Latitude for pickup up/dropping off hire car (US)?

bairn7

Is anyone able to comment on the likely latitude (or lack of) when picking up or dropping off a hire car in the US? I have always worked on the basis that you can pick up around an hour early (subject to availability) and can drop off up to an hour late without penalty but I have no factual basis for this.

Arriving in Newark at 2pm and flying out a week later at 7pm. To save a day's charge on the hire just for the extra couple of hours, I was thinking of stating my drop off and pickup as 4pm - assuming an hour to get through security etc, I could hopefully pick up between 3pm and 4pm. Then I could hopfully drop off between 4pm and 5pm without charge.

Risky?

eDicky

The twenty four hour period starts at the time you actually pick up the car, not the time you state in your booking. But yes, there's normally an hour's leeway, sometimes two hours, on late return without an extra day's charge.

stevie11

Your times seem good. The hire car companies usually give up to an hour extra on return time. Therefore arrive by 2pm rent car at 3 and return by 4 at the latest but always check with the rental agency.

*j*

I seem to remember seeing on Hertz contracts that "up to 29 minutes" late was still OK. I guess that's timed at when the return people scan the bar code on the windscreen.

Your only secure guide is what is written on your contract. You can usually read this before confirming the booking.

I'd always allow a fair amount of leeway in case of traffic or unforseen problems.

photome

I seem to recall someone posting on here that they were an hour late (in Vegas) and got stung with an extra days charge at the rack rate which was way more expensive than if it had been prebooked

as someone else said the actual pick up time is what matters which will have no bearing on what you state on your booking request.

If you pick up at 3pm and return at 5pm I would be prepared to pay

Murphy_The_Cat

OP, here you go, broken down by provider

Its worth a read to compare opinion with fact

Bear in mind that the article is from Aug 2015 and would be worth checking each companies T&C's to be absolutely certain of how the land lies.

stevie11

Murphy_The_Cat wrote: »

OP, here you go, broken down by provider snip
.

Thanks Murphy a good reference point, I stand corrected;)

C_Mababejive

Its best to read the T&Cs of your agreeement because thats all that matters. I can still recall standing in a hire station office in San francisco having returned my car in good condition, with the right amount of fuel at the right time and being held up for ages and ages whilst customers before me tried to wing it with the receptionist for all manner of things i.e late return,wrong fuel,typre damages etc etc,, She was hard core and had clearly heard it all before.

cubegame

stevie11 wrote: »

Your times seem good. The hire car companies usually give up to an hour extra on return time. Therefore arrive by 2pm rent car at 3 and return by 4 at the latest but always check with the rental agency.

This is a good point.

We ended up picking up a car two hours early in Nashville back in June of last year. We returned just before our originally stated drop off time and were whacked with a bill for an extra day. However, after querying it at the desk it was instantly refunded.

That was with Dollar.

Murphy_The_Cat

stevie11 wrote: »

Thanks Murphy a good reference point, I stand corrected;)

No worries Stevie
I got "caught out" with Avis this time, but after rechecking they were in the right and I'd miscalulated.