First time here? Check out the site's "greatest hits" or read a random post from the archives. Feel free to ask a question, and consider subscribing to the latest posts via RSS or e-mail. Thanks for visiting!

Reader Jon writes in with some advice for those prepaying their car rentals…

While searching for a rental car for a trip to Portland recently, I noticed the link to EasyCar on the Upgrade: site. Investigating, I found a UK-based service providing pre-paid rentals worldwide, through various partners (Alamo in the US).

The price of their rental was $150 less than the best price I could find otherwise (including Hotwire and the best name-your-own that Priceline would accept). And, unheard-of in this country, it included CDW. I was skeptical, but when an e-mail to their customer service confirmed that a US citizen could book a car, I took a chance.

Two remarks: First, EasyCar is indeed a legit company. They’re an outcropping of the airline EasyJet. But while Jon’s story is about his experience with EasyCar, his lessons hold true for any prepaid car rental reservation.

Second, rates automatically bundling in Collision Damage Waiver (CDW) are indeed more commonplace for rentals booked from European sites than American sites. I’ve seen this on rentals from big name providers like Avis, as well as from wholesalers and agencies like EasyCar.

Anyway, back to Jon’s story:

It turned out that, indeed, I got my pre-paid rental for the agreed-upon price. There were only two small hitches: although the documentation from EasyCar clearly showed on the front page that the rental was for Portland, OR, somehow at least the return had gotten into Alamo’s computer as Portland, *Maine*, so [Alamo] tried to charge me for a one-way rental.

Po-tay-to, po-tah-to?

Further, although the contract indicated that gas might be offered as an *option*, Alamo’s computer showed it as required. After some debate with the local manager, the one-way problem was corrected, and they agreed to charge but then credit back the tank of gas.

Anyone wishing to try EasyCar should be advised to read carefully all the paperwork and bring it with them to the rental counter. Be prepared to dispute any charges that don’t belong, and be aware that it won’t be easy to contact EasyCar if there’s a problem. (Alamo said the 888- number on my paperwork didn’t work for them, and they refused to call the overseas number. Luckily, they eventually worked it out on their own.)

Glad things worked out in the end, Jon, though I’m sorry you had such a fight on your hands.

Having to break out your inner lawyer isn’t necessarily limited to EasyCar bookings, to prepaid bookings, or … well, there’s really no limit to the kind of bookings you need to watch like a hawk. But prepaid reservations require an especially watchful eye, because there are so many things that can be included, or not. Taxes, fuel, insurance, surprise fees…

Jon did the right thing in printing out reams of documentation. Print (or keep an electronic copy on your laptop of) more than your confirmation; print the FAQ’s, print the contact info, print the terms, print anything that explains what you should be getting.

Another thing to look out for, when you’re considering using a prepaid service: Pay attention to where the transaction is actually charged to your credit card. (It’s either in the terms and conditions, or on the last page of the booking, before you confirm the purchase.) Why should you care? If you’re holding an American card and the charges are issued in another country (such as the UK for EasyCar) you will most likely incur a foreign transaction fee — even if it’s not a foreign currency that’s being charged to the account. Prepaid hotel specialist GTA Hotels comes to mind — they have some good deals, but when you’re comparison-shopping, calculate an extra percent or two to cover the foreign transaction fee, as GTA tends to issue the charge from Turkey.

Prepaid car reservations can be a great (and legit) way to save money. But do your homework, and fight for your rights.