Rentalcars.com Experiences?
Oct 19, 2012, 10:09 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 299
Rentalcars.com Experiences?
Hi Everyone,
Looking for an auto car from Florence to Venice (Nov 25-28th).
Cheapest site by far is Rentalcars.com which looks to be part of Priceline Group.
They have a Mercedes C-Class or Similar as Premium for $344USD(inclusive of Damage Excess Waiver) and it matches by address and car with Alamo as Mercedes C220 Cdi 2.2 which goes for $528USD. Hertz has an Hyundai i30 for 210EUR.
Questions:
1) Anyone with experience booking with Rentalcars.com? Please share your thoughts.
2) Is the price quoted by Rentalcars.com all inclusive? (State tax of 21%, Railway fee 12%, Drop Fee 47EUR, as per Alamo fees)
3) Do I literally just take the voucher and get the car? Anything else do I have to pay for?
4) Rentalcars.com Damage Excess Waiver, is that like "Super Cover" insurance that Hertz have? Basically Zero Deductible and full coverage?
5) Anything else I should know about booking with Rentalcars.com?
Looking for an auto car from Florence to Venice (Nov 25-28th).
Cheapest site by far is Rentalcars.com which looks to be part of Priceline Group.
They have a Mercedes C-Class or Similar as Premium for $344USD(inclusive of Damage Excess Waiver) and it matches by address and car with Alamo as Mercedes C220 Cdi 2.2 which goes for $528USD. Hertz has an Hyundai i30 for 210EUR.
Questions:
1) Anyone with experience booking with Rentalcars.com? Please share your thoughts.
2) Is the price quoted by Rentalcars.com all inclusive? (State tax of 21%, Railway fee 12%, Drop Fee 47EUR, as per Alamo fees)
3) Do I literally just take the voucher and get the car? Anything else do I have to pay for?
4) Rentalcars.com Damage Excess Waiver, is that like "Super Cover" insurance that Hertz have? Basically Zero Deductible and full coverage?
5) Anything else I should know about booking with Rentalcars.com?
Oct 19, 2012, 10:31 am
#4
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
Hi Everyone,
Looking for an auto car from Florence to Venice (Nov 25-28th).
Cheapest site by far is Rentalcars.com which looks to be part of Priceline Group.
They have a Mercedes C-Class or Similar as Premium for $344USD(inclusive of Damage Excess Waiver) and it matches by address and car with Alamo as Mercedes C220 Cdi 2.2 which goes for $528USD. Hertz has an Hyundai i30 for 210EUR.
Questions:
1) Anyone with experience booking with Rentalcars.com? Please share your thoughts.
2) Is the price quoted by Rentalcars.com all inclusive? (State tax of 21%, Railway fee 12%, Drop Fee 47EUR, as per Alamo fees)
3) Do I literally just take the voucher and get the car? Anything else do I have to pay for?
4) Rentalcars.com Damage Excess Waiver, is that like "Super Cover" insurance that Hertz have? Basically Zero Deductible and full coverage?
5) Anything else I should know about booking with Rentalcars.com?
Looking for an auto car from Florence to Venice (Nov 25-28th).
Cheapest site by far is Rentalcars.com which looks to be part of Priceline Group.
They have a Mercedes C-Class or Similar as Premium for $344USD(inclusive of Damage Excess Waiver) and it matches by address and car with Alamo as Mercedes C220 Cdi 2.2 which goes for $528USD. Hertz has an Hyundai i30 for 210EUR.
Questions:
1) Anyone with experience booking with Rentalcars.com? Please share your thoughts.
2) Is the price quoted by Rentalcars.com all inclusive? (State tax of 21%, Railway fee 12%, Drop Fee 47EUR, as per Alamo fees)
3) Do I literally just take the voucher and get the car? Anything else do I have to pay for?
4) Rentalcars.com Damage Excess Waiver, is that like "Super Cover" insurance that Hertz have? Basically Zero Deductible and full coverage?
5) Anything else I should know about booking with Rentalcars.com?
if you book via phone service, you can ask them a 10% discount also (9/10 times!)
did you consider that you can take high speed train from florence city center (train station) to venice (station - city center) for 9€ pp (it depends on promo availability!) so you can get to venice within 2h from florence? if you need help about this, write it! ;-)
Oct 19, 2012, 10:34 am
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2011
Posts: 299
yes, it's a mid-good website!
if you book via phone service, you can ask them a 10% discount also (9/10 times!)
did you consider that you can take high speed train from florence city center (train station) to venice (station - city center) for 9€ pp (it depends on promo availability!) so you can get to venice within 2h from florence? if you need help about this, write it! ;-)
if you book via phone service, you can ask them a 10% discount also (9/10 times!)
did you consider that you can take high speed train from florence city center (train station) to venice (station - city center) for 9€ pp (it depends on promo availability!) so you can get to venice within 2h from florence? if you need help about this, write it! ;-)
Was the price all inclusive? all taxes and oneway fee, railtax etc?
