august 2013 codes for rental cars?

[JimboCh]

Got to the Alamo fullsize aisle around 11pm last night. Walking down the front half of the aisle, hardly any cars...an Impala and an Avenger. I was going to just grab that Impala, but decided to walk further down to the far portion of the aisle. I found, parked bumper to bumper across the parking lines, a cornucopia of sedans, wagons, small SUVs, full size SUVs, minivans, etc. I grabbed a Pathfinder, as it was at the front of the bumper to bumper line of cars. Make sure you walk the whole aisle, dont just grab the first vehicle you can get your hands on!

Great score on the Pathfinder. Congrats

 

[piglet33]

I caved and did online check-in since we leave tomorrow night, and I don't think the price for a standard will go lower than $146.84.

Good Luck everyone!

 

[FoxberryJam]

If you see them parked bumper to bumper they are what they call overflow. You are not supposed to take them. They are waiting to be assigned to the proper rows and a Pathfinder is NOT a full size car. Look above you, the signs will tell you if you are in the correct row. In this case, this renter was NOT in full size.

They were parked in the Fullsize row. The giveaway was when I looked above me, the sign said "Fullsize". I asked the agent at the booth about it and they said it was fine. Maybe after a certain hour, they unofficially don't police and enforce this? Or maybe the graveyard shift workers don't care? I dunno.

 

[gmeh1]

They were parked in the Fullsize row. The giveaway was when I looked above me, the sign said "Fullsize". I asked the agent at the booth about it and they said it was fine. Maybe after a certain hour, they unofficially don't police and enforce this? Or maybe the graveyard shift workers don't care? I dunno.

The giveaway is the bumper to bumper parking configuration and the large assortment of cars.
They are supposed to "police" it 24/7/365. And, it is supposed to be enforced the same.
But, you would have no way of knowing what bumper to bumper means cause you don't work there. Often they end up with overflow in the normal areas because they have a lot of vehicles prepped.
At least you asked. My comments were to discourage anyone from doing this cause it can cause problems for the renter when they are charged for a "do it yourself" upgrade. I hate to see that happen.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

We arrived this evening. Got a red Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was the only Jeep in the row....nice vehicle. Most were Dodge Journeys or Chevy Equinoxes.

DH handed me the paperwork as he was pulling away from the gate agent, and the amount is different (more) than what it was supposed to be ($320 vs. $285). By the time I was able to read it, it was too late to turn around. I am going to have to fight that one out with Alamo . Not sure if I need to call them tomorrow or wait until I drop off the rental on the 31st . Too tired after a day of travelling to figure it out tonight.....will have to give it more thought after a good night's sleep.

 

[FoxberryJam]

The giveaway is the bumper to bumper parking configuration and the large assortment of cars.
They are supposed to "police" it 24/7/365. And, it is supposed to be enforced the same.
But, you would have no way of knowing what bumper to bumper means cause you don't work there. Often they end up with overflow in the normal areas because they have a lot of vehicles prepped.
At least you asked. My comments were to discourage anyone from doing this cause it can cause problems for the renter when they are charged for a "do it yourself" upgrade. I hate to see that happen.

Agreed...the only portion of your comments that is incorrect for my experience was that I did not get the car from the Fullsize aisle (I did). I personally will have no qualms about trying this again if Alamo allows me to do it with no upcharge...but that is me. Others may not, and thats fine.

 

[gmeh1]

We arrived this evening. Got a red Jeep Grand Cherokee. It was the only Jeep in the row....nice vehicle. Most were Dodge Journeys or Chevy Equinoxes.

DH handed me the paperwork as he was pulling away from the gate agent, and the amount is different (more) than what it was supposed to be ($320 vs. $285). By the time I was able to read it, it was too late to turn around. I am going to have to fight that one out with Alamo . Not sure if I need to call them tomorrow or wait until I drop off the rental on the 31st . Too tired after a day of travelling to figure it out tonight.....will have to give it more thought after a good night's sleep.

Call asap, you don't want to take this up with the return agent since they cannot do anything for you. This is the number for Alamo at MCO. 407-825-1800. Listen to all the options.

 

[gmeh1]

Agreed...the only portion of your comments that is incorrect for my experience was that I did not get the car from the Fullsize aisle (I did). I personally will have no qualms about trying this again if Alamo allows me to do it with no upcharge...but that is me. Others may not, and thats fine.

Often they park the overflow cars in the rental area. My guess is that you had to cross another driveway type of thing to get to them. one going crosswise to your lane going lengthwise. During really busy times they do park cars there for rentals. Normally, however, it is overflow and yes they do have signs, I did forget, definitely my mistake.
You got lucky and usually when this happens the customer is told and they have the option of taking the upcharge or returning the vehicle and choosing from the proper class. Not your fault that someone was asleep at the switch.

 

[Gina-Gina-Bo-Bina]

Call asap, you don't want to take this up with the return agent since they cannot do anything for you. This is the number for Alamo at MCO. 407-825-1800. Listen to all the options.

Thank you, gmeh1. You rock .

