# Pissed off at car rental company



## kamumma1 (Aug 23, 2010)

We just got back from HHI.  I had gotten a really good price back in May for a car rental for the week.  It was a pre-paid price directly at the company's website.  We made the reservation and put it on our credit card - no problem.  About a month or so later, we lost our card, canceled it, and got a new one.  When we got to the rental counter last week, they told us they couldn't issue us the car w/o the original card that it was paid with - a software issue on their computer.  The only remedy was to cancel the reservation and give us a new one.  But now they are giving us a rate for a last minute, at the counter reservation - $120 more than the original price  !  I was pissed!  Hoping to call customer service and see if they are willing to do anything for us.  Any suggestions, or has anyone run into this before?


----------



## Ken555 (Aug 23, 2010)

I suspect they will honor the original price. Having the same credit card can't be a requirement for rental ~ you could have canceled the card for good reason during the interim time period, for instance. Just be persistent and polite and I expect you'll get a refund of the difference.


----------



## MALC9990 (Aug 24, 2010)

Ken555 said:


> I suspect they will honor the original price. Having the same credit card can't be a requirement for rental ~ you could have canceled the card for good reason during the interim time period, for instance. Just be persistent and polite and I expect you'll get a refund of the difference.



I've not experienced this with Car Rental but it is very common with airlines. You book a ticket on the airline WEBsite and pay by credit card and get an Eticket (no paper ticket). You may get an eMailed eTicket receipt to print. BUT in the small print there will be a requirement that the original credit card be presented at check in. If you do not present the original card - you dont get on the plane !


----------



## BevL (Aug 24, 2010)

There must be a way around that.  I would definitely be calling head office and would be very surprised if you can't have it rectified.  I've had two new credit card numbers in the last 18 months - both times because my card was "compromised", so nothing I'd done.  In this day and age, they must be used to it.


----------



## PigsDad (Aug 24, 2010)

MALC9990 said:


> I've not experienced this with Car Rental but it is very common with airlines. You book a ticket on the airline WEBsite and pay by credit card and get an Eticket (no paper ticket). You may get an eMailed eTicket receipt to print. BUT in the small print there will be a requirement that the original credit card be presented at check in. If you do not present the original card - you dont get on the plane !


Have you actually experienced that, or is that just something you have heard? How, then, would someone get on a flight where the ticket was purchased by someone else (a thrid party)?  This happens _*all the time*_.

Kurt


----------



## Carolinian (Aug 24, 2010)

PigsDad said:


> Have you actually experienced that, or is that just something you have heard? How, then, would someone get on a flight where the ticket was purchased by someone else (a thrid party)?  This happens _*all the time*_.
> 
> Kurt



I have bought tickets with a cc for my wife quite a few times with my cc, and the card and I are here in Europe when she gets on the plane in the states.  No problem!


----------



## T_R_Oglodyte (Aug 24, 2010)

MALC9990 said:


> I've not experienced this with Car Rental but it is very common with airlines. You book a ticket on the airline WEBsite and pay by credit card and get an Eticket (no paper ticket). You may get an eMailed eTicket receipt to print. BUT in the small print there will be a requirement that the original credit card be presented at check in. If you do not present the original card - you dont get on the plane !


I don't know if that's the case in Europe, but it most assuredly is not the case in North America and the Caribbean.  In forty years of flying throughout those areas I have *never* been asked to present any credit card at check-in as a requirement for boarding a plane, let alone be asked to produce the original that was used to purchase the reservation..

And situations often arise in which I purchase tickets using my cc that have been used by others for travel.


----------



## BevL (Aug 24, 2010)

Glad to hear the airline thing is not the norm.  I too frequently buy tickets for other people using my Alaska Airlines companion certificates and I'm rarely there when they get on the plane.


