Orlando car hire

I've signed up for Dollar Express, but not yet used it. I assumed there was a dedicated desk at the car rental place - is this not so? I didn't book via US rentacar, so would I be able to go to the parking lot directly?

Hi Catsilversword,

Apologies for the delay in replying.

There used to be a separate line, for Dollar Express members, at the regular rental desk. DE members who joined this line were called as soon as a clerk became available- often much to the annoyance of non-DE members who had been waiting for anything up to an hour or more in the regular line.

At MCO now, DE members go straight to the Dollar booth in the parking lot.

Just inside the parking lot (after crossing the service road) there is a sign indicating the location of the various rental car companies. When we arrived last week,the Dollar booth was positioned just to the right once inside the lot.

As David says, it really is first class and very quick.

Regards,

John

I think my concern is that, even though I've signed up and have the DE card, I couldn't input the number anywhere on the booking (done via UK site). I'm happy to go directly to the booth in the parking lot, but is it possible that they'll look at my booking and DE card, see it isn't linked, and send me back to the long, long queue????

Happy in my paranoid

I think my concern is that, even though I've signed up and have the DE card, I couldn't input the number anywhere on the booking (done via UK site). I'm happy to go directly to the booth in the parking lot, but is it possible that they'll look at my booking and DE card, see it isn't linked, and send me back to the long, long queue????

Happy in my paranoid

Or paranoia even...

[Neil]

I think my concern is that, even though I've signed up and have the DE card, I couldn't input the number anywhere on the booking (done via UK site). I'm happy to go directly to the booth in the parking lot, but is it possible that they'll look at my booking and DE card, see it isn't linked, and send me back to the long, long queue????

Happy in my paranoid

Very very unlikely. As long as you have a DE card, have the info filled in your online account, then they will look after you there.

one rip off to avaid is the prepay gas option. they will charge you for a full tank -and by that i mena every single drop it allegedly holds. of course you take it back wiht some left and they win. i prefer to fill up a few miles before the airport -not real close as the prices suddenly hike.

This works only if you know the locations of the gas stations. If you return with a less than full tank the price charged for gas by the hire companies is really, really punitive.

I think my concern is that, even though I've signed up and have the DE card, I couldn't input the number anywhere on the booking (done via UK site). I'm happy to go directly to the booth in the parking lot, but is it possible that they'll look at my booking and DE card, see it isn't linked, and send me back to the long, long queue????

Happy in my paranoid

Very very unlikely. As long as you have a DE card, have the info filled in your online account, then they will look after you there.

Sounds good y)

one rip off to avaid is the prepay gas option. they will charge you for a full tank -and by that i mena every single drop it allegedly holds. of course you take it back wiht some left and they win. i prefer to fill up a few miles before the airport -not real close as the prices suddenly hike.

This works only if you know the locations of the gas stations. If you return with a less than full tank the price charged for gas by the hire companies is really, really punitive.

granted that is true however virttually every exit on any approach road has at least one gas station shown. just plan a bit ahead (mapquest helps)

I have yet to find any car fuel gauge that still does not show full 30 miles after being fully topped up.
Just fill up within 30 miles of the airport.

Very very unlikely. As long as you have a DE card, have the info filled in your online account, then they will look after you there.

Hi again everyone.

I've followed this thread I started with a great deal of interest and have learnt alot of tips about car hire. One tip I'll now share with you >> when you see a good price, book it.
Last weekend I got a quote from USrentacar for a 7seater Minivan with Dollar (gold cover) at £405.60 However we did not act and now the price is £226 ! .

Can I ask Neil what is an "on-line account" and is this only via USrentacar who I have noted you're booked with? In the past I've booked with Netflights.com and only got a printed out voucher to take to Dollar, I've never had an on-line account to refer to. We've joined the Dollar Express but are still waiting for the details to come through ii).

[Darren Wheeler]

Very very unlikely. As long as you have a DE card, have the info filled in your online account, then they will look after you there.

