Car Hire Help Florida? IVA

woodendolly

Please can anyone help i am really stressing tonight!! we are on an IVA at the moment and after quite a few years we are being taken on holiday to Florida - I have rang Budget Cars tonight checking if you could use a visa debit card for the car hire as we dont have a credit card, they said we could and they would put a hold of 200 dollars on our account so i have went ahead and booked it, only to read later on the internet they do a credit check!! Could anyone please please give me some advise as soon as possible thanks ps my husband is the only driver

peb

Whereas I can't answer your question you may wish to post this in the Debt free wannabe section of the forum - they may have more experience and be able to help.

blacksta

Are you sure you are not refering to card authorisation check

woodendolly

blacksta wrote: »

Are you sure you are not refering to card authorisation check

they definately said if you fail the credit check think he said with experia you wont be able to hire the car. going with family who dont know anything about this and dont want to be put in a difficult situation.

dickydonkin

woodendolly wrote: »

they definately said if you fail the credit check think he said with experia you wont be able to hire the car. going with family who dont know anything about this and dont want to be put in a difficult situation.

Their web site does indeed quote:

Some locations will accept a debit card instead of a credit card, but then we might either check your credit report or require you to present a third form of ID as indicated in the “Debit Card User Instructions” below.

Having read some of their T&C's they do seem targeted for US renters.
Hopefully, they may just ask for another form of I.D. such as your return air ticket.

OnceUponADream

We hired a car during Dec 2011 for 3 weeks with Dollar at Orlando Intl (MCO) and they didn't require a credit card, credit check or anything "credit". We booked through USrentacar.

I think the credit check refers to US customers. They will hold the £200 for a number of days - possibly until the end of the hire and then they will release it.

claire16c

They wont be able to check your credit rating if you are British. Dont worry about it. Theyll just put a hold on your card and ask for some extra ID.

Make sure you ask for insurance as often they dont offer, and most Americans will have their own insurance to cover them on rentals.

Archergirl

You may want to look at insurance waiver cover from this end, some times it's cheaper. Is your husband over 25? You need to be to hire in the USA.
Make sure you will have enough money if they are 'holding' £200 on your card (not sure how they do that on a debit card)

claire16c

Archergirl wrote: »

You may want to look at insurance waiver cover from this end, some times it's cheaper. Is your husband over 25? You need to be to hire in the USA.
Make sure you will have enough money if they are 'holding' £200 on your card (not sure how they do that on a debit card)

If you are under 25 you will most likely just be charged a fee each day unless you are lucky and find somewhere that rents to 21-25 for no extra.

Murphy_The_Cat

claire16c wrote: »

Make sure you ask for insurance as often they dont offer, and most Americans will have their own insurance to cover them on rentals.

This may be 'ropey' advice. If the OP is getting a car hire quote from the UK end, then it should be 'fully inclusive' insurance -- and the insurance that the US end try and sell you would be surplus to your requirements.

dickydonkin

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

This may be 'ropey' advice. If the OP is getting a car hire quote from the UK end, then it should be 'fully inclusive' insurance -- and the insurance that the US end try and sell you would be surplus to your requirements.

And try they will............I can assure you!

I always buy my car voucher here in the UK and puchases excess insurance cover (over here) in the event of bump or tyre/windscreen damage which is usually not covered on LDW. That costs about 3 quid per day and worth the peace of mind IMO.

As MTC has explained, getting your quote from the UK will include all local statutory charges and insurances.