Car rental pricing

[Flashback]

I'm quite baffled by how the pricing works. I book cars on a somewhat regular basis (for a week at a time) and the price is fairly constant. Fast forward to 6-8 weeks from now and the prices are just downright crazy. It's not exactly last minute bookings (and I'll monitor with Autoslash to see if rates drop) but I just don't understand it.

Is it because we're coming into summer here therefore higher demand? I find it odd though that for the price I'm paying for a week at the moment, I get to rent for the princely sum of 1 night instead. It just feels like there must be more to it.........

 

[drron]

Well 8 weeks from now is the Chelsea flower Show.possibly all us colonials turning up and renting your car.

 

[kelvedon]

I too have noticed fluctuations in the Avis car quotes from LHR over a few months for the same dates in Feb this year

 

[Flashback]

I normally book about a month at a time, for the month... but even booking 3 months out seeing the same oddity.

 

[drron]

I have just booked an avis car for our UK trip in May.The price on the AU site was half that of the UK site.

 

[Flashback]

So the dates I've been looking at ......

£108 16-17 vs £57.78 (AU)

£175 23-28 vs £71 (AU)

So if I book via Hertz AU then it's about 50% cheaper. The only issue is once I login with my Hertz Gold Plus details, it then seems to apply the higher rate the UK site is showing (even though the CDP I'm using on UK and AU site are both the same) - so doesn't make sense. I can make the booking on Hertz AU but can't attach it to my Gold Plus Rewards account.

I might give them a call tomorrow and ask what gives, otherwise will need to investigate if I can just make the bookings and then credit the rentals to my account after the fact as I know that if you don't have the Gold Plus details attached when making the booking you don't get your gold counter service etc. but I don't worry about that at LGW as there's no benefit anyway.

 

[Flashback]

It's suggested that you can retro claim the missing points, but I'd really like to get to the bottom of why when I login it forces a higher rate....

Hertz Gold Plus Rewards FAQs
ZE1 code was not mentioned on the reservation. Can I still get my Hertz Gold Plus Rewards® Points for that rental?

Yes, if you request your Gold Plus Rewards® Points within six months after the rental. But you must have been a Hertz Gold Plus Rewards member at the time of rental.

To request retro credit for Hertz Gold Plus Rewards points you must first log in to your Hertz Gold Plus Rewards account on the Hertz.com home page. Then click on the "My Account” link in the upper right hand corner, followed by “Use My Points”. Click the “Missing Points Request” tab and complete the online form.

 

[Happy Dude]

Seems like you're being geo-screwed. Can you make the booking on AU then call to attach your Rewards number manually?

 

[Flashback]

Seems like you're being geo-screwed. Can you make the booking on AU then call to attach your Rewards number manually?

Booking is made (and it's even pay at counter, rather than pre-paid which is nice!) so going to call at 7am when they open tomorrow morning to see what can be done. Will post with results!

 

[drron]

The same goes for Avis with the Australian offices-cheaper if I don't put my preferred number in.Seeing this is mostly a pick up at SYD international where no preferred board I go with the cheaper rental.

 

[Flashback]

The same goes for Avis with the Australian offices-cheaper if I don't put my preferred number in.Seeing this is mostly a pick up at SYD international where no preferred board I go with the cheaper rental.

Main issue for me is I need the rentals to credit so I can renew President's Circle again. But if they can sort that, all good. As I said, no difference at LGW and they know me anyway as I rent every week.

I do have one rental at LHR though and that place is a nightmare, so hopefully can get that booking sorted otherwise it'll be a long wait for the car.

 

[Happy Dude]

Booking is made (and it's even pay at counter, rather than pre-paid which is nice!) so going to call at 7am when they open tomorrow morning to see what can be done. Will post with results!

Yes please do. I've not rented in the UK for zonks but I thought that the pay now option yielded cheaper rates. What's the benefits of paying at the counter?

 

[Flashback]

Yes please do. I've not rented in the UK for zonks but I thought that the pay now option yielded cheaper rates. What's the benefits of paying at the counter?

