Comments on: Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace periods?

By: Avoiding airport rental markups | Upgrade: Travel Better

Avoiding airport rental markups | Upgrade: Travel Better — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 19:05:37 +0000

[...] – Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace periods? – Reader roundup: More tips for car rental deals – Upgrade declined: Travelers turning down car [...]

By: Susie

Susie — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 20:10:50 +0000

I don’t mind paying for the extra hour because I was 12 minutes late. What I can’t believe is that the upgrade and taxes and fees were charged a full day. 12 minutes may have been the wait in line for someone to help me. And you can’t tell me that at the Corpus Christi, TX Thrifty rental that my one car was holding ANYONE up.

By: Rental car advice: Be sure to update your checkout time | Upgrade: Travel Better

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:23:50 +0000

[...] come up before, in a discussion of the decline of grace periods from a few years back. There was one comment in particular, from a reader named Jason, which is particularly prescient, and bears repeating: A little tip for [...]

By: Joe Mateson

Joe Mateson — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 04:42:29 +0000

That is the dumbest comment ever. National and Alamo do not sell your phone number. Companies are always looking for ways to increase revenue but I can assure you, capturing phone numbers is not one of them. Can you imagine the backlash that would cause? It’s probably so they can speed up assisting you with reservation or rental agreement questions. Quite the pessimist there.

By: National Car Rental Invades Privacy

National Car Rental Invades Privacy — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:14:52 +0000

If you have any desire to protect your personal privacy, and to do business only with companies that respect you, you will not rent a car from National or their sister company, Alamo. Here’s why…

Try dialing any of National Car Rental’s toll free reservation numbers (ex. 800-328-1234) from a VOIP line, especially a SKYPE line, and you will get endless ringing. Nobody will answer. Why? Because, as I was told by a National “customer service rep”, “National needs your home and cell phone numbers to service you better”. Huh? Say what?
The truth is that National wants more detailed customer info so that they can sell it – you are aware that your personal info is worth money, right? – and also, of course, so that you have nowhere to hide from their marketing weasels.
If you call National – Alamo from a SKYPE number, all National captures is the SKYPE termination number, and your privacy is protected…and National apparently doesn’t like that.

So, rent Hertz and Avis.

By: Dollar Rent-a-Car’s $2 insult | Upgrade: Travel Better

Dollar Rent-a-Car’s $2 insult | Upgrade: Travel Better — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:41:39 +0000

[...] New Yorkers — unless they live in Manhattan or Staten Island – Wanted: Kinder, gentler gouging? – Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace periods? – Rental car agent blows smoke up my backside, [...]

By: Renting a car in Mexico? Better have a high credit limit » Upgrade: Travel Better

Thu, 06 Dec 2007 02:27:45 +0000

[...] Related: – Loss of use? Get lost. – Reader mail: Why would I want to upgrade my rental car? – Reader mail: What happened to car rental late-return grace periods? [...]

By: katarina

katarina — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:43:50 +0000

Yes, Chi, but how many times has your late payment to a credit card company resulted in delaying someone else’s plans? Having worked for a rental car company, we plan for cars to return at a certain time. When you don’t bring it back, we have to explain to an angry customer in front of us why their car isn’t ready. Put yourself in THAT customer’s shoes. He is getting penalized for your lack of planning. And so is the rental car agent, because they now have to deal with the angry customer. The rates and time of return are agreed upon when you pick up the car. Plan accordingly, or pay the price.

By: Reader roundup: More tips for car rental deals » Upgrade: Travel Better

Reader roundup: More tips for car rental deals » Upgrade: Travel Better — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 20:02:46 +0000

[...] dropoff time Reader Jason, a former employee of one of the major rental car chains, responding to a post about disappearing grace periods for late returns, offered this advice: Make sure the rental agent [...]

By: Chi

Chi — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:59:45 +0000

Ah but let’s examine those kinds of companies you cite.

If you’re a good loyal customer to a credit card company, most of them will be glad to do a 1 time credit every now and then for some fee that you just don’t like. Granted you can’t do this every time, but once in a blue moon, a check might just take a little longer than usual to clear.

Or how about an airline? I’ve personally missed a connection flight switching from International to Domestic and I kindly asked for the ticketing agent to lend a hand and he did. He got me to the next flight that was outbound and I eventually got to my destination without having to pay additional fees.

And lastly, let’s look at the IRS. Yup Taxes are due on the 17th. Unless of course you file and extension (which is easy enough to do). But let’s say you’re still strapped for cash, I believe there are payment plans that you can setup with the IRS so you can pay your due (and adjust that W-4 while you’re at it!).

Grace periods are essentially that extra mile in customer service that says hey, we’re all human, we all make mistakes, and you know what? I’m going to lend a helping hand. It’s the fact that a company is willing to go above and beyond for you the customer so that you’ll stay with them even if they are just a bit pricer than their competitors.