TRAVEL|TAKING OFF

A Cautionary Tale about Rental Car Agreements

Have you ever had this happen before?

I booked a rental car online for a recent weekend away, rather pleased with the cheap deal that was on offer. I didn’t need anything big or fancy; just some wheels to get me from the airport to my friend's house. My flight was arriving smack-bang during rush hour and I didn’t want them to endure a frustrating trip there and back — twice. Their home was a good 50-minute drive from the airport.

A few days later, I read the fine print — more to find out what documentation was required to pick up the vehicle. I had scrolled through it briefly before booking, but I didn’t notice a critical piece of information; nor was it flashing out at me like a neon sign.

As I carefully perused the rental agreement more, I was shocked to see a statement deeply embedded in the contract:

All drivers must hold a full and valid driving licence issued outside the USA, US Territories and Canada.

Huh?

I’d never seen this restriction before — although admittedly, I’m not booking a rental car very often.

What irked me was that I had prepaid for the car with a Canadian credit card and was arriving from a Canadian city. Surely I shouldn’t be able to get that far along in the booking process if I clearly didn’t fit the bill? Why did they allow me to book it in the first place?

I was miffed. It was a sneaky way of doing business.

I started an online chat with a customer representative who confirmed that this was indeed correct. He had little to say when I suggested the fine print was deviant, proposing instead that I cancel the booking and search for another suitable one on their website that had several suppliers.

Thankfully I was within the 48-hour time frame to cancel and receive a full refund, but, I had a sour taste in my mouth and refused to book with this online outfit again.

It may not have been their fault — and more likely to be the particular company offering the ‘deal’ — but the website was supporting a business that was utilizing deceptive techniques to secure transactions. They didn’t deserve my hard-earned dollars.

It took me less than five minutes to find another good price from a reputable company that requested license information before processing their contract. It was only $7 more than the first deal.

It made me question why the initial supplier would even place such a restriction. We’re still in a pandemic and the tourist industry isn’t running to its fullest potential, so why is there a need to lure unsuspecting Canadians and Americans into deals that aren’t for them?

I also wonder how many people have been caught out — and ended up coughing up a good chunk of dosh more to save the hassle of dealing with another company when they were pressed for time and stressed out.

If I found this issue out on arriving at the airport counter, it would’ve sent my anxiety levels sky-high and started my weekend away in panic mode.

I don’t appreciate being made to appear foolish!

The moral of the story? Read the fine print of any rental agreement. You never know what you’ll find embedded in there!

Even better? A little car wasn’t available so I got a free upgrade! Thanks, Alamo!