Getting ready to take the kids out on a summer vacation and worried about the cost of a car rental?
These days, there are countless choices of rental companies to choose from: Hertz, Dollar, Avis, and many other small local companies.
Additionally, you can get price quotes from many sources like Orbitz, Kayak, and Hipmunk.
What these sites won’t tell you is the biggest secret to getting a good deal on your rental: Book through the actual rental company and you can cancel your reservation as many times as you want, for free.
In the last month alone, I have cancelled two reservations for a trip in August, amounting to nearly $100 in savings. I’m sure you’re wondering how much time it took to get those savings.
Fifteen total minutes.
You see, car rental companies are just like airlines in that they change their prices on a daily and hourly basis based on travel trends and inventory. But they are different in that you can cancel and change reservations at any time; typically for free.
Getting the best price takes a bit of work, but it’s worth it. Book your car months in advance of your trip — remember to do it directly from the rental company — and then go back and check the prices on the exact same trip a few weeks later. If it is cheaper, cancel the old reservation and book a new car. If it’s not, just check back again later.
Do this every few weeks and you’ll be surprised how much money you can save in just a little bit of time.
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Jessica: Hi, I'm Jessica, the Consumer Press AI, can I help you with a consumer question?
