This is so absurd that I can't stop laughing even though I should be
really P***** off at Alamo. [Full disclosure: Due to lack of
availability of compact cars, I got a free double upgrade; that also
helps to make the abusive business tactic described below more
tolerable.] The real story follows:
I reserved a compact car on Alamo's website and used their "online
prepay" and "online check in" options. My prepaid price to rent a
compact car for 18 days was $351, including all the taxes and fees.
That was for two rental "weeks" plus four additional rental "days."
When making the reservation, I estimated that I would pick up the
car at 9pm on Day 1 and [HERE IS THE KEY FACT] I estimated that I
would return it to Alamo by Noon on Day 18. My flight was scheduled
to leave LV at 10am, but I specified Noon as the return time so I
couldn't possibly incur any overtime charges.
Unlike Johnny Z, I had no problems with the car or road hazards. On
Day 18, I rolled into Alamo at about 8:30am, dropped off the car,
pocketed my receipt (without looking at it), and took Alamo's
shuttle to the airport.
About a month later, I received my credit card statement. In
addition to the prepaid $351, it showed an additional $52 charge
from Alamo.
I thought that they might either (1) have charged me for adding a
second driver to the contract midway through my stay, or (2) charged
me for the "unavailability" upgrade to a larger car. Either would
have been wrong, but both explanations seemed possible.
So, I called Alamo to inquire. Ready for this: They charged me $52
extra because I returned the car three hours BEFORE the return time
that I had estimated in my reservation. That triggered increases in
my "prepaid" rates, both the weekly rate and the additional-day
rate. Those increases totaled about $30 that Alamo actually
pocketed; the other $22 was for taxes and fees on the addional $30
rent.
I asked how much "grace time" I would have had if I'd waited until
after Noon to return the car. The phone representative's initial
response was "29 minutes." Then, after a pause, she said, "No,
wait; because you didn't pick up the car until 9pm [on Day 1], you
actually could have waited until 9:29pm [on Day 18] to return it."
In other words, it cost me $52 extra to return the car three hours
EARLIER than I promised, but it would have cost me nothing to DELAY
returning it until nine hours after my promised return time. Go
figure!
I asked the Alamo person, "As one rational human being to another,
does that make sense to you?" She was not programmed to respond to
that question.
LESSONS LEARNED: If you are arriving LV in the afternoon/evening and
departing in the morning, your reservation should estimate your pick
up time as accurately as possible, but specify a drop off time that
is EARLIER than you actually will return the car. You're already
stuck with paying for the last 24-hour day, and the only ways you'll
incur additional charges is if (like me) you return the car earlier
than promised or (the more familiar fear) you return it after
another 24-hour cycle has started.
Just tell me the rules, and I'll play by them -- if I decide to play
at all.
The GMan