----------



## bankr63 (Aug 24, 2010)

*Another scam*

So really this sounds like another scam by an unscrupulous rental agency to increase revenue because you can't comply with a rule.   I don't buy the "we can't change your reservation in our software defense"; I have changed the card I have paid with before.  Actually, most (all?) of the top tier companies no longer require a card to reserve - nowadays the first time they see my card is at the rental counter or kiosk.  I do recall in bygone years requiring a card to reserve.

So kamumma1 who was this agency anyway?  Care to let us know so we can avoid falling into the same trap?


----------



## MALC9990 (Aug 24, 2010)

PigsDad said:


> Have you actually experienced that, or is that just something you have heard? How, then, would someone get on a flight where the ticket was purchased by someone else (a thrid party)?  This happens _*all the time*_.
> 
> Kurt



Oh yes iyt happ[ened to me - I paid for tickets between Singapore and Phuket with my Marriott Visa Card which was cloned soon after and then had to be cancelled and replaced with a new card and account etc.

Fortunately I had read the small print but I still had to go through a long process of getting the Card company to send me documentation showing the account and card number changes so I could send it all to the airline and then they confirmed that would accept the new card as evidence at check in.

When buying a ticket where the card holder is not travelling - this is a question asked when making the booking and other special processes kick in.

It is all something to do with ensuring the card holder and those travelling are genuine. 

Booking a FF miles ticket with Thai Air - taxes still have to be paid by credit card - card used to pay the taxes has to be presented at check in !!!


----------



## djs (Aug 24, 2010)

But which credit card does one show when they've paid by PayPal?


----------



## Talent312 (Aug 24, 2010)

Imagine flying to Rome, Italy, and transferring to your hotel, only to find that they cancelled your reservation when the card used to guarantee the reservation was reported as lost or stolen.
-- _which we saw happen to another couple_ --

Overheard:  "You should have contacted us to use another card."


----------



## Patri (Aug 24, 2010)

I make my kids say 'ticked' instead of the P word. I hate that word.


----------



## SueDonJ (Aug 24, 2010)

We have two rooms booked at the Holiday Inn in Cooperstown for Labor Day weekend, using a special Advance Purchase non-refundable discount rate.  The charges were run through my credit card when the res was made and the Rate Description on the confirmation says (bolding theirs,) "*The credit card MUST be presented upon check-in at the hotel.*"

I don't think it's impossible that a similar pre-paid discount car rental rate might require the same thing.


----------



## x3 skier (Aug 24, 2010)

MALC9990 said:


> I've not experienced this with Car Rental but it is very common with airlines. You book a ticket on the airline WEBsite and pay by credit card and get an Eticket (no paper ticket). You may get an eMailed eTicket receipt to print. BUT in the small print there will be a requirement that the original credit card be presented at check in. If you do not present the original card - you dont get on the plane !



Interesting process in the UK. I have been flying with my AMEX since 1966 and have never had to produce it anywhere in the US or Europe. I assume that my passport trumped credit cards in Europe and never been asked in the US for other than my "Government Issued ID" by the TSA. Hope I do not get stranded in Paris this Oct since I will not be taking my AMEX.

Cheers


----------



## kamumma1 (Aug 25, 2010)

bankr63 said:


> So really this sounds like another scam by an unscrupulous rental agency to increase revenue because you can't comply with a rule.   I don't buy the "we can't change your reservation in our software defense"; I have changed the card I have paid with before.  Actually, most (all?) of the top tier companies no longer require a card to reserve - nowadays the first time they see my card is at the rental counter or kiosk.  I do recall in bygone years requiring a card to reserve.
> 
> So kamumma1 who was this agency anyway?  Care to let us know so we can avoid falling into the same trap?



It was Alamo.  And as another poster mentioned, the rate was a pre-paid on the card rate.  I guess in the future, I should cancel the reservation ahead of time and make a new one online to get the same rate.  What a pain as you have to remember all the charges on the canceled card!  I will be pursuing this and will post the outcome as to whether Alamo is customer friendly or not.


