Car rental experience (long)

[Mike]

Capital One problems. A word of warning regarding capital one which was suggested by one poster. I had Capital one for several years. I finally dumped it after a series of problems while traveling. After one trip where suddenly my card stopped working mid trip I called them when I got home ( I tried to call internationally to the number that they listed on their web site saying to call it collect but when you get a recording....Doh.) and they told me that when thehy saw charges from out of the country they called my home number and when no one answered they stopped the card! What kind of idiots do that? If I'm on a trip obviously (to any average iq person) I'm not going to answer the phone. Ok, I spoke to them and they suggested the solution of a pre-emptive strike. I would tell them in advance that I was leaving. I even game them the exact dayes of travel. Next trip, SAME PROBLEM. They apologized. Then I went to Vegas for a conference - from Utah, this is only one state away. SAME PROBLEM. Next dive trip - SAME PROBLEM. Thankfully I got married to a girl who's father is retired airforce. Thank you USAA for providing a card that works on the "road". To say I hate Capital One is an understatement of epic proportions. And in case any of you wonders, I pay full balance on every credit card every month and have sone so for at least the last decade. It was not an unpaid balance problem. Card was cancelled when I returned from Roatan 2 trips ago. Their preventative security made me crazy.

Yeah, been there, done that. Capital one is famous or 'infamous' for their security programs against fraud.

Anybody with a new Capital One card would be well advised to contact them prior to traveling to let them know where you are going, cause with a new card you are on their red flagged watch list for awhile and any little thing that the computer picks up through it's continuous monitoring and analysis of your spending will trigger the card getting frozen until it learns your purchasing habits.

I went through the same things with them, probably froze my card 5 times in the first 5 months, calls the them asking WTF good is the card if you won't let me use it were useless. They would apologize but a month later, it would happen again. But the thing finally learned my spending habits, now I travel to any foreign destination and no more freezing. The benefits of Capital One are hard to beat. I get a free vacation once a year off the points and they have some of the best benefits you'll get for travellers with no charges for them.

 

[ReefHound]

My experience with Capital One is totally different. I applied and received a new card last year just 30 days before my trip to Mexico (deep in the mainland, not a tourist destination). I opened it for the express purpose of using it there because my other cards charge international transaction fees. I had no problems using it there and the only non-Mexican charge on my card the first month of use was getting gas before I left to make sure it was activated.

I've had it for over 12 months now and been to Mexico three different times and so far have never had a transaction declined. Only problem I've had is I keep paying the bill a week late because their email reminder notification seldom works.

 

[ReefHound]

Easyway would furnish the same car for 2 days Nissan-Tsuru aut @ $20 = $36 after AAA 10% discount
taxes 5.40
ALI, CDW, TP, PAI & EPC: 18
total $59.40

Don, the quote you pasted as an image was for one day, not two. You doubled the daily rate above, but not the taxes and insurance. Add another $18 and $5.40 and you get $82.80 which is 15% higher than Isis.

 

[kmurray719]

My experience with Capital One is totally different. I applied and received a new card last year just 30 days before my trip to Mexico (deep in the mainland, not a tourist destination). I opened it for the express purpose of using it there because my other cards charge international transaction fees. I had no problems using it there and the only non-Mexican charge on my card the first month of use was getting gas before I left to make sure it was activated.

I've had it for over 12 months now and been to Mexico three different times and so far have never had a transaction declined. Only problem I've had is I keep paying the bill a week late because their email reminder notification seldom works.

I've also never had a problem using my Capital One card internationally. They called me once when I used it in Maine to make sure the charges were mine, but they didn't freeze it. I used it in Cozumel several months ago without a problem, and no fees. I did let them know I would be using it in Mexico and gave them my travel dates before I left.

The only problem I have had is the fact that I've been a customer for 10+ years, never paid late, and they jacked my interest rate up from 6.9 to 16.9 last year. If it wasn't my oldest card, and I actually used it any time other than travelling I'd get rid of it just on principal. But that's not a problem with using it internationally, just my rant on their regular business practices

 

[DandyDon]

Don, the quote you pasted as an image was for one day, not two. You doubled the daily rate above, but not the taxes and insurance. Add another $18 and $5.40 and you get $82.80 which is 15% higher than Isis.

I don't think I ever said 2 days. I'm renting for 28 hours, comparing with both, which means I pay for 2 days yeah, but there may be insurance differences? Yeah, I guess so; if I rerate on their site for 2 days, the insurance doubles, making the total $84 before 10% AAA discount = $76. But I was figuring 28 hours with both...

I was just told additionally that for Visa rental car insurance to work, I have to opt out of the rental car insurance completely. :shocked2: Never heard that before; need time to research that more. Anyway...

The times are there tho, rates figured by their computer.

Insurance for that period figured by their computer

The tax is figured on the total figured by their computer​

Rates before discount...

[/QUOTE]

 

[ReefHound]

Looks like a loophole. Wonder if you would get away with it? Good luck.

Maybe next time I can rent for 1 day and 144 extra hours?

 

[DandyDon]

Looks like a loophole. Wonder if you would get away with it? Good luck.

Maybe next time I can rent for 1 day and 144 extra hours?

It could be a computer error in that the insurance is calculated incorrectly based on whole days only. I'm still going with the higher priced of the two tho, as I've heard so much good about him, he did waive the credit card fees on his end, and he's not much higher so hopefully worth the difference.

I was a little put off by the Visa requirement and I did check, which I should have read anyway: Auto Rental Collision Damage Waiver - Personal | Personal | Visa USA There is a lot more there but from the summary...

Benefit at a glance

* Collision and theft coverage on auto rentals.
* To activate coverage, complete the entire rental transaction with your eligible Visa card and decline the collision damage waiver (CDW) coverage if offered by the rental company.
* If you have any questions regarding a specific vehicle, call the Benefit Administrator at 1-800-VISA-911, or if outside the United States at one of our toll-free numbers.
* Quick, easy, and accurate filing when you file claims online at the Visa Auto Rental CDW Claim Center

I really did not want to self insure the $500 deductible, nor decline CDW and leave myself open a larger risk, but since they do not offer CDW exactly - I think I'm covered okay. Filing a claim on a $500 loss that I'd have to pay immediately, dealing with paperwork in Spanish, doesn't sound fun - but does sound doable if caca hits fan somewhere.