Car Rental Rates Don’t Always ‘Ad’ Up
Rental car companies may advertise some great deals, but don’t expect reservation agents to offer them to you.
Consumer Reports Travel Letter says that when it telephoned reservation agents, only a handful volunteered the best deals.
Some agents had to be quizzed before offering advertised rates, and others held firm to higher rates, even when asked to double-check.
The newsletter advises consumers to check the ads and shop around before renting a car.
Two car rental companies recently advertised specials in the Southland, so we conducted our own test, trying to arrange a weekend rental from Los Angeles International Airport. In both cases, we asked for the lowest rate available.
When we called Alamo, a representative offered us a rate of $29.99 a day for a mid-size car.
Asked if there was a lower rate, the representative came up with $25.99 a day for a compact car.
When we mentioned the advertised rate of $24 a day--a rate 20% lower than the original quote--the representative confirmed we could rent a compact Geo Metro for that price.
But, he warned: “It’s a lot smaller.”
When we called Hertz, a reservation agent immediately offered us a rate of $18.99 a day, a penny less than the advertised rate of $19.
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Fraud watch: “This is a Code 7 security check,” the caller told Jacqueline Canter, manager of the legendary Canter’s Fairfax deli. “We need the credit card number and the authorization code from your last transaction.”
Suspicious, Canter refused to provide the information, saying she needed to check with Visa first. A Visa representative told her that Visa never telephones merchants to conduct security checks. Canter had become the latest target in a widespread credit card fraud.
Visa spokesman Albert Coscia said that con artists use the information to either go on telephonic shopping sprees or manufacture bogus credit cards, which they sell. Coscia couldn’t estimate the size of the fraud, but said it is occurring throughout the country. Few perpetrators have been caught, he said.
“I think this is outrageous,” said Canter, who has alerted her staff to the fraud.
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Missing the target: Discount chain Target has brought price competition to a new level.
At a Target store in Duarte, we found animal-shaped pinatas with Kmart price tags on them. Curious, we called Target headquarters in Minneapolis for an explanation.
Spokeswoman Gail Dorn assured us that Target doesn’t buy its pinatas at Kmart. Dorn said the mix-up occurred because Target and Kmart share a pinata supplier. Somehow, she said, pinatas intended for Kmart ended up at Target.
Dorn said that after our call, the mislabeled pinatas were removed from the shelves. The mix-up didn’t affect what consumers paid, she said, since Target and Kmart charge the same price for pinatas.
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New math: Hughes Markets, in recent television commercials, is touting a new program that gives senior citizens 5% discounts “on almost everything.” A spokesman said the Los Angeles grocery chain believes that people over age 65 could use assistance with food bills. Seniors participating in the program say their total savings is often less than 5%, because such items as dairy products, alcohol and weekly specials are exempt. One Times reader who shops at Hughes Markets near Beverly Hills told us that on one visit, Hughes deducted $2.21, or 3.8%, from a $58.42 grocery bill. On another shopping visit, Hughes deducted $3.71, or 4.6%, from a $79.39 bill.
Hughes spokesman Jack Ackroyd said it is likely that many seniors receive less than 5% but that the offer is nonetheless bringing in many new customers.
