Travel Troubleshooter: An early return, a higher price
Molly Reinhardt returns an Alamo rental car three days early, after there's a death in her family. The company shows its compassion by charging her an extra $361 in early-return fees. Did it make a mistake, or is Alamo really billing Reinhardt more for less? Molly Reinhardt, Kawkawlin, Michigan A: Raising your weekly rate by $361 because you returned your car three days early makes no sense. If anything, Alamo should be offering you a refund for bringing one of its vehicles back early, allowing them to rent the car to someone else. But that's not the way it works. Two years ago, Alamo made a small but significant change to its return policy. Not only would it apply a $15-per-day early return fee, but it would also recalculate your rate, charging you the same price that walk-up customers pay for renting cars without prior reservations. In other words, you would owe Alamo the penalty plus the rate difference, which in your case is an extra $361. The Alamo policy is similar to the airlines rules. Booking a seat two weeks in advance is almost always cheaper than a walk-up fare. And if you change your plans, you're subject to a rebooking fee. You could have prevented this excessive surcharge by carefully reading the terms of your rental contract and asking about the early-return fee when you came home before you were supposed to. Assuming everything is all right because no one said anything was a mistake. If you had asked, you might have been able to explain your situation to a manager, who would have almost certainly adjusted your rate in a more compassionate way. I contacted Alamo on your behalf. Regina Barr, a senior customer service manager, contacted me and said that under the circumstances, the company would honor the original weekly rate. It has issued a refund. |
