Try this one for yourself and see how a "customer Loyalty Scheme" is actually a carefully crafted way of fleecing customers at the pick up desk.
Having been recently ripped off by Hertz by getting a quote which was supposedly a discounted rate and then been stung for over £100 in insurance charges for 4 days as "the car was quoted without insurance and could not be driven", I decided to have a better look. I would point out that this was not the excess reduction charges but charges to be able to legally drive the car with an excess of around £600 still on it.
Heres how it works. You go to the website (as I did this morning) and get a quote. I selected an Opel Zafira for 4 days in Mallorca. You get a price (in this case £78.93) which includes collision damage waver and theft protection. Optional items listed are Super Cover (at 11.53 per day) and PAI Cover (at £5.85 per day) However, all over their website are little adverts for the Hertz #1 club which provides a range of benefits if you sign up including discounts on rentals. As its free, you think why not, so you complete a very simple process and get a membership number.
You then go back and get a quote which is presented in Euros (in this case 99.25). However, in this instance there are no optional extras listed. The small print this time though states included are tax and location service charge. CDW and TP isn't there but would anyone spot it? you can then get an option to convert to GB Pounds by clicking a button and you get yet another way of presenting a quote which doesn't have list of whats included but a detailed breakdown in days. But, what you do is you look at the price (which in this case is £68.01- £10 cheaper) and feeling pleased with yourself for saving a little bit of money you click on the reserve it button.
What you miss, however, is that the options have appeared again and now listed in there now are CDW (at £21.17 per day) and TP (at £6.44) a day. As these were include with the first quote, why are they now listed seperately? Add it up and in my case this came to an extra £110 which would have been included on the rate I was quoted without being a #1 club member, so my loyal customer discounted rate cost me £100 more.
When you get to the desk of course, they won't let you have the car until you take the insurances at over £100 more than your quote.
I've complained to Hertz but just got aload of rubbish back from them. They can't even make up a consistent story. For example, they insist I wasn't told I couldn't drive the car even though it had no insurance. When I pointed out that this would have been a criminal offence, they changed their story again.
NH Hotels, the hotel chain leader in Europe, with more than 300 hotels in 20 countries in Europe, Latin America and Africa. Enter into our web site and find the best available tariff at all times
Record Rent a Car is present in the main spanish airports and has a very wide fleet. We offer: exceptional discounts, free additional drivers,
unlimited mileage... subscribe to our Club Record and take advantage of special offers.
Advantages: Excellent prepaid rates, nice car, helpful staff Disadvantages: Confusion over discount rates, high excess if you don't pay the waiver charge
sue.51 30.12.2004 (31.12.2004)
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Apr 20th, 2006
(May 6th, 2006)
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