Costco for car rentals - seems to be cheapest always!
Feb 21, 2017, 4:55 pm
#31
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Its also a good idea to check with rental car companies like sixt rent a car. I have a upcoming rental & I checked with Costco car rentals website & auto slash and I saved more money with sixt and got a better car for less.
Feb 27, 2017, 1:40 pm
#33
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Just be aware that many Sixt locations in US are offsite as in you need to take a shuttle to car rental center and then a second shuttle to Sixt location. One reason they are cheaper is because, being offsite, translates to no airport-related fees tacked on to the rental. Notable exception is MIA.
Mar 4, 2017, 12:35 am
#34
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Costco never ceases to amaze me.
A couple of weeks ago I booked an upcoming 2.5 (3) day rental @SNA. Hertz quoted $77, Costco was $66 (Enterprise) and Autoslash was $57 (Budget).
Just checked today: Hertz was down to $46, but not to be defeated, Costco came in at $23 (Budget). All-in for 3 days.
At this price it almost feels like stealing!
A couple of weeks ago I booked an upcoming 2.5 (3) day rental @SNA. Hertz quoted $77, Costco was $66 (Enterprise) and Autoslash was $57 (Budget).
Just checked today: Hertz was down to $46, but not to be defeated, Costco came in at $23 (Budget). All-in for 3 days.
At this price it almost feels like stealing!
Mar 4, 2017, 4:55 pm
#35
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
not sure why no one mentioned it: you lose out on Cashback opportunities by using costcotravel.com to book (correct me if wrong, but I know of no Cashback site that recognizes Costco or Costcotravel). There is zero reason to book on costcotravel.com; as pointed out numerously, costco discount codes (if in fact highest, which is not at all always the case) can be entered on car rental Co's webpage...I repeat for the slow comprehending: there is zero reason to EVER book on costcotravel.com
Talking about Cashback websites: when you click thru them to car rental Co's website, you'll later receive Cashback% and also could receive special refer-a-friend of $10-25 depending on particular Cashback site. So using costcotravel.com to book is a very-very losing move WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION. If Costco and Costcotravel.com desire to become competitive, they better set-up relationships with Cashback sites!!!! Until then, please please please do your pocket a favor and BOYCOTT their site for booking purposes. For research: fine. But no booking on costcotravel.com!!
Talking about Cashback websites: when you click thru them to car rental Co's website, you'll later receive Cashback% and also could receive special refer-a-friend of $10-25 depending on particular Cashback site. So using costcotravel.com to book is a very-very losing move WITHOUT ANY EXCEPTION. If Costco and Costcotravel.com desire to become competitive, they better set-up relationships with Cashback sites!!!! Until then, please please please do your pocket a favor and BOYCOTT their site for booking purposes. For research: fine. But no booking on costcotravel.com!!
Last edited by SinglePapa2; Mar 4, 2017 at 7:27 pm
Mar 4, 2017, 5:24 pm
#36
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Err....you could say the same for buying many items. Go to cash back site instead of vendors site directly whether it be Best Buy, airline tickets, hotel bookings, Starbucks, gap, ebags, magazines. The list goes on.
Mar 4, 2017, 5:39 pm
#37
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 1,174
I think
Mar 4, 2017, 7:32 pm
#38
Join Date: Nov 2010
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Mar 4, 2017, 8:39 pm
#39
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Confused. The title of the thread never said costcotravel.com. It just said Costco for car rentals - seems to be cheapest always! ...
Using a cashback site with a non-Costco discount code would probably would have been more expensive.
Then again, that's the whole point of comparing. If renting in Germany for a weekend rental, Sixt probably beats everyone hands down.
During peak holiday season, my Sixt and Hertz corporate code would beat everything out there for US rentals. Other times, the Costco code (regardless of how you book it) is a darn pretty good code.
Using a cashback site with a non-Costco discount code would probably would have been more expensive.
Then again, that's the whole point of comparing. If renting in Germany for a weekend rental, Sixt probably beats everyone hands down.
During peak holiday season, my Sixt and Hertz corporate code would beat everything out there for US rentals. Other times, the Costco code (regardless of how you book it) is a darn pretty good code.
Mar 5, 2017, 5:53 am
#40
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
No need to be confused. "Darn pretty good" falls short of "cheapest always". Even autoslash is not "cheapest always". There are (nearly "always") multiple ways to skin a rental - so the only correct conclusion would be costcotravel.com is NEVER the cheapest way to book (because Costco - for its profit, anti-consumer reasons - doesn't deal with Cashback sites). This being said, there is no harm to start your research with Costcotravel's page to get a quick idea of where you should go next.