Pay now typically does (and that's how I've been booking and paying for my rentals up till now). However with the rate AU is giving me...... for the LGW rental it's only giving the option of pay at counter in GBP (which is fine, it's a very good rate) and then for the LHR rental it's giving both options; with pre-paid being slightly cheaper and that is in fact actually in AUD.

 

[tdimdad]

What's the benefits of paying at the counter?

The way I tried to decipher the Hertz T&C's (UK and US rentals, booking made from AU) ended up in prepaid being non-refundable while the pay later can be cancelled freely. Though, at some point I came across a clause which made it sound like you'd be able to cancel the prepaid reservations, too, and eventually get a refund back. The T&C's must have been written by the same consultant who writes travel insurance policies...

 

[Flashback]

The way I tried to decipher the Hertz T&C's (UK and US rentals, booking made from AU) ended up in prepaid being non-refundable while the pay later can be cancelled freely. Though, at some point I came across a clause which made it sound like you'd be able to cancel the prepaid reservations, too, and eventually get a refund back. The T&C's must have been written by the same consultant who writes travel insurance policies...

You can absolutely cancel prepaid bookings so long as you are 2 days out from hire start, I regularly do it and the refund posts to the card rather promptly.

 

[ozfflyer]

we book 5 or 6 dozen one ways with Hertz in USA each year & never through Hertz direct, but through an Australian wholesaler.

Some up to 11 months ahead.

What we've noticed is if using a small depot at one end, the price increases the closer to the pick up date, a month or so out prices can quadruple & then they say no cars, which I guess means, they don't want anymore cars going one way, as some of the depots we use are tiny, ie. can only store a few dozen cars maximum.

We actually asked Hertz for better pricing if we booked direct, but they said would have to book 10 times the number we book now to get contract rates.

 

[Flashback]

While I could do that, some of the things I rely on wouldn't work for me (unless the counter agent is really friendly and does it anyway!). I like the benefit of booking group A/B and getting a guaranteed upgrade as well as accumulating points which I can then use for other rentals etc.

I'm surprised there's no charge for one way (or minimal?). In some cities I find they're happy for you to drop it at any depot (CPT was a good example) but in LON you'll get slugged a £50 one way charge picking up LHR and dropping off LGW for example.

 

[ozfflyer]

While I could do that, some of the things I rely on wouldn't work for me (unless the counter agent is really friendly and does it anyway!). I like the benefit of booking group A/B and getting a guaranteed upgrade as well as accumulating points which I can then use for other rentals etc.

I'm surprised there's no charge for one way (or minimal?). In some cities I find they're happy for you to drop it at any depot (CPT was a good example) but in LON you'll get slugged a £50 one way charge picking up LHR and dropping off LGW for example.

picked up in LA once & dropped off Vegas & no one way fee(or it was built in). Picked up Denver & Vail airports many times & dropped off Frisco & each of those times, cost around AU$120 for 24 hours all inclusive. (the drive between Denver & Frisco is about 90 mins. Vail airport to Frisco, just over the hour, so not far apart. The crazy part is Frisco depot, right in the middle of ski country, is not open Sat urday pm or at all on Sundays.

 

[Flashback]

picked up in LA once & dropped off Vegas & no one way fee(or it was built in). Picked up Denver & Vail airports many times & dropped off Frisco & each of those times, cost around AU$120 for 24 hours all inclusive. (the drive between Denver & Frisco is about 90 mins. Vail airport to Frisco, just over the hour, so not far apart. The crazy part is Frisco depot, right in the middle of ski country, is not open Sat urday pm or at all on Sundays.

No surprise, those leisure destinations seem happy to work as minimal hours as possible!

 

[drron]

California and Nevada are regarded as one entity by rental car companies so shouldn't be any drop off charges.

I have always asked why my Preferred number always doubles the cost in Australia-nowhere else.Most agents haven't a clueOne did tell me it was because without my number in no insurance is paid-But the insurance is advertised as complimentary not only with preferred but with the agreement you have with my organisation so you are telling me Avis is guilty of false advertising and i should go to Consumer Affairs-so my number was added and nothing extra for insurance.