without my paying up front. Am I to assume, then, that if a unusually large number of walkins with cash in hand come that day they will all be turned away with a, "no, we don't have any cars for you" while all the while they are holding cars for 10 customers like me who may or may not show up. I guess I'm just trying to think like a company trying to make a profit and I'm just not following the logic. To be frank, I think they'll rent all available cars to the first paying customers they see. I wish they would let me pay up front via VISA and be assured of my specified vehicle.

Stephie

I seriously doubt that the 10 customers in front of you would all be prepared to pay up front with cash, interesting what-if scenario, but unrealistic.

If it makes you feel better, you can call the rental company at your destination and ask them how many of the particular size of vehicle you have reserved have been reserved for that date and how many they actually have.

I would imagine that if the time you chose as your pick-up time were to expire, and you walked in 2 or more hours late that perhaps your car might be given away, but if you show up at approximately your stated pick-up time your car should be there. We've never had a problem even during high season and busy periods at a car rental agency getting the car that we reserved ahead of time.

Just make your reservation, and find something else to worry about.

knute

Stephie, you seem to be missing the point. Let me clarify: I didn't mean to imply a line up of 10 people standing right in front of me at the counter, but rather, say 10 people leisurely walking in during the day before my pick up. By "cash in hand" I mean a valid credit card ready to purchase the use of the vehicle. Hotels don't hold rooms for you and let you stand them up without any payment. They charge your card, of course. You also feel secure that you will, indeed, get the room you reserved. Why are rental cars any different? Thus far, no one has convinced me that a reservation really does anything. If no one is holding a car for me, I'm simply going to take the shortest line.

BigJim

No, technically they're not actually holding a car for you. So you're absolutely right in that regards. If they have a car for you, they'll give it to you, but if not, they'll put you in something similar. I don't know how many times I've arrived at the rental car agency and only to be told that they're out of cars, or they don't have the size of car that I reserved, and then they try to "butter" you up by making you think that they've given you a free upgrade! It's incredibly frustrating dealing with rental car agencies sometimes. Now of course, this isn't always the case. Depending on the day of the week or the time of the month and other things, most rental car agencies don't usually run out of cars. So chances are they'll have some type of car for you.

lcuy

Just like airlines and hotels, I think car rental agencies pretty much know what percentage of their reservations will be "no shows". There are lots of other variables as well..people return cars early, people return cars late, cars break down, etc. I have been to car windows many times and seen "sold out" signs, but my reserved vehicle is there waiting. They probably hold a certain percentage of cars- maybe not the exact models reserved or they will manage to get one somewhere else.

Has anyone here ever had NO car available when they go to pick up a reserved car?

PS_I've noticed that some companies now DO require cc numbers for online reservations.

BigJim

I forgot to mention....why not just make a reservation at all the agencies and then get in the shortest line!!
Because yes, without a reservation, you will be charged an outrageous rate!

fehgeddaboudit

I don't know who said it first, or who said it last, but let me say it now : Failure to Plan = Planning to Fail.

jlm_mi

Hotels don't generally charge your card before you stay (except on promotional rates), and many allow you to cancel up to 4pm on the day of arrival. Most others allow you to cancel up to 24 hours ahead.

And in any event - I can appreciate that you've asked the question. You've gotten several answers that all concur. But why is it anyone's responsibility to convince you that they're right? Go ahead and get in the shortest line without any reservation. It's no one's problem but your own if you get no car or have to pay an arm and a leg for what they do have. But if that makes you happier than waiting in line, go for it.

In any event, you could also just join the customer loyalty program at any place you rent from. Most have "no waiting in line" programs, so the point is moot.

jlm_mi

One more thought I had - You mention trying to think about this from a "business" point of view. Have you ever worked in customer service? I'm sure the car rental agencies know that if they regularly make reservations for people, then have no cars when they show up, they'll earn a bad reputation quickly.

As someone else mentioned, they may occasionally "overbook", at least in certain car classes, knowing that there will be some no-shows. But if they just never had cars for people who had reserved, they'd lose a LOT of business.

Patrick

Here's an interesting twist. Last year I booked a rental car for my partner in Dayton, Ohio. When he got there he couldn't find his reservation slip and couldn't remember which company I said it was with (later he found the slip inside his suitcase). Since we often rent from Dollar and National he tried those counters, but neither had a reservation for him. He tried calling me to find out which company, but I was out so he left a message on my machine. At one of the counters he went to they said they had plenty of cars, so he reserved one last minute and took it. When I got home and got his message I called and cancelled the other one -- with Budget, I think. Although I had worked and worked to find him the best possible deal on a rental and had booked accordingly, he got a MUCH better deal by walking up to that counter and getting a car. And yes, it was a LOT cheaper than the rate they had quoted me just a couple weeks earlier!