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Post by ameslou on Feb 13, 2023 15:42:24 GMT
I'm traveling for work and pleasure later this week. At my destination airport the only way I can get a rental from a well-known national brand is to book for Wednesday - Saturday; I need it for Wednesday - Sunday. I'm thinking about renting it for Wednesday - Saturday and then telling them I can't return the car yet (extending the rental). Is this a bad idea? I mean, I have the car right? But I don't want to end up in a situation where I end up with an arrest warrant or get blacklisted. Calling on the power of the peas to help me decide what to do  |
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Post by guzismom on Feb 13, 2023 15:48:57 GMT
Most rental car places will not charge you by the day but rather by the HOUR if a car is late and that can add up pretty quickly if you keep it a full 24 hours. I would call the rental car provider and ask them directly what will happen and what charge can be expected rather that have an unpleasant surprise.
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Post by littlemama on Feb 13, 2023 16:06:57 GMT
Yes, it is a bad idea. If the rental company wont let you have it on Sunday, it is because someone else has paid to rent the car.
Return the car on time and use Uber for the last day and for the return to the airport. Or return it on time and spend the last day/night at an airport hotel with free shuttle.
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Post by workingclassdog on Feb 13, 2023 16:14:31 GMT
I can't even imagine what the fees would be. You pick your kid up late from daycare and it is like $10 a MINUTE.. for a rental car.. it would probably be like $50 a minute.. lol.. seriously though, that is where they will get ya.
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Post by justkat on Feb 13, 2023 16:15:35 GMT
I worked for a major car rental company years ago. People extending their rental happened all the time and was no big deal.
You simply call them. Use the number on your contract. They'll need the rental agreement number. Tell them the new return date, they'll give you the new cost and bill it to the card you used.
Unless you're on a promo rate, rate depends on number of rental days etc, you'll just be charged the per day rate. Which will be listed on your contract.
If you're concerned, ask the rental agent when you rent the car..."what should I do if I need the vehicle longer?" etc
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Post by dnkmmw on Feb 13, 2023 16:16:35 GMT
I'm traveling for work and pleasure later this week. At my destination airport the only way I can get a rental from a well-known national brand is to book for Wednesday - Saturday; I need it for Wednesday - Sunday. I'm thinking about renting it for Wednesday - Saturday and then telling them I can't return the car yet (extending the rental). Is this a bad idea? I mean, I have the car right? But I don't want to end up in a situation where I end up with an arrest warrant or get blacklisted. So you are basically saying, "I have the car, screw you people who made reservations for Sunday." Am I interpreting that right? Dawn |
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pantsonfire
Pearl Clutcher
Take a step back, evaluate what is important, and enjoy your life with those who you love.
Posts: 4,762 
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Post by pantsonfire on Feb 13, 2023 16:17:10 GMT
You call the rental company and extend the date. But you have to call.
Had to do that twice for a rental when my vehicle was not finished with repairs. No biggie.
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Post by JustCallMeMommy on Feb 13, 2023 16:48:18 GMT
I'm traveling for work and pleasure later this week. At my destination airport the only way I can get a rental from a well-known national brand is to book for Wednesday - Saturday; I need it for Wednesday - Sunday. I'm thinking about renting it for Wednesday - Saturday and then telling them I can't return the car yet (extending the rental). Is this a bad idea? I mean, I have the car right? But I don't want to end up in a situation where I end up with an arrest warrant or get blacklisted. So you are basically saying, "I have the car, screw you people who made reservations for Sunday." Am I interpreting that right? Dawn The car rental company should have a business model that takes some fluctuation in availability into account - not booking 100%, moving cars between locations, discounting rates for people returning cars from different locations on that date, etc. They have to deal with lots of reasons for fluctuation - plans changing, cars needing deep cleaning or repair, flight delays, etc. |
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Post by dnkmmw on Feb 13, 2023 16:56:24 GMT
So you are basically saying, "I have the car, screw you people who made reservations for Sunday." Am I interpreting that right? Dawn The car rental company should have a business model that takes some fluctuation in availability into account - not booking 100%, moving cars between locations, discounting rates for people returning cars from different locations on that date, etc. They have to deal with lots of reasons for fluctuation - plans changing, cars needing deep cleaning or repair, flight delays, etc. I don't disagree, but I have also been told that my reserved rental car was not available due to someone not returning their car. I assume it was because I was the unlucky person who showed up at the time when nothing had been returned. Dawn |
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Post by katlady on Feb 13, 2023 16:56:44 GMT
I would just ask them ahead of time. I wouldn’t just not return the car on time without letting them know somehow. The extra day may be expensive though because it sounds like you have some kind of deal.
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Post by scrapmaven on Feb 13, 2023 17:07:50 GMT
If you're more than 1-2 hours late they will often charge you for an extra day. Always call before your car is due in order to extend your rental, because if you don't let them know and your contract expires you are technically in possession of a stolen vehicle. (I worked for 2 car rental companies in college and had to do a police report for a rental that was not returned. In that case, they did steal the car. It's a whole story.) Sometimes you can arrange a 2 hour extension, but most companies would charge you for a full day, unless the station manager is in a generous mood.
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Post by Basket1lady on Feb 13, 2023 17:23:49 GMT
The car rental company should have a business model that takes some fluctuation in availability into account - not booking 100%, moving cars between locations, discounting rates for people returning cars from different locations on that date, etc. They have to deal with lots of reasons for fluctuation - plans changing, cars needing deep cleaning or repair, flight delays, etc. I don't disagree, but I have also been told that my reserved rental car was not available due to someone not returning their car. I assume it was because I was the unlucky person who showed up at the time when nothing had been returned. Dawn I’ve been told this every time that I’ve rented a car in the last 20 years. I don’t think that I’ve ever gotten the car that I reserved, including the times that I was trying to rent out a car to test drive it for a possible purchase. They overbook, just like the airlines do. Cars break down, get into accidents, go over the mileage goal and get sold off… sometimes we lucky and get an upgrade and sometimes we get downgraded. If I ever had to rent something like an xx passenger van, I would stress! |
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Post by dnkmmw on Feb 13, 2023 17:33:16 GMT
I don't disagree, but I have also been told that my reserved rental car was not available due to someone not returning their car. I assume it was because I was the unlucky person who showed up at the time when nothing had been returned. Dawn I’ve been told this every time that I’ve rented a car in the last 20 years. I don’t think that I’ve ever gotten the car that I reserved, including the times that I was trying to rent out a car to test drive it for a possible purchase. They overbook, just like the airlines do. Cars break down, get into accidents, go over the mileage goal and get sold off… sometimes we lucky and get an upgrade and sometimes we get downgraded. If I ever had to rent something like an xx passenger van, I would stress! Sorry, I didn't mean the specific car - they had no cars. I was next in line for whatever car came back. Luckily it was only about an hour before someone returned a car and we weren't on a schedule, but still not a good way to start a trip. Dawn |
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Post by Basket1lady on Feb 13, 2023 17:34:24 GMT
I’ve been told this every time that I’ve rented a car in the last 20 years. I don’t think that I’ve ever gotten the car that I reserved, including the times that I was trying to rent out a car to test drive it for a possible purchase. They overbook, just like the airlines do. Cars break down, get into accidents, go over the mileage goal and get sold off… sometimes we lucky and get an upgrade and sometimes we get downgraded. If I ever had to rent something like an xx passenger van, I would stress! Sorry, I didn't mean the specific car - they had no cars. I was next in line for whatever car came back. Luckily it was only about an hour before someone returned a car and we weren't on a schedule, but still not a good way to start a trip. Dawn Yeah, we’ve had that happen too. It’s frustrating isn’t it? |
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Post by ameslou on Feb 13, 2023 18:03:41 GMT
Thanks Peas, I appreciate all the suggestions about how to handle. I'll update y'all on how it works out!
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Post by bratkar on Feb 13, 2023 19:54:29 GMT
2020 we were to return our rental car and fly home from Pensacola, FL; thing is Hurricane came in. We parked the car in safety when the hurricane was expected to hit our area. Problem was once the Hurricane passed, the water didnt recede as fast as we hoped. The day before we were set to return it, we called Avis and extended our rental an extra day. I dont remember how much extra it cost us, but when we returned they were just happy to have a car not damaged from the hurricane.
But in short, yes they said they have some wiggle room, but to just call during your rental to extend it
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Post by teacherlisa on Feb 13, 2023 20:03:34 GMT
I am a 911 dispatcher. Rental companies report their cars stolen when not returned on time. If you are unlucky enough to commit a traffic violation, or if the license plate readers catch the plate, you will be quickly shown what a felony traffic stop looks like. I do not recommend just keeping it.
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Post by cmpeter on Feb 14, 2023 1:48:37 GMT
Hertz once accused me of not returning my car. Luckily I had the receipt they gave me when I checked it in. I now make a point of photo documenting both my pick up and drop off.
I would definitely not keep my rental longer than my reservation without clearing it with the rental company first.
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Post by cawoman on Feb 14, 2023 4:47:12 GMT
Ive run across several agencies that are closed on Sunday. Probably not at an airport but you might want to see if that's the case.
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Post by ameslou on Feb 14, 2023 5:11:09 GMT
My original post was not clearly written - I wasn't planning to just keep the vehicle without contacting the rental car company about extending the rental.
I did more digging and was able to find a rental for the entire length of my stay, so no longer have to worry about whether or not I can extend. Thanks for the suggestions!
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Post by workingclassdog on Feb 14, 2023 17:07:22 GMT
I am a 911 dispatcher. Rental companies report their cars stolen when not returned on time. If you are unlucky enough to commit a traffic violation, or if the license plate readers catch the plate, you will be quickly shown what a felony traffic stop looks like. I do not recommend just keeping it. They would call 911 in that situation? I get they need to report it but calling 911 seems a little over the top. |
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Post by teacherlisa on Feb 14, 2023 17:20:33 GMT
I am a 911 dispatcher. Rental companies report their cars stolen when not returned on time. If you are unlucky enough to commit a traffic violation, or if the license plate readers catch the plate, you will be quickly shown what a felony traffic stop looks like. I do not recommend just keeping it. They would call 911 in that situation? I get they need to report it but calling 911 seems a little over the top. Let me try to clarify a few things  1) People do indeed call 911 for a lot of things that are not emergencies. Conversely, people call the non emergency number for a lot of things that ARE emergencies. In my jurisdiction I answer both 911 and non emergency calls for service. 2) My actual job title is PST III (Public Safety Telecommunicator III) but job titles for this type of job tend to vary by department so it is easier for me to explain what I do by saying 911 dispatcher. IF a car rental company called 911 to report their car stolen (or, for that matter, anyone did that) we would refer them to the non emergency number to call back.The only time it would be appropriate to call 911 for auto theft is if it were in progress. My job duties include entering information (in the case of auto theft, the vehicle information ) into the national database so that any department will know, upon running that plate, that the vehicle is stolen. I hope that helps! |
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