Hotwire Alter a car rental reservation? Yeah right! Internet
The wife and I got a great deal on a car rental reservation with what ended up to be Avis in Honolulu. This is fine. We thought it would be great to check out one of the other islands while we're there. We reserved a car for a week on Oahu, but needed it changed to four days on Oahu and three days (also with Avis) on Maui. Shouldn't be a problem, right? WRONG! Naturally, there were NO changes, NO additions, NO refunds, NO cancellations, NO nothing in terms of customer service. Okay, I understand the barely legal and questionably ethical nature of their business model. This is where I get upset . . . I ask if they could give me a voucher (not unlike many airline companies) for some future Hotwire service. I bet you can predict the response! I'm sorry, but there's nothing we can do. Let me be clear, I'm offering that they keep my money until I use, or not use, their coupon; then use their service AGAIN to change my car rental reservation per their NO changes policy. This was not acceptable to them. I sincerely hope their customer relations representative reads this post and changes their policy as well as my reservation.
Richard
Santa Fe, New Mexico
U.S.A.
1 Updates & Rebuttals
Robert
Irvine,California,
U.S.A.
Ummm...
#2Consumer Comment
Fri, July 17, 2009
You got a "great deal" BECAUSE of the fact that there are "NO changes, NO additions, NO refunds, NO cancellations". They don't have to build in the "cost" of people cancelling or changing so they can provide a lower price. Just as the airlines you so interestingly stated that they would give you a voucher, you left off one little point. Most airlines also charge you anywhere from a $50-$100 "change fee", where the amount depends on the fare you paid. Just as with the airlines if you want a fully refundable or even transferable ticket you are going to pay anywhere between 2-3 times more for the same ticket.
As for the "barely legal and questionably ethical nature". This is totally legal as it was in the rate terms when you reserved the car. What you are really asking is un-ethical because you want to break the contract for no other reason than you changed your mind in the rental. Let's say you wanted that rental and they just decided to cancel it. Would you say "oh well" or would you be writing a report on how they won't "hold up their end"?