2

I recently booked a car through a price aggregator site. After booking, I immediately received an email stating a reservation confirmation number. When I arrived at the rental agency, they said they had no car for me and to call the price aggregator site. I did. They told me that there was no guarantee that the car would be held and that I would have to go elsewhere to book the car.

I haven't read the fine print, but in the immediate FAQs and text of the email, no where does it say that the car will be not held.

I don't want to have to read lengthy terms and conditions every time I book a car. Is there a sure fire, yet quick way to make sure that my car is held when I reserve it?

Eric Brotto
  • 1,476
  • 1
  • 13
  • 18

1 Answers1

5

Book directly with the car rental company and not with an aggregator.

Aggregators can have murky contracts with the rental car places and roles & responsibilities are not always clear. If you book with a smaller outfit or someone you've never heard off, check on-line reviews before you book.

While nothing is ever 100% guaranteed it would be exceedingly rare for a reputable car rental company to not give you a car at all. They may not have the class of car that you have booked but that typically gets you a free upgrade to the next available bigger class, but they will go out of their way to find you a vehicle.

I've rented dozens if not 100s of cars this way and never did NOT get a car. Maybe not the car I wanted or booked, but there was always a car.

Hilmar
  • 119,360
  • 8
  • 205
  • 414