meaningless quotes ...
 

Two days ago in PER, I checked out booking an economy car with maximum insurance coverage ( in case I hit a kangaroo or cow) and totalled the car. The quote for the Toyota Corolla Hatchback was $884 AUD. As Hertz had a better deal, I demurred at the time.

Today, after a trip on the Indian Pacific ( where we DID hit a cow) and a short flight, I landed in MEL only to find the cost had become over $1200.

Forget about it! Why such inconsistent Avis quotes? They obviously mean nothing. I eventually got a Budget Yaris for $775 with similar insurance...

No point in believing Avis quotes...:mad: and the image of Avis to me now has ( after renting Avis in Europe for about 6 weeks total is :td:

Quotes go up & down all the time, depending on what they project they will have available. Simple supply/demand causes this so they can maximize their revenue. Also walk-up rates are typically higher as they know you have limited ability to shop around at that point.

Did you have a firm quote for something under $1200 before landing in MEL? If not, why are you complaining that the rate changed?

When I go shopping the prices in the various shops stay constant. The same is true when renting a room - whether it is a hotel (same price at the hotel for the same rooms) or a youth hostel, or with Airbnb - assuming the room is still available.

The issue with Avis is the same type of car at the same Melbourne agency WAS available - but the price kept going up.

What is there to understand about THAT car rental stupidity? :confused:

As soon as I read the part I bolded above, you lost me. Hotel room pricing can change by the minute as you get closer to the date of check-in. Same goes for airplane ticket prices, and the same goes for car rental prices. Anybody who has done more than a small amount of traveling would know this.

The question is why you didn't just book the Avis car when you got the firs quote? Cancellation is typically free with car rentals, unlike airline or hotels, so there is rarely a reason not to book if you think you might need the car.

I really did NOT know the comment you made in Par 2, sentence 1. I VERY seldom rent cars and ... Committing and then cancelling without penalty? I have a dim view of that ...

I prefer to get all of the info first - from all sources before making a decision. Your suggestion makes me get a better understanding of why folks marry (aka make a commitment) and thencancel the commitment. Bummer .... :( Just my opinion of life and car rentals.

The only thing here that there should be a dim view of is that you are using 2 FT accounts, which is against the FT TOS.

Rental agreements for cars are typically all fully refundable. Comparing it to marriage and divorce is just silly. Do you also apply this analogy to business travelers that usually book refundable airfare and hotels because they might need to be cancelled at any time?

Thanks for the 1st paragraph. I sent a note to admin @ FT regarding this and asked them to cancel the old account. Not sure how I got 2 accounts, but if you note the older account details, it was harcly used - and that was almost a decade ago...

I have absolutely NO idea what business travellers think/do. I pay for travel with after tax dollars and travel for pleasure (aka to spend money and gain pleasure) rather than for business (aka making money in a "job", I presume).

Good thing you rented with Budget, as Hertz do not cover damage due to hitting, or trying to avoid hitting, an animal, between sunset and sunrise.

How is that in any way similar to a car rental? Avis (and most other car companies) often allow free cancellation. You didn't take advantage of this and their rate went up when their supply/demand (and/or competitors' prices) allowed it to. This has nothing to do with marriage.

Yes, a car rental and a marriage are basically the same level of commitment. :rolleyes:

Your comment makes me better understand what kind of "traveler" you are.

You clearly don't understand how things work in today's world. Plane tickets, hotel room rates, and rental car rates all change constantly based on demand and other factors. The is especially true of plane tickets and car rentals. If you find a rate you like, reserve it. Period.

I don't know about Australia, but in the US, you don't even need to pay to reserve a car, and there is no penalty for canceling.

Rant all you want, but that's the way the world works these days. ;)

Yes, I very seldom rent cars and thus honestly did not know that one could make a rental commitment without costs. If you meant something personal towards me, then be careful of what you speak - the moderators take a dim view of personal attacks.

As far as airlines are concerned, the last two times I checked fees and flights ( albiet on non-USA airlines/flights) I could reserve the particular booking for 24+ hours by paying a fee.

Clearly the non-USA world charges for a degree of "commitment". Trust me, I travel in the non-USA world and have noticed for several years that most flight costs do not change of an hourly basis. The same is true for overseas hotels - including upscale ones like The Raffles in Singapore, and Youth Hostels, and B&Bs - all of which I have booked and stayed in. That said, I have not stayed in, nor booked any USA hotel/motel in over 25 years - so I have no idea as to how their rates change hourly/daily.

No matter as I have no more car rentals for at least a year, and certainly none in the USA. The same is true of airlines and hotels/motels based in the USA. :D My travel plans for the next 24+ months do not include the USA - this is just actual planning and nothing more. My travel is personal and interest based. Much of the world is very interesting (and inexpensive) so that is where my personal travel interests lie ...

Why are you making this a "USA" issue? There is nothing USA-specific to anything being stated in this thread. You are incorrect about your statement that "Clearly the non-USA world charges for a degree of "commitment"", I have rented cars all over Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, and the same exact fully cancelable options exist. Also, hotels all over the world can change their pricing hourly or daily, especially as you get closer to the date of travel.