BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) – If you’re planning a summer trip that requires a rental car, you probably have some questions: Am I getting a good deal? What are the best car rental companies? Is the car’s Bluetooth connection secure?
A Consumer Reports survey found that the average cost of a rental car is about $86 per day. That works out to about $600 per week. National was the only rental car company with the highest overall satisfaction and the cheapest, averaging $73 per day. Members praised the company for its customer service, vehicle condition and pricing transparency. Enterprise and Alamo came in second and third.
CR members were disappointed with their experiences with Dollar, Fox and Thrifty.
Dollar received poor ratings for customer service and ease of rental car pickup. Thrifty did not live up to its name and was the most expensive company, averaging $91 per day.
Half of respondents book directly through the company’s website. About three-quarters said they used a discount to get a better deal, such as one offered by AAA or AARP. Another fifteen percent booked through the travel portal of a big-box club such as Costco or Sam’s Club.
CR recommends that when you find a car that fits your budget, you make a reservation, but don’t pay the full amount up front! Use sites like Autoslash.com or Kayak to track your reservation and get notified when a cheaper rate becomes available.
Bluetooth, Android Auto and Apple Car Play can be helpful technologies during your rental car trip, but be sure to unpair your phone and delete all stored data and addresses before returning the car! To keep your data private, review your phone’s permissions and grant the car only the access it needs.
Another tip: Most car rental companies will lock your debit or credit card to ensure there is enough money or credit to cover your final bill. They won’t charge you any extra fees if you return the car as promised in the rental agreement. However, if you reach your credit limit or your bank account is low on funds when the lock is applied, your card may be declined for further purchases.
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