An early return, a higher price

Christopher Elliott Travel columnist • Profile • E-mail

Q: We recently booked a rental car through Alamo.com for 10 days. Unfortunately, my husband’s grandmother passed away while we were on vacation and we had to come home three days early.

A few days after I returned, I discovered my credit card had been charged more than triple the price that Alamo had originally quoted us. The early-return policy on Alamo’s Web site says something about a $15-per-day fee for early returns, but our weekly rate was raised from $152 to $513.

Neither my husband nor I were made aware of the higher charges when we returned the car. We did not authorize or sign a receipt agreeing to pay that amount.

Alamo claims that we broke our original contract when we returned the car early, but I feel this is a classic case of bait and switch. Do I have any recourse in this matter?
— Molly Reinhardt, Kawkawlin, Mich.

A: Raising your weekly rate by $361 because you returned your car three days early makes no sense. If anything, Alamo should be offering you a refund for bringing one of its vehicles back early, allowing them to rent the car to someone else.

Daily travel blog Daily postings from ‘the last honest travel site’

But that’s not the way it works. Two years ago, Alamo made a small but significant change to its return policy. Not only would it apply a $15-per-day early return fee, but it would also recalculate your rate, charging you the same price that walk-up customers pay for renting cars without prior reservations.

In other words, you would owe Alamo the penalty plus the rate difference, which in your case is an extra $361.

The Alamo policy is similar to the airlines rules. Booking a seat two weeks in advance is almost always cheaper than a walk-up fare. And if you change your plans, you’re subject to a rebooking fee.

Past Travel Troubleshooter columns Half a room or twice the price A not-so-magical Disney vacation Still waiting for my refund Uh-oh! Optional car rental insurance isn't A canceled cruise, a missing refund Charged twice for a Cayman Islands hotel Help! My rental company ran out of cars Now that’s a change fee Right state, wrong Ramada Forced to buy another airline ticket Is my insurance claim lost in translation?

You could have prevented this excessive surcharge by carefully reading the terms of your rental contract and asking about the early-return fee when you came home before you were supposed to. Assuming everything is all right because no one said anything was a mistake.

If you had asked, you might have been able to explain your situation to a manager, who would have almost certainly adjusted your rate in a more compassionate way.

I contacted Alamo on your behalf. Regina Barr, a senior customer service manager, contacted me and said that under the circumstances, the company would honor the original weekly rate. It has issued a refund.

Christopher Elliot is the ombudsman for National Geographic Traveler magazine. E-mail him at chris@elliott.org, or troubleshoot your trip through his Web site, http://www.csr.elliott.org

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