I repeat for slowly-comprehending, because this mistake will still be made by million readers: NEVER EVER book at costcotravel.com EVER!! Until Costco hooks up with Cashback sites, you'd be part of a problem and not of a solution to "cheapest rental"
I repeat for slowly-comprehending, because this mistake will still be made by million readers: NEVER EVER book at costcotravel.com EVER!! Until Costco hooks up with Cashback sites, you'd be part of a problem and not of a solution to "cheapest rental"
Mar 7, 2017, 8:01 pm
#41
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Costco definitely offers some of the best rates especially for avis/budget, city locations and when i need a specific category. Not sure if typical membership cashback applies but for inexpensive rental the convenience of booking straight from them outweights some rather minimal cashback.
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
Mar 7, 2017, 8:49 pm
#42
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
Costco definitely offers some of the best rates especially for avis/budget, city locations and when i need a specific category. Not sure if typical membership cashback applies but for inexpensive rental the convenience of booking straight from them outweights some rather minimal cashback.
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
But also, your language lacks precision: "booking straight from them" is a statement that would make someone think the way you put it. Alas, booking at costcotravel.com is precisely NOT BOOKING STRAIGHT...How is booking a particular rental company's car on costcotravel.com (an independent travel agency; i.e. a go-inbetween) is booking straight???? And that's precisely how you lose your Cashback opportunity: because that particular agency, Costcotravel, does not have a single agreement with any of the cashback sites. While every car rental company does.
And when you say minimal cashback, you forget about $10-25 referral your spouse (or anyone else for that matter) can collect on this transaction - buy booking DIRECTLY with a company that gives you their car. Any disadvantage of dealing DIRECTLY with the provider of your goods/services (using costco code in cases you're not seeing a better one) vs. dealing with a go-inbetween Costcotravel?
Mar 8, 2017, 2:16 am
#43
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You are comparing apples to oranges. Costco travel should be compared with OTA not the car rental agency.
Quite frankly I guess I'm one of the slow readers you are referring to previously as what is the point you are trying to make?
Are you against Costco in general or against Costcotravel because no cash back?
When one makes a rental booking they shop around whether it is direct with rental agency or OTA or this Costco travel which you are so against. Whichever is cheapest is the one I'll consider.
Booking thru cash back site is secondary as the majority of savings will be from the price comparison.
Are they always the cheapest? No but the Costco rates are generally pretty good for a "almost-publicly" available code. In some scenarios, it can even be lower that corporate rates.
While Enterprise's premium brand (National) is not partnered with Costco, Enterprise is. If you are renting with Enterprise, you can earn EC credit by putting in EC number wherever you see reference to Enterprise Plus.
Quite frankly I guess I'm one of the slow readers you are referring to previously as what is the point you are trying to make?
Are you against Costco in general or against Costcotravel because no cash back?
When one makes a rental booking they shop around whether it is direct with rental agency or OTA or this Costco travel which you are so against. Whichever is cheapest is the one I'll consider.
Booking thru cash back site is secondary as the majority of savings will be from the price comparison.
Are they always the cheapest? No but the Costco rates are generally pretty good for a "almost-publicly" available code. In some scenarios, it can even be lower that corporate rates.
Costco definitely offers some of the best rates especially for avis/budget, city locations and when i need a specific category. Not sure if typical membership cashback applies but for inexpensive rental the convenience of booking straight from them outweights some rather minimal cashback.
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
I still prefer national exec aisle though for being able to choose myself - i wish costco partnered with them..
Last edited by seawolf; Mar 8, 2017 at 2:53 am
Mar 8, 2017, 8:41 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2010
Posts: 1,663
It's honorable to have admitted to "slow reading" LOL...So I'll have to repeat:
1. Costco codes can be used when booking "directly" on rental co's sites. There is zero advantage to enter anyone's booking on costcotravel.com who is a third party in car rental transaction between car rental companies and consumer. No such thing as booking "directly" thru third party.
A few months ago, costcotravel.com did have a $20 Costco giftcard as an incentive to book thru their site. Should they run it again, I may
2. Major pitfall of costcotravel is "partnering" with merely 4 rental co's, none of whom delivers consistently great cars/customer service.
3. Costcotravel futher undercuts consumer's advantage by NOT partnering with a single cashback site
So overall: while costco codes may prove to give consumer best rate (in minority of cases; not "always" by an extreeeemely long shot), a number of drawbacks are guaranteed:
1. If you do book on costcotravel.com, you're not booking directly
2. You can't use CB sites and easy referral bonuses currently $10-25 each
3. You get your cars from a limited number of inferior rental companies
So besides the giftcard scenario above - currently unavailable - I'm still waiting for someone to come up with a scenario under which a consumer should value car rental opportunities presented by costcotravel.com; that being said, I do routinely look them up for research. What are other great places for research?
1. Costco codes can be used when booking "directly" on rental co's sites. There is zero advantage to enter anyone's booking on costcotravel.com who is a third party in car rental transaction between car rental companies and consumer. No such thing as booking "directly" thru third party.
