Jan 6, 2018, 11:23 am
Last edit by: AutoSlash
AutoSlash automatically searches thousands of coupon codes to find the best one that slashes your rental car rate!
How to use AutoSlash:- Request a quote at https://www.autoslash.com/quote. You'll get an email usually within 10-15 minutes with the best rates (it takes a few minutes to scan through thousands of coupons!). The email will have a link to view your quote results. The quote will include the best rates (after discounts and coupons) from each major rental company that AutoSlash was able to find. Choose which one you want to book and you can then complete your reservation.
- If you've already booked a rental elsewhere (or after you book one through step #1 above), register your reservation at https://www.autoslash.com/track. AutoSlash will periodically check your reservation for lower rates and will email you if and when a lower rate is available.
AutoSlash searches and books two different types of rates:
- "Pay Later" — retail pay-at-counter rates, just like the ones you can book directly at the rental car companies' websites, but with coupons applied to slash the rate
- "Pay Now" — specially-negotiated "Slash Deals" prepaid rates that can often be a significant discount from retail rates
"Pay Now" Slash Deals rates are booked directly with AutoSlash.
FlyerTalk Advanced Questions (FAQs):
Is there a fee to use AutoSlash?
No, AutoSlash doesn't charge for its services.
How does AutoSlash stay in business, then?
AutoSlash gets a little bit of affiliate revenue from the booking links in the quotes.
What big evil corporation is behind AutoSlash?
None. AutoSlash is a bootstrapped start-up birthed by FlyerTalkers (and even still employing mostly FlyerTalk members) with an initial goal of automating what many FlyerTalk members were already doing (manually testing dozens or hundreds of coupon and discount codes for each rental) and now aiming to be the best and cheapest place on the Internet to book rental cars. There are no plans to shut down or sell out, but if someone wants to match or beat this offer...
Why do I have to provide my email address?
It takes a few minutes to scan through all of the different coupon and discount codes, so a real-time search system isn't really possible. An email alert will be sent when your quote is ready, usually within about 10-15 minutes.
Why haven't I still haven't gotten my quote after 15 minutes?
During periods of heavy demand, the system may get a little backed up. Quotes are generally processed in order of pick-up date (rates for rentals several months out usually don't fluctuate very often), though there's a bit of logic in the system to try to make sure that people don't wait too long (more than an hour or so) for a quote, even when AutoSlash is featured on national news money-saving segments. Also, if you request a quote that doesn't return any results (like trying to pick up off-airport at 3am or searching for a convertible in Duluth in January—yes, those are real requests), your request goes into a queue for manual review, where a support agent will review things to see if your quote can be adjusted to find a result. That should be processed within a few hours at most (but often much faster). Also, try checking your junk or spam folder. Some ISPs tend to be aggressive about bouncing AutoSlash quote emails; feel free to reach out to AutoSlash support to check on your quote email status if you can't find it.
How can I get support from AutoSlash?
[email protected] is the best way to get in touch. A support agent is usually online Monday-Friday 8am to midnight Eastern time and Saturday/Sunday 10am to 8pm Eastern time. During that time, you'll usually get a reply within five to 30 minutes or so and pretty much never more than an hour or two. Most agents are long-time FlyerTalk members, meaning your response generally comes from the perspective of a frequent traveler (if not an outright travel hacker), not some clueless offshore call-center script-reader.
Since it's a small team, not to mention they're FlyerTalkers and often traveling themselves (and working from on-board wifi), phone support isn't currently provided. Messaging (privately) on Facebook works, too, with similar response time to email (it goes to the same support agents). Public Facebook wall posts and tweeting @autoslash on Twitter as well as posting in this thread aren't as fast (the support team doesn't monitor those, so they're not the best channels for individual support). (Original post)Why should I use AutoSlash instead of just going directly to Priceline?
If you search on Priceline.com's homepage for a rental car rate, you'll just get the same rack rates that you'll find on the rental car companies' own sites (plus a mix of nonrefundable prepaid Express Deals rates). The pay-at-counter rates AutoSlash finds are different (and usually significantly lower) than the rates you'd find looking directly on Priceline due to the coupons and discounts AutoSlash applies.
Why are rates on AutoSlash the same or higher than what I've already found elsewhere?
Could be a couple of reasons. If any time has elapsed since you found the lower rate elsewhere, rates simply may have gone up. Compare rates within a few minutes of each other to make sure both results are fresh. A lower rate you found last week really means nothing if you compare it to a rate you found today. Also, make sure you're searching for the exact same itinerary--even adjusting the pick-up or drop-off time by one minute could affect rates, sometimes drastically, especially with all of the rate management games the rental companies engage in these days. Make sure, too, you're searching the exact same location--a small difference in location can be easily overlooked when searching for off-airport rentals. The easiest solution is to book what you found elsewhere and then submit it for price tracking—that way, it's assured to be an apples-to-apples comparison. If you found or booked the lower rate elsewhere within the last hour and AutoSlash can't beat it, there's probably something wrong somewhere. Reach out to [email protected] for assistance and you're virtually assured to come out with an even lower rate.
