Do you 'double-book' car rentals...
Jun 6th, 2006, 05:27 AM
#1
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Do you 'double-book' car rentals...
..to be sure you'll get a car when you arrive at your destination? One hears stories of customers arriving, only to be told there's 'nothing available.'
And if there are many of us out there, booking at more than one location and then not showing up....how do the agencies manage to keep up with accurate inventory?
Or maybe the question should be - Have you ever arrived to pick up a reserved car and not been able to? What did you do then?
And if there are many of us out there, booking at more than one location and then not showing up....how do the agencies manage to keep up with accurate inventory?
Or maybe the question should be - Have you ever arrived to pick up a reserved car and not been able to? What did you do then?
Jun 6th, 2006, 05:38 AM
#2
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No, I don't. And I wouldn't think of doing it. Why make it more difficult for these companies to run their business?
Luckily, I haven't had a car not be there; although, in London, the car we rented had a problem with the windows so we ended up having to take a minivan instead of a sedan. Oh, well. What can you do?
Luckily, I haven't had a car not be there; although, in London, the car we rented had a problem with the windows so we ended up having to take a minivan instead of a sedan. Oh, well. What can you do?
Jun 6th, 2006, 06:16 AM
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I do not double-book car rentals, nor do I double-book hotel reservations. This is not fair to the business. This is not fair to other travelers that are looking to book reservations for themselves and nothing is available because people have over-booked.
I do not know how the agencies manage their inventory. I have never been without a car when I arrived at the reservation desk. I'm sure this can happen.
To me, double-booking is like ordering pizza from 2 different delivery places and accepting the one that shows up first at your doorsteep. In my opinion is is counter-productive and selfish.
I will not commet on airline's, hotel, and car rental companies when "they" over-book. This is also a wrong practice.
I do not know how the agencies manage their inventory. I have never been without a car when I arrived at the reservation desk. I'm sure this can happen.
To me, double-booking is like ordering pizza from 2 different delivery places and accepting the one that shows up first at your doorsteep. In my opinion is is counter-productive and selfish.
I will not commet on airline's, hotel, and car rental companies when "they" over-book. This is also a wrong practice.
Jun 6th, 2006, 07:00 AM
#4
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Rental car company reservation policies are a lose-lose situation IMHO. They let you reserve without making a deposit on your card, so it encourages people to double-book. And, yes, I have arrived in L.A. to find no car available. They wanted us to wait a couple of hours in case one came in, or to upgrade at our expense. Luckily, we walked down the street and found a good deal on a red Mustang. It does make me think about double-booking next time.
Jun 6th, 2006, 07:14 AM
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On numerous occasions I have arrived without the car/type of vehicle available. Every time I have been upgraded at no extra expense and a couple of times allowed a gas waiver to return the vehicle empty. It is my opinion that how you handle the situation at the reservation desk is how you will be treated! Double booking is a waste of time and energy for all involved.
Jun 6th, 2006, 09:09 AM
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No - just because you can doesn' mean you should.
Agree with spinedoc - in past year have been upgraded - once from smallest economy car to convertible (in Florida) and this weekend - rented the cheapest car for one-way Charleston to Savannah and ended up with new Toyota mini-van. However, they tried in Nevada to "upgrade" us to full-size van with half a transmission
Agree with spinedoc - in past year have been upgraded - once from smallest economy car to convertible (in Florida) and this weekend - rented the cheapest car for one-way Charleston to Savannah and ended up with new Toyota mini-van. However, they tried in Nevada to "upgrade" us to full-size van with half a transmission
Jun 6th, 2006, 09:20 AM
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No - I don;t double book. A waste of time and energy - as well as being unfair to those involved.
And several times I have arrived to find the car I reserved unavailable (you just have to accept that car rental companies really can't do this - even if they try). In every case I have been upgraded at no cost and with no question - or offered a smaller car at a lowewr rate.
And several times I have arrived to find the car I reserved unavailable (you just have to accept that car rental companies really can't do this - even if they try). In every case I have been upgraded at no cost and with no question - or offered a smaller car at a lowewr rate.
Jun 6th, 2006, 10:18 AM
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My experience has been the same as others - if the car I reserved is not availible, I am "upgraded" at no extra charge. The "upgrades" aren't always an improvement because generally all it means is a larger car or sometime a hulking SUV, but I have never been denied a car at all.
Jun 6th, 2006, 01:06 PM
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I have never had a car unavailable when arriving with reservation in hand. And I never double-book. I rent cars a lot, too...
People who are responding as if their requested 1997 yellow hatchback two-door is the only answer that qualifies as "the car I reserved" are being too specific for the original question.
The original poster said "...to be sure you'll get A car..."
It probably doesn't hurt to join the rental company preferred customer program even if you're only making ONE trip to (exotic vacation destination) and using that company ONE time. Just make a yahoo or hotmail e-mail account to use when signing-up, and let all of the spam from the company go there over time.
With that membership, your price probably goes down, and they are going to be a bit more concerned with making sure YOU get a car. (although perhaps not the 1983 green Gremlin that YOU reserved)
People who are responding as if their requested 1997 yellow hatchback two-door is the only answer that qualifies as "the car I reserved" are being too specific for the original question.
