Priceline-how to bid on a car rental when considering taxes/surcharges? - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

winger · October 28, 2007, 11:08 PM

I have a two week car rental through Alamo for $350, including all taxes and surcharges (and includes a free class upgrade and Costco discount).

I want to now try priceline to beat this price. When I bid, should I subtract all the taxes and surcharges and discounts? Hard to really calculate b/c of the free class upgrade and discount.

Or is the priceline bid including all taxes/surcharges.

Also, what other sites might I have better luck with?

DianneL · October 28, 2007, 11:39 PM

The last two autos we rented, I rented on priceline, a van each time. You bid the price you are willing to pay per day for the vehicle. The taxes, etc. will be added on top of that. So, know what your per day rate is for the one you have reserved (less the taxes and add-on's) and bid accordingly. Of course, with an upgrade involved, it gets a little more complicated to determine.

DeniseM · October 28, 2007, 11:43 PM

Here is the car rental info. from Priceline.

Here's the info. on fees:

The price you name is per rental day and does not include priceline's charge to you for taxes and service fees. We will calculate this additional charge and provide you a summary of your "Total Charges" on your contract page before you submit a request. Your credit card will be charged if, and only if, your offer is accepted by priceline.

I like AARP's car rental webpage, because it shows you a comparison of all the major companies and gives AARP members a decent discount.

Other good options are Costco and the Automobile Club (AAA.)

They can require you to show your membership card for AARP, Costco, and AAA, at the rental agency.

falmouth3 · October 28, 2007, 11:44 PM

Determine what you're paying for the daily rate before taxes and fees. Then bid lower. Those taxes and fees will be set by the local government, not the car company or Priceline. Therefore, I believe that they can be expected to be the same for any of the companies. Taxes should be lower if you're paying less for the car.

But remember, on Priceline, if your bid is accepted, your credit card will be charged and your shopping will be over. I recently put in a bid and to my surprise, I got a rental from Hertz. My bid was about 1/2 of what Hertz was charging on Priceline, and less than the other companies, too. I thought it was a pretty low bid until it was accepted immediately. :-)

winger · October 28, 2007, 11:49 PM

I just tried priceline and I was asked to bid per day (before taxes and surcharges)...they then show you the total for the entire reservation (2 weeks for me) including and surcharges before I hit a button to submit/confirm.

Well, I won, saving 20 over a Costco price that only guaranteed a standard size car (with free upgrade to this size). We discovered today after trying to fit our luggage into a standard size Malibu 2 door that we were in a little trouble (yes, Denise, even with your packing tips! ). So we decided on needing a full size car. Total on priceline = $314 for 14 days, full size car.

October 28, 2007, 11:08 PM	#1
winger TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Oct 7, 06 Location: California Posts: 1,687 Resorts: Diamond Resorts/Sunterra (PLT conversion) MMC 2 BD Platinum season	Priceline-how to bid on a car rental when considering taxes/surcharges? I have a two week car rental through Alamo for $350, including all taxes and surcharges (and includes a free class upgrade and Costco discount). I want to now try priceline to beat this price. When I bid, should I subtract all the taxes and surcharges and discounts? Hard to really calculate b/c of the free class upgrade and discount. Or is the priceline bid including all taxes/surcharges. Also, what other sites might I have better luck with?

October 28, 2007, 11:43 PM	#3
DeniseM Moderator TUG Lifetime Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Northern, CA Posts: 14,068 Resorts: Starwood-WKORV, SDO, & SVR, Branson-Roark Vacation Club, Tahoe-Kingsbury Crossing, Kauai Beach Villas - 2 weeks	Here is the car rental info. from Priceline. Here's the info. on fees: The price you name is per rental day and does not include priceline's charge to you for taxes and service fees. We will calculate this additional charge and provide you a summary of your "Total Charges" on your contract page before you submit a request. Your credit card will be charged if, and only if, your offer is accepted by priceline. I like AARP's car rental webpage, because it shows you a comparison of all the major companies and gives AARP members a decent discount. Other good options are Costco and the Automobile Club (AAA.) They can require you to show your membership card for AARP, Costco, and AAA, at the rental agency. __________________ DeniseM "Starwood is hired to administer reservations, clean the toilets, and take out the trash. They are not paid to interfere with owners' usage. They're acting as if they own the place." - Pit

October 28, 2007, 11:44 PM	#4
falmouth3 TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Burlington, MA Posts: 1,649	Determine what you're paying for the daily rate before taxes and fees. Then bid lower. Those taxes and fees will be set by the local government, not the car company or Priceline. Therefore, I believe that they can be expected to be the same for any of the companies. Taxes should be lower if you're paying less for the car. But remember, on Priceline, if your bid is accepted, your credit card will be charged and your shopping will be over. I recently put in a bid and to my surprise, I got a rental from Hertz. My bid was about 1/2 of what Hertz was charging on Priceline, and less than the other companies, too. I thought it was a pretty low bid until it was accepted immediately. :-) Last edited by falmouth3 : October 28, 2007 at 11:49 PM. Reason: added thought

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October 28, 2007, 11:39 PM	#2
DianneL TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 14, 05 Location: Brentwood, TN Posts: 373 Resorts: Tree Tops Gatlinburg, Holiday Beach Resort in Destin, Royal Dunes HHI, Holiday Beach Resort Phase II Destin	The last two autos we rented, I rented on priceline, a van each time. You bid the price you are willing to pay per day for the vehicle. The taxes, etc. will be added on top of that. So, know what your per day rate is for the one you have reserved (less the taxes and add-on's) and bid accordingly. Of course, with an upgrade involved, it gets a little more complicated to determine.

October 28, 2007, 11:49 PM	#5
winger TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Oct 7, 06 Location: California Posts: 1,687 Resorts: Diamond Resorts/Sunterra (PLT conversion) MMC 2 BD Platinum season	I just tried priceline and I was asked to bid per day (before taxes and surcharges)...they then show you the total for the entire reservation (2 weeks for me) including and surcharges before I hit a button to submit/confirm. Well, I won, saving 20 over a Costco price that only guaranteed a standard size car (with free upgrade to this size). We discovered today after trying to fit our luggage into a standard size Malibu 2 door that we were in a little trouble (yes, Denise, even with your packing tips! ). So we decided on needing a full size car. Total on priceline = $314 for 14 days, full size car.