Underage 25 car rental rates?

[SPAPP]

I am going to Disney World 8/31-9/08. I am wondering if anybody has any tips to help a 24 year old driver receive a decent rate on a rental car. The cheepest rate I am receiving is about $360.00 for 8 days for a midsize. This includes a 10 dollar perday underage 25 rental surcharge.

Any info would be appreciated.


Thanks,
Steve

 

[BrennyK]

Try L & M Car Rental. I've never used them, and you'll find good and bad things about them on these boards. But a friend's daughter, 18 or 19, used them a couple of months ago and had absolutely no problems. I also have them as my backup res -- budget was slightly cheaper. I know she had to pay extra fee also, sorry I don't know how much.

Hope this helps!

 

[seashoreCM]

Currently I suggest avoiding L&M. They have a penchant for raising your rate at check in if they feel like it.

The problem with Hotwire and Priceline is that sometimes the rental company insists you buy one or more insurance "options". Here I maintain that you are still not obliged to buy the insurance and Priceline or Hotwire must do a refund if the rental company refuses to give you the car, but that doesn't help when ou need the car.

Do not use Priceline or Hotwire unless the under-25 fee is included. It does not make sense to win a 20 dollar bid when the counter agent announces a 25 dollar under-25 fee when you could make a regular reservation for 25 dollars a day and the resrvation agent tells a 10 dollar uder-25 fee.

Requiring collision coverage is a rate increase in disguise. Rental collision coverage is not insurance, it is just a fee for a promise not to charge you for that kind of damage. If you don't need or want the promise, you should not have to pay for it.

I suppose that in the event of an unauthorized rate increase you can argue for a short while and then tell them "you are going to rent a car somewhere else and hold them civilly liable for the difference in rate". But better to avoid getting into problems like this and choose some other company.

Disney hints:
http://members.aol.com/ajaynejr/disney.htm

 

[Lewisc]

Forget about LM. Hotwire and PL ask for your DOB so underage surcharges are included. Enterprise is know to have lower surcharges. CHECK ANY CORPORATE rates that may be available to you. Many of the corporate rates waive the underage surcharge.