Returning car a couple of hours later...
 

Have a reservation with one of the majors.
6 p.m. pickup, 6 p.m. dropoff.
But if I put in a later hour, say 10 p.m., the rate jumps considerably, say from $114 for the trip to $198, just for those extra hours.

The website says the co. will charge you $15 if you return the car later than 24 hours late and a similar charge if you return it 24 hrs. ahead of schedule...

But wondering what they'd charge me if instead of returning the vehicle @6 p.m., if I returned it closer to 10 p.m.?

Returning car a couple of hours later...
 

It will be listed on your contract as an Extra Hourly charge
Usually anywhere between 4.99-15.99 per extra hour.
There will be the extra day charge listed on your contract as well.

That would make sense if one goes over their time of stated return, but let me ask, what if one returns it only a few hours early?

For example, using a coupon on Alamo for a min 5 day rental, if I pick up a suv (or any vehicle for that matter) at 12:30PM and state return as the same time, I am able to use the coupon. But in reality you return the vehicle about 3 hours early. Would one still get the same rate or be charged extra for bringing it back early.

something tells me someone is going to say yeah, I'll be charge more, but I'm curious nonetheless and hope I am wrong.

TS

Charging more for returning the car early?!? Really?!? I can understand if, for example, it is a weekend day on a Thursday requiring a Friday keep, and you return on Friday, but a general penalty for an early return?!? :confused:

I agree and to which I posted what I did to see if anyone knows for certain.

Because if the time you rent is 12PM to 12PM and it makes it exactly 5 days and you can use the coupon thus reducing the rate. But if you say you are returning the vehicle at 9:30 you can't use the coupon and thus are charge a higher rate.

So my question is if you make the reservation for a time frame of 12 to 12 but return the vehicle a few hours early, would you still get the coupon rate or be charge the higher rate once you return the vehicle.

TS

Returning car a couple of hours later...
 

Alamo seems to have the most screwy charges for these things
I tend to avoid them
Budget Thrifty and Dollar , sometimes Hertz does alot better for me

Once you go into a 5th day, you can use the coupon. Rentals of 4 days, 20 hours (or even 4 days, 5 hours), are considered five day (or weekly) rentals.

Trip and return worked well.

Took Amtrak to Albuquerque and scheduled the rental car pickup/ return for 8 p.m., which would give me a couple of hours in downtown ABQ to enjoy a Mexican dinner if the train arrived on-time around 4 p.m.

Thankfully, it was about 2 hrs. late, due to some "slow orders" on deteriorating track and heat warnings. The lateness was just enough to provide this sleeping car passenger another free meal (meals are included in the First Class fare), so didn't need to wheel my luggage around in the blistering 100-degree heat to find a restaurant....

Took a cab to the airport hotel and picked the car up a little before 8 p.m. after a ride from the Fairfield's airport shuttle directly to the rental car facility.

Upon return, around 8 p.m., the agent worked to remove the extra minutes' charges as taxes and fees mounted.

Good service from Thrifty, as always.

Caught a cab the next a.m. to the downtown Amtrak station/ bus terminal.

Happy to report that I was able to return the car at 9:30 instead of 12:30 (making it really 4 days instead of the required 5 days) and the rate was charged the same and able to use the costco coupon.

TS