The only personal information I entered was my name and e-mail address. No phone number, no mailing address, no inbound flight number, no credit card, etc.
Are they really going to reserve an intermediate-sized car in my name, or is this a bait and switch of some kind?
If I find a better price elsewhere, am I obligated to cancel? Not sure what the consequences would be if I didn't, though. Not like they have my credit card to charge.
runningair said: If I find a better price elsewhere, am I obligated to cancel? Not sure what the consequences would be if I didn't, though. Not like they have my credit card to charge.
"Obligated" - no, but it is the right thing to do, and a courtesy to other travelers. As rental companies have cut back on inventory, cars become scarce during peak demand (big holiday weekends, major trade shows and sports events), and less inventory drives up the prices for others.
shank said: runningair said: If I find a better price elsewhere, am I obligated to cancel? Not sure what the consequences would be if I didn't, though. Not like they have my credit card to charge.
"Obligated" - no, but it is the right thing to do, and a courtesy to other travelers. As rental companies have cut back on inventory, cars become scarce during peak demand (big holiday weekends, major trade shows and sports events), and less inventory drives up the prices for others.
Point well taken, and I agree.
My issue is with their lax reservation process. You don't need a valid name or a valid e-mail address. "Woody Woodpecker" or the "Easter Bunny" could reserve a car. As long as their system allows bogus reservations, how can somebody like you or me take the reservation serious enough to cancel it? Nevermind expecting that a car will be there waiting for you.
you must hace never rented a car ....this is how most rental websites work
I always mak reservations with different companies, so when my plane lands i can pick whichever rental agency has the quickest shuttle, shortest line etc
Playing with fake names on the car rental reservations: -no obligation to give you the rate -they can cancel old reservation, rebook in your name at current rates
‘Glitch’ causes Orbitz rental car name switch August 30, 2007
Orbitz this evening is expected to alert customers to a “glitch” that may affect several thousand car rental reservations. In a memo sent to car rental companies yesterday, Krista Markowski, a senior account manager, warned that the electronic hiccup, “may create a customer service issue at the counter.”
The bug only affected customers with more than one name in their profile, according to Orbitz spokesman Brian Hoyt. “If there was another name in someone’s profile, the reservation may have been made in the other name,” he said. “To be on the safe side, we’re sending a note to every one of our customers.”
In the memo, Markowski had asked car rental companies, “Will your locations honor these reservations even if the name on the reservation does not match the name of the person picking up the car?”
Apparently, it didn’t get the answer it wanted.
Orbitz will ask customers with car rental reservations made between Aug. 18 and 24 to check their “My Trips” folder online. If the name on their reservation is incorrect, it is advising renters to cancel their reservation and rebook. If the price has gone up, Orbitz will reimburse its customers the difference.
Orbitz has had its fair share of price glitches, also called “fat finger” fares, as I’ve noted in previous columns. But it’s been vigilant about fixing the errors, especially in the last two years.
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