Wife wants to drive around, therefore rental car. Got 3 days to get up there so we should have plenty of time.
Oct 19, 2012, 10:55 am
#6
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: LHR
Programs: M&M,HH Gold,Accor Plat.,Priority Club Plat. Ambassador,Club Carlson Gold,Marriott Gold,GHA Plat.
Posts: 1,627
you can say something like: "another company is going to assign me a 10% discount, so can you do the same sir?!")
usually this broker give you a 3rd part insurance for excess, so in case of damages you have to pay to the rental company the excess(e.g. avis, hertz, etc.), then broker will refund you!
yes usually is all inclusive, but you have to read T&C with attention!!
i would suggest you the train because it's cheaper, faster, most safe+ really high quality service and you don't have to look for parking in cities like Bologna, Ferrara, Padova..that's really difficult (believe me!)!! ;-)
usually this broker give you a 3rd part insurance for excess, so in case of damages you have to pay to the rental company the excess(e.g. avis, hertz, etc.), then broker will refund you!
yes usually is all inclusive, but you have to read T&C with attention!!
i would suggest you the train because it's cheaper, faster, most safe+ really high quality service and you don't have to look for parking in cities like Bologna, Ferrara, Padova..that's really difficult (believe me!)!! ;-)
Sep 30, 2013, 7:16 am
#8
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 1
Worst customer service EVER
I have a similar terrible experience with rentalcars.com booking on Treviso-Venice airport booking ref. 219331774. While they advertise that bookings in EU, among others, can be modified or cancelled for free I was unable to do so and the response time to address my issue is 28 days, WOW! 
The issue occurred when I wasn't able to pick up my car in the middle of the night, while presenting the same VISA card as used for payment on the rentalcars.com web page, the supplier didn’t recognize this card. I had to rent from Maggiore directly, however, last minute price was much higher and I had a choice of only 1 car! Rentalcars.com Customer service is unresponsive and the worst of any kind! Working in Customer Care myself, for one of the biggest hotel chain in the world I do know the meaning of customer care, but this is from another world!
Do not book with them unless you enjoy being bothered by ignorance and unprofessionalism and enjoy having headache while on holidays!!!!!
The issue occurred when I wasn't able to pick up my car in the middle of the night, while presenting the same VISA card as used for payment on the rentalcars.com web page, the supplier didn’t recognize this card. I had to rent from Maggiore directly, however, last minute price was much higher and I had a choice of only 1 car! Rentalcars.com Customer service is unresponsive and the worst of any kind! Working in Customer Care myself, for one of the biggest hotel chain in the world I do know the meaning of customer care, but this is from another world!
Do not book with them unless you enjoy being bothered by ignorance and unprofessionalism and enjoy having headache while on holidays!!!!!
Mar 21, 2016, 9:48 am
#9
Join Date: Mar 2006
Programs: UA Lifetime Gold, Marriott Rewards Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hyatt Diamond
Posts: 1,385
RentalCars.com Re-cap
Am resurrecting this thread because of the quantity of complaints about RentalCars.com over at TripAdvisor (up through today) and the lack of recent information here at FlyerTalk. Am hoping we get some recent, reliable feedback from FTers who, I assume, are more savvy travelers than some over at TripAdvisor.
It seems that most complaints about RentalCars (RC) center on four points: 1) they require some or all payment up front and, if anything goes wrong (whether at RC or at the rental agency) it is difficult if not impossible to get a refund; 2) they deal with some very good rental agencies (Hertz) and some mediocre-to-bad ones, and service at the counter is almost always down to the rental agency, rather than RC; 3) RC’s customer service tends to be sub-par and, in some cases, outrageously bad; and 4) there seems to be a significant communication gap between RC and the various rental agencies it uses, that can result in significant additional charges to customers with printed proof that those charges had been paid to RC.
There seem to be more complaints about RC service / rip-offs / scams in Europe than in the US. This may be partly because of the rental agencies they use – especially in Spain – in order to offer low rates.
TripAdvisor has two long (over 20 pages each) strings on woeful RC service and actual theft of services.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowTo...oad_Trips.html
and
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...om-Berlin.html
Again, the majority would seem to be in Europe. Curiously many – perhaps a majority – of the strong complaints are from first-time posters. This would be a warning flag on FlyerTalk – not sure about TripAdvisor.
