Here are five rules we follow when dealing with sometimes maddening Hawaii car rentals.
Leave a Comment
36 thoughts on “Gouged By Hawaii Car Rentals? Fight Back.”
Here are five rules we follow when dealing with sometimes maddening Hawaii car rentals.
We arrived from Kona to Kauai and had a car reservation at Budget thru Costco. Waited in line for 25 mins and after being processed noticed there were quite a few people waiting for their rented car. Some have been waiting for over an hour. We were told that our car was being cleaned. After another 30 mins, I walked over to see if the car was even on the lot? It wasn’t!
My wife walked over to Alamo and they not only had cars available, they had a better rate. We cancelled and went with Alamo as did our friends. Saw a few other customers do the same.
Renting a car in Hawaii has become challenging. Before I would reserve a car then keep looking back and keep changing reservations whenever I saw a lower price. It was like a game. Now to get the cheapest price you are forced to make a reservation with a deposit. We were a month out from our trip to Bis Island and paid $550 (Thrifty) for a van for one week with “wisecars” and I never saw a lower price. Our van did not come with a spare tire. There was a tire fix it kit that got us 300 yards down the road. Do not count on Thrifty to answer the phone. Luckily we had AAA roadside service that fixed the tire good enough for us to take back to the airport and we avoided having to pay for a tow. Thanks AAA.
Hi Kathy.
Thanks for sharing that. Do you recall which sources you checked when trying to find a lower price this last time? We can’t emphasize enough that the best deal may not be where we expect it. And we are simply adverse to prepaying for car rentals.
Aloha.
This post has raised an interesting question for me.
Firstly to the topic of car rental. I always book as far ahead as possible many times with multiple companies. I then check rate regularly on line. National will update your rental price if it goes down whereas Hertz make you cancel and rebook having wiped your cookies clean or use a different browser. With pay at counter as long as you provide 24 hours notice you have nothing to lose.
Specifically I rent from Enterprise, National and Hertz and am elite member with each. I gave up on Thrifty and Dollar after multiple bad experiences. You get what you pay for.
So to the interesting question…..
We think it is normal to have a pay at counter for rental cars and on check in at hotels. There are options to pay in advance locking you into a price. Pay later travel later gives the most flexibility and the savings on prepay are not that great. Logically , why then do we accept the Pay Now Travel later model of Airlines? The reason is historic and goes back to pre deregulation when airlines colluded but why can you not make a reservation without ticketing within 1 day to 1 week depending on airline? Some foreign carriers do permit this but I have never seen in USA. I wonder if anyone can share experience of pay later fly later?
For car rentals, I would suggest using Turo. It’s so easy (at least at LIH). They provide a shuttle which takes passengers to/from the airport to the Turo lot (by Target). Shuttle runs every 20 minutes, it’s free and dependable. Turo is so much cheaper. We charge $50/day for a Volkswagen Tiguan (SUV). We’ve never had a bad guest.
It’s worth a try, inquire if your employer has negotiated rate(s) that may be used for leisure/personal travel. Some companies have even negotiated that the corporate discount(s) may be used by their retirees.
The one caveat, collision/loss damage coverage is almost never included in the corporate rate when used for leisure/personal use. Some large companies have different corporate rate codes established to differentiate between corporate and personal use.
Use a credit card to pay for the rental that provides Primaru collision/loss damage waiver. A few credit cards in the marketplace continue to offer primary coverage.
Option ‘N’: Rent a U-Haul truck. If you’re not driving high miles spending $19.95/day is a good deal, even with per mile fees.
BTW – I haven’t been able to get my Thrify frequent renter account to work for months. I’ve contacted them + they don’t acknowlege that there is an issue, just offer to make the reservation with them. I decided to pay maybe $10 more for Enterprise via Costco.
Last visit to Maui on 5/28. Probably made + cancelled about 10 reservations, the price coming down each time. Ended up with about $350 for 12 days from Enterprise via Costco. Price had started at over $950 a few months prior to trip – checking frequently saved $600 maybe more.
Enterprise counter was busy helping someone and we were 1st in line. They waved us over to National counter with no one being helped. So wait time was maybe 30 seconds.
I won’t bother with Thrifty anymore – long lines + non-functional website for BlueChip.
I check rental rates most mornings as it closer to the trip – takes just 5 min. And I have typically kept shaving $15-25 each time. Over a couple of months, savings in the hundreds.
With what I’ve heard about Hertz I would be reluctant to do business with them. They accuse people of stealing when they rent a car legitimately. I don’t know if the other car rental agencies do this. I have never rented a car in Hawaii. I use shuttles and tour buses/vans. As mentioned The Bus is a great choice in Waikiki and practically all of Oahu. It is wheelchair accessible, convenient and inexpensive.
I’ve used Hertz for many, many years – and I have not been pulled over or arrested when renting one of their vehicles. Maybe as I’m a PC (President’s Cub) member – but I haven’t experienced any of those problems as reported in the media.
If I need to extend my rental, I contact a live Hertz representative and note their Agent ID in case something were to happen – such as the rental was not extended.
As all business travelers have smartphones, I also take quick pictures around the vehicle to note (for my records) any damage or large/significant scratches. I also take a picture of the license plate – noting the expiration date of the plate.
I have had about three rentals where the plates were expired. In one case, I asked to change to a different vehicle. The other two cases, I just selected a different vehicle within the lot, with current tabs on the plates (at most Hertz locations, you may now select your vehicle based on what category you booked right at the pick-up area). Just show your license to the agent at the gate – and you’re on your way! No stopping in a long line at the counter.
Hertz is really designed for the business traveler – but as has been suggested, always obtain (in advance) a frequent renter number – this way your profile, license and credit card information are already in their system which expedites you and your family receiving your vehicle faster than other travelers. Also, inquire if the rate you’re using allows additional drivers at no charge.
I know for sure with Hertz, if you’re an AAA member, additional drivers may be added to the rental agreement at no additional charge.
I get “itchy” if I don’t have a rental car handy – even if I don’t use it – and I’m also paying parking fees at most hotels/condos within Oahu. So, I choose to have a rental car on hand.
Carol, I have used Hertz regularly over the last 40 years and never been accused of anything. They did annoy me over July 4th where I could not make a points booking for 10 days so I had to return Chicago (150 miles each way) check in check out and drive back for 3 days. Still follow the rules and have a print out and no issues. I find Hertz staff go the extra mile as do National. Hertz’s weak point is terrible IT.
I’m glad you and Petra didn’t have any problems with Hertz. The only rental car company I have used is Enterprise when my car would be being repaired. That’s been awhile back.
I am currently waiting for a reply from Hertz. I rented a car (and paid for it, shows up on my credit card statement) the beginning of July for an arrival in late August. It does not show up on their website, nor does it when I enter the reservation number but I did get an email from them confirming the reservation when I made it. All I can say is what I told them in yesterday’s email – it had better be there when I arrive.
Aloha. Costco has a big rental car site with “low cost finder” all over the US. Not just for some packages but for any rental car need.. often is less than anything else..
Do you use Turo? I am considering it.