Booking car rentals online leads to savings

Consumer experts are advising travellers planning on renting a car during the Memorial Day weekend, or at anytime during the peak summer season to call car hire firms by telephone in order to inquire about their prices, but to ultimately book their vehicle online, in order to save a significant amount of money. Elisabeth Leamy, a consumer correspondent associated with ABC News, found that there is a major difference in prices quoted over the telephone and those available on the internet, mainly because many car hire firms are trying to encourage an increasing number of people to go online when booking, as this is much cheaper for the companies than having to maintain extensive, physical client service centres.

Leamy also offers renters another tip. Once one has reserved a vehicle, she believes that the next smart move is to go to the designated pick-up location and inquire about their rates in person, without actually indicating that they have already reserved a car online. By doing this, the client can confirm if he/she has, indeed, received the lowest possible rate. Leamy has found that it is occasionally possible to receive a better price at the actual pick-up location, especially if there is an abundance of available cars.

The consumer correspondent also suggests that clients purchase a collision damage waiver and most types of insurance offered by car hire firms. Although Leamy recognizes that this will significantly increase the price of a rental, she believes that it is still far better than having to pay for the full cost of a damaged car in the case of a major collision.