After reading through both threads it would seem that when you rent with RC you take your chances. If you stick with Hertz and Alamo through RC you are much more likely to have a satisfactory experience than if you rent with the lowest cost operators.
But, as RC collects payment before you arrive at the rental counter – in some cases months before – if you have problems you are pretty much stuck, as RC has a bad record of holding onto your money and declaring your complaints invalid and your case closed. Even in cases where the rental agency did not have any car (not just the car as reserved) available, and the renter had to go to another agency, refunds from RC are reported to be either a lengthy process or impossible.
How’s your mileage been with RentalCars.com?
It seems that most complaints about RentalCars (RC) center on four points: 1) they require some or all payment up front and, if anything goes wrong (whether at RC or at the rental agency) it is difficult if not impossible to get a refund; 2) they deal with some very good rental agencies (Hertz) and some mediocre-to-bad ones, and service at the counter is almost always down to the rental agency, rather than RC; 3) RC’s customer service tends to be sub-par and, in some cases, outrageously bad; and 4) there seems to be a significant communication gap between RC and the various rental agencies it uses, that can result in significant additional charges to customers with printed proof that those charges had been paid to RC.
There seem to be more complaints about RC service / rip-offs / scams in Europe than in the US. This may be partly because of the rental agencies they use – especially in Spain – in order to offer low rates.
TripAdvisor has two long (over 20 pages each) strings on woeful RC service and actual theft of services.
https://www.tripadvisor.co.nz/ShowTo...oad_Trips.html
and
https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopi...om-Berlin.html
Again, the majority would seem to be in Europe. Curiously many – perhaps a majority – of the strong complaints are from first-time posters. This would be a warning flag on FlyerTalk – not sure about TripAdvisor.
After reading through both threads it would seem that when you rent with RC you take your chances. If you stick with Hertz and Alamo through RC you are much more likely to have a satisfactory experience than if you rent with the lowest cost operators.
But, as RC collects payment before you arrive at the rental counter – in some cases months before – if you have problems you are pretty much stuck, as RC has a bad record of holding onto your money and declaring your complaints invalid and your case closed. Even in cases where the rental agency did not have any car (not just the car as reserved) available, and the renter had to go to another agency, refunds from RC are reported to be either a lengthy process or impossible.
How’s your mileage been with RentalCars.com?
Apr 15, 2016, 10:31 am
#10
formerly airedalemom
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: YVR
Programs: AC 25K, AF, Marriott etc......
Posts: 260
I've booked a car through Rentalcars.com after seeing the add from booking.com the price was so good compared to everywhere else I looked but I see now in the fine print that I will likely have to pay additional fees at the counter... My car rental is with Europcar.
in the fine print:
Not Included in the Rental Price:
A Premium Location Surcharge of 15.00 % of the rental price excluding tax.
A 'Road Fee', sometimes called a 'Road Licensing Fee' or 'Vehicle Licensing Fee', is where a regular fee has to be paid to use the hire car on public roads. The fee helps to pay for road projects and road safety programmes. The rental car must be both registered and licensed for you to legally drive it on the road.
A Vehicle Licensing Fee of Ł 1.38 per day excluding tax.
One-way fee – for dropping the car off at a different location: GBP 37.5 + TAX to be paid at pick-up
I think once everything is added up it will likely be the same as if I had booked direct. I'm picking up the Car on the 26th from LGW
in the fine print:
Not Included in the Rental Price:
A Premium Location Surcharge of 15.00 % of the rental price excluding tax.
A 'Road Fee', sometimes called a 'Road Licensing Fee' or 'Vehicle Licensing Fee', is where a regular fee has to be paid to use the hire car on public roads. The fee helps to pay for road projects and road safety programmes. The rental car must be both registered and licensed for you to legally drive it on the road.
A Vehicle Licensing Fee of Ł 1.38 per day excluding tax.
One-way fee – for dropping the car off at a different location: GBP 37.5 + TAX to be paid at pick-up
I think once everything is added up it will likely be the same as if I had booked direct. I'm picking up the Car on the 26th from LGW
Apr 15, 2016, 11:24 am
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bye Delta
Programs: AA EXP, HH Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Plat, Marriott Plat, Nat'l Exec Elite, Avis Presidents Club
Posts: 16,264
I've rented from them before, primarily in Europe, and haven't had any issues. They were offering a rate inclusive of insurance that was quite a bit cheaper than I was able to find else where. I was able to modify the reservation without an issue, and at the counter I had no unexpected charges (I was informed at the time of booking I would have to pay for an additional driver at the counter... this is all laid out for you to see... always read the fine print regardless of who you book through). I have never had any interactions with their support team or trying to obtain refunds so can't speak to that. In general I always prefer to book direct, but so far I'd rent again through rentalcars.com if the rates were competitive.