Are reservations I book through Priceline refundable?
The Pay Later rates AutoSlash finds are not prepaid and generally don't even require providing a credit card (a few exceptions apply depending on company and location—no-show fees are starting to make some appearances). Be sure to look for rates marked "Pay Later," "Pay At Counter," "Free Cancellation," or similar, or just avoid booking anything that asks you to enter a credit card number, to avoid accidentally booking one of Priceline's prepaid and nonrefundable Express Deals. If you match the rate AutoSlash quotes exactly (i.e. AutoSlash quotes a rate with Alamo of $142.62, and you find a rate with Alamo on Priceline of $142.62), then it should be fully cancelable without a penalty.
Why do I have to prepay now? Why did you change?
Nothing's changed—only a new, extra option! AutoSlash still searches the same pay-at-counter rates it always has, and they're still in your quote (marked as "Pay Later" and bookable via major online travel agencies). In addition, AutoSlash now also offers the option to directly book highly-discounted prepaid rates, which are often lower (they're marked in your quote as "Pay Now" or "Slash Deals"). But prepaying for your rental doesn't mean you're trading flexibility—prepaid Slash Deals rates can be canceled for a full refund up to 48 hours before the scheduled pick-up time.
Are prepaid Slash Deals rates booked directly through AutoSlash refundable?
Slash Deals reservations can be canceled up to 48 hours before pick-up (in the local time zone of the rental office) for a full refund without a penalty. Within 48 hours of pick-up, cancellations are subject to a cancellation fee equal to 1 day's charges. After the pick-up time, reservations are nonrefundable.
I booked a prepaid Slash Deal. What if my flight is canceled or the rental agency won't rent me a car?
The cancellation fees are set by contract between the car rental companies and the booking vendor AutoSlash uses. AutoSlash has a limited ability to request exceptions to the cancellation policy but can't guarantee refunds. AutoSlash recommends you always carry a good travel insurance policy to help minimize issues with prepaid travel arrangements. (Original post)
Can I add my loyalty program to a prepaid Slash Deals reservation?
Unfortunately, there isn't a way to do this (though it's understandably important to most people on FlyerTalk!). However, due to the way National's program works, you can still receive your Emerald Club benefits on prepaid bookings--just book and then use National as normal, including skipping the counter and choosing a car from the Emerald Aisle or Executive Selection as applicable, and the agent at the exit gate will associate the rental to your Emerald Club account using your driver's license number. While not guaranteed, rental credits (including One-Two Free hits) should post normally. To date, no one's posted any experiences attempting this with other rental companies (please post if you try this!).
Are prepaid Slash Deals safe to book? Can I trust AutoSlash?
The booking vendor behind prepaid Slash Deals rates, Connexions Loyalty, is one of the largest vendors in this sector. They power the booking portals for many major financial institutions' rewards portals, including Citi ThankYou Points and (until recently) Chase Ultimate Rewards, both products used by tens of thousands of FlyerTalk members (so hardly a fly-by-night operator). Connexions has robust contracts with the rental car companies for rates and inventory. At no point does AutoSlash ever have access to your credit card information; the travel.autoslash.com subdomain for booking Slash Deals rates is actually hosted by Connexions.
What happened to the grid?
The previous booking platform AutoSlash used was discontinued (it was a division of Travelocity that got bought by Orbitz and eventually folded into Expedia and then sunsetted). AirportRentalCars.com, a subsidiary of Priceline, does have a grid that actually works reasonably well, but their support for coupons and discounts is broken at the moment--hopefully they'll get it fixed at some point. Most other sites out there we've found with grids have half-baked or zero support for coupons and discounts, making them a non-starter.
Known Issues and Workarounds:
Off-airport rate not found: Occasionally, a rate AutoSlash finds in an off-airport quote request won't show up when you click on the Priceline link. This is usually due to Priceline's default search not including the location AutoSlash found. (Priceline dynamically adjusts their search radius based on a number of factors, and they also always search from the geographic center of the city, regardless of ) The current best workaround is to take the Priceline URL and append &radius=25 to the end, which will force Priceline to show all locations within 25 miles of the city center (this can be hundreds of results). You can use the filters on the left sidebar to help narrow down the results and make it easier to find the rate you're looking for. (Original post)
Customizing tracking results: AutoSlash support agents can adjust the reservation parameters (date/time/location/car size/membership affiliations/etc.) as well as filter out specific rental car companies and disable searching for prepaid rates. Reach out to [email protected] or reply to your tracking confirmation or offer email for help with this.