A few months ago, costcotravel.com did have a $20 Costco giftcard as an incentive to book thru their site. Should they run it again, I may
2. Major pitfall of costcotravel is "partnering" with merely 4 rental co's, none of whom delivers consistently great cars/customer service.
3. Costcotravel futher undercuts consumer's advantage by NOT partnering with a single cashback site
So overall: while costco codes may prove to give consumer best rate (in minority of cases; not "always" by an extreeeemely long shot), a number of drawbacks are guaranteed:
1. If you do book on costcotravel.com, you're not booking directly
2. You can't use CB sites and easy referral bonuses currently $10-25 each
3. You get your cars from a limited number of inferior rental companies
So besides the giftcard scenario above - currently unavailable - I'm still waiting for someone to come up with a scenario under which a consumer should value car rental opportunities presented by costcotravel.com; that being said, I do routinely look them up for research. What are other great places for research?
You are comparing apples to oranges. Costco travel should be compared with OTA not the car rental agency.
Quite frankly I guess I'm one of the slow readers you are referring to previously as what is the point you are trying to make?
Are you against Costco in general or against Costcotravel because no cash back?
When one makes a rental booking they shop around whether it is direct with rental agency or OTA or this Costco travel which you are so against. Whichever is cheapest is the one I'll consider.
Booking thru cash back site is secondary as the majority of savings will be from the price comparison.
Are they always the cheapest? No but the Costco rates are generally pretty good for a "almost-publicly" available code. In some scenarios, it can even be lower that corporate rates.
While Enterprise's premium brand (National) is not partnered with Costco, Enterprise is. If you are renting with Enterprise, you can earn EC credit by putting in EC number wherever you see reference to Enterprise Plus.
Quite frankly I guess I'm one of the slow readers you are referring to previously as what is the point you are trying to make?
Are you against Costco in general or against Costcotravel because no cash back?
When one makes a rental booking they shop around whether it is direct with rental agency or OTA or this Costco travel which you are so against. Whichever is cheapest is the one I'll consider.
Booking thru cash back site is secondary as the majority of savings will be from the price comparison.
Are they always the cheapest? No but the Costco rates are generally pretty good for a "almost-publicly" available code. In some scenarios, it can even be lower that corporate rates.
While Enterprise's premium brand (National) is not partnered with Costco, Enterprise is. If you are renting with Enterprise, you can earn EC credit by putting in EC number wherever you see reference to Enterprise Plus.
Mar 8, 2017, 9:22 am
#45
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: NYC
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Cash back referral bonus are are different than cash back. Referral bonus is paid if you refer new users to cash back site.
Cash back from the transaction are usually in the range of 1-3% range or $3-$4 per booking. Take a $400 rental (and I'm being generous by assuming the percentage back includes the tax/fees etc). 3% is $12. This savings is small compared to not using the Costco discount in the scenarios where it is the cheapest and sometimes by a lot more than $12.
I get it that you can take the Costco code, and go to cash back site to book thru OTA or directly with rental agency but again this thread is about the Costco discount itself and not whether you can combine cash back and/or pay with a card giving extra bonus for car rentals for even more savings. It's great you point out that we can get extra savings this way but boycotting Costco's site!? This goes back to my earlier post, you can make the argument that buying directly on Best Buy, Starbucks, Kohls, Columbia Sportswear, Walmart, Macy's is not the cheapest unless you go thru a cash back site.
As to the referral bonus, the cash back sites have conditions against self referral. Seems like this would be skirting their rules to setup cash back dummy accounts each time you book a car rental. Boycotting costcotravel.com because it does not participate in cash back prevents one from obtaining a $25 dummy referral?!?!?
Cash back from the transaction are usually in the range of 1-3% range or $3-$4 per booking. Take a $400 rental (and I'm being generous by assuming the percentage back includes the tax/fees etc). 3% is $12. This savings is small compared to not using the Costco discount in the scenarios where it is the cheapest and sometimes by a lot more than $12.
I get it that you can take the Costco code, and go to cash back site to book thru OTA or directly with rental agency but again this thread is about the Costco discount itself and not whether you can combine cash back and/or pay with a card giving extra bonus for car rentals for even more savings. It's great you point out that we can get extra savings this way but boycotting Costco's site!? This goes back to my earlier post, you can make the argument that buying directly on Best Buy, Starbucks, Kohls, Columbia Sportswear, Walmart, Macy's is not the cheapest unless you go thru a cash back site.
As to the referral bonus, the cash back sites have conditions against self referral. Seems like this would be skirting their rules to setup cash back dummy accounts each time you book a car rental. Boycotting costcotravel.com because it does not participate in cash back prevents one from obtaining a $25 dummy referral?!?!?
Last edited by seawolf; Mar 8, 2017 at 10:56 am