Hi again everyone.

I've followed this thread I started with a great deal of interest and have learnt alot of tips about car hire. One tip I'll now share with you >> when you see a good price, book it.
Last weekend I got a quote from USrentacar for a 7seater Minivan with Dollar (gold cover) at £405.60 However we did not act and now the price is £226 ! .

Ehh?

Sorry, wasn't concentrating on what my fingers typed & I still didn't see the mistake when I previewed - I meant £426.

Very very unlikely. As long as you have a DE card, have the info filled in your online account, then they will look after you there.

Hi again everyone.

I've followed this thread I started with a great deal of interest and have learnt alot of tips about car hire. One tip I'll now share with you >> when you see a good price, book it.
Last weekend I got a quote from USrentacar for a 7seater Minivan with Dollar (gold cover) at £405.60 However we did not act and now the price is £226 ! .

Ehh?

Now I'm confused. Before I posted on here, I'd also tried updating my DE profile - wouldn't recognise the confirmation number I have. So I emailed the (non) helpdesk. They replied that I can't use DE, as they view my booking as a package! I pointed out that I've made the booking via the Dollar UK site, so surely a booking with Dollar is a booking with Dollar (especially seeing the earlier post about using usrentacar - which is UK-based site.

What IS it about US sites? Why is the default setting always to turn their heads away??? And is this person right, have I registered with DE for nothing? I'd have thought not, from the replies I've seen on here (and you guys always seem to be in the know!). Looks like this leaves me the snail queue again - I'll have to give out evils lol.

Himself meanwhile, is saying to just go to the DE booth and get sent back to the queue if necessary....


Grrrr...... n(

[Neil]

Can I ask Neil what is an "on-line account" and is this only via USrentacar who I have noted you're booked with? In the past I've booked with Netflights.com and only got a printed out voucher to take to Dollar, I've never had an on-line account to refer to. We've joined the Dollar Express but are still waiting for the details to come through ii).

In your DE express account, you need to fill in some info like driving license number, credit card number etc etc, that is what I was referring to.

Himself meanwhile, is saying to just go to the DE booth and get sent back to the queue if necessary....

Seriously do this. You seem to be getting yourself very worked up over this, and really it isn't an issue. The desk staff at the car hire company won't care less if your booking is linked to your DE account.

Just go to the DE area, make sure you have your card with you, hand it over with your paperwork and say nothing else, almost certainly they won't even mention that it isn't linked, and if they do, just point out you are a registered for DE, you booked direct through the UK site and ask nicely if they will sort it for you.

The first time we used the DE line, we had booked via USrentacar, I hadn't even got my DE card yet, just a printed one from the website, there was no link to the booking but the looked after me without any issue.

You're right Neil, I am a bit worked up about it lol - always find picking the car up an irritant.

Maybe I misunderstood the updating online profile though - I'd of course had to already provide driving licences and ccs to get the DFE membership, I thought I had to also add the confirmation number, which is where is all started to unravel...



But thanks Neil - I will defo take your advice and schlepp straight to the DE booth, do as you suggest and hand them my card.

We can always blame you if it doesn't work

In your DE express account, you need to fill in some info like driving license number, credit card number etc etc, that is what I was referring to.

Many thanks Neil, I understand now. Hev

Well, we did as suggested here and went directly to the DE booth. The woman there was very obliging, BUT she did say that as we hadn't booked with Dollar directly, then we should have gone to the desk inside, regardless of the fact that we'd got a DE card and an online profile! Thankfully, she did the necessary and din't send us back. Mmmmm....

[Neil]

We used it without any issue at all last week. Booked through USRentacar, went straight to DE in the garage, nothing mentioned about the fact we shouldn't be using it, got a brand new mini van with all the extras incl reverse camera, 2 screen dvd player, sat nav, everything electric - prob best car we have had.

I have booked through Auto Europe and didn't know it would be Dollar until the confirmation came through on email. (£295 for an Intermediate car for 18 days in July, plus £25 cashback from Quidco (if it comes through)).

