Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget. I purchased 8 days of rental from Hotwire, returned the rental car within that 8 day period. Later discovered that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39 (Mind you my Hotwire rate was 20$ a day) Now Budget and Hotwire customer service will do nothing for me. Oh and I purchased a mid-size and got a compact. (Hotwire did give me a credit for this at least!) This is a complete scam by Budget! DO NOT USE BUDGET!!!!!

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the return time as late as possible without incurring an additional days charge, otherwise the rental agency can take you to town if there are any changes to your drop-off time

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

On Thu, 9 Aug 2012 16:58:03 +0000 (UTC), (Király)
wrote:

wrote:
I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget.

You returned the car later than the time you said you would return it.
How is that them scamming you?

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online
travel agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the
return time as late as possible without incurring an additional days
charge, otherwise the rental agency can take you to town if there are
any changes to your drop-off time

Well yeah. You were quoted a rate based on returning the car by a
specific time. You returned it later than the time you had booked it
for, and had to pay extra.

Moral of the story, if you want more than what you paid for, pay up.

If I have this correct, it seems like the car was returned before the
pickup time. Example, car is picked up a 3 PM and the dropoff time is
listed as 10 AM. Instead it is dropped off at 1 PM and another day's
charge is incurred even though the day was already paid for.

I'm not a big fan of Budget (or Alamo) for a number of reasons but I
haven't heard of this one before.

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

On 8/8/2012 4:39 PM, wrote:
I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget. I purchased 8 days of rental from Hotwire, returned the rental car within that 8 day period. Later discovered that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39 (Mind you my Hotwire rate was 20$ a day) Now Budget and Hotwire customer service will do nothing for me. Oh and I purchased a mid-size and got a compact. (Hotwire did give me a credit for this at least!) This is a complete scam by Budget! DO NOT USE BUDGET!!!!!

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the return time as late as possible without incurring an additional days charge, otherwise the rental agency can take you to town if there are any changes to your drop-off time

I have always put the latest time possible while staying within the 24
hour window. But I always thought that it didn't really matter, that
they based the return time on the pickup time. Never used Hotwire though.

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

"Brian" wrote in message ...

On Thu, 9 Aug 2012 16:58:03 +0000 (UTC), (Király)
wrote:

wrote:
I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget.

You returned the car later than the time you said you would return it.
How is that them scamming you?

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online
travel agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the
return time as late as possible without incurring an additional days
charge, otherwise the rental agency can take you to town if there are
any changes to your drop-off time

Well yeah. You were quoted a rate based on returning the car by a
specific time. You returned it later than the time you had booked it
for, and had to pay extra.

Moral of the story, if you want more than what you paid for, pay up.

If I have this correct, it seems like the car was returned before the
pickup time. Example, car is picked up a 3 PM and the dropoff time is
listed as 10 AM. Instead it is dropped off at 1 PM and another day's
charge is incurred even though the day was already paid for.

I'm not a big fan of Budget (or Alamo) for a number of reasons but I
haven't heard of this one before.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I agree. I thought the OP meant this and I too think that it is sharp
practice.

Though I'm not persuaded which it is of the protagonists who is the guilty
party

tim

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

wrote in message
...

I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget. I purchased 8 days of rental from
Hotwire, returned the rental car within that 8 day period. Later discovered
that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and
drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period
for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off
by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an
additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39 (Mind you my Hotwire rate
was 20$ a day) Now Budget and Hotwire customer service will do nothing for
me. Oh and I purchased a mid-size and got a compact. (Hotwire did give me
a credit for this at least!) This is a complete scam by Budget! DO NOT USE
BUDGET!!!!!

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel
agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the return time as
late as possible without incurring an additional days charge, otherwise the
rental agency can take you to town if there are any changes to your drop-off
time

*****************
Why "scammed"? Didn't you confirm/verify/check the return time before you
left the rental lot? Typically, you have - if an 8 day rental - 24x8 hours
rental. If you picked the car up at 3:00pm, then you need to return the car
no later than 3:00pm on the eighth day...not at 5:00pm, 8:00pm, or 12:00pm
on the eighth day. (Some rental companies give you an hour's grace period,
some don't.) Go over/beyond/pass that period of time and, yes, expect to
be charged one day at the usual full (not discounted) rate. Your rental
agreement spells all this out. Didn't you read it? And if you did read it,
didn't you understand what you read?

"Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel
agencies) to book a car rental, make sure..." before you leave the rental
facility that you (1) have read and fully understand the rental agreement
before you sign it, (2) verify in writing the return date and time of the
rental, and (3) understand the consequences of returning the vehicle later
than the specified date and time.

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

On Thu, 09 Aug 2012 19:03:45 -0700, SMS
wrote:


I have always put the latest time possible while staying within the 24
hour window. But I always thought that it didn't really matter, that
they based the return time on the pickup time. Never used Hotwire though.