Called tonight and spoke with a fine fellow named Don in Customer Service. He was able to determine that my Visa coupon didn't get carried over (for whatever reason....doesn't matter why, so I didn't press for more) hence the difference in price. He updated the Alamo system to reflect the coupon and the proper charges for the rental.

Your kindness in providing the local number to call was so helpful!! Thanks again .

DH and DS are loving the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

 

[gmeh1]

Thank you, gmeh1. You rock .

Called tonight and spoke with a fine fellow named Don in Customer Service. He was able to determine that my Visa coupon didn't get carried over (for whatever reason....doesn't matter why, so I didn't press for more) hence the difference in price. He updated the Alamo system to reflect the coupon and the proper charges for the rental.

Your kindness in providing the local number to call was so helpful!! Thanks again .

DH and DS are loving the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

You are most welcome, Gina. I am glad that they could help you and get it fixed before you return the vehicle.
Now, go enjoy the rest of your vacation.

 

[richmo]

...DH handed me the paperwork as he was pulling away from the gate agent, and the amount is different (more) than what it was supposed to be ($320 vs. $285). By the time I was able to read it, it was too late to turn around. I am going to have to fight that one out with Alamo . Not sure if I need to call them tomorrow or wait until I drop off the rental on the 31st . Too tired after a day of travelling to figure it out tonight.....will have to give it more thought after a good night's sleep.

Call asap, you don't want to take this up with the return agent since they cannot do anything for you. This is the number for Alamo at MCO. 407-825-1800. Listen to all the options.

Thank you, gmeh1. You rock .

Called tonight and spoke with a fine fellow named Don in Customer Service. He was able to determine that my Visa coupon didn't get carried over (for whatever reason....doesn't matter why, so I didn't press for more) hence the difference in price. He updated the Alamo system to reflect the coupon and the proper charges for the rental.

Your kindness in providing the local number to call was so helpful!! Thanks again .

DH and DS are loving the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

This sounds like the same thing that happened to me a few weeks ago. For some reason, the prices we're getting quoted when we make our reservation are not the same as when we check in. In my case, I saw a problem right away and had it fixed before I went out to the garage. Alamo needs to fix this; its beyond an isolated problem at this point.

For those of you with Alamo reservations yet to go, I cannot emphasize this enough: Print out a copy of your original reservation that shows the rates you reserved. When you get your contract printed out from the kiosk (or counter), or if you do some kind of online checkin, be very sure the numbers match up. If they don't, try to get it resolved before you pick up the car.

 

[SingLikeC]

Everyone on this thread is awesome. I just returned from my trip last night and Alamo was pretty great. The car selection wasn't huge as I arrived last Tuesday to about 8 cars on the full size aisle, but the car I chose got the job done. It was a Nissan Altima. Not the nicest, but it was pretty roomy. When I arrived on Tuesday at MCO there was no line at the Alamo counter. But when I had to make adjustments when I returned the car yesterday, the line was short BUT I stood there for 25 mins while people took there precious time changing back and forth between what car size they wanted :-/. That's the only major complaint I have with Alamo--not moving customers along in a timely manner.

 

[utkscvol1]

Well 4 days until arrival and my 8 day full size rental is still sitting at $141 really would love it to drop more!

 

[gmeh1]

This sounds like the same thing that happened to me a few weeks ago. For some reason, the prices we're getting quoted when we make our reservation are not the same as when we check in. In my case, I saw a problem right away and had it fixed before I went out to the garage. Alamo needs to fix this; its beyond an isolated problem at this point.

For those of you with Alamo reservations yet to go, I cannot emphasize this enough: Print out a copy of your original reservation that shows the rates you reserved. When you get your contract printed out from the kiosk (or counter), or if you do some kind of online checkin, be very sure the numbers match up. If they don't, try to get it resolved before you pick up the car.

Excellent advice!!! You should do this for every reservation you have regardless of the agency, hotel, or whatever. I have been advising this forever.

 

[gmeh1]

Everyone on this thread is awesome. I just returned from my trip last night and Alamo was pretty great. The car selection wasn't huge as I arrived last Tuesday to about 8 cars on the full size aisle, but the car I chose got the job done. It was a Nissan Altima. Not the nicest, but it was pretty roomy. When I arrived on Tuesday at MCO there was no line at the Alamo counter. But when I had to make adjustments when I returned the car yesterday, the line was short BUT I stood there for 25 mins while people took there precious time changing back and forth between what car size they wanted :-/. That's the only major complaint I have with Alamo--not moving customers along in a timely manner.

It is not Alamo's fault that customers cannot make up their minds, so, I find your comment about them not moving customers along in a timely manner rather harsh. Good customer service means taking time with a customer to make sure they are completely satisfied. Hint: IF this should ever occur again, use the booth in the garage. They can take care of any problems you have upon return. That is what they are there for.

