Christina

I need a rental car for 2 days pickup/return TPA. I get really good rates on Hotwire, much cheaper than even the discount I can get with my SWA FF account (about $54 for 2 days vs. $83).

But Hotwire lists the companies the rental can possibly be from (all the majors) and says it is "in terminal". However, I know for a fact one of the companies they name has no location in terminal (SIXT), it is 2 miles away. I called Hotwire to ask them what's up with that, and the CS agent claims that was just a list of all their partners to give you an idea, but if the quote said "in terminal" it definitely would be and no shuttle would be involved and it wouldn't be SIXT if they were 2 miles away.

So, any experience with Hotwire on such issues, can I trust them? I'd like to use them as I don't care much about the company I use but I know their purchases are totally nonrefundable.

PaulRabe

I've used Hotwire to rent cars on more than one occasion, and have never had a problem. For one rental, they said "Less than one mile from terminal," and, indeed, it was.

That doesn't mean you won't have a problem, only that I've never had any from this company.

Interestingly, when I've searched for lodging via Hotwire, their descriptions of the places they were offering were SO detailed and accurate that I have never had a problem figuring out which place they were talking about. I once paid $80 for a night at a 4 to 5 star lodging; and got EXACTLY the place I thought I was going to get!

Gretchen

What possible difference could it mean that it is a mile or so away. Hotwire is just fine.

Christina

It's two miles away and it makes a difference because you would then have to build in about another hour to get back to the terminal, that's why. SIXT told me that I should get there an extra hour early, and they can't promise how often their shuttles run. I don't have an extra hour to bulid onto my flight time to save a little money.

Gretchen

Well, there you have it. If you can't afford the time whenever it occurs, then you shouldn't use whatever service can't deliver it.
Pay your price you want.
It is REALLY REALLY a small amount of money. geez

Rastaguytoday

Every time I pass this thread, I think the OP wants to hotwire a rental car.

I think that's illegal.

NeoPatrick

If the website indeed says "IN the terminal" for the airport pick up you are requesting and for some reason they give you one that is not, I honestly don't think they'd balk at letting you cancel it, and hardly suspect you'd have to threaten them with a law suit to do so.

It seems to me that the inclusion of names of a company that does not have an office IN the terminal is just that they list all the companies they normally deal with in ALL airports. But if you are booking at a specific airport and it does say "in the terminal" then I honestly don't see how they could give you a company that isn't!

In fact that WAS the explanation they gave me when the exact same confusion was happening with me for a Ft. Myers rental.