Disappointed with Hotwire for our Austin Rental Car
Oct 14th, 2014, 12:21 PM
#81
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Final Update:
I filed a complaint with the BBB (back when I started this thread). Hotwire replied and said (essentially) "Not it" just as they did in my phone call. I had a chance to reply but decided to let it drop by that point only to get a follow-up call...
Hoptwire was looking into the matter further. A few more updates later as well as a request for copies of my receipts from Thrifty.
I got a call today that they have, after a lot of untangling, gotten Thrifty to correctly report their fees to them and their price quotes will now be accurate.
I'm very pleased that they followed-up to ensure that other customers will not be so frustrated!
I filed a complaint with the BBB (back when I started this thread). Hotwire replied and said (essentially) "Not it" just as they did in my phone call. I had a chance to reply but decided to let it drop by that point only to get a follow-up call...
Hoptwire was looking into the matter further. A few more updates later as well as a request for copies of my receipts from Thrifty.
I got a call today that they have, after a lot of untangling, gotten Thrifty to correctly report their fees to them and their price quotes will now be accurate.
I'm very pleased that they followed-up to ensure that other customers will not be so frustrated!
Nov 17th, 2015, 01:14 PM
#83
Join Date: Nov 2015
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I would just like to update this thread and thank those who saved me $59.90 at Thrifty today. When I picked up my car about 2 weeks ago I was aghast at all the added charges, $100+ more than Expedia had listed when I booked the car. One of the items was marked "Total Extras: $119.40, nothing more specific. But the clerk just said everything was mandatory and not under their control, so I accepted it. However, when I dropped off the car a couple days ago, those "extra charges" were broken out as CFC and TST, about $60 each (10-day rental). Okay, CFC is apparently legit. But a brief google for TST led me to this thread. I called Thrifty and they immediately removed the charge (refunded my cc). So, thank you, schlegal1 and others. Interesting that a year after the above conversation Thrifty is still at it, collecting this as "mandatory" unless challenged.
Nov 18th, 2015, 10:54 PM
#86
Funny to see this post again, as I just minutes ago reserved a car for Austin. Mine is through Costco (Alamo). Lots cheaper than the company site or Kayak.com, but still irritating to pay $110 in fees on a base rate of $240.
Mar 2nd, 2016, 09:41 AM
#87
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Got a car reservation on Hotwire in Cleveland on Feb 17. About $88 for a two day rental. Went to the counter and was told by the rental company, NO CARS! WTF? I had a confirmed reservation through Hotwire. Had to pay almost $210 from another car company because I was basically stranded by Hotwire. Sent them a detailed account of the situation. NO REPLY!!! Don't use Hotwire if you need a car rental!! I am out about $120 because of them and they don't even have the decency/professioinalism to reply to my email! Hotwire.... UPDATE!! UPDATE!!! SO I am out $115 and just got a call from their "Corporate Office" in AZ. They offered me a frigging $20 CREDIT with Hotwire...What a JOKE! DO NOT RENT A CAR THROUGH Hotwire They will screw you...they could give two SH*TS about any of us! Here is the BS I got from them:
Dear tim,
It is our pleasure to credit you Hotwire HotDollars in the amount shown above. As good as cash, HotDollars can be used for any Hot Rate® Hotel or Hot Rate Car booking on Hotwire. Each HotDollar is equivalent to one U.S. dollar. You may apply HotDollars to bookings in other currencies based on the exchange rate at the time of booking. HotDollars are available for one year from the date of issuance. After a booking, any remaining HotDollars will stay in your account. You will be able to use these HotDollars until the expiration date listed. For more information about HotDollars, please see the Hotwire Travel Products Rules and Restrictions.
