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Car Rental Savers: Any Potential Problems?

Filed under: Car Rental Victoria BC - 29 Mar 2010  | Spread the word !

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There are literally dozens of online booking agents that have popped up to aid people in their search for the best deal possible when they travel. Some of these sites have become very popular and have brought in enough money to afford copious amounts of ad time on television, radio and even on movies. However, there are many more out there that aren’t as successful, either by choice or simply because the giant corporations that can afford to advertise everywhere simply don’t allow them the room they need to grow.

Whatever their reasons for their not being as popular as the other guys, it doesn’t mean that they aren’t just as good as their competitors. For many people, when they deal with an unknown entity, they have a tendency to assume the worst until proven otherwise. This, while an appropriate way to look at most things, should not be the case when dealing with at least a few of these booking agencies.

Car Rental Savers is one of the few companies that offer great deals on an otherwise overpriced expense of traveling. With a growing popularity because of their prices, which one can only assume that they’re taking a loss on, they are quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. In the past, many companies who were just starting out would not be able to offer the best rates and there would often times be issues that would pop up when you show up to sign the rental agreement. Thankfully, Car Rental Savers has grown out of this and now the price quoted is generally what you pay. Nevertheless, if you still have concerns about the quality and the pricing, you may choose to bypass their booking services and use a different company.

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Do Car Rental Prices Vary Like Flight Prices?

Filed under: Car Rental Victoria BC - 09 Mar 2010  | Spread the word !

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They sure do. Several factors cause rental car prices to vary, and your travel destination is a big factor.

I recently researched rental car rates in Canada and found that prices vary hugely, depending on the Canadian city I chose as my destination.

To compare apples to apples, I used the same one week pick-up and drop-off dates, specified the city’s international airport as the pick-up location, and always chose a compact model.

Here are my results, with all amounts in Canadian dollars:

The cheapest Canadian airport to rent a car in is Calgary, Alberta. Hertz rents a compact Ford Focus for $128.49. Avis rents a compact Chevy Cobalt for $146.99.

First runner-up is Victoria, B.C., where the Focus from Hertz costs $164.90 per week, and the Cobalt from Avis is $163.99.

Second runner-up is Quebec City, Quebec, where Hertz rents the Focus for $260.49, and Avis rents the Cobalt for $239.99.

The most expensive Canadian city was Toronto, Ontario, where it costs a whopping $340.49 per week to rent a Focus from Hertz or $319.99 for a Cobalt from Avis.

Travel advisors say picking up a rental car from an airport is the most costly way to rent.

My comparison of Hertz and Avis shows they’re often correct.

If I pick the Cobalt from the Avis office at the Quebec Hilton and drop it off there, it will cost $196.00, a $44 savings.

But if I pick up the Cobalt from the Avis office in downtown Victoria, the weekly rental rate is exactly the same as if I picked the car up from the airport.

Strangely, if I pick up a Focus from Hertz’s midtown Victoria office, the rate jumps to an unbelievable $499.

It definitely pays to do the research!

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