The Free Market In Action

[timill]

So, for obvious reasons, I was looking at car rental options at Knoxville Airport in the near future. NexTag suggested that Alamo would be cheapest, so I looked at www.alamo.com.

If I live in the USA, I have a choice of 10 car classes; if I live in the UK, I only get six.

As a USAn, the cost of a compact car for 2 weeks is $310.18; as a Brit, it costs $566.00 for the same period.

Bah, I thought, and flipped to the next page. Add in CDW, EP and return fuel to the USA price, and the total cost shoots up to $964.48 with all taxes. With the UK price, all I have to add is the return fuel - CDW and EP are included - and the total cost is $607.82

As our transatlantic cousins say, go figure...

Comments

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

I know I shouldnt ask this but "Why?"




(Best wishes to marcia's family)

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

OK, so the Sales tax might be different - but I dont know what CDW and EP are.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

Try www.carrentals.com (www.carrentals.com), who are a broker. They suggest $20/day before tax for the car, and they have their own LDW at $12 a day. It doesn't say you have to be a US resident to book.

[cobrabay.livejournal.com]

CDW - Collision Damage Waiver
EP - Extended Protection or Extra Protection.

[alexmc.livejournal.com]

Cheers.

So they are forcing foreigners to have extra insurance - but allowing local people to skip these if they really want.

I understand now. And it almost makes sense.

[timill]

Or if they already have them through other means - I believe some car insurances in the USA provide cover for rental cars.

CDW=3rd party insurance (beyond the minimum required)
EP=comprehensive insurance.

I always take them, as if anything happens I can just hand the smoking wreck back to the rental company and it's all covered.

What surprised me is that the two final packages (as I got them) cover the same things (rental+CDW+EP+fuel), but a very different price.

[vicarage.livejournal.com]

CDW is 1st party lost/damage, ie, to your vehicle. EP is for other people, SLI is more cover for yourself.

[carbonel]

Have you tried one of the consolidators, such as Priceline or Orbitz?