May 5, 2016, 3:11 pm
#12
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 226
I've been using Fly A1 which might be using the same engine as rental car.
So far I've rented many times through them without any problems.
I've rented all of the times in Europe (Poland, Italy, Belgium,...) as well as many one-way rentals.
They worked out incredibly cheap, and stated very clearly the insurances provided (some major site quote you a price, and you get "surprised" with many fees and taxes at the counter).
To be clear, I've been renting through the big players, as I'm a Sixt Diamond and Avis Chairman Club, but even with the few upgrades their rates were no longer justified in comparison (e.g. a 3 day rental from Pisa to MXP costed by Avis some $260 for a standard and by this FlyA1 I paid $55).
The way I do is the following: I'm choosing Belgium as country and USD. (I found Belgium to give me the best rates).
On the payment page it will obviously prefill Belgium, so I use a virtual credit card or gift card to pay for the car.
Remember that the actual rental company does NOT get your card, and so you could feel easy about paying for a friend or if that is your business, markup the price, and pay with your credit card, as no other charge will head your way (fines, damages to the car, etc).
So far I've rented many times through them without any problems.
I've rented all of the times in Europe (Poland, Italy, Belgium,...) as well as many one-way rentals.
They worked out incredibly cheap, and stated very clearly the insurances provided (some major site quote you a price, and you get "surprised" with many fees and taxes at the counter).
To be clear, I've been renting through the big players, as I'm a Sixt Diamond and Avis Chairman Club, but even with the few upgrades their rates were no longer justified in comparison (e.g. a 3 day rental from Pisa to MXP costed by Avis some $260 for a standard and by this FlyA1 I paid $55).
The way I do is the following: I'm choosing Belgium as country and USD. (I found Belgium to give me the best rates).
On the payment page it will obviously prefill Belgium, so I use a virtual credit card or gift card to pay for the car.
Remember that the actual rental company does NOT get your card, and so you could feel easy about paying for a friend or if that is your business, markup the price, and pay with your credit card, as no other charge will head your way (fines, damages to the car, etc).
May 6, 2016, 7:01 am
#14
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM, Marriott Gold, Hertz PC, National Exec
Posts: 6,736
I've been using Fly A1 which might be using the same engine as rental car.
So far I've rented many times through them without any problems.
I've rented all of the times in Europe (Poland, Italy, Belgium,...) as well as many one-way rentals.
They worked out incredibly cheap, and stated very clearly the insurances provided (some major site quote you a price, and you get "surprised" with many fees and taxes at the counter).
To be clear, I've been renting through the big players, as I'm a Sixt Diamond and Avis Chairman Club, but even with the few upgrades their rates were no longer justified in comparison (e.g. a 3 day rental from Pisa to MXP costed by Avis some $260 for a standard and by this FlyA1 I paid $55).
The way I do is the following: I'm choosing Belgium as country and USD. (I found Belgium to give me the best rates).
On the payment page it will obviously prefill Belgium, so I use a virtual credit card or gift card to pay for the car.
Remember that the actual rental company does NOT get your card, and so you could feel easy about paying for a friend or if that is your business, markup the price, and pay with your credit card, as no other charge will head your way (fines, damages to the car, etc).
So far I've rented many times through them without any problems.
I've rented all of the times in Europe (Poland, Italy, Belgium,...) as well as many one-way rentals.
They worked out incredibly cheap, and stated very clearly the insurances provided (some major site quote you a price, and you get "surprised" with many fees and taxes at the counter).
To be clear, I've been renting through the big players, as I'm a Sixt Diamond and Avis Chairman Club, but even with the few upgrades their rates were no longer justified in comparison (e.g. a 3 day rental from Pisa to MXP costed by Avis some $260 for a standard and by this FlyA1 I paid $55).
The way I do is the following: I'm choosing Belgium as country and USD. (I found Belgium to give me the best rates).
On the payment page it will obviously prefill Belgium, so I use a virtual credit card or gift card to pay for the car.
Remember that the actual rental company does NOT get your card, and so you could feel easy about paying for a friend or if that is your business, markup the price, and pay with your credit card, as no other charge will head your way (fines, damages to the car, etc).
May 6, 2016, 7:08 am
#15
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 226