Feature Requests:
- User profiles -- it's coming--slowly, yes, but it's finally on the development timeline
- Mobile-friendly design -- in progress
- App -- not much benefit to one until user profiles are rolled out. Let's get mobile-friendly design perfected first.
- Retain membership/affiliation choices in a cookie -- RESOLVED
Autoslash (General Discussion)
May 1, 2018, 9:45 pm
#586
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 1,174
I can't dispute your feedback, but I did specifically want to mention one thing you said (bolded above). Every single rental is different. If one discount code worked the best all the time, we wouldn't exist! The only way to make sure you have the very best rate possible is to check through all of the discounts and coupons--every time. We look forward to the point where we have everything as perfectly smooth and automated as possible for you guys (understanding the limitations we have to work with--for example, the rental companies will never let us handle booking your reservation directly), but until then, just know that a minute or so of effort putting info into our system (a quote request or a tracking request) will help to make sure you have the opportunity to take advantage of the very best rates possible. Not taking that step means you could very well be leaving money on the table.
May 2, 2018, 9:56 am
#587
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 21
Actually, if you book the rate we quote you, Priceline should never ask you for your credit card, so this shouldn't be an issue.
Priceline often intersperses prepaid results in with the postpaid results we offer, but the rates will be different than the ones we point out in our quote. We only search for and quote postpaid rates that can be canceled without a penalty. The prepaid rates Priceline offers in parallel can be lower than the postpaid ones, but they often do have cancellation penalties (in fact, they're usually nonrefundable in my experience), so you'll want to avoid booking them unless they're significantly lower than postpaid rates and you are 100% certain of your plans. if you only look for the "Pay At Counter" or "Pay Later" rates, they should match what we show in our quote, and they shouldn't ask you for a credit card when booking.
Priceline often intersperses prepaid results in with the postpaid results we offer, but the rates will be different than the ones we point out in our quote. We only search for and quote postpaid rates that can be canceled without a penalty. The prepaid rates Priceline offers in parallel can be lower than the postpaid ones, but they often do have cancellation penalties (in fact, they're usually nonrefundable in my experience), so you'll want to avoid booking them unless they're significantly lower than postpaid rates and you are 100% certain of your plans. if you only look for the "Pay At Counter" or "Pay Later" rates, they should match what we show in our quote, and they shouldn't ask you for a credit card when booking.
May 2, 2018, 1:36 pm
#588
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Yes, that's the key -- leave the price in USD and everything should line up. Note that when you get to the final confirmation screen the price will be shown (and confirmed) in the local currency of the country you are renting in.
May 7, 2018, 9:58 pm
#589
In Memoriam, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Durham, NC (RDU/GSO/CLT)
Programs: AA EXP/MM, DL GM, UA Platinum, HH DIA, Hyatt Explorist, IHG Platinum, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC
Posts: 33,857
Be wary when using Autoslash to rent from Dollar. This is the second time I've run into this issue. Despite being able to input a Dollar Express number on the Priceline page, the information does not transfer to Dollar. Therefore, your name is not on the Dollar Express board, the agent has to manually input all your information including your rate and it may take some time for them to do so including manual workarounds.
May 7, 2018, 10:51 pm
#590
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Be wary when using Autoslash to rent from Dollar. This is the second time I've run into this issue. Despite being able to input a Dollar Express number on the Priceline page, the information does not transfer to Dollar. Therefore, your name is not on the Dollar Express board, the agent has to manually input all your information including your rate and it may take some time for them to do so including manual workarounds.
That screen only appears when a Dollar Express number has been applied to a reservation, so it looks like it did so successfully.
Are you certain that your Dollar Express account is active and updated and doesn't have any expired items in it (an old driver's license or credit card or something)?
Happy to look into this and make sure everything's working (and notify the appropriate people at Priceline if it isn't)--probably best to have you email us to follow up to avoid exposing personal information and account numbers, etc., for testing.
Last edited by AutoSlash; May 7, 2018 at 11:28 pm
May 27, 2018, 9:49 am
#592
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 112
What's the best way to get an urgent quote, if you ever need one? Also, what's the best way to get urgent help on an existing booking, again, if there's ever a need?
Does your Priceline link give the option to add a pickup request?
Kudos & Thanks for providing an awesome service.
Does your Priceline link give the option to add a pickup request?
Kudos & Thanks for providing an awesome service.
May 27, 2018, 10:00 am
#593
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
What's the best way to get an urgent quote, if you ever need one? Also, what's the best way to get urgent help on an existing booking, again, if there's ever a need?