If I register with DE would I be able to do the same, i.e. go straight to the parking lot?

Not sure if it makes any difference but I always use the Pre- registration form on the Dollar site and have used the DE counter 5 times in the last year with no problem. (last time in February this year). I have mostly booked with Netflights over the last couple of years and the Dollar site accepts my confirmation reference.

I will be going to the DE counter on Friday and if there's a problem I will look elsewhere for the cheapest car hire in future, that may or may not be Dollar. I sometimes pay a little more as I like to know I can use the counter and, certainly over the last year, the cars I've hired have been much newer than previously.

Jilly

The woman said bookings not made directly with Dollar didnot allow for use of the DE desk - and I know that contradicts what was said here! Weird...

The woman said bookings not made directly with Dollar didnot allow for use of the DE desk - and I know that contradicts what was said here! Weird...

I have been one that has raved about the service from Dollar Express, especially at Orlando but have never commented on the "who is allowed to use it" conversations. (Have always booked direct through dollar, even though sometimes it has been slightly more expensive)

It did stike me as a little strange that anyone booking a hire car through any site could use DE even though the car was ultimately supplied by Dollar.

Surely if that was the case, everyone renting a Dollar car through whatever site, would just sign up to DE, bypass the normal lines, use the DE line and thus render Dollar Express useless as the queues would just change from one location to another ?|

It would be interesting to find out what the "official" policy is.

David

I have been one that has raved about the service from Dollar Express, especially at Orlando but have never commented on the "who is allowed to use it" conversations. (Have always booked direct through dollar, even though sometimes it has been slightly more expensive)

David

Do you book through the Dollar.com site or the UK site - as has been mentioned here, the UK site isn't supposed to be included in DE either?

When I have looked at the US site, insurance doesn't seem to be included and must be purchased on arrival? Am I doing something wrong?

IzzyRose

It did stike me as a little strange that anyone booking a hire car through any site could use DE even though the car was ultimately supplied by Dollar.

Surely if that was the case, everyone renting a Dollar car through whatever site, would just sign up to DE, bypass the normal lines, use the DE line and thus render Dollar Express useless as the queues would just change from one location to another ?|

It would be interesting to find out what the "official" policy is.

David

I take your point - but it seems that it works fine if you book via usrentacar as several good folks here have done. My booking WAS made via Dollar - but the UK site (it was cheaper than via the US site). I found I was unable to input my DE number on the booking - it kept coming up as invalid - so contacted Dollar UK and they did it manually their end - or at least, they said they did! I'd have thought Dollar is Dollar, whether in the UK or the US - but perhaps I'm wrong on that too!


Ah well...

Do you book through the Dollar.com site or the UK site - as has been mentioned here, the UK site isn't supposed to be included in DE either?

When I have looked at the US site, insurance doesn't seem to be included and must be purchased on arrival? Am I doing something wrong?

IzzyRose

Hi IzzyRose

I book through Dollar.com and have my rental preferences set for minimum insurance.

Don't take the top-up stuff as my Amex covers me for that, but I agree, its not clearabout insurance for UK drivers on the .com site - I think they have a different insurance system across there compared to ours ?|

David

I take your point - but it seems that it works fine if you book via usrentacar as several good folks here have done. My booking WAS made via Dollar - but the UK site (it was cheaper than via the US site). I found I was unable to input my DE number on the booking - it kept coming up as invalid - so contacted Dollar UK and they did it manually their end - or at least, they said they did! I'd have thought Dollar is Dollar, whether in the UK or the US - but perhaps I'm wrong on that too!


Ah well...

Your right is all very confusing and the last thing you need when you step off a 9 hour flight. It would be interesting to find their official line. ?|

As for Dollar US vs UK, maybe Dollar UK is a franchise or something. I know once upon a time Dollar US was owned by Chrysler but has probably changed hands since then as Chrysler went into Chapter 11 a few years back ?|

David