I've never rented through Hotwire either.

I wonder now how the time is determined if the pickup is later than
the time stated. For example when the plane arrives late. I always
thought it started when the car was actually rented but now I'm not
sure.

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

"Lawrence T. Akutagawa" wrote in message ...



wrote in message
...

I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget. I purchased 8 days of rental from
Hotwire, returned the rental car within that 8 day period. Later discovered
that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and
drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period
for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off
by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an
additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39 (Mind you my Hotwire rate
was 20$ a day) Now Budget and Hotwire customer service will do nothing for
me. Oh and I purchased a mid-size and got a compact. (Hotwire did give me
a credit for this at least!) This is a complete scam by Budget! DO NOT USE
BUDGET!!!!!

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel
agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the return time as
late as possible without incurring an additional days charge, otherwise the
rental agency can take you to town if there are any changes to your drop-off
time

*****************
Why "scammed"? Didn't you confirm/verify/check the return time before you
left the rental lot? Typically, you have - if an 8 day rental - 24x8 hours
rental. If you picked the car up at 3:00pm, then you need to return the car
no later than 3:00pm on the eighth day...not at 5:00pm, 8:00pm, or 12:00pm
on the eighth day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But he didn't do that.

He picked the car up at 3pm and told them he would be dropping back at 1pm
but turned up at 2.59pm. (that's an example, we don't know the exact
numbers)

So is it fair to charge for the extra time?

tim

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

"tim....." wrote in message ...

"Lawrence T. Akutagawa" wrote in message ...



wrote in message
...

I was scammed by Hotwire and Budget. I purchased 8 days of rental from
Hotwire, returned the rental car within that 8 day period. Later discovered
that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and
drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period
for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off
by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an
additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39 (Mind you my Hotwire rate
was 20$ a day) Now Budget and Hotwire customer service will do nothing for
me. Oh and I purchased a mid-size and got a compact. (Hotwire did give me
a credit for this at least!) This is a complete scam by Budget! DO NOT USE
BUDGET!!!!!

Moral of the story, if you are going to use Hotwire (or other online travel
agencies) to book a car rental, make sure that you put the return time as
late as possible without incurring an additional days charge, otherwise the
rental agency can take you to town if there are any changes to your drop-off
time

*****************
Why "scammed"? Didn't you confirm/verify/check the return time before you
left the rental lot? Typically, you have - if an 8 day rental - 24x8 hours
rental. If you picked the car up at 3:00pm, then you need to return the car
no later than 3:00pm on the eighth day...not at 5:00pm, 8:00pm, or 12:00pm
on the eighth day.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But he didn't do that.

He picked the car up at 3pm and told them he would be dropping back at 1pm
but turned up at 2.59pm. (that's an example, we don't know the exact
numbers)

So is it fair to charge for the extra time?

*************
The issue is not what he told them, but what the signed rental agreement
indicated as the return time - as indicated by my full posting before you
did your judicious editing. Of course, all he says is "Later discovered
that Budget goes strictly by the times that you put into the pickup and
drop-off times you put into the Hotwire rental request, not a 24 hour period
for the amount of days you have paid for through Hotwire, so since I was off
by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and drop-off, they charged me an
additional day of use at the full rate of $50.39"

Item - how is it that he "Later discovered"? Didn't he read and understand
the rental agreement such that he knew the return deadline even before he
did sign it?

Item - how is it he "put into the pickup and drop-off times" that he "put
into the Hotwire rental request" as the return deadline rather than the
return deadline indicated in the rental agreement that he signed at the
counter? The former is a request; the latter is the contract. Doesn't he
understand the difference?

Item - exactly what is this "a 24 hour period for the amount of days you
have paid" that he talks about? The contracted return deadline is
specified on the rental agreement before he signs it. That - and only
that - is the return deadline....not anything else he concocts, no matter
how reasonable he deems it to be. Didn't he read the rental agreement
before he signed it? If he did read it, didn't he understand what he read?

Item - what does "since I was off by a few hours in my estimated pick-up and
drop-off" mean? Why in the world is he stuck on HIS "estimated pick-up and
drop-off" instead of the return deadline indicated on the rental agreement
that he signed? What is the color of the sky in his world such that he
utterly ignores the rental agreement?

Item - note well that in all this, he has yet to tell us two simple things:
First, the return deadline - date and time - indicated on the rental
agreement that he signed.
Second, the exact date and time that he did return the car.

Don't get scammed by Hotwire and Budget on car rental
 

On Sun, 12 Aug 2012 03:02:44 -0700, "Lawrence T. Akutagawa"
wrote:


First, the return deadline - date and time - indicated on the rental
agreement that he signed.
Second, the exact date and time that he did return the car.

I've noticed that. I would have expected a followup post.

If he picked the car up at 3 and said he would return it at noon but
didn't return it until 2:30, he is correct. If he returned it at 6, he
doesn't.