We are a family who has DEBIT CARDS not credit cards. We only spend what we have. In our 20's we both got in trouble with credit cards so we decided not to have credit cards. Well that awesome idea might have to change due to you can't rent a car unless you have a credit card.
Now some agencies will take a debit card but put a freeze on the amount plus additional % more. For example, our car rental was going to be $575 for a mid size for 10 days and they wanted to put a $1000 hold on our credit card. Of course that wasn't going to work for this 1 income family because we needed that extra $500 for our vacation. We didn't know all this until the DAY we are to leave, of course.
My husband works by the airport where all the rental car agencies are so he had his friend drop him off after work at agency. Friend leaves and hubby goes in and went through all the motions with the agent and then BOOM..."we don't take debit cards, sir" - even though we used it to reserve the car in the first place. He calls me and lets me know the bad news and that he will go to Hertz, we've rented through them before so he doesn't think it will be a problem. They would but had to put a hold of over a $1000 on our card. Nope- not worth it! So off my hubby goes, he has to walk a couple miles to the Bart and then walk home. I would have gone to get him but he parked his truck in front of the driveway so my car was blocked in. It was one disaster after another.
But we all kept our focus on leaving so we tried to stay in good spirits. We weren't taking our car because we really wanted something new and comfy to travel in. Plus our car needed new tires and oil change so guess what hubby had to do when he got home- yep new tires and oil change. At this point we are 4 hours behind schedule. It crossed my mind just leave early in the morning but we had a hotel room already reserved so we had to go or loose $80. Such pressure! We leave and the best part was there was NO TRAFFIC. If we would have left when we planned to we would have been in the heart traffic for a long time so maybe this happened for a reason- that's just my wishful thinking and reasoning not to get upset at the situation.
Lesson Learned: Can't rent car with debit card!
Make sure you enter my Giveaway: http://pinkmamasplace.blogspot.com/2011/07/uprintingcom-giveaway-50-brochures.html ends this Thursday!
About The Author
Share This
1 comments :
Awe lady, I wish you had told me your plans, I totally would have let you know about the debit card situation. I had to deal with that a few months ago. Not fun, But look at it this way....you had no traffic AND you have new tires and clean oil!
Post a Comment