Ebookers Ebookers Rental Car Scam

World_Traveller12345

I booked car through Ebookers in Denver. Never again I assure you...

Arrived and they informed me that I had to take the car with a full tank of gas and return it empty--of course I could not return the car empty and lost around 35$.

Ebooker fine print mentions this rip-off policy but easy to miss--please tell your friends.

I chatted with Ebookers and they told me to read fine print--now I am recommending that you do that as well and avoid the rip-off/scam.

It is probably less expensive to go straight to rental car site and book and take option to return car empty...

ian41

IMO you are being unfair to ebookers. Of course, you have to read the print. Its not a scam just because you didn't click bother to read the detailed terms. Its not small print either.

ebookers, expedia, trailfinders, netflights etc etc are acting as booking agents for the rental companies. On booking you will have chosen a rental car and company, if you booked online with ebookers. The fuel policies are clearly displayed - click the button.

When you picked up your car in Denver, it is likely to have been a rental from Budget, Avis, Hertz, Dollar or National. From memory, both National and Dollar offer full and return empty; the other three offer full and return full. But and it is a big but, the rental charges for Dollar for example tend to be much less then Hertz or Avis over say a week or more. So even when you add in any unused gas, Dollar are considered to be the most competitive of the larger rental players in the Western USA.

I have used ebookers both in Denver and elsewhere in the USA before because they were the most competitive. But I always check on Kayak to see who has the best rental offers for the dates I want and will take the best offer (after taking into account gas) whether its through an agent or direct with the rental company.

I know that I will have to pay for gas either full/full or full/empty because that's the system in the USA - and its my choice - but overall rental prices pre-booked from the UK for USA pick-up, do tend to be very competitive compared with many other countries in the world.