The original poster said "...to be sure you'll get A car..."
It probably doesn't hurt to join the rental company preferred customer program even if you're only making ONE trip to (exotic vacation destination) and using that company ONE time. Just make a yahoo or hotmail e-mail account to use when signing-up, and let all of the spam from the company go there over time.
With that membership, your price probably goes down, and they are going to be a bit more concerned with making sure YOU get a car. (although perhaps not the 1983 green Gremlin that YOU reserved)
Jun 6th, 2006, 04:27 PM
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NorthwestMale, I don't think anyone is saying they expected a particular car, especially a 1997 yellow hatchback. As I read the posts, everyone is referring to A car being available, in the price and class reserved, as the OP asked.
I have a feeling the rental companies overbook, just like the airlines do, and then they hope a good number of reservations never show up. In our case, L.A. is a market where everyone needs a car, and when we arrived in the evening, all the cars were out. The upgrade we were offered was a luxury vehicle, for which the company was adding a per day charge we weren't interested in paying. Nor did we want the bigger gas guzzler, or the bigger pain to parallel park in Westwood. We were just lucky there were mid-sized cars available at the next lot, and they didn't price gouge us.
I have a feeling the rental companies overbook, just like the airlines do, and then they hope a good number of reservations never show up. In our case, L.A. is a market where everyone needs a car, and when we arrived in the evening, all the cars were out. The upgrade we were offered was a luxury vehicle, for which the company was adding a per day charge we weren't interested in paying. Nor did we want the bigger gas guzzler, or the bigger pain to parallel park in Westwood. We were just lucky there were mid-sized cars available at the next lot, and they didn't price gouge us.
Jun 6th, 2006, 10:49 PM
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Wow, I would have never thought about double booking. Hmmm.......do people really do that? Don't answer that.
This post brings up my most unpleasant experience of just recently arriving at Dollar in Kauai, waiting in line over 30 minutes and being told my car was not available but I could wait. When I asked how long, he said he had no idea. He told me they could upgrade me to the hulking suv someone mentioned earlier. I had reserved a reg. size suv and asked if there was a smaller one. No. With the price of gas on Kauai I told him it was no upgrade. He could have cared less. I turned the car in two days later for the smaller suv and waited another excrutiating time in line with only one person in front of me. I thought it must be my bad attitude coming in making me impatient but then the guy behind me starting making remarks about how the express line was just burning up!
Thanks for letting me rant. Long story short, don't rent at Dollar on Kauai
This post brings up my most unpleasant experience of just recently arriving at Dollar in Kauai, waiting in line over 30 minutes and being told my car was not available but I could wait. When I asked how long, he said he had no idea. He told me they could upgrade me to the hulking suv someone mentioned earlier. I had reserved a reg. size suv and asked if there was a smaller one. No. With the price of gas on Kauai I told him it was no upgrade. He could have cared less. I turned the car in two days later for the smaller suv and waited another excrutiating time in line with only one person in front of me. I thought it must be my bad attitude coming in making me impatient but then the guy behind me starting making remarks about how the express line was just burning up!
Thanks for letting me rant. Long story short, don't rent at Dollar on Kauai
Jun 8th, 2006, 04:44 PM
#13
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Thanks for all the viewpoints/
replies!! I had thought that, somewhere along the way (we don't rent autos all that often, that I'd heard the double-booking was a good back-up plan. After reading what everyone has to say here....we won't follow that tactic, and just hope for the best.
replies!! I had thought that, somewhere along the way (we don't rent autos all that often, that I'd heard the double-booking was a good back-up plan. After reading what everyone has to say here....we won't follow that tactic, and just hope for the best.
Jun 8th, 2006, 04:53 PM
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Once when traveling to Seattle, I booked a car, then found a slightly lower rate with another company. I then cancelled the original reservation (this was about a month before the trip). Upon arrival, there were "no cars available for at least an hour" at my chosen rental counter (which had alot of grouchy customers waiting around). It just so happened I had brought both reservations with me, so I strolled on over to the second counter. Lo and behold! They still had my original reservation in the system, and they not only honored the price, but gave us an upgrade. Weird that they still had that reservation in the system...
Jun 8th, 2006, 05:38 PM
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I never double book car rentals or hotels. It is just not right thing to do. We all expecting so much from those industries and I think we should feel obligated to be fair to them as well. And how about those travelers who has to travel at the last minute and have a hard time to find a rental car or a hotel room because someone double or triple booked. Please respect other travelers and do not double book but, as L84SKY said, double check before your trip. I never had a problem with a rental car. I had to wait one time about 20 minutes when they were cleaning my car but that was the longest delay. Happy travels to those who do not double book!
Jun 8th, 2006, 08:20 PM
#17
Sure, I double-book. I always cancel in advance. It is shopping around.
It is part of the hotel and car rental business to take reservations and to take cancellations.
The pizza analogy is not correct. A pepperoni pizza cannot be unmade. But would it be unreasonable to order one pizza for delivery next Tuesday (from a place that makes hundreds of pizzas a day) and then cancel it next Sunday or even Monday? Lots of people won't even be ordering their pizzs until then.