Details are below:
Customer name: tim amato
HotDollars amount: $20.00
Dear tim,
It is our pleasure to credit you Hotwire HotDollars in the amount shown above. As good as cash, HotDollars can be used for any Hot Rate® Hotel or Hot Rate Car booking on Hotwire. Each HotDollar is equivalent to one U.S. dollar. You may apply HotDollars to bookings in other currencies based on the exchange rate at the time of booking. HotDollars are available for one year from the date of issuance. After a booking, any remaining HotDollars will stay in your account. You will be able to use these HotDollars until the expiration date listed. For more information about HotDollars, please see the Hotwire Travel Products Rules and Restrictions.
Details are below:
Customer name: tim amato
HotDollars amount: $20.00
Mar 2nd, 2016, 10:13 AM
#88
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You won't come back to see this, but reserving a car that turns out not to be there happens all the time.
Best case: you get upgraded to a much, much better getter car for no more money.
Worst case: they don't have a car for you at all because the number of people expected to return them early (statistical analysis) didn't. It's like your plane being overbooked. It has nothing to do with Hotwire or any other agent.
I think most of us have good luck more often than we have bad.
Best case: you get upgraded to a much, much better getter car for no more money.
Worst case: they don't have a car for you at all because the number of people expected to return them early (statistical analysis) didn't. It's like your plane being overbooked. It has nothing to do with Hotwire or any other agent.
I think most of us have good luck more often than we have bad.
Mar 2nd, 2016, 10:22 AM
#89
I agree -- not getting a car had absolutely nothing to do with hotwire. They didn't rent you a car -- they brokered you a car through a rental agency (which you don't name). The rental agency is the one that ran out of cars.
If you had rented directly (not using hotwire) and they were out of cars, you'd still have to 'walk up' to another agency and pay a higher last minute rate.
Happens all the time.
Also agree that you probably won't see the responses since you're likely long gone.
If you had rented directly (not using hotwire) and they were out of cars, you'd still have to 'walk up' to another agency and pay a higher last minute rate.
Happens all the time.
Also agree that you probably won't see the responses since you're likely long gone.
May 25th, 2016, 01:23 PM
#90
I think that this is a continuing and systematic problem with Dollar/Thrifty in Austin. I recently rented a car at Dollar in the Austin airport for $19/day, reserving through CarRentals.com, with an estimated total cost around $232 for a six-day rental. I was billed $304. Although I had specifically and emphatically refused all insurance at the counter, Dollar had included two optional insurance items: CFC $35.70; RSD $35.94 (plus tax). I have no idea what these even mean. Unfortunately, although nothing was mentioned to me about them, I had signed a rental agreement that included these charges.
It's been impossible to get hold of the Austin Dollar office by phone. Customer service at CarRentals.com recommended that I contact Dollar's Corporate Customer Service. The woman I spoke with at Dollar told me that nothing can be done since I signed a contract agreeing to these charges. When I told her that no one told me about these charges she said that the person at the rental counter isn't under any obligation to inform me of all of the charges, despite the fact that I had declined all insurance. She said that it was my responsibility to carefully read the contract. She would not put me in touch with a manager, saying that she is fully empowered to deal with customers. She did give me permission to report my experience to the public.
I have to admit: They got me! Ouch!
The bottom line is that the rental customer always needs to be extremely wary of deceptive business practices of companies and/or agencies like this, and to carefully read agreements and question these things before signing.
It's been impossible to get hold of the Austin Dollar office by phone. Customer service at CarRentals.com recommended that I contact Dollar's Corporate Customer Service. The woman I spoke with at Dollar told me that nothing can be done since I signed a contract agreeing to these charges. When I told her that no one told me about these charges she said that the person at the rental counter isn't under any obligation to inform me of all of the charges, despite the fact that I had declined all insurance. She said that it was my responsibility to carefully read the contract. She would not put me in touch with a manager, saying that she is fully empowered to deal with customers. She did give me permission to report my experience to the public.
I have to admit: They got me! Ouch!
The bottom line is that the rental customer always needs to be extremely wary of deceptive business practices of companies and/or agencies like this, and to carefully read agreements and question these things before signing.
