I've got a Lock Low and Go reservation in a couple weeks, but need a reasonably large car/SUV. Dollar's rates are significantly below the competition, so I'm willing to give it a try. If I get there and they don't have any vehicles I like as that day's Lock Low and Go car, can I just leave penalty free?
Basically, I want to show up, look around and if there is nothing I want, head down to the next rental car company. Anyone done this before?
jackal
Apr 28, 09, 4:48 am
Yes. A standard reservation booked through the Dollar website (as opposed to a bidding agency like Priceline or Hotwire, which Dollar generally doesn't participate in, anyway) is noncommital--no obligation to buy or penalty to no-show or cancel.
Of course, they would like it (for availability planning purposes) if you let them know beforehand (which you can't really do in your case), but they plan on about a 10-15% no-show rate anyway, so no huge harm if you don't.
What location are you looking at? There may be some data to help you predict what kind of car you'll get...
blingdizzle
Apr 29, 09, 12:02 am
I'm also considering doing the same thing. I should be arriving at least a few minutes before my reservation time, so it's possible that if I don't like the car they offer I could pull out my laptop and cancel on the spot so they don't get hit with a no show, correct?
My reservation is for 5/13-5/30 at MCO, so I'm a little hesitant to cancel on them with such a lengthy reservation. Is there a way to predict what the Lock Low and go vehicle will likely be for that time?
slariz
Apr 29, 09, 6:38 am
Of course, they would like it (for availability planning purposes) if you let them know beforehand (which you can't really do in your case), but they plan on about a 10-15% no-show rate anyway, so no huge harm if you don't.
What location are you looking at? There may be some data to help you predict what kind of car you'll get...
It'll be in PHX on a weekly rental. I've done the Lock Low Go at least once there in the past and I remember them telling me to just pick out whatever I wanted from the lot. But that was at around 11pm, when things may be different than the middle of the day. I'm usually a National or Budget customer and am used to how they do things.
I feel like an a$$ doing it like this, but the rental prices are around $300 less than Dollar's competitors (except Thrifty). It was booked directly through the Dollar website so don't anticipate any cancellation charges. I hope.
jackal
May 2, 09, 1:55 am
I'm also considering doing the same thing. I should be arriving at least a few minutes before my reservation time, so it's possible that if I don't like the car they offer I could pull out my laptop and cancel on the spot so they don't get hit with a no show, correct?
My reservation is for 5/13-5/30 at MCO, so I'm a little hesitant to cancel on them with such a lengthy reservation. Is there a way to predict what the Lock Low and go vehicle will likely be for that time?
Other than calling and asking (but good luck finding their direct number--the main number they publish even in the Orlando phone book redirects to their Manila-based call center...cost savings, I guess), there's no real way unless you see a pattern from prior research (the only thing I see is that Thrifty MCO once did a Jeep Liberty (http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/thrifty/766246-consolidated-wild-car-thread.html), and Dollar and Thrifty share a fleet there, but that's not much data to go on).
As long as you cancel the reservation before the scheduled pick-up time (once it's past the pick-up time, the reservation can't be canceled or modified), it is possible to do so, but honestly, at that point, it doesn't do much for availability planning or anything. And it'd be easier just to tell the agent in front of you that you'd like to cancel and they can cancel it in their system. (I don't think corporate stores get penalized for no-shows--franchises do still have to pay the ~$5 reservation booking fee on non-canceled no-shows, but I'd be surprised if corporate stores pay those res fees.) But if you really want to be nice... :D
It'll be in PHX on a weekly rental. I've done the Lock Low Go at least once there in the past and I remember them telling me to just pick out whatever I wanted from the lot. But that was at around 11pm, when things may be different than the middle of the day. I'm usually a National or Budget customer and am used to how they do things.
I feel like an a$$ doing it like this, but the rental prices are around $300 less than Dollar's competitors (except Thrifty). It was booked directly through the Dollar website so don't anticipate any cancellation charges. I hope.
Read through the reservation's terms and conditions, and if it doesn't mention anything about a cancellation fee, then you should be perfectly safe. I'd be VERY surprised if there is one. You occasionally run across them on specialty vehicles (SUVs, vans, luxury cars, etc.), but I've never seen one on the five basic classes or on Lock Low & Go reservations.
jessebritches
Jun 14, 09, 12:02 am
if you are a dollar express user where they have your credit card info...will they charge for a no show?
jackal
Jun 17, 09, 3:41 am
No.
There's a VERY small possibility that there may be penalties if you've reserved a specialty vehicle that specifically states you will be charged for a no-show, but I've NEVER seen anyone charged for a no-show or cancellation. In the event you are, you can usually dispute with your credit card company and win the dispute (which is why the agencies finally quit bothering to charge for no-shows).
Dollar Express has no bearing on that. If you reserve a specialty vehicle with a cancellation penalty without your Dollar Express number, the system will ask for your credit card number anyway. (Even then, I've been asked for my card number on reservations that are not guaranteed with a cancellation penalty, so even then, just being asked for your card number doesn't mean you'll get charged.)
Tuneman1984
Jun 17, 09, 10:57 am
No.
There's a VERY small possibility that there may be penalties if you've reserved a specialty vehicle that specifically states you will be charged for a no-show, but I've NEVER seen anyone charged for a no-show or cancellation. In the event you are, you can usually dispute with your credit card company and win the dispute (which is why the agencies finally quit bothering to charge for no-shows).
OT, but I thought I'd ask.
How is it that hotels can charge a night's stay for no-showing but the rental car companies have given up on it? Is it just that the number of hotel rooms are that much more finite than cars?
jackal
Jun 18, 09, 7:03 am
OT, but I thought I'd ask.
How is it that hotels can charge a night's stay for no-showing but the rental car companies have given up on it? Is it just that the number of hotel rooms are that much more finite than cars?
I don't know, but in the trade magazine Auto Rental News, the publisher/EIC/whoever writes the opening column has mentioned that it's ludicrous that the rental industry is the only segment of the travel industry that does not take guaranteed reservations.
I don't know if it's because of the way credit card merchant agreements are set up (basically setting up the rental agency to lose any dispute) or just a competition thing (since it's so fierce, anything that could discourage people from booking is eliminated, including requiring credit card information).
I'm not really sure, but I agree that it's absolutely dumb. What's even dumber is when standing behind someone on a delayed flight who remembers to call their hotel to let them know they'll be arriving late but then arrives at the rental car counter only to be told their reservation was canceled and then hearing one of the people say, "Gee, I called the hotel, but I never thought to call the rental car company." Duh.
Rental inventory is more fluid than hotel inventory, though. An early return can pop up at any time, so usually the answer is just to wait and a car will eventually come available. With a hotel room, once it's booked, it's booked for the night. Waiting in the hotel lobby for someone to check out at 11:53pm is not particularly productive. Therefore, overbooking has more serious consequences at a hotel than at a rental agency--if a customer shows up at a full hotel, the hotel has to find him an accommodation elsewhere. If a customer shows up at a rental car counter, the problem can often be solved just by waiting 15 minutes. Hotels protect against the no-show factor by guaranteeing their reservations. Car rental companies are more able to sort of just go with the flow with relatively minor inconvenience to their customers and so appear to be willing to trade that guarantee for the possible increase in business. But it would be nice for all of them if they all just decided to implement guaranteed reservations. It'd at least enable them to not have to run quite as tight in order to not waste inventory (since they'd still be getting at least a little revenue for unexpected cars sitting on the ground)...