Does your Priceline link give the option to add a pickup request?
Kudos & Thanks for providing an awesome service.
Does your Priceline link give the option to add a pickup request?
Kudos & Thanks for providing an awesome service.
As far as pickup service, you'd need to contact the local Enterprise or Hertz branch to coordinate a pickup (the only two companies that currently offer pickup service). They will accommodate you if they are able to, but pickup service is never guaranteed.
May 27, 2018, 2:00 pm
#595
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
May 29, 2018, 9:43 pm
#597
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Jun 3, 2018, 8:55 pm
#598
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: Las Vegas
Posts: 1,174
Ok, Autoslash, did you just introduce something new, or...
Should I be suspicious??? I assume this is legit, but...
I requested a couple of quotes earlier this afternoon. I received the quotes, they took me to Priceline as usual. I did not book anything.
Just got off a plane and I see you sent me an email telling me you found a lower rate. Ok, so far so good. But when I click on the link in your email, I'm taken to an Autoslash screen, not a Priceline screen... did you just switch how you are doing business, away from Priceline????? However, it is asking me for my credit card information to confirm my booking... and since I'm not sure about all of this, I have not completed the booking. Also, no where does it ask me for loyalty number (it was with dollar)...
"Payment is required at the time of booking, but reservations can be canceled up to 48 hours before pickup without penalty."
So could you give me/us a heads up if you have something new going on, or what I received did not come from you.
Thanks
About to get on another flight...will check in later...
I requested a couple of quotes earlier this afternoon. I received the quotes, they took me to Priceline as usual. I did not book anything.
Just got off a plane and I see you sent me an email telling me you found a lower rate. Ok, so far so good. But when I click on the link in your email, I'm taken to an Autoslash screen, not a Priceline screen... did you just switch how you are doing business, away from Priceline????? However, it is asking me for my credit card information to confirm my booking... and since I'm not sure about all of this, I have not completed the booking. Also, no where does it ask me for loyalty number (it was with dollar)...
"Payment is required at the time of booking, but reservations can be canceled up to 48 hours before pickup without penalty."
So could you give me/us a heads up if you have something new going on, or what I received did not come from you.
Thanks
About to get on another flight...will check in later...
Last edited by randix; Jun 3, 2018 at 9:02 pm Reason: cause it's Sunday
Jun 3, 2018, 9:14 pm
#599
Company Representative - AutoSlash and HotelSlash
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: autoslash.com | hotelslash.com
Posts: 5,665
Should I be suspicious??? I assume this is legit, but...
I requested a couple of quotes earlier this afternoon. I received the quotes, they took me to Priceline as usual. I did not book anything.
Just got off a plane and I see you sent me an email telling me you found a lower rate. Ok, so far so good. But when I click on the link in your email, I'm taken to an Autoslash screen, not a Priceline screen... did you just switch how you are doing business, away from Priceline????? However, it is asking me for my credit card information to confirm my booking... and since I'm not sure about all of this, I have not completed the booking. Also, no where does it ask me for loyalty number (it was with dollar)...
So could you give me/us a heads up if you have something new going on, or what I received did not come from you.
Thanks
About to get on another flight...will check in later...
I requested a couple of quotes earlier this afternoon. I received the quotes, they took me to Priceline as usual. I did not book anything.
Just got off a plane and I see you sent me an email telling me you found a lower rate. Ok, so far so good. But when I click on the link in your email, I'm taken to an Autoslash screen, not a Priceline screen... did you just switch how you are doing business, away from Priceline????? However, it is asking me for my credit card information to confirm my booking... and since I'm not sure about all of this, I have not completed the booking. Also, no where does it ask me for loyalty number (it was with dollar)...
So could you give me/us a heads up if you have something new going on, or what I received did not come from you.
Thanks
About to get on another flight...will check in later...
.
- You will need to pay at the time of booking for these special deals
- These deals will be fully cancelable up to 48 hours prior to pickup with no penalty .
- They won't always be lower than the pay-later deals we offer through Priceline, but sometimes there will be significant savings. It's hard to predict, but keep an eye out for them.
- Unfortunately, with these deals, there is no way to apply a rental company loyalty number to them. Before everyone starts groaning about how much this sucks (yes we totally agree), it's the same type of deal with other similar programs like Chase UR. The rental companies just don't support adding loyalty numbers to prepaid bookings such as these. Our hands are tied here unfortunately. Sometimes it won't make sense since you want the points/upgrade/ability to skip the line. Other times, the savings will be so significant, some folks will be willing to forgo those things. It's very much a personal decision based on the situation and the savings. We will continue to offer both pay-later and pay-now to try to meet everyone's needs.