Car Hire Glitch/how to get it cheaper beginning of July

BLUEWKD

I have managed to get cheap car hire in Portugal by booking the car 3 days earlier than I wanted it. I have booked it for 30th June even though I do not want it until the 3rd July. I have checked with who I booked it with first and if I ring them on the 30th to say I have missed my flight and my new date of collection then it will be ok. I have saved £150 on the price by doing it this way.
Hopefully this will help others who are travelling the beginning of July as I assume the car hire prices jump up from the 1st July.

malkie76

Isn't that fraud?

BLUEWKD

malkie76 wrote: »

Isn't that fraud?

How is it fraud? I have booked and paid for a car, I am just not picking it up for 3 days. They have charged me for the full rental period so are saving on the mileage/car use for 3 days whilst it is stood at the hire company. I checked with the car hire company first before booking it to make sure I wouldn't loose it through not showing up and they said it was ok.

melb

sounds a good idea but i might be tempted to ask them to put it in an email jst in case

cubegame

I wouldn't trust them either. On my hire car reservation I have for September it clearly says that if I fail to turn up the booking will be lost.

And even if they said the car would be there, did they specifically mention there would be no additional charge?

111KAB

Similar situation with a car booking I have in Spain in July ..... I'm going for 20 days but it was cheaper to book for 21 days rather than 20 so I will be taking back my car a day earlier than they expected.

photome

I am not sure I would trust the hire company not to cancel the contract, unless I had it in writing

photome

111KAB wrote: »

Similar situation with a car booking I have in Spain in July ..... I'm going for 20 days but it was cheaper to book for 21 days rather than 20 so I will be taking back my car a day earlier than they expected.

That doesnt make sense to me, returning a day early means a 19 day hire

111KAB

photome wrote: »

That doesnt make sense to me, returning a day early means a 19 day hire

Apologies if it appears unclear - I am going to Spain for 20 days so I needed a hire car for 20 days - the 20 day hire cost was £322.07 whereas to hire the car for 21 days was £307.20 so although I am only there for 20 days I have hired the car for 21 and I will just take the car back earlier than the hire company expected. When I quizzed them about it they explained the daily rate for a 3 week booking (21 days) was less than for a 2 weekly plus booking (20 days) - hope this explains.

photome

111KAB wrote: »

Apologies if it appears unclear - I am going to Spain for 20 days so I needed a hire car for 20 days - the 20 day hire cost was £322.07 whereas to hire the car for 21 days was £307.20 so although I am only there for 20 days I have hired the car for 21 and I will just take the car back earlier than the hire company expected. When I quizzed them about it they explained the daily rate for a 3 week booking (21 days) was less than for a 2 weekly plus booking (20 days) - hope this explains.

Perfect sense thanks, I was reading it the same as the OPs hire IYSWIM and picking car up late as opposed to returning early