Originally Posted by
ggg05a
Dear Budget --
I have been a loyal Hertz customer for years, have strictly rented Hertz, and have always had generally good experiences. I needed a car from them for 9 days later this month, the final price was about the same as a 3 week rental from Hertz, from the same location just 3 months ago. I called Hertz booking, and the lady on the phone told me quite plainly they they inflate their rates dramatically during the Spring Break season. I asked the lady if there was a promo she could offer me to make the prices comparable, and was told "no that is impossible."
I ended up going with Budget, for the first time in my life, as I got a better car from 1/3rd the price as Hertz. Thanks. ^
Now if the fees and taxes at DFW weren't 80% of the cost of the rental that would be great.
Glad you had a good experience with a rental company, but a couple of notes:
1) I doubt anyone from Budget corporate is reading these boards (except to find employees posting here so they can be fired
). In my experience, the only company that (on a corporate level) cares about reaching out to their customers on social forums like this and maintaining their online image is Enterprise (which owns Enterprise, Alamo, and National), though even then, they haven't been active here lately. If you have a compliment, I'd suggest you address it directly to them at their website. I wish it were different, but that is the rental car world for you.
2) Demand is high and supply is low at peak times like spring break. Expecting a company--even one you've been loyal to for years (though note to be truly "loyal" in Hertz's eyes, you'll need to rent at least 10 times per year with your #1 Club Gold membership; i.e., be a Five Star member)--to give you a discount off of their limited and soon-to-be-sold-out inventory is not a rational expectation.
Besides, if you're a price-conscious customer, Hertz may not be the best brand for you--they're not accustomed to playing to a price-sensitive market. They position themselves as a premium service provider and usually price themselves accordingly. Complaining about high prices to someone who doesn't habitually price competitively is not exactly fruitful.
The value brands may be more in your target range, although as you found out, renting with a value brand (Budget, Dollar, Thrifty, Alamo) doesn't necessarily mean you're trading away a pleasant experience, although admittedly, the experience can be less consistent. The biggest trade-off would be that if you're a frequent renter (at least 10-12 times per year), you'll lose some status benefits (chiefly potential upgrades and counter bypass) by choosing a value provider. If you're not a frequent renter, then there might not be much of a difference for you.