Nelson

I haven't kept up with this lately, but is there a preferred website for comparing rental car rates among various companies for the USA? Kayak? Skyscanner?
Normally I'll book direct, but would use this as a starting point.

I know Matrix ITA is great for flights, but don't know if there is a similar site for car rentals.

Thanks.

balthy

I mostly use Autoeurope for almost all my rentals inc USA. Failing that, rentalscars.com, holiday autos also work but it depends where you are based as they might not be great if you are a US resident.

Nelson

Thanks balthy, I've use Autoeurope in ... Europe, and found it to be excellent. I think I even booked thru them. Didn't know it was good for the USA also. I'll check it out.

aliced

Avis/Budget: bad experience this year! Six months after we rented a car in Tampa, we received a letter from them saying that because of glass damage, they debited $554 from the credit card we used for rental! Wrote letter to Corporate Hdqtrs, explaining no intention of paying, as no pictures of damages were sent, etc, and they probably tried the same gimmick on other renters after us. No examination reports furnished. Letter forgave the claim.

Costco: renting through Costco at Maui HI next month. Husband liked the fact that you're not charged until pickup, and cancellations do not take a percentage out of the rental fees you agreed on, should cancellation be necessary.

Six-T: have good experience with them over last 5-10 years

Good luck!

Nelson

aliced, thanks for heads up on the Avis / Budget experience. Wonder if that would happen if you purchased all their insurance? (I never do that myself.)

Interestingly, Avis is the cheapest option when searching with SkyScanner or AutoEurope.

Six-T is not available on my route, pick up in Pittsburgh, PA, drop off in Richmond, VA.

mlgb

I've also used Priceline and AAA (if you are a member). They often work out better than Costco.

Warning, avoid the car rentals through Alaska Air. They use Car Trawler which is an Irish company. I did manage to cancel and get a refund but had to insist that Alaska Air give me their phone number. Otherwise, their default option is a voucher.

Nelson

Thanks mlgb. I booked everything this morning - flights, hotels, car rental. As it turned out, I did something I've never done before: booked the car via United Airlines when they asked if I wanted one.

It turned out to be the cheapest and easiest way to do it, although I spent quite a bit of time on comparison and individual rental company websites. The rental is with Dollar. Hopefully this wasn't a mistake. I can cancel at any time if I see something better.

mlgb

Nelson, I hope they don't also use Cartrawler! I was shocked when I first went to cancel that booking due to a shift in arrival date and saw no website option for a true refund! Might be worth seeing what happens when you go to attempt a cancel (without finalizing it) , to avoid some nasty surprises in the future.

Nelson

mlgb, according to United they have an "exclusive partnership with Hertz". (Dollar Car Rental being in the Hertz family, according to Google). There is a link to cancel, but I didn't test it. Most likely there is an "Are you sure?" step, but ... I'm not sure.

In any case, it doesn't seem like it's Cartrawler.

One reason I did this was to have the reservation under one umbrella, but it's hard to find in the United app or website, so that hasn't totally worked out. At the moment I'll stick with it, but might keep an eye on other options. Thanks.

balthy

Cartrawler is the technology behind many car rental booking websites, how it is configured and what options are allowed (modify, cancel etc) are up to the website designer. You can avoid surprises by reading the booking conditions before finalising the booking so you know what to expect if you have to change or cancel. Booking thru UA seems a smart choice, given that they will have CDP numbers with car rental companies with good rates.

mlgb

When you read the conditions, it says "fully refundable". It's only when you go to cancel that the website gives you a single option (voucher) and then you have to get an Alaska Agent to give you the phone number (only after they tell you they can't help). There is no way to contact them via the website (either the Alaska Air or their own company site). So yeah, really sketchy website design. Thiis was the first time that I've ever encountered Cartrawler. I gather Priceline, Kayak, Expedia AAA Costco etc are big enough to not have to use them. At least I was able to get a refund, I'll give them that.

There are numerous complaints about this company on BBB. It's unfortunate that Alaska Air had chosen to partner with them.