----------



## dougp26364 (Aug 25, 2010)

kamumma1 said:


> It was Alamo.  And as another poster mentioned, the rate was a pre-paid on the card rate.  I guess in the future, I should cancel the reservation ahead of time and make a new one online to get the same rate.  What a pain as you have to remember all the charges on the canceled card!  I will be pursuing this and will post the outcome as to whether Alamo is customer friendly or not.



I'd just challenge the charge on your card, pointing out that the reservation had been pre-paid on the closed account. My bet is your credit card company is going to issue a charge back to Alamo on that one.


----------



## LisaRex (Aug 25, 2010)

kamumma1 said:


> I guess in the future, I should cancel the reservation ahead of time and make a new one online to get the same rate.



Pre-paid rates are non-cancellable.  

I think your best bet is through Alamo C/S.   Good luck!


----------



## kamumma1 (Aug 27, 2010)

Just got off the phone with Alamo customer service.  The woman I spoke with was very polite and issued me a credit for the difference.  Said it will take 7-10 days.  Very happy with the outcome.  Was pretty perturbed at the time at the airport counter though.  Don't know why they couldn't help me there locally  .


----------



## x3 skier (Aug 27, 2010)

kamumma1 said:


> Just got off the phone with Alamo customer service.  The woman I spoke with was very polite and issued me a credit for the difference.  Said it will take 7-10 days.  Very happy with the outcome.  Was pretty perturbed at the time at the airport counter though.  Don't know why they couldn't help me there locally  .



My guess is they didn't want to take the hit as a local franchise if they can duck it. If the customer gives up, no loss. If they pursue with Corporate, then they would be no worse off than if they gave up at the counter.

Poor business practices but some operate that way. 

Cheers


----------



## SueDonJ (Aug 27, 2010)

kamumma1 said:


> Just got off the phone with Alamo customer service.  The woman I spoke with was very polite and issued me a credit for the difference.  Said it will take 7-10 days.  Very happy with the outcome.  Was pretty perturbed at the time at the airport counter though.  Don't know why they couldn't help me there locally  .



Glad to hear they were able to help you out.  Most likely when your card was compromised the last thing you were thinking about was this one car rental!  I'm not surprised that they couldn't "fix" it at check-in but there's no reason why the company couldn't, either if you had thought to call before the trip or the way it's been done now that the trip is passed.  I think the reason for the stipulation that the card be presented is to verify that the person who paid for it is the person who will actually be using the discounted service.  Makes sense when you consider that it is possible for anyone to make un-restricted/non-discounted reservations for someone else.


----------



## Talent312 (Aug 27, 2010)

After many unsatisfactory encounters with local car rental agencies, I've concluded that there are more than a few local agencies run by shady characters who are happy to fleece customers whenever they can get away with it, and their corporate parents spend a lot of time apologizing for them.

The days of being able to count on folks to do the right-thing, even when you have a written confirmation in hand, are sad to say, long gone.


----------



## Ken555 (Aug 27, 2010)

kamumma1 said:


> Just got off the phone with Alamo customer service.  The woman I spoke with was very polite and issued me a credit for the difference.  Said it will take 7-10 days.  Very happy with the outcome.  Was pretty perturbed at the time at the airport counter though.  Don't know why they couldn't help me there locally  .



Perfect! (Next time, my advice is not to pre-pay direct with Alamo but use either Priceline, for great rates, or just reserve via Costco's website...which tend to be less than the 10% you save at Alamo's site for prepay and you don't "prepay"!).


----------



## Jahosacat (Aug 31, 2010)

I don't understand why it would be necessary to produce the card if it's a prepaid reservation. I have a credit card I use only for online purchases and it's the only card I use for online purchases - it's easy to check for unauthorized purchases. I forward confirmation e-mails for hotels etc to my yahoo e-mail addy and print paper copies for places in which I wouldn't have quick internet access in case there's a problem. If I saw that I'd need to keep the exact card with me, it would raise HUGE red flags for me. I'd cancel the reservation immediately if possible or if not possible I'd start making phone calls to main offices and my credit card company.


----------

