Question about the rental return time
 

Sorry if this has been asked before. I have a question regarding the return time.

Let's say if I reserved a car at 9:00 pm, and planned to returned it the next day at 9:00 p.m. However, if my actual pick up time is 10:00 p.m., could I return my car at 10 pm without any late charges?

Thanks in advance,
Wayne

No, the return time specified will still be 9:00 PM, normally up to 29 minutes late they don't charge anything though.

If you know your actual pick up time is going to be 10PM, it might be possible for you to change the reservation in advance to reflect that.

On the other hand, if you reserved at 10 p.m. and happened to arrive early at 9 p.m., you'd be unlikely to assessed a rate fee.

If you have Amex Plat or Centurion, you can get a four hour extension although that has to be reflected in the reservation.

Generally I find that you can change the times of a rental within the same day without it affecting the price.

It is depends on location.@:-) Some location print your contract with actual pick up time (many USA locations) then you can return at your actual pick up time. Some location print your contract with reserved pick up time (many locations in EU) then you need to return by reserved time.

But actual pickup time doesn't change the return time, the return time will stay the same, I never had anything else printed on my contract at Hertz in Europe other than the actual pickup time, and the return time was always the original time I booked the car for, regardless of whether I picked my car 15 minutes early or 30 minutes later.

Your statement is correct. Nevertheless, in the USA, Hertz system only charges you for over time if you are later than your printed pick up time. The printed return time doesn't matter. Not sure about the practice in EU.

In my experience, this is what happens in US and Europe. You only lose the flexibility if the contract is pre-printed with the earlier time on it and they do not check you out at the gate... if they print it as you exit the facility or print it at the counter when you actually arrive, that is the time that counts.

I see. Thank you for clearing this up :)

I'm not sure either since I never tried, and the only time I was late in my return I was still within the 29 minutes after the printed return time

My experience is to the contrary. Picking up early has always resulted in additional hour fees, which are outrageously high, without making me aware. I always had to go and ask for the return time you be adjusted to an earlier return to avoid these charges.

On Friday, a Californian HLE tried to charge me USD 20 plus taxes for a 31 minute early pickup. The entire 24 hour rental including taxes was USD 33.xx.

I rented a car from Hertz in downtown YVR for 2pm but picked it up at 4pm. Returned it at 4pm the next day and the agent tried to charge me the 2 day rate, until I pointed out I picked it up at 4pm and he quickly reduced the rate back down to 1 day.

You were lucky. This is not by the book.

This was at the Fairmont Pacific Rim, I did verbally ask the agent when picking up that I can return at the same time the next day to which he said yes. So YMMV I guess,.

Whenever I pick up the car later than my reservation time, I always ask the rep to time stamp the pickup. That way I get the benefit of the full 24 hours of rental time. In many locations they have machines that automatically time stamp the contract when you slip the contract into the machine.

It is by the book, a rental is for 24 hours. Some locations pre-print the contract, but I've never had one that wouldn't reprint the contract with the correct pickup time. Haven't had a preprinted contract at an airport in a long time.