FlyerTalk Forums - View Single Post - Returning a car days early just to get a car
Old Dec 20, 2018, 5:39 pm
  #11  
BugsyPal
 
Join Date: Sep 2014
Posts: 777
Originally Posted by SteveOh
Hi,

I am arriving at a large city Christmas day, staying for a couple of days. I want to visit family that lives about 2 hours away. They are only available Christmas day and cannot pick me up. Public transit would take about 4 hours each way so that is not an option. The only car rental locations open are at the airport (because I'm arriving on the holiday).

If I plug in a week long rental with Hertz it shows cars available. If I take a week long rental and return the car the next day, what will happen? Meaning penalties/fees etc.

I know this has been asked before but the detailed threads seem to be from at least a few years back and so I'm asking again. Thanks in advance.
Am jumping in this late, but.....

One if you find *anything* open and has availability for Christmas day *BOOK IT NOW*. Period , end of story.

All major car rental places use demand pricing and you certainly aren't the only one calling around looking for a ride on Christmas Day or even Eve.

Two, it is highly likely if you booked and took a car for a week and returned early the rate may revert to daily (which can be higher), and or incur some sort of penalty. Sometimes if a regular at location and or they otherwise know the looks of you a manager may do "something", but other times not and or things simply are what they are because system says so.

It is one of the oldest car rental tricks in book; force or otherwise obtain a reservation during a peak high demand period using a weekly or longer reservation; then try to weasel out of things and return early. A such Hertz, Alamo, National, and Enterprise at least have tightened things up a bit. Again sometimes the system will let it go; others you can be hit with all sorts.

If you truly don't need the vehicle for contracted period of time best to speak up at the counter when starting the rental about options.
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