You go to the dept store and try on a couple of shirts. While you are trying on a shirt it is not available to the customer next to you but there are other shirts, and other customers are returning shirts to the rack. You try on four shirts and have the store clerk hold onto the three that you like, including the last red one. As you head to the checkout, a customer decides that a red shirt is just the thing they need, but finding none he leaves the store. At the checkout you decide you really don't want the red shirt, so back it goes.
The store missed selling the red shirt and a customer who wanted a red shirt didn't get one because you were slow to make up your mind. Is this a problem? No, because another customer may buy it. OTOH, the season may change and it will go unsold.
It is part of the hotel and car rental business to take reservations and to take cancellations.
The pizza analogy is not correct. A pepperoni pizza cannot be unmade. But would it be unreasonable to order one pizza for delivery next Tuesday (from a place that makes hundreds of pizzas a day) and then cancel it next Sunday or even Monday? Lots of people won't even be ordering their pizzs until then.
You go to the dept store and try on a couple of shirts. While you are trying on a shirt it is not available to the customer next to you but there are other shirts, and other customers are returning shirts to the rack. You try on four shirts and have the store clerk hold onto the three that you like, including the last red one. As you head to the checkout, a customer decides that a red shirt is just the thing they need, but finding none he leaves the store. At the checkout you decide you really don't want the red shirt, so back it goes.
The store missed selling the red shirt and a customer who wanted a red shirt didn't get one because you were slow to make up your mind. Is this a problem? No, because another customer may buy it. OTOH, the season may change and it will go unsold.
Jun 12th, 2006, 12:26 PM
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Interesting pizza analogy. Do people really wait until Sunday or Monday to reserve a rental car on Tuesday? That seems pushing it to me, but whatever works.
As a frequent traveler, I have to say I pretty much never get the car that I reserve, weeks in advance, to boot. They are always "waiting on cars to be returned" or "waiting on cars to be cleaned" and want me to upgrade to a bigger car at "no charge." I'm a single traveler on a budget. Giving me a bigger car at "no charge" isn't going to make me happy--giving it to me with a 25% discount to cover my higher fuel costs, might make me feel a bit better. The bigger the car, the more it is going to cost me in gas. I don't understand why car rental companies think I'd be so overjoyed to have my meal money eaten up at the gas pump and end up subsisting on loaves of bread for days on end all because they didn't have the size of car that I requested.
No, I've never double booked, but given that the car rental companies haven't lived up to their end of the bargain, with me anyway, I think it's probably something I should look into. Not once have I ever been offered that "gas waiver" someone mentioned, just a shrug.
As a frequent traveler, I have to say I pretty much never get the car that I reserve, weeks in advance, to boot. They are always "waiting on cars to be returned" or "waiting on cars to be cleaned" and want me to upgrade to a bigger car at "no charge." I'm a single traveler on a budget. Giving me a bigger car at "no charge" isn't going to make me happy--giving it to me with a 25% discount to cover my higher fuel costs, might make me feel a bit better. The bigger the car, the more it is going to cost me in gas. I don't understand why car rental companies think I'd be so overjoyed to have my meal money eaten up at the gas pump and end up subsisting on loaves of bread for days on end all because they didn't have the size of car that I requested.
No, I've never double booked, but given that the car rental companies haven't lived up to their end of the bargain, with me anyway, I think it's probably something I should look into. Not once have I ever been offered that "gas waiver" someone mentioned, just a shrug.
Jun 12th, 2006, 12:51 PM
#19
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Consider the flip side - if car rental companies wanted to guarantee you the specific car, size, make you requested they could - but it would likely be similar to airline reservations. They would take a credit card, charge you a lot of money if you needed to cancel.
Jun 12th, 2006, 12:57 PM
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budget, that is interesting.
I am a frequent renter with National (whom I adore) and my last rental was in Denver. I reserved an intermediate car. I arrive to discover they have given me a Suburban 4x4 with a wench and ski racks. This SOB was freakin' huge! It was a BFT!
Since I was only driving 30 miles I let it go... but during may last trip to DEN I drove 900 miles! Can you imagine how much this BFT would have cost me in additonal fuel?
Next time this happens, if ever, I will request a excessive gas allowance of 20.00 per day!
Oh, and just an FYI for those who have commented on overbooking.
Typically car rental companies, airlines and hotels overbook by the number that no-show the reservations.
Double booking ENCOURAGES over booking!
What a vicious cycle!
I am a frequent renter with National (whom I adore) and my last rental was in Denver. I reserved an intermediate car. I arrive to discover they have given me a Suburban 4x4 with a wench and ski racks. This SOB was freakin' huge! It was a BFT!
Since I was only driving 30 miles I let it go... but during may last trip to DEN I drove 900 miles! Can you imagine how much this BFT would have cost me in additonal fuel?
Next time this happens, if ever, I will request a excessive gas allowance of 20.00 per day!
Oh, and just an FYI for those who have commented on overbooking.
Typically car rental companies, airlines and hotels overbook by the number that no-show the reservations.
Double booking ENCOURAGES over booking!
What a vicious cycle!