 

[nuzmom]

gmeh1 - if we use the kiosk to check-in and the price is different that what is quoted (for instance, it didn't take the visa coupon off), do we have to wait in line inside, or can we go grab a car and have the exit attendant do the adjustment?
Also, it's my understanding that Alamo doesn't charge for a no show - we are Alamo insiders and haven't held the reservations with a credit card. Is that correct?
We are thinking of going to the lot first, putting all the suitcases in and then going inside to checkout using a kiosk. If we're not comfortable with the full size car (suitcases don't fit), then we'd switch over and use our minivan reservation. This would only work if we can hold two reservations without penalty. (could/should I cancel the unused reservation upon leaving the lot?)

 

[richmo]

gmeh1 - if we use the kiosk to check-in and the price is different that what is quoted (for instance, it didn't take the visa coupon off), do we have to wait in line inside, or can we go grab a car and have the exit attendant do the adjustment?

Not answering this as an expert, but since it happened to me I'll give it a shot. I'd get it fixed inside - it took a manager to make the adjustment for me (the first person I talked to at the counter had to get a manager)...but in my case, the base rate was coming up wrong, not the coupon. I'm not sure what authority the exit attendant had; actually if I didn't get it fixed at the counter, I'd try one of the greeters before you get to the car.

Also, it's my understanding that Alamo doesn't charge for a no show - we are Alamo insiders and haven't held the reservations with a credit card. Is that correct?

Correct, if it isn't held with a credit card, there shouldn't be a problem with being a noshow. But, although I'm sure you can get away with it, I don't like the idea of having two reservations at the same agency, especially if tied to the same Insiders account.

We are thinking of going to the lot first, putting all the suitcases in and then going inside to checkout using a kiosk. If we're not comfortable with the full size car (suitcases don't fit), then we'd switch over and use our minivan reservation. This would only work if we can hold two reservations without penalty. (could/should I cancel the unused reservation upon leaving the lot?)

You want to claim a car before even doing the rental paperwork? That sounds pretty cheesy to me. My recent experience with Alamo is there's often a greeter that comes out to look at your contract and shows you where the correct row is. Maybe I'm completely wrong on this.

 

[SingLikeC]

It is not Alamo's fault that customers cannot make up their minds, so, I find your comment about them not moving customers along in a timely manner rather harsh. Good customer service means taking time with a customer to make sure they are completely satisfied. Hint: IF this should ever occur again, use the booth in the garage. They can take care of any problems you have upon return. That is what they are there for.

I'm not "blaming" Alamo, but I think you misunderstood my complaint. I like good customer service as well, however, the majority of the conversations that were held right in front of me at the rental counter were not about the car rental, but was small talk and laughter in general, so my comment wasn't harsh. It was saying that although Alamo tries to show that they care about their customers, they are overindulging in unnecessary small talk. I know I'm not the only customer who has experienced this lol. And the garage outside asked me to go the the counter inside :-/, not sure what happened there.

 

[gmeh1]

gmeh1 - if we use the kiosk to check-in and the price is different that what is quoted (for instance, it didn't take the visa coupon off), do we have to wait in line inside, or can we go grab a car and have the exit attendant do the adjustment?
Also, it's my understanding that Alamo doesn't charge for a no show - we are Alamo insiders and haven't held the reservations with a credit card. Is that correct?
We are thinking of going to the lot first, putting all the suitcases in and then going inside to checkout using a kiosk. If we're not comfortable with the full size car (suitcases don't fit), then we'd switch over and use our minivan reservation. This would only work if we can hold two reservations without penalty. (could/should I cancel the unused reservation upon leaving the lot?)

No, you cannot have the exit agent make the correction. If you find that to be the case after you use the kiosk, the counter or the booth in the garage can make the adjustments. There is always a manager in the garage.
Alamo does not charge for a no show.
You can select a vehicle and put your suitcases in it. Lock the vehicle and take the keys with you and go use the kiosk. This is not usually appreciated by other renters, but, there is no rule against it. You can explain what you are trying to do to the greeter in the garage and they will assist you as best they can.
Make sure you print out the reservation confirmations before you leave home.
As to cancelling, as a courtesy, I would cancel it at the booth in the garage. It holds up the exit booth unnecessarily when you try to make changes, adjustments or additions while there and it does upset other customers who have waited in line and who just want to be on their way.

 

[gmeh1]

Not answering this as an expert, but since it happened to me I'll give it a shot. I'd get it fixed inside - it took a manager to make the adjustment for me (the first person I talked to at the counter had to get a manager)...but in my case, the base rate was coming up wrong, not the coupon. I'm not sure what authority the exit attendant had; actually if I didn't get it fixed at the counter, I'd try one of the greeters before you get to the car.



Correct, if it isn't held with a credit card, there shouldn't be a problem with being a noshow. But, although I'm sure you can get away with it, I don't like the idea of having two reservations at the same agency, especially if tied to the same Insiders account.



You want to claim a car before even doing the rental paperwork? That sounds pretty cheesy to me. My recent experience with Alamo is there's often a greeter that comes out to look at your contract and shows you where the correct row is. Maybe I'm completely wrong on this.

People do the double booking, unfortunately, all the time and they do "try on cars for size" often and they also take a vehicle, load it up and go inside.
The greeter just asks what they have rented and shows them the proper row. If the renter holds two ressies and tells the greeter what their intent is, they will assist in anyway possible.