I'm going to a friend's wedding in a couple weeks and will be renting a car at the airport. I saw Advantage Rent-A-Car has really low rates compared to all the other companies and that makes me nervous that something isn't right. Has anyone used them before? Would you recommend using them?
Advantage Rent-A-Car -- good/bad?
- Thread starter nwink
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Skyler
Puritan Board Graduate
Which is probably a bad sign?
Jack K
Puritan Board Doctor
My experience is that once you get past the premium brands, there's little predictable difference based on brand. From then on it's mostly about how well the local manager in that particular outlet runs that particular shop. So unless someone at your destination has experience with that outlet, it's anyone's guess.
A lower price doesn't necessarily mean lower quality in the car rental business. Prices fluctuate quite a bit based on availability of the car you want at the time and place you want it, kind of like airline seats or hotel rooms. They may just have a glut of cars that particular weekend, or their rate structure is such that the particular days you have in mind happen to land you on top of some discount they offer. If you're flying into a smaller airport, they may even share personnel and cars with some other higher-priced brand. The industry is weird that way.
If you're suspicious, give them a call at the local office and see if they sound reliable, make sure the price you saw will hold up once you arrive, and find out if there's some hidden disadvantage like their car lot is 15 miles from the airport and their shuttle only runs once an hour. Stuff like that.
A lower price doesn't necessarily mean lower quality in the car rental business. Prices fluctuate quite a bit based on availability of the car you want at the time and place you want it, kind of like airline seats or hotel rooms. They may just have a glut of cars that particular weekend, or their rate structure is such that the particular days you have in mind happen to land you on top of some discount they offer. If you're flying into a smaller airport, they may even share personnel and cars with some other higher-priced brand. The industry is weird that way.
If you're suspicious, give them a call at the local office and see if they sound reliable, make sure the price you saw will hold up once you arrive, and find out if there's some hidden disadvantage like their car lot is 15 miles from the airport and their shuttle only runs once an hour. Stuff like that.
Edward
Puritanboard Commissioner
I'd consider it a good sign. It appears that Hertz may be planning to cycle some of their older rentals to the new company to get another year or so out of them, so that they can keep their premium brand fresher. So the car will probably be a couple of years older with a few more miles, but completely serviceable. Or you may need to crank the windows by hand. They are probably going to make a play for the repair replacement market with them as well.
Enterprise apparently got outbid by Avis for the remnants of the company; so it must have had some goodwill value left even while in bankruptcy.
Watch for add ons and gas tricks, but you have